Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers Boukouture for their advance ARC in return for an honest review.

This novel is described as a psychological thriller. The plot revolves around Christopher (never Chris) who discovers when he is moving to University that he was adopted. For him everything fits into place in that the adoption gives him reasons for feeling like an outsider within his family.

The first half of the book explores in detail the relationship between Christopher and his birth mother. This part of the novel is a bit odd and I was getting concerned that the novel was going to go off in a different direction, but it didn’t. In fact when I finished the first half of the novel I was left, and still am, wondering what it added to the story.

I was glad I stuck with it though as the second half goes off in a different direction. The narrative gets confusing at times though as there are three narrators, Christopher, Ben and an unknown narrator connected to Christopher who I didn’t guess until the big reveal.

The book is being tagged as one for fans of Girl on the Train or Gone Girl. I don’t think this is correct as it’s a very different type of psychological thriller, but it is a good book. For me it’s a three star review though as I was left wondering why the concentration on his University days, and what the first half of the book added to the second half.

Lynes novel ‘Mother’ is a dark psychological thriller which is beautifully written. Styled and set in the Leeds in the UK and the 70’s/80’s. This has a strong sense of itself which will not be for everyone but for those that it captures, they will be fully rewarded.

The first couple of chapters have their own unique style which will prepare the reader for what is to come. Once you get into the rhythm of the piece, the story flows easily. With its beautiful passages mixed with the dark psychological provides a cocktail of art and sophistication.

I am at a cross roads with regarding this review as I think too much information will ruin the exciting discovery of this book. Psychological dark tale with nostalgic passages shows that Lynes is working at the top of her game. This is an author that is one to look out for and a real true talent.

This is rewarding dark psychological thriller that will award the reader who sticks with this with its deep dark underbelly which twists and turns at every bend. This is something to really sink your teeth into. Utterly amazing.

This is S.E. Lynes first release with Bookouture. It is also one of my most eagerly anticipated books of the year. No pressure, huh?! I can’t deny, my expectations were high. I felt nervous, excited and a little apprehensive as I started to read the first page on my Kindle. The prologue is wonderfully violent and immediately appealed to my darker side. However, from there the story takes a more sedate turn. The writing, as I would expect from S.E. Lynes, is excellent. I just wanted something more to happen. I’ll lay my cards on the table as I’m one for 100% honesty in reviews, I really struggled with the first half of this book. Not all psychological thrillers are a thrill-a-minute joyride, I understand that. I have enjoyed the slow build to a shocking conclusion. I have enjoyed a particular character’s torment as their impending comeuppance looms with sharp fangs in the shadows. I just didn’t get that with the first half of Mother. Something, for me, was missing in that first half. However, the second half was a different story altogether, I absolutely loved the second half of this book.

The reader is introduced to a young man by the name of Christopher Harris. Christopher finds out by chance that he is adopted. Something he has secretly known for many years. After all, he doesn’t ‘fit’ with his family. The discovery is made just as departs his Morecambe home for Leeds University. Turning his back on his parents, Margaret and Jack, and their reserved way of life, he heads out into the big wide world with one mission; to find his birth mother. Christopher is a restrained chap so follows the correct procedures in his search, an emotionally charged search which leads him to Liverpool and to the arms of Phyllis, the mother he’s always wanted. Christopher is a new man. He dresses differently, he behaves differently, his life is finally what he has always wanted it to be. But when someone threatens his perfect life, Christopher needs to act. How far will he go to make sure his life remains perfect…?

Christopher doesn’t tell his own story which I thought was an interesting way for the author to tell his tale. The detective in me spent most of the first half trying to work out who the narrator was and I’m pleased to say I got it right fairly early on (but then convinced myself otherwise as the story progressed!). I found the relationship between Christopher and his birth mother, Phyllis, a little odd. Actually, scrap that, it was uncomfortably intense which is why I think I struggled to connect with any of the characters in Mother. I desperately want to talk about the second half of the book but fear in doing so I’ll be dropping spoilers left, right and centre. So I’ll just say the last half of the book is deliciously dark and quite surprising.

Would I recommend this book? I love Lynes’s writing and I would pick up another book by the author in less than a heartbeat. However, I did find the first half quite slow but I’m so glad I persevered as the last half is really rather wonderful. Christopher’s story took a little too long to get going for me. But that’s just me, you may have a totally different experience. I would recommend this book but with a caveat, that being the first half may not grab you as would hope. Stick with it, it’s worth it.

Four stars out of five.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Mother. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* The novel is described by some as a domestic thriller, but I must confess that I did not find the novel all that thrilling. Yes, there are certainly twists and turns, as we watch the protagonist Christopher grow from unhappy childhood to discontented man, but I did not find the book gripping. I think part of the reason that I did not overly enjoy the novel was that Christopher was simply not likeable. He was quite an off-putting character and that affected my overall enjoyment of the book.

How should I start this? It was an interesting enough story but I couldn't get into the writing style. The story was told from three different points of view and sometimes I didn't really figure that out until I was halfway into the chapter already, which took away from the story a bit.

The story revolves around Christopher, who feels like an outcast even in his own family.He discovers a life-changing secret about his mother when he comes across a suitcase in the attic. Christopher (not Chris)would never INTENTIONALLY hurt someone. He finally has a chance at happiness and he will do anything to protect it.

I see from other reviews that other people enjoyed this book much more and I hope that is the case for you, reader of this review.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an intriguing slow burner for me. The first half took a little getting use as its narrated by three people, Christopher, Ben and an unknown person, this did confuse me until I got half way through and was blown away. The second half was what really made it for me and gave it that unique factor.
Christopher (not Chris) finds a letter his parents didn't want him to know about, He is adopted and wants nothing more than to meet his birth mother, and this becomes somewhat of an obsession for him.
The character of Christopher is one of those you neither love nor hate. He is dark, vulnerable, creepy and needy all in one go. The author does an amazing job of getting that across in her writing.
This book is so hard to explain without giving away to much of the plot, its one of those books you need to stick with, the second half for me was brilliant and where the author’s writing style really comes to life and grabs hold of you.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/review/RTXIRR6OZM1DD/ref=pdp_new_read_full_review_link?ie=UTF8

A dark psychological thriller. How far will a young man go to keep his natural mother, after finally finding her.
Christopher has always felt like an outsider in his family. He doesn't even look like any of them.
How the mind works is still a mystery to us. Everyone thinks and reacts differently in each situation.
That's what makes this such a spine tingling novel. You never know where the author is going with each character.
I loved everything about the read. The characters, setting, language. It was extremely entertaining. I can't wait to read it again.
5 stars

A well-written and original phycological thriller with characters that get under your skin. Although not particularly fast-paced, the story held my interest from beginning to the end. I haven't read Valentina yet, but will definitely do so, as I really enjoyed the author's writing style..

For anyone who read SE Lynes debut novel, this is worth a read as it too is a gripping psychological thriller. Christopher the main character can be described as dysfunctional at best. His awkardness is highlighted even more by the fact the book isn't told from his perspective but that of an unknown voice.
While parts were predictable, for every correct guess there's a twist so you're never quite sure where the thread is heading until you're there.
A book to get through in as few sittings as possible. You may need a lie down afterwards to process it all!

This is the second book released by S. E. Lynes. Her first book, ‘Valentina’ was published in July 2016. It’s also a psychological thriller. I just love a good psychological thriller and so when I was asked if I would like to take part in the blog blitz for ‘Mother’, I thought it was an ideal opportunity to discover another author and have my head messed with. I was so looking forward to reading ‘Mother’ and I was not to be disappointed.

I can’t say that I took to the character of Christopher at all. He’s a bit of an odd bod and there is just something about him that gives me the heebie jeebies. In my mind he needs an alarm bell above his head. Don’t get me wrong I am not completely heartless as I did feel for him, when he discovered that he was adopted. Christopher always seemed to feel like an outsider and as though he didn’t belong to his family. He didn’t share many of the characteristics and his parents seemed to keep him at a distance. When Christopher discovered that he was adopted, all the pieces of the jigsaw seemed to fall into place. He realised that he wasn’t the biological son of his parents and that was the reason for the difference in how he was treated. I got the sense that he felt that he felt rejected by them. This helps to fuel his desire to find his birth mother. Christopher’s character begins to seem even darker as he becomes obsessed with her. His obsession with his mother becomes rather creepy and made me feel very uncomfortable at times. Christopher doesn’t seem to have many friends either and he often feels as though he is on the outside looking in when he is in a public setting. I don’t really want to go too much further into his character as I don’t want to give any spoilers.

This is one well written book. I must admit that it took me a while to get into the book because the story tootled along at a slower pace than I am used to, but once I got used to the writing style and the pace of the book that was it. It was then that the book became seriously addictive and came everywhere with me. I just needed to continue to read it to see if my suspicions were going to be proved right or wrong and to see how the story was going to end. It’s definitely true to say that ‘Mother’ is more of a slow burn type of book. The tension and sense of drama build gradually and then the book leads to a shocking conclusion. To say that ‘Mother’ is full of twists, turns and stomach churning moments is a mahoosive understatement. There were more twists and turns in this book than you would find on the world’s longest rollercoaster. Some of the twists literally took my breath away and I was so not expecting them. To say that this book keeps you guessing is again a massive understatement. More than once I thought that I had worked out who was who and what was going to happen but of course the book sent me a huge curveball and sent me down another path entirely. It’s certainly true to say that this book definitely messed with my head and it will stay with me for a long time to come.

In short I really did enjoy this book, once I got into it. I would recommend this book to others and particularly to fans of psychological thrillers. The score on the board for ‘Mother’ is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

A book about deception and lies. Very good story. I would definitely read more by this author.

I chose to read this book, as everywhere I looked on Facebook, I saw other people reading this book and they were absolutely raving about it. So I had to read it, so as to find out what it was all about. Suffice to say, I'm glad that I did read it, what a read.

I'll be completely honest and say that the book was a little slow going to start with, trying to establish what was going on and how that fitted into the story, but once I got passed that, it was all systems go, such a brilliant read, so well thought out, could not turn the pages fast enough.

I thought the characters were amazingly well written, you really feel for some of them, and they just feel so very real.

This was the first book I'd read of this author, but I'll definitely be looking to read more of her books in the future.

I had been seeing this book all over my social media, so I was excited to be approved for a copy. The story follows Christopher who learns of a secret from his past. The book is atmospheric, creepy and hard to put down. Recommended!

I didn’t think I was enjoying it but ended up racing to find out where it was going. Not my usual genre and for three quarters of the book I had no idea where it was going the last third was a roller coaster ride of a psychological thriller. Very well written

Christopher Harris has always been somewhat of a misfit. He’s just never really felt part of anything, especially not his family – and that was even long before his 2 siblings arrived. He just doesn’t know how to ‘be’; doesn’t ever feel comfortable with himself, or with anyone else. Discovering he’s adopted does go a long way towards explaining his lifelong feeling of not fitting in, and it’s almost as if Christopher’s always known that something like this is what’s prevented him from being part of the life that he finds himself living. He endeavours to set out and find his birth mother, and luckily she’s just as enthusiastic about finding him as he is to find her!
One piece of writing advice I’ve never forgotten refers to characterisation: “When creating your characters, you need to get to know them so well that you know which brand of toothpaste they use.” Well, obviously I’ve remember little else when it’s come to writing advice, as I haven’t quite managed to write that book yet! But S.E. Lynes took that recommendation and ran with it! I have no doubt that she not only knows what toothpaste Christopher prefers, but also what dental floss he uses, and whether he dreams in black and white or full technicolour! She’s created a character so deep and complex that one cannot help but become fully immersed in his twisted persona, and wow, twisted is certainly what he is! Although at times I really did feel terribly sorry for him, he is so difficult to like and I think that this is what the author’s intention is. He hasn’t been created as a protagonist that one warms to.
Likewise with the parallel character of Ben: arrogant and self-assured – the polar opposite to Christopher. Quite an obnoxious character who’s really unpleasant, but who at the same time you can’t help wanting to know more about because you can’t wait to see where he fits into the picture!
The story is related to us by a mystery narrator. This is so clever, and absolutely crucial to the plot. I couldn’t figure out who it was right up until the reveal!
Threaded through the tense plot is the dark shadow of the ongoing case of The Ripper, and Christopher’s increasing preoccupation with the case. Lynes cleverly intertwines this with her own narrative, which works so well to heighten the feeling of unease throughout the book.
Highly recommended!

This was an amazing read. We learn about Christopher who has never quite fitted into his family and he finds out at the age of 18’as he’s leaving for university that he is adopted. We follow Christopher’s search for his mother and the outcome. We read from different narrators which adds to the drama. Tne ending was fantastic. Highly recommended

I loved SE Lynes' debut psychological thriller Valentina, so I was very excited to read her second novel Mother and my expectations were quite high because Valentina was simply brilliant.  Mother is one of those books that has an underlying feeling of dread and tension running from page 1 until the end and with an unnamed narrator re-telling us Christopher's story it was an extremely uncomfortable yet gripping story.

Christopher Harris (not Chris  - Christopher) is an intense and extremely awkward teenager who has never felt comfortable within his family and always felt he was the odd-one out, discovers on the day he is leaving home to go to university that he is adopted and so begins his story to track down his birth mother and reclaim the love and happiness he feels he deserves at whatever cost.

Set in Leeds in the mid 70's and also having The Yorkshire Ripper's serial spree as a side story, Mother is a slow burner that gets under your skin.  I will admit to not working out who the unnamed narrator was until the reveal (duh!).  It's uncomfortable, dark and disturbing - everything you need in a good psychological thriller.

I was intrigued from the very start. Christopher is a lonely young man who doesn't fit in with his family. When he finds a suitcase in the loft he discovers why he doesn't fit in. He is adopted. Throughout the rest of the book, we follow Christopher's journey in discovering his biological mum, who she is, what she does and of course her family. There is an unexpected twist that will leave you with a chill down your spine.

I loved this book from the very start. It only took me a few days to get through. Extremely well written and full of twists and turns,

Seriously one of the books of the year for, believable characters , dark gripping storyline , brilliant

This was set in the times of Yorkshire Ripper, when everyone was scared, so when you start the storyline its double the brain crack!
This is a very descriptive book , which can give 2 outlooks, a long read or a very
descriptive (get you in the scene) read, I prefer get you in the scene reads.

You want a vile ,chilling and obsessive read then this is your one,
“more twists and turns than a belly full of worms!”

The characters are bold and feel well set and structured and even though it went back and forth to the past and present it was easy to keep up, some other books i have read make it difficult,but not this one

It’s a ‘right piece of work’ that will most definitely get inside your head and will remain there either for a long time or forever.

I would buy it for my family to scare the pants off them, and for my friends which would give them more of an insight of my own reading mind, hmm is that good or bad !

I would buy it for my Mother !

Thank you once again Ms Lynes for a gritty get down into dirty depths of the mind novel
And for Netgalley for an ARC copy