This book starts out with every mother's nightmare - a telephone call from a child. This one is especially disturbing when her son simply states, "I didn't do it." Then there is a dial tone. She is thinking didn't do what. She will soon learn that Dan's girlfriend, Ella, has been murdered. Her body was found on his bed. To make this tale even more disturbing for Jennifer, the memories of what happened 20 years ago are coming to the forefront of her mind. One of her best friends was murdered with a lamp cord around her neck, just like Ella. So, Jennifer does what any good mother would do, she hops in the car. This is not an easy trip for her because she has not been back to this college or this town since her friend died.

From there the mystery gets even more complex and Jennifer gets herself in some scary situations. But the mother in her will not allow her to quit looking for her son. There are some shady characters and shady dealings going on, which makes this even more dangerous for her and her son.

This was a great mystery which provided little clues all along, just enough to tickle your brain a little more. The story would switch from the present to past when Jennifer's friend was killed, so you could more fully understand everything. The ending was shocking, to the say the least. I must confess that I did not see that one coming.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Whew! Gripping, tense, shocking, and full of twists, My Son's Girlfriend shows one mother's determination to find her son and prove his innocence! My Son's Girlfriend had me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages as Kerry Wilkinson threw in twist after twist in this tense and addictive book!

Jennifer receives a midnight call from her son, Dan, who is away at college. The call is brief and to the point. He informs her that it wasn't him. Jennifer then learns from the police that Dan's girlfriend, Ella, is dead and they are looking for her son. Desperate to locate her son and clear his name, Jennifer goes on a quest to get to the bottom of things. This is very personal to her not only because she needs to clear her son's name but also because Ella's murder is just like her Jennifer’s best friend’s murder twenty years ago. Holy Moly!

This book is a tense, suspenseful thriller full of dread, danger, twists, revelations, and suspense. I enjoyed how this book showed how far a parent is willing to go for their child. The pacing was spot on and added to the tense vibe that flowed throughout the book. As Jennifer searches for the truth, readers get glimpses into the past and what unfolded during that timeline. This book had a great mystery, and I had to know what was going to happen next! Just when I thought I had a handle on things, Kerry Wilkinson added another element to the story which intensified my interest and desire to know if Jennifer would be able to clear her son's name.

This was a twisty read and that ending was not unexpected, yet I didn't want to believe it would be the ending so was shocked when it did end like that. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more books from this author in the future.

This is a great thriller.
Jennifer’s son Dan is away at university and when she gets a call from him saying, ‘it wasn’t me’ she has no idea what he means as he hangs up straight away.
She then gets a visit from the Police asking if she’s seen him as his girlfriend has been found dead.
Jennifer heads up to try and find Dan but as it’s the same place she went to university and where sonething bad happened to her close friend, it brings back some bad memories.
Jennifer speaks to a few people who knew Dan and Ella and is led down a few wrong turns and meets a few dark characters.
This is a great thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

This story is a great thriller. I think when books have this topic we all find ourselves relating to a mother. What wpuld we do to either believe or protect our child or loved one.

Jennifer recieves a phone from her son. He utters just 3 words.later police arrive to tell her he's wanted for murder! Of his girlfriend. But Jennifer doesn't beleive it. She can't. So she has to delve into her own painful past to both locate and prove her sons innocence.
What ensues is a mother love spiring her on to find answers. That now seem to have links to her own hurtful past...

"It wasn't me..."

It's nearly midnight when Jennifer receives a phone call from her son Daniel, who normally only sends text messages so she knew something was up. Then he whispers those three words before the line goes dead. It wasn't him, what? What wasn't him?

Half an hour later there's a knock on the door as she's climbing the stairs to bed. Who is knocking at this late hour? Jennifer opens the door with the chain on to see two uniformed police officers there. This can't be good. And then they tell her what Daniel didn't. His girlfriend Ella was found dead and now they are searching for Daniel who is wanted for the crime.

Almost as soon as the police have gone, Jennifer wakes her sleeping husband and tells him what's just happened. And then makes a snap decision. She's driving up to see if she can locate their son. But Jennifer hasn't set foot in the place for over two decades, her own past buried deep up there. But little did Jennifer know that Ella was murdered in the exact same manner as her best friend all those years ago. But the killer was caught and sent to prison. So how can this be?

What ensues is basically Jennifer trying to locate Daniel in a town that has changed somewhat but largely stayed the same in the years since she left. She has no idea where he would go or where to start looking. And some of her decisions were questionable to say the least. Jennifer has no idea of the can of worms she is opening or what she is dealing with - largely drug dealing, stolen cars and all kinds of nefarious things. What on earth had Daniel gotten himself mixed up in?

The reveal wasn't too much of a surprise to me though it may well be to the rest of the characters in the book but for me it made perfect sense. No one else just seemed to join the dots.

The story unfolds in the past and present through Jennifer's third person narrative. None of the characters are very likeable. The pace is somewhat slow and I felt bogged down in a lot of wordiness. I have read and enjoyed many of the author's thrillers but this one was lacking his usual dry humour and wit that has become something of a trademark.

I would like to thank #KerryWilkinson, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #MySonsGirlfriend in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Jennifer receives a phone call from her son saying "It wasn't me." before he hangs up again. Not long after that the police arrive at her door looking for her son. The police inform her that Daniel's girlfriend, Ella, is dead, But Jen is determined to find him first. Daniel is at University in Ashington. Jen drives all night to get there while her husband Andrew stays at home in case Daniel turns up. Jen and Andrew met twenty-four years ago in Ashington. Jen didn't have the best experience there. She had vowed never to return.

The story has a dual timeline - the past, twenty-four years ago and the present day. A mother's love is unconditional, and Jen goes above and beyond to find her son and prove his innocence. I enjoyed trying to work out if Daniel was guilty, or if it was one of the other characters we met along the way. This is a steady=paced, well-written book with characters that are relatable. I enjoyed how the plot unfolded, revealing what had happen to Jen while she was at Uni, and how the story ended. I would have liked a little more on what the Dad was doing while Jen was away.

Published 24th February 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #KerryWilkinson for my ARC of #MySonsGirlfriend in exchange for an honest review.

Kerry Wilkinson has quickly become a favorite of mine for psychological thrillers! My Son's Girlfriend is right up there with his previous books which build tension and hold secrets keeping you engaged all the way through!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Clever unusual plot. When her son calls her with the message “I didn't do it “a pandoras box of events plunges Jennifer back to the town she said she'd never return to and memories that still haunt her.

Solid 3.5 stars. Jennifer gets a call in the middle of the night from her college aged son Daniel saying he did not do it. The police then show up at her door and tell her that her son’s girlfriend has been murdered. Jennifer heads to the college town to find her son and face old demons. A tragic event 24 years prior has kept her away. She begins her search to find Daniel and the truth of what happened to Ella.

This book was slow to start and dragged in places. It finally came together about 2/3 of the way and the last 1/3 was unputdownable! Did not see the twists in the last chapter! Overall a good read. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Imagine the police showing up at your door during the middle of the night informing you that your son’s girlfriend has been killed. More shockingly, just a few moments before, you receive a call from your son saying, “It wasn’t me.”

That’s what’s going on with Jennifer and her son Daniel. His girlfriend Ella is dead, and the police are looking for him. Jen is determined to find him first. She would do anything for him, even if she has to face something from her past along the way. How far would Jennifer go for Dan? And where is he? Nothing is going to stop her search for her son, while determinedly proving his innocence.

Come along for the ride while Jen goes to the college town where Dan should be. This is all while facing something from her past just might cause her to take some questionable risks. In this fast-paced book, following Jen was indeed a wild ride, and I couldn’t tap my Kindle screen fast enough.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

“Is that you, darling?' A second of silence before her son replies. 'It wasn't me.’”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Pub Date: 2/24/2025

It’s almost midnight when Jennifer sees her son’s name flash up on her phone. He off at college, at her Alma mater, and usually she’s happy when he calls, but this time she knows something is wrong…. And 30 minutes later the police are at her door letting her know her sons girlfriend is dead, and her son is missing.

When Jennifer hears how Ella died, her blood runs cold. Because Jennifer’s best friend was murdered twenty years ago the same way. In the same place. Jennifer hasn’t been back since… but now, she has no choice.

This was such a fast read, and my first Kerry Wilkinson book. It alternated POVs, with a special one at the end, also going between timelines, which are two of my favorite things for a book. It kept me on my toes and I genuinely didn’t know how anything would play out.

I loved how Jennifer and Daniel had their own communication style, as only they knew clues when they were talking to each other. I also appreciated how Ella’s family was open with Jennifer and didn’t just outcast her with her son as a suspect.

I wouldve loved to have a chapter or so from Jennifer’s husband to get his perspective of the events and also some other individuals, but overall happy with the main 2 and the last chapter!

Thank you to Kerry Wilkinson, NetGalley, and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It is a well written novel, with punchy dialogue that rings true, and the descriptive writing brings the scenes to life.
A book that stands out from the crowd. The characters and the setting are written exceptionally well.

When her son Daniel sends an urgent message to his mum 'I didn't kill her' then is on the run his mum Jennifer's aim is to try and find him and get the truth.
A fast paced book with many twists and turns that will keep you wanting to read on. Yet another great book from this author.

Wow, this story starts off with a predictable mystery plot of a teenage child accused of a heinous crime but a mother's love and tenacity help find the "real" killer but that is not how it ends. The mother in question was the "almost" victim of a troubled student at the very same university her son now attends. She has refused to go back until her son calls with the startling message that his girlfriend has been killed but he didn't do it. After she realizes her son is the main suspect and has disappeared she races to the school and begins a cat and mouse game with the various people he was involved with during his time there. She finds a lot of clues linking him to the murder but when she is mistaken for him and kidnapped she knows there is more to this story than what meets the eye. I will not give anymore spoilers but I can safely say you will not see the ending coming!!

This was a fast read for me because I was so invested in the story. Wow so many twists and hidden secrets all tied into one story. Anyone who enjoys crime novels will love My Sons Girlfriend. As I was reading this book it felt so real and familiar, like I was watching a good Dateline episode. A few times I had to remind myself the book was fiction! Yea that good.
Jennifer is living out every mother’s worst nightmare when her son calls and says “ Mom I didn’t do it” and then finds the police at her doorstep. They have come to inform her that Daniel’s college girlfriend has been murdered and it appears they only have one suspect…Daniel. Jennifer’s first priority is to find her son and find out what happened but along the way she comes across people who knew Daniel and Ella and somethings not adding up. She must get answers since it seems like the police aren’t but now she realises her life might be in danger. A mother’s love for her child will surpass anything and everything and Jennifer won’t stop until she saves Daniel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. It was good the first half, starting to know each and every character. But by the second it really just dragged on, it was very slow paced. I had the conclusion of who I thought the killer was, and I was right! The book as a whole was a very good concept, I just wished it was a little bit more fast paced. I liked most of the characters in this book, did find Jennifer a little bit annoying as she keeps repeating the same thing over and over again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of My Son’s Girlfriend by Kerry Wilkinson due to be published February 24, 2025.

It’s almost midnight when Jennifer sees her son’s name flash up on her phone. Away at university, she’s normally so happy when he calls. But something is terribly wrong…His son’s girlfriend is dead, and they are blaming her son. He ran – is he innocent, or can she clear his name?
This one started out fast and pulled me in to see what happened to her son, slowed down (to me) in the middle, but picked up speed in the last third of the book. It ended with a satisfying conclusion, and I would recommend it!
Also recommended by Kerry Wilkinson: The Call

#NetGalley #KerryWilkinson #Bookouture #MySonsGirlfriend

This book was very intense and had many twist, some of which were shocking while others were easy to predict. I love how the Jennifer was willing to do anything to protect her child. I also really enjoyed not being able to tell if her son was truly guilty or not until the end.

Minis 1 star because I found it easy to predict a few of the twist that were revealed in the final chapter and the story was unrealistic at times.

My favorite characters were Jennifer and Dan.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer's past and present collide when her son's girlfriend is found murdered in a similar manner to how her friend Hayley was when they were at University together. Her son Dan now attends the same University that she went to many years ago.
She receives a mysterious phone call from Dan, who's only words were "It wasn't me" before ringing off. That short phone call sets a series of events in motion, starting with Jennifer racing to the town that Dan is studying at, to see if she can find him, and find out what is going on. However, when she arrives she discovers that Dan has gone missing.
This is another great book from Kerry Wilkinson, and one that isn't to be missed. He (Kerry) never fails to write a great book.