A Good Mother by Sam Hepburn

I was drawn to this book for a number of reasons. Firstly, Sam Hepburn is an author who has been recommended to me a number of times as I am a big fan of this genre. Also, Bookouture has done its usual brilliant job of creating an eye-catching and thought-provoking cover and tag line.

Blurb:

I see my son’s scooter lying in the undergrowth. Time stands still. Where is he? Deafened by my own heartbeat, I keep looking but I can’t see him. This is all my fault. My punishment for the things I did, and the things I should have done.

All I ever wanted was to keep my son safe. I married the perfect husband, built the perfect home. I’ve tried to give Finn the life I never had.

Everything was going so well. Until now.

It’s just small things at first – a punctured tyre, an open gate that I’m sure I locked. But then I see the photograph of two young girls, and a night I’ve tried to forget.

I know I have to stop pretending that nothing is happening. I can’t escape the truth.

Someone knows my secret. But what do they want from me?

My thoughts:

I think the author built up the tension well throughout this story. I liked the fact that the incidents that frighten Nicola are so random and quite insignificant at first, that it almost makes her appear paranoid and you do question if the threats are real or imagined. However, the use of the dual timeline of past and present, makes it clear that there is definitely reason to suspect a build up towards a more serious situation.

I have to confess I didn’t really like the main characters in this book. I found them to be cold, selfish and difficult to connect with. Despite Nicola’s past painful experiences, I really didn’t feel like I could have tolerated Ian in the way she does.

This had a slower pace than I was expecting and in the first section especially I found myself getting quite impatient to learn how the story progressed. However, it definitely ramped up and I was not disappointed when it did, especially due to the number of twists and unpredictable moments.

I think the writer chose an interesting topic to focus on here – motherhood and how your past influences your present, even in ways you didn’t intend it to.

I would definitely recommend this author to fans of the domestic and psychological fiction genre and specifically fans of Miranda Rijks, Arianne Richmonde and K L Slater.