I throughly enjoyed reading this fantastic book! It was hard to put down as I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I thought I had it all figured out but knew Keogh would pull a major twist that I could never guess...I was NOT disappointed!!! Needless to say I was completely wrong and the ending left me picking my jaw up off the floor! You won't want to miss this fantastic domestic thriller!!!!

Thank you for the ARC copy!

If you like the crime mystery genre with a twisty turny plot then you will love this.

Ms. Keogh is so skilled at creating her characters that she seems to inhabit them. The main character in this book, Sarah, is utterly believable and easy to identify with. She is a busy GP with an overbearing husband who she is not in love with. Add a newborn into the mix, and it makes for a complex situation.

It is fast paced and the dialogue and excellent prose keep the plot moving along perfectly. It is suspenseful throughout and every time I thought I had worked out where the plot was going, the next page would turn my theory on it's head. The ending was surprising and I had not worked out that it would end in that way.

Excellent fiction.

It’s been a while since I read a Keogh book (they are gradually stacking up on my Kindle!) but it is clear this author still has what it takes to write a gripping thriller. I could not put this book down and was absorbed by this fast-moving narrative.

I found it interesting how Keogh manipulates reader opinions of the main characters. The protagonist, Sarah, started off having my sympathy, which then evolved to frustration and suspicion, altering again before the novel had finished. I felt sorry for Sarah because she is introduced as having married fast, on the rebound, and is now having second doubts. Yet, when her doting husband suggests having a baby, Sarah sees this as an opportunity to redirect her husband’s feelings: Sarah feels that Nick is suffocatingly devoted and would rather him shower his affections on their child.

Yet, as you would expect, things don’t miraculously improve after Kaya is born. When Sarah suggests a mini-break with their young daughter, things turn for the worse as Kaya is abducted. The book then spirals into a web of suspicion as I was convinced that someone was involved in organising the disappearance of a daughter that Sarah has come to resent.

The narrative includes perspectives from an unknown character, as well as parts of the police investigation. I really enjoyed seeing how the officers had investigated the baby abduction, especially as I agreed with the suspicions that one officer held. For me, reading this book made me more convinced that I was correct with my theories, only for the writer to shatter them with later revelations.

Whilst I had guessed some of the plot development, I still found the novel thrilling and exciting. In some respects, I thought Sarah was a deserved victim and sympathised with her husband because of how she treats him. On the other hand, I could understand why Sarah felt so trapped, turning to her best friend for a listening ear and advice. Yet, the moments when the baby is abducted literally turned my blood ice cold and I think this moment marked an increase in intensity in the story.

Brimming with twists, turns and a range of suspects, this book had me on edge until the very end. It was a great read and I loved trying to solve the mystery behind Kaya’s abduction.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Written by Valerie Keogh, this book is an engaging, quick reading story. It’s well written, with an exciting ending!

Sarah is married to Nick, but she’s not happy. Her husband, on the other hand, is madly in love with Sarah.
Complicating the relationship is her pregnancy, and subsequent birth of their daughter, Kaya.
Desperate to find a pathetic to happiness, Sarah plans a mini vacation, to have some fun.
However, tragedy occurs when baby Kaya is abducted, and a police hunt begins.

We, the reader, are wondering if this was a planned kidnapping, arranged by Sarah?

The story has a lot of action as well as a giant twist at the end!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. My opinions are honest and unbiased.

I've said this before and I'll shout it out from the rooftops again. Valerie Keogh has the ability to surprise and throw you into something that you never expect.

Sarah is so desperately unhappy in her marriage to Nick and he knows it. Nick offers Sarah the one thing that she has been hoping for, a baby of her own and Nick in a desperate attempt to save their marriage offers her that one last piece of hope.
Sarah didn't believe that she would get pregnant so quickly but when the pregnancy test proves positive she knows that she will end up being with Nick forever.

Pregnancy wasn't easy for Sarah and when Kaya was born she struggled with the expected motherly love and bond.
Of course Nick stepped in to pick up the pieces.

When a twisted turn of events happen and Kaya goes missing, Sarah's heart is truly broken.

But with so many of Valerie's books there are some brutal home truths and secrets to reveal.
And that ending!!

Sarah has it all - the dream job, a loving husband and a beautiful baby. But she doesn’t want it. She wants to be free from Nick and the daughter she feels he tricked her into having. So when in a moment tragedy strikes and everything changes, who exactly is to blame?

The characters here reflect really well the different biases we all hold when we see a news story like this - all eyes point towards the family, and maybe even the lonely best friend who knows everything... But I never expected the twist that dropped! Would definitely recommend this one!

(Hopefully I’ve kept it spoiler free)

This book was full of twists that kept me hooked, as soon as I started reading I didn't want to put the book down until I had devoured the whole book.

"The Mother" is a book about a couple, Sarah and Nick. Sarah realises too late that she shouldn't have married Nick and then gets caught in the situation of being pregnant and hoping that will fix their marriage. Things take a turn and Sarah realises that you need to be careful what you wish for! The book is written very well by not giving too much away which makes the ending unexpected and amazing. However the book did a feel of dragging on for too long with filler information that really wasn't needed and was lost on me. I would however read it again and recommend it to anyone that likes a suspenseful book!

This was a great psychological thriller. I found myself pulled in right from the very start and could not put the book down.

There were multiple twists, some that were COMPLETELY unexpected.

I loved this book and I’d highly recommend to anyone that likes a fast paced, twisty thriller.

Sarah is unhappily married to Nick. Then she discovers she is pregnant. When baby Maya is born things just go from bad to worse and then baby Maya goes missing. I think this is Valerie Keogh's best physcological thriller to date. As there was so many different directions the plot could have went so it keeps you guessing and connected. The growth development of each and every character was outstanding. The plot has twists that left me gobsmacked. The ending was not what you think but leaves you satisfied. I stayed up late to find out what the outcome would be and I was not disappointed.

Keough is very talented by writing and creating some of the most vile characters!
Most of the central characters in this book are just horrid.
Sarah: cold and standoffish who makes really stupid decisions.
Nick: a cloying obsessive husband
Jade: just terrible
The character I liked the most was Zee. She was a good cop but also the most likable.
The book delivers a lot of surprises that are edgy.

Another absolutely compelling read from this author. Valerie Keogh has a skill in her writing that pulls you into a story and doesn't release you again until it's finished. By the time this book is finished you've been through the emotional wringer and have ended up like a corkscrew as there are that many twists and turns in it. Just when you think you have worked everything out in comes another twist to throw you off course once again.
This is an outstanding psychological thriller that has you on the edge of your seat throughout.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

W.O.W this book was amazing., from the first page till the last. I kept wondering what would happen next., the things I thought would happen Didn't. I was gob smacked by the cleverness of the author in writing this book. I have reviewed a few of this authors books and this is definitely the best. If you like physcological thrillers read this it's brilliant. Sarah a GP married Nick even though she had doubts. When she became pregnant Nick became jealous, but WHO stole baby Kaya from the pub and why???

"The Mother" is a fast-paced story brimming with twists and turns that I thoroughly enjoyed..

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

A truly twisted tale! Just when you think you know what is happening, the story takes you in a completely new direction. Very well done!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

Book Title: The Mother
Author: Valerie Keogh
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: June 27, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 302


Sarah Westfield is a physician but unhappily married to perfect husband Nick who is charming and adores her. She married him on the rebound and now after being married for a few months his attentiveness seems to be smothering.
Nick would like to have a child and believes a baby will make their marriage work
Sarah agreed only after baby Kaya is born, Sarah is feeling overwhelmed. Nick suggests the three of them need a weekend away. On Saturday night they go out to dinner not realizing that they should have made reservations. They are able to sit in with two women- Meg and Andrea who are almost finished with their dinner.
However, just as dinner arrives for Nick and Sarah, Baby Kaya wants no part of it. Meg offers to walk the baby to calm her down. Nick is reluctant. Meg offers to leaves her huge rucksack at their table. Sarah agree to let Meg walk Kala outside to sooth her. When she doesn’t return in a reasonable period, Meg’s friend Andrea states she will go find them.
Sarah searches the rucksack for clues and finds it stuffed with newspaper. Yes! Kaya had been kidnapped.
Nick as well as Sarah both devastated.
However, things go from bad to worst.

Story drags a bit.
I read a lot of thrillers so a few things are going through my heard- how did Meg and her Andrea know the baby would be there or were they prepared to kidnap any baby?

Although Sarah continued to be unlikeable, I was sure curious ~ but I certainly got it wrong!
One thing I was right about is that it was another great Valerie Keogh thriller!

This is my eleventh Valerie Keogh thriller.
She never disappoint. 💕
Additionally loves to keep us readers in suspense.

Want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this this great early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 27, 2024.

I really enjoyed this book..it was fast paced with lots of twists and turns.
I didn't see the twist at the end coming, which made it even better.
It's my first read of this author but I'll read more based on this.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Five stars.

A brilliant twisty-turny read that kept me hooked from the off.
When love turns obsessive the most extreme can seem acceptable.
Another addictive page-turning psychological thriller, Valerie Keogh never disappoints.

Wow! This story swings to and fro with twists aplenty to keep you turning page after page and just when you think that you have fathomed it out, the author throws another curve ball and you are left wondering what now!! Read this in almost one sitting as I was gripped by it throughout.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the ARC to review

A tense psychological thriller and an absorbing read. GP Sarah married Nick Westfield on the rebound and soon realised that although he is a good man she doesn’t love him romantically. Plan 1, stupidly she agrees to having a child with him in the hope that this will cement their marriage. However, she finds it difficult to connect with baby Kaya and is envious of Nick’s easy relationship with their daughter. Plan 2 is a family holiday to Lynton in Devon but there the unthinkable happens….

Briefly, enjoying lunch in a pub in Lynton Kaya starts complaining and shockingly Sarah and Nick agree to a stranger at their table taking Kaya outside to quieten her. But she doesn’t come back and Kaya is gone. The police are called and the PC, Zoe-Lee O’Farrell, who I found very judgemental and quite unprofessional, is very suspicious of Sarah who doesn’t seem unduly upset.

I can imagine a lot of parents reading this will be quite disturbed by what took place, as a non parent I was shocked! Although I didn’t like Sarah as a person, she was very uptight and unfeeling, I do understand some of her feelings, being stuck in a marriage that doesn’t make you happy then having a baby you don’t bond with must be extremely difficult but her reactions to this are quite cowardly. However, after the kidnap you can see how gradually the loss of her daughter hits her. A compelling and tense read with some great twists and turns. An enjoyable and engaging read.