"The Perfect Mother"

"The Perfect Mother"
Written by Aimee Molloy
Review written by Diana Iozzia of Bookworm Banter



"The Perfect Mother" is a near perfect psychological thriller. When this arrived on my front porch for me to read and review, I nearly jumped for joy. I hadn't remembered submitting a request for this or entering a contest, so this felt almost like a Christmas present. I was instantly intrigued by the cover, description, review quotes, and the announcement that this is going to be a major motion picture starring Kerry Washington.

The story follows a group of four women who belong to a Mommies group: Winnie, Collette, Nell, and Francie. We also meet a few other members of the group, but these are our main characters. The women and a few others from the group decide to go out to the bar a year after the babies are born. While out at the club, Winnie's son, Midas, is kidnapped. This sends the group off in spirals, each character telling her side of the story and the past. We also have another mysterious perspective, seemingly the one responsible for Midas's kidnapping. This is a very well fleshed out debut novel, each character having an interesting story arc. I personally enjoyed Francie's and Collette's perspectives most. In addition, I really enjoyed reading about the husbands too. In some psychological thrillers, the husbands are barely mentioned as an after thought. On the other hand, I found Nell to be the "high ho cheerio" "across the pond" "cuppa tea" fake British character that appears all too often in American thriller novels. 

There isn't much I can say about this novel now that I've read it. It's one of those that once you know the plot twist ending, it's hard to see the book in the same light. Well, I can easily say that I had absolutely no clue that the ending would play out in the way that it did, which I appreciated. But it also seems a little like one of those endings that don't really make a lot of sense, as if it popped up out of thin air. I don't think there is any inclination or foreshadowing, which I might have enjoyed. There are some interesting red herrings, of course.

I have to mention the narration and perspectives, as I referenced earlier. We have the four women told in third person, and then one in first person, but I cannot reveal who that is. Now that I look back into it, it's fun to re-read after I understand the twist. Each third person's narrative begins with the daily newsletter of the Mommies group, which helps you realize the chronological order of the events as they play out. It adds to the suspense. 

Lastly, because it's my review and I can do whatever I'd like, I want to mention a memorable quote from the book that I enjoyed. This is said by Nell about the paparazzi following her and the case, "They'll find fresh blood somewhere else. The shark like you".

In conclusion, I thoroughly liked this, and I wish I could flatter this debut novel more. Please pick this up and read it. I don't know if I can picture Kerry Washington in the main role, and that this would be a 'major motion picture'. A mini-series, maybe. Hopefully not Lifetime.

*I received a complementary advanced review copy for reading and reviewing purposes.*