A Mother Always Knows by Nicole Trope is an excellent, very highly recommended psychological thriller. This un-put-downable novel continues the story of Grace Morton found in the book Not a Good Enough Mother. A Mother Always Knows can work as a standalone novel, but reading Not a Good Enough Mother first will provide more insight into the characters backgrounds.

Cordelia, 24, has been estranged from her mother, Grace, for six years, ever since her father's death. Grace loves Cordelia and still texts her daughter daily. She sees in social media that Cordelia's boyfriend, 33 year-old Garth, makes belittling comments and doesn't treat her daughter like he should. Grace decides to travel from Sydney to Melbourne to be closer to Cordelia. She dons a disguise and manages to get a position as a temporary assistant at the law firm where Garth works so she can check him out.

At the same time, Cordelia is concerned that Garth is having an affair because he always seems to be working or need to go out at night. Now he hasn't been home or work for several days and she is concerned, so she talks to the police. Cordelia quickly becomes the main suspect in Garth's disappearance. Cordelia finally turns to her mother for help and Grace quickly figures out that there is more going on than her daughter realizes.

This is an absolutely superb, suspenseful, and intense psychological thriller that will grab your attention immediately and hold it to the twisty, explosive ending. The pace starts out fast and continues throughout the entire novel. There is so much going on and the tension ramps up with each new secret, lie, deception, and twist along the way. You might have to set some disbelief aside, but you will gladly do it to see what happens next.

Grace and Cordelia are both interesting, fully realized characters. There is a whole lot more to Grace than most people will realize while Cordelia is a little too naive and trusting at times. Trope does an exceptional job portraying a mother's devotion even to an adult child. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

A Mother Always Knows is a ripping read! Well-developed characters, twisty plotlines and a surprise you won't see coming!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I am such a fan of Nicole Trope’s books. Now I’m a fan of Grace! She’s crazy but I am so here for it. There’s nothing she won’t do for her family. I can’t wait for more.

I found this book to be immensely enjoyable, capturing my attention right from the outset. It is a compelling psychological thriller that presents a multitude of unforeseen twists and developments. Having had a favorable experience with "Not A Good Enough Mother," I approached this book with elevated expectations, which it undoubtedly met. I highly recommend it.

Grace was not always the best mother to Cordelia, but she is now ready to make up for it. After Grace burned down her family home with her cheating husband still inside, her daughter completely cut off all communication to her. It has now been 6 years since she last talked to her daughter. But a mother always knows when her child is in trouble. Cordelia's boyfriend Garth has gone missing and Cordelia is the prime suspect. Can Grace repair her relationship with her daughter and keep her out of Jail? This was a fast paced suspense book full of surprises that will keep you guessing until the end.

I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced copy.

OH. MY. GOSH! Nicole Trope knocked it out of the park with this one! As always, her books are packed with the twist, turns, and lies! I could not put this book down. It was one chapter over and straight to another chapter. I loved how I felt like I knew the characters personally and that every page had me wanting more!

I loved this book. I knew I would, after the last book I read starring Grace Morton. Her daughter gets caught up in the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend and needs help. Grace is 2 steps ahead and already knew something was off with this boyfriend. Where is he? Who is trying to set up Cordelia? Grace shows a mother’s love can solve any problem. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

A Mother Always Knows by Nicole Trope is a gripping sequel that revisits Grace Morton, a fiercely devoted yet morally complex mother willing to go to any lengths to protect her daughter. This story dives into the fractured relationship between Grace and her daughter, Cordelia, weaving a tale of suspense, secrets, and redemption.

After the events of Not a Good Enough Mother (previously titled The Assistant), Grace and Cordelia have been estranged for six years following Grace’s devastating act of setting fire to their family home, which killed her unfaithful husband. Grace’s daily texts to Cordelia remain unanswered, but she can’t shake the feeling that her daughter is in danger. When Grace learns about Cordelia’s boyfriend Garth, a much older man with a controlling nature and an eye on her upcoming inheritance, she takes matters into her own hands—going undercover at his law firm in Melbourne.

The tension escalates when Garth goes missing, and Cordelia becomes the prime suspect. As Grace steps in to shield her daughter from the police and untangle the truth, the story unfolds with Nicole Trope’s signature red herrings, shocking twists, and deeply emotional stakes.

Grace remains a fascinating character: deeply flawed, cunning, and driven by an unbreakable maternal instinct. Her undercover antics and sharp intuition create a thrilling dynamic, while her fierce love for Cordelia adds a poignant emotional core. Cordelia, too, is given more depth as her vulnerability and resilience come to light.

The pacing is excellent, and the layers of mystery keep the pages turning. While this book can be read as a standalone, reading Not a Good Enough Mother first provides a richer understanding of Grace’s backstory and the motivations driving her actions.

Trigger warnings: emotional abuse, family estrangement, and murder investigation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nicole Trope, and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this novel. Fans of psychological thrillers and emotionally charged mysteries will find A Mother Always Knows an unputdownable read!

Before you settle down to read this book, do make sure that you have read the book that comes before this one, being ‘The Assistant’ which was published in August 2024 but then at a later date was republished under new title of ‘Not a Good Enough Mother’. The first book covers a lot of the background which if you’ve read it, it’ll make the reading of this book two ‘A Mother Always Knows’ that much more enjoyable. Right now that that is out of the way, on to the review itself.

So ‘A Mother Always Knows’ has been another outstanding story by author Nicole Trope, which is no surprise as all her stories are always brilliantly well written. It was great to be reacquainted with Grace again, but we got to see her under a slightly different light this time and in a different setting, and prepared to do anything to protect her daughter.

I really enjoyed the story and the interaction between Grace and Cordelia, the role of mother and daughter, even though Cordelia was fighting it to begin with. The story gripped me right from the very first page, and throughout there were plenty of shocking, intense moments, not to mention sitting on edge of my seat in anticipation as to what will happen next. There was a couple of red herrings and twists throughout and boy were they good.

Trust me when I say you are in for a treat with this book, you’ll be wanting to cancel life, appointments and even work, so as to sit down and read this book. But do remember to read book one first.

This is the sequel to Not a Good Enough Mother (previously published as The Assistant).
As always, Nicole Trope’s writing is witty, engaging and intense. An entertaining and suspenseful thriller! Great series - looking forward to more of Grace’s escapades!!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When a house fire set by her mother kills Cordelia's father, she refused to have anything to do with her mother, Grace. Nevertheless, Grace finds ways to stay close to Cordelia and help her in any way she can. When Cordelia's partner is murder and she is under suspicion, she finally reaches out to her mother for help. And a mother always knows how to help.

This book had plenty of suspense and complex character development. I have not read Book 1, and it was something of a detriment in enjoying Book 2. Grace frequently refers to another daughter, but the details of the life of that daughters are never made clear in the second book, leaving me feeling that something important was missing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Grace is deeply depressed over her separation from her daughter, Cordelia. She fears that Cordelia’s life is in danger and that her live-in lover, Garth, may be the center of the trouble. Because of Grace's shady past, Cordelia refuses to have anything to do with her.
Things take a turn for the worse when the police contact Grace. Garth is missing, and Cordelia is being charged with his murder. Grace is frantic. Cordelia is not a murderer, but she is clearly in danger, and it appears she is being framed for murder. Is Garth missing? Is he behind this? Is it someone from her mother’s past?

Thanks!
A Mother Always Knows:
As I stare at the photo of my smiling daughter and her boyfriend , my mother’s instinct is screaming that something is horribly wrong!
But she won’t listen to me because she blames me for her father’s death.
Then Garth goes missing and my daughter is accused of his murder! It’s clear that my beautiful daughter is in danger!! But from who?
You won’t be able to put down this action-packed thriller with nail-biting tension!!

I devoured this book. I was captivated from the start. A fast paced psychological thriller filled with twists and turns throughout this story. I had high expectations of this book because of "Not A Good Enough Mother " and I was not disappointed. I definitely recommend

I absolutely loved this book. I could not put this book down, i had to keep reading it. I was glued to the pages all the way to the end

Nicole Trope is a writer who is almost invariably good fun to read, and the story line in this book also moves quite quickly. Even if it is not her most original novel - and she is a *very* creative writer, as some of her earlier stories prove - this book works quite well.

Grace Morton is a mother who has lost everything and is determined to rebuilt her relationships with her daughters - even if one of them is not even know that she is Grace's daughter!

Luckily, Grace is a very resourceful person, and a pretty effective mama bear. While some aspects of the book were a little far-fetched, this was definitely and entertaining read. It gets 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

I usually really like Nicole Trope's books, but this one fell short for me. The plot was a little "meh" for me and was also poorly executed. I'll continue to read the author's future books, but this isn't one I would recommend to others. 3 "just okay" stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this novel.

A totally shocking unpredictable page turner. I was screaming out loud at my kindle! I didn't know where the author was going with it but I definitely feel surprised by the twist and the ending!

This is book number two in the Grace Morton series and I highly recommend reading book number one before reading this to understand the back story.
After thoroughly enjoying book number one, Not a Good Enough Mother, I couldn't wait to read the sequel and although I didn't enjoy it quite as much as book number one it is still a well written psychological thriller.
It has a great cast of characters and enough twists and red herrings to keep you guessing to the satisfying ending.
Four stars ****

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
A Mother Always Knows is the 2nd book in the Grace Morton books so I highly recommend reading "Not A Good Enough Mother" before you read this one.
I devoured this book! The pace is fast and gripping. I thought that I had it figured out many times but I was wrong! There are twists, thrills and shady characters that make this book great. I had high expectations of this book because of "Not A Good Enough Mother " and I was not disappointed!
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Nicole Trope for another great psychological thriller!
Publishing Release Date is expected for December 9, 2024!