The Girl Who Killed Her Mom seemed like it would be a great thriller, but it didn’t work for me. The writing was off, the plot predictable, and the dialogue felt repetitive. The main character’s thoughts were often repetitive too, and sometimes the author contradicted earlier details. The nursing home scenes felt dragged out and didn’t add much, and the "twist" at the end didn’t make sense. I liked the idea but, overall, it was disappointing, and I didn’t enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of this book. A little predictable at times but overall I really enjoyed this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️¾ – A Dark and Twisty Psychological Thriller

The Girl Who Killed Her Mom by McGarvey Black is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge with its dark premise and unpredictable twists. The story delves into complex family dynamics, secrets, and the blurred lines between truth and deception. Black’s writing is sharp and engaging, making it an easy book to binge-read.

The plot is compelling, with enough suspense to keep the pages turning, but some twists feel a bit predictable, and a few character motivations could have been explored in more depth. The pacing is strong, though there are moments where the tension dips slightly.

Overall, The Girl Who Killed Her Mom is an entertaining and well-crafted thriller that will satisfy fans of dark, psychological mysteries. While it doesn’t completely break new ground, it’s a solid, fast-paced read with plenty of intrigue.

For those new to suspense, The Girl Who Killed Her Mom is a lighter, accessible read. With minimal violence and a simple yet engaging plot, it offers a refreshing change from heavier thrillers. The story explores how early life choices create ripples into the future and the weight of keeping secrets at any cost. While the protagonist’s marriage could use more development, the book remains a compelling read, perfect for beginners in the genre.

This book was ok.. I thought it started very slow and was tempted to stop …the interactions with the priest seemed useless and a waste of time to me. Once the second part started , it was more interesting but not that believable. I suspected the truth fairly early.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.

Normally I would jump all over this type of book. It just missed the mark for me. I do love that the husband wasn't the bad guy this time and he loved his family.

I loved this book! It was a suspenseful psychological thriller that kept me on my toes the entire time. I loved every minute of it. The author did such a great job writing the characters and developing the plot line of the story. It kept me guessing. I can't wait for more from this author. I highly recommend this book to others.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Joffee Books

I’ve spent my entire life trying to make up for what happened that day. I was barely fifteen when I killed my mom.

Twenty years later.

I’ve turned my life around. I have a handsome, wealthy husband; two daughters who are everything to me; a stunning Connecticut beachfront home. I’m grateful for every minute that we have together.

Today I came home to find a silver-and-blue gift-wrapped box on the porch. The note inside Who killed Midge Lester?

Midge Lester was my mom. Someone knows.

Loved it. Will recommend to others

This book was enjoyable and also a bit predictable all at the same time.
Left on a cliff hanger so there could be another one if needed

This book was quite the thriller! It had many twists and turns though some I was able to predict. Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was a compelling story.

I really enjoyed this story & pretty much read it in one sitting! My first book by this author & I'll definitely be looking for more books by them!!!

For newcomers to the genre of suspense, we've got a great one for you! "The Girl Who Killed Her Mom" is a bit of a lighter novel. While there is some violence here and there, it isn't so detailed to be disturbing as some are more used to. The reading is also fairly easy, it has a nice flow and isn't super complicated neither with word choice nor with the plot. This isn't a bad thing at all, rather a breath of fresh air in a time when most books aren't so easy to digest.

The content has a lot of lessons to teach too. It revolves around the concept of how our younger life choices can still have long-lasting effects on our lives, even so far as to affect those we haven't met yet such as future loved ones. It also discusses the idea that some secrets, although hard, are best kept no matter the cost as the consequences can be dire.

One minor issue I had is I would've liked to see more of the relationship between the protag and her husband. I felt it was more important than some of the other parts of the story, maybe some of her volunteer work could be sacrificed to develop her marriage more for the reader.

Overall it's a good book, even better for those new to reading suspense and mystery thrillers! I rate it 4 out of 5.
Thanks for NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.

THE GIRL WHO KILLED HER MOM by McGarvey Black was SOOOO GOOD, my head is still spinning.

In East Port, Connecticut, 20 years ago, Abbie Sterling, née Lester, killed her mother, Midge, over her attempts to come between Abby and her boyfriend, Travis Ritter. Soon after her mother’s death, Travis left the town and her life behind when he took off. Abbie has never forgiven herself. She has spent the last 20 years with a foggy memory of that night and trying to turn her life around and be grateful for her husband, Jason and daughters, Luna, six and Grace, four. With her rich, successful husband, a beachfront home and the good life Abbie feels like she is succeeding in this. (Except for the nightmares which are increasing in frequency and intensity.) She is engaged with the children and begins volunteer work at a senior living home with her best friend, although one of the residents suffering from early onset dementia is a blast from her painful past. The only other person in the world that Abbie confessed her involvement to in her mother’s death. The resident.’s constant companion is repeatedly downplaying and thwarting Abbie’s interactions with the resident. Does he remember her? Her confession?

When Abbie returns home one day, she is met with a gift wrapped box and finds notes on her car indicating knowledge of the murder. Has Travis come out of hiding after all this time to blackmail her? And what does the resident remember and has he told anyone? His visitor, perhaps? Abbie just doesn’t know where to turn. Can she find enough peace to enjoy the life she’s built? Can she save adult Abbie’s life from childhood Abbie’s past deeds?

This one had so many twists and turns and had me hooked very early on, right up to the last words. I loved watching Abbie try to maintain her very existence, all the while keeping mum about what was happening all around her. The tension built throughout and had me turning the pages well past my bedtime. This was my first McGarvey Black novel but will certainly not be my last. I can’t wait to read some of her others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

An OK novel. I had a hard time liking main character or more exactly, the author’s depiction of her. A high school teen, she was selfish self absorbed and ,well just stupid- as most kids are at that age. The main character, who goes un- named, wakes up one morning, hung - over as usual , and sees the body of her mother lying in a pool of blood nest to the girl’s bed. A gun is next to the girl, blood in the grip..panicking, she calls her five years old drug head boyfriend who helps her dispose of the body and then takes of , leaving her.
The book fast forwards 14 years of so, and we find the narrator happily married to a rich tech entrepreneur ( of course, what else would he be) , about to buy a seaside mansion. It was at this point that I lost interest . Un- symphathetic , poorly conceived main character in a clunky plot, badly written and plotted. The style of writing and plot needed a lot of work.
Sorry, but I cannot recommend this book

I received a free copy of this book through Net Galley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.

A fast paced "popcorn thriller". Bingeworthy and easy to get through!

The Girl Who Killed her Mom by McGarvey Black was an enjoyable book and a great quick read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Joffe Books for my ARC

I adore this authors books and always look forward to the next one. Everything about her stories and style of writing is right up my street. This one did not disappointed, it's an amazing book. From the first page until the end I was engrossed, I read it within a few hours. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

I read a variety of books and occasionally grab a mystery/suspenseful book. I enjoyed this book, I was able to guess the twists in the book but it was still a good read.

loved it!!!! It is a must read!! grips your attention from the beginning. absolute page turner! Amazing work once again.

I tend to favor fantasy style books but love to grab the occasional mystery/suspense when I need a change. This book drew me in from the first page and I was itching to know what came next.

Initially, I had majorly mixed feelings about Abbie. Was she actually guilty? She’d been a dumb kid making even dumber choices, but I wasn’t fully convinced she’d done what she thought.
I hated Travis from the beginning. He reminded me far too much of that POS high school boyfriend so many of us cling to when they’re horrible for us. And he just kept proving that more and more.
As the story continued to unfold, I was dying to get to the ending just to know if my theories were right. And while I definitely managed to guess some big points of the story, I was not ready for that open ending that had me falling off my seat!

Black did such a great job at creating those twists and turns and little details that make up a great suspense novel. I was flying through the pages wanting the big reveal.

If you want a quick read that keeps you on the edge of your seat and reeling for that final chapter, this is the book for you!