Tessa Markham heads for home after a day of work and stopping by the cemetery to spend some time with her twin babies as she does every week.

Much to her surprise, there is someone in her house .. and she lives alone. Astonishingly she finds a young boy sitting at her table, drawing pictures. Looking up, he says " Are you my mummy?".

And so begins Tessa's descent into a nightmare. She's being accused of kidnapping this boy. Even though she vehemently denies it, the police know she's done it before, but there were no charges brought.

Her estranged husband is living with his pregnant girlfriend ... they think she's still grieving the death of her children and won't believe her denies of taking this child. Her 'friends' won't believe her. The police won't believe her. The media is camped on her front door.

Tessa isn't sure who she can trust but she knows instinctively that something just isn't right. And who is the woman who seems to be following Tessa? Somebody is lying ... and finding the truth may be more dangerous than she knows.

This is a well-written psychological thriller featuring credible characters. The story line is good, even though a little predictable. It's mysterious, but not suspenseful. It's a fairly fast read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of book.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Shalini Boland really knows how to write a good book. When Tessa finds Harry in her kitchen she starts to wonder how he came to be there and why his father looks familiar. The answer changes everything. This is a well written, well thought out book. I am glad that Tessa found happiness at the end.

Landscape architect Tessa Markham has been touched by tragedy. What should have brought great joy - giving birth to fraternal twins - turned out to have sad consequences. Her daughter Lily died at birth and her son Sam died three years later from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Shortly after Sam's death Tessa 'kidnapped' an infant in a pram, and - when apprehended - claimed she found the baby unattended and was taking him to the police station. The story seemed sketchy but Tessa was known to be grief-stricken and clinincally depressed, so no charges were filed.

Now, a couple of years later, Tessa is separated from her husband Scott, working at 'Villa Moretti Garden Center', and living alone.

So it's a shock when Tessa returns home one afternoon to find a little boy - who says his name is Harry - in her kitchen. Harry is calmly coloring pictures and says that Tessa is his new mummy. Not wanting to face the police on her own, Tessa calls her estranged husband Scott - who immediately insinuates she snatched the child. Unfortunately the police have a similar reaction, and Tessa teeters on the edge of being charged with abduction while the cops investigate.

Tessa's nosy neighbor Carly is a freelance journalist, and it doesn't take long for articles to appear online, with the headline: "Did Tessa Markham abduct a five-year-old boy?" From here on, Tessa's life becomes a nightmare. Packs of journalists camp outside her home and workplace, and she can't put a foot outside without being chased by reporters and snapped by photographers. The newspeople harass Scott as well, and he blames his wife for all the trouble.

Wanting to clear her name Tessa decides to launch her own investigation - to learn how Harry came to be in her house. To say more about the plot would be a spoiler.

The book is billed as a psychological thriller, but - in truth - there's not much suspense. Most readers will probably work out the 'secret' about Harry well before it's revealed in the story. Thus, interest in the book must be maintained by the characters, some of whom are more compelling and believable than others.

Tessa is an engaging protagonist, consumed by grief yet trying to get on with her life. She enjoys tending the plants at work (though it's a far cry from landscape architecture) and dreams of reconciling with Scott. Tessa is a loner, but gets on well with her boss - Ben Moretti - who runs 'Villa Moretti's garden store and café.

For his part, Ben is a nice guy with a soft spot for Tessa. He provides her with coffee and cinnamon danish - or wine and lasagna - on occasion, and is always there when Tessa needs a hand. Ben's the hero of the book.

Tessa's husband Scott is an unsympathetic character.....a complete asshole. He's disdainful of Tessa's concerns, suggests she's mentally disturbed, and refuses to believe a word she says. When Tessa practically begs him to hear her out, he refuses. He's a totally unlikable person. That said, I don't find Scott to be a credible character. Even an estranged husband wouldn't be that dismissive of his wife.....especially when she's going through such a trauma.

The journalist Carly Dean is annoying and intrusive, so she's quite realistic! Some of Carly's behavior, though, is outright illegal - and there should be consequences (IMO).

Other secondary characters add interest to the story, and keep the action moving.

I was disappointed with the mystery, which is easy to figure out.....with no major suprises. Also, one plot point is not satisfactorily resolved. Tessa repeatedly tries to discover why Harry's dad waited four days to report the child missing, but she never gets the answer. And I want to know!

In the end, I found this novel unsatisfying. However, I'm in the minority and many people love the book. So, if you find the premise intriguing, you might want to read the story and judge for yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Shalini Boland) and the publisher (Bookouture) for a copy of the book.

Unputdownable gripping psychological thriller. Well written with interesting characters and a good story. Loved this book and will be recommending it to all

I read this book in one sitting today. Couldn’t put it down. Tess returns home to find a young boy there calling her mummy. How did he get there? Is she a child abductor as the police think it is she in need of psychiatric help like her ex husband thinks? Read and find out!!

A brilliant story that had me hooked from the very beginning, and I had no idea how it was going to end.
Excellent reading !!!

Hi Noelle/Kim - its that time to clear shelf again! Not read all yet but I will. Thanks. Louise x

This is a quick, easy read. Tessa arrives home one day to find a small boy in her kitchen, claiming that she is his mother. What follows is a tense, psychological thriller, in which Tessa tries to uncover the story behind this incident. Is she going mad, or is she somehow linked to the boy? A good page turner. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

It was an okay book I just found it hard to get into which made it harder to enjoy

4.5 stars rounded up. Wow this book was great and it had me hooked from the first page. I practically read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. I just had to keep reading to see how it would end and I loved the conclusion. I have loved all this authors books and would definitely recommend this one.

This is an awesome thriller. There have been so many great ones this year!

It reminds of The Girl on the Train. Tessa is an unreliable narrator. This makes us question if she actually did what she was accused of doing. It adds another layer of mystery to the novel.

I figured out the ending about halfway through the book. But it was still so exciting. There were some twists that made me doubt my theory. But I was right in the end.

One thing that could have improved the narrative, was if there weren’t so many rhetorical questions. Many chapters ended with a question, which was unnecessary. If they were removed, it would have made that final sentence stronger. Other than that, I liked the narrative.

I loved this book. I recommend it for thriller lovers!

So excited to have received a copy of The Secret Mother! I have read all of her books and as with this one, I have loved them all! Shalini Boland has a knack for writing characters you love and putting them in impossible situations, add in a few brilliantly well timed twists and you have a wonderful psychological thriller that you can't put down until the very end! Highly recommend!

Tessa comes home to find a boy in her house, a boy who asks if she’s his Mummy.

We follow Tessa as she tries to figure out who the boy is and why he thinks she is his Mum. When Tessa rings the police everything starts to unravel. The police don’t believe Tessa because of her past, her ex doesn’t believe her either.

I raced through the book and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. I hadn’t read anything else by the author but I will be picking them up soon.

Thanks Netgalley for the review copy.

Wow, wow, wow! This book grips you right from the beginning. A mother, dealing with a devastating loss of not only her kids, but her spouse leaving her, now has to question her sanity and memory. Was she imagining things? Did she forget actually doing things? Shalini Boland does a great job at keeping the reader guessing and questioning their own sanity. As a reader, you start to feel the pain and confusion that Tessa feels. I had so much hatred towards Tessa's estranged husband Scott. You want to shake him and make him wake up and listen. He wants to downplay everything as "poor Tessa". Ben, love love love Ben.

Review posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Facebook.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for my copy.

Tessa Markham arrives home from the cemetery after visiting the graves of her two dead children to find a small boy ensconced in her kitchen. After calling her estranged husband and the police her life descends into a nightmare. Trial by media finds her guilty of snatching the boy from his recently widowed father. She is isolated and emotionally fragile and stalked by the media.

How does she prove her innocence? Why was the boy Harry brought to her? Tessa has to fight to maintain her innocence and her psychological well-being amidst the doubt of her husband and the the community.

This was a well written psychological thriller with a good twist. I deducted one star because I did have an issue with the resolution. Felt there were some issues with the medical aspects and as a nurse I am a stickler for detail. Do not want to spoil it for other people so will leave it at that. Overall though a good solid read.

Absolutely gripping, original and fantastic. Word of advice, don't start this book unless you have time to finish it.

This is a fantastic read. Apart from stopping to feed the family I pretty much read this in one sitting.

Tessas whole life changes when she gets home one day and finds a little boy in her house. He’s calling her mummy but Tessa knows her kids are no longer alive. He says that an angel left him there. Things get worse when the police and even her ex husband doubt her. Then Tessa starts doubting herself. Well if your told something enough you may believe it.

This story is a gripping read. Is Tessa losing it? Her husband thinks she’s having a breakdown and doesn’t believe anything she says. Her neighbour is a journalist and wants a story.

Who can she trust? Can Tessa overcome the obstacles to find out the truth?

I cannot believe this is my first read by this author. After reading this gem I know it won’t be the last. If your looking for a really well written thrilling read then I highly recommend you 1-click this now.

Fantastic nook which i read in a day , loads of twists and turns and an ending you won't see coming.

Oh my goodness I did not know where to put myself after reading this book!!  My emotions were all over the place – it really is an absolutely excellent book and I loved every page and I was hooked right from the start.

The whole book completely gripped me, the characters were brilliant and the plot was so well planned it made the book one I most certainly did not want to put down.  This has to be one of the best reads of the year for me, I was completely enthralled – no hesitation in giving the book 5 stars – so highly recommended – you really need to get a copy of this book!!!

A brilliant book and one that hooks you from the start. I read so many thrillers that most of the times I an predict where the story is going but this book was so different. Fabulous read.