Mother Knows Best is a blisteringly-paced thriller that delves deep into questions about family and science, as well as exploring how far we’ll go to protect our nearest and dearest.

A scientist illegally edits human DNA to help a mother conceive a healthy baby. But those actions carry steep consequences and lead to a deadly secret that haunts a family across the generations.

KIra Peikoff brings her extensive scientific knowledge to the pages of this taut, smart, and compelling novel.

A totally unique read for me, this is a novel not to be missed!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I found Mother Knows Best to be pretty interesting although it was a little bit predictable in the suspense part for me. Claire's mitochondrial DNA carried a disease that killed her little boy. With her husband wanting them to have a child again, Claire is scared that her mitochondrial DNA will once again pass on to another child and she cannot bear to lose another child. She seeks out a certain fertility doctor who has done research and he, his research assistant and Claire attempt an illegal experiment that will create a child with three genetic parents. So basically this child has the DNA of 2 mothers and a father.  Those of us who regularly read thriller/suspense novels know that this will be trouble in the future.

The story is told from three different points of view - Claire, Jillian (the research assistant) and Abigail (she's the child) and is told in the present tense and the past.  Abigail gets one of those home DNA kits and you know that spells trouble.  Overall I really liked this book even though it was a little predictable for me. The book held my interest and was pretty quick to read. I think that I would give it 4 stars.

“MOTHER KNOWS BEST” BY Kira Peikoff

Claire Abrams is a journalist who carries a rare genetic mutation that is passed down to her offspring. The death of her son Colton 8 yo was so devastating for her that lead to her depression and desperation. The only way she can have a child is if there is a way to genetically alter her DNA. Through her support group, she found and connected with Dr. Robert Nash, a brilliant fertility IVF doctor and Jillian Hendricks, a Harvard trained researcher who were able to genetically manipulate DNA from 3 people, which is not only against the law but also highly unethical. Claire’s husband Nathan who is head of Ethics at Columbia discovered what happened and reported the crime which leads to criminal charges for the three. Jillian serves three years in prison, while pregnant Claire and Dr. Nash flee and hide with new identities. Abby, Claire’s daughter, grows up very healthy and have made it to her double digits surpassing Colton. One of Abby’s class assignment is to send their DNA swab sample. The results lead to more questions from Abby and the unfolding of the secrets Claire and Nash tried to hide from over a decade ago is now catching up to them. Jillian over the years has been planning her revenge and will not stop at nothing to get back what she felt was taken from her and the injustice she suffered through.

MOTHER KNOWS BEST is a fantastic and fast-paced read about a hot topic that is current and timely regarding designer DNA and the ethical questions on these scientific advancements. Besides the unique premise, the book is an amazing psychological thriller that focuses on moral dilemmas, ethical questions, and the cost people go through to get what they want. The story is told in alternating narratives between Claire, Jillian and Abby. Claire and Jillian’s narrative tells about the past and present viewpoints. The stories by both these women were told with such amazing passion and visceral emotion that will keep you turning the pages unable to put down for major cliffhangers between the story lines. Abby’s narrative tells of the lies and deception that is affecting the family dynamics and relationships of the characters connecting the women’s stories. I enjoyed the action pack sequence and some of the eye-opening and gasping surprises that Peikoff added to the story line. I was captivated from the beginning and did not let go until I devoured this book to the end. I highly enjoyed this read and recommend it highly!!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and objective review.

This was an interesting and unique premise but to me, the last half of the book seemed to lose its way. The thriller aspect just didn't seem to be there and the unique aspects of the story got lost as well. It was a good enough read, just not quite what I expected and not "fantastic thriller"

What happens when a mother is desperate to protect her child and will do anything to reach her goal, even if it means to neglect any moral and ethical issues that may arise during her journey to have a healthy and “happy” child? “Mother Knows Best” not only answers this question but also brings up many different issues in today’s society, especially in the world of science, more exact, in the genetic engineering branch of science. Well-written and captivating domestic thriller, with interesting yet a little annoying characters. I did enjoy the first half of the book more than the second half, but overall it was a fast and entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion,

A decent thriller. I'm not super keen on the recent craze of "psychological plots with completely unlikeable characters," but this one was bearable for large parts. I thought the scientific plotline was very interesting, and it really does present an argument that's difficult to resolve: if it's possible to modify someone's DNA to make sure they don't/can't inherit terminal illnesses, is that wrong? Compelling arguments on both sides, in my opinion. I didn't like the fact that Jillian and Claire were so competetive and at odds with each other for no other reason than a guy. The female versus female trope, especially when there's really no good reason for them not to get along or at least be civil to one another, is tiring and overplayed. The story was well-told, and I appreciated Abby's chapters, although I did find her voice to be a little annoying at times. Overall, an okay read.

Synopsis (edited):⁣
Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Dr. Robert Nash. Claire, Robert, and Jillian (Robert’s protégée) work together to create the world’s first baby with three genetic parents—an unprecedented feat that could eliminate inherited disease, but is also extremely illegal and ethically questionable. When word of their illegal experiment leaks Robert and Claire escape and start a new life together, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence and plot her revenge. ⁣
⁣
📖 👨‍⚕️ 👩‍⚕️ ⁣
⁣
This is a fast-paced read that draws you in quickly. I don’t read a lot of medical thrillers, but I found Peikoff’s writing engaging and approachable. ⁣
⁣
The book makes you question the moral, medical and ethical boundaries surrounding reproduction and tackles the complex question of “designer babies,” something that is becoming more and more relevant in today’s world.

Claire is a well-written character and her grief and the motivations behind her actions come across on the page. I thought the alternating POVs really added to the book and I enjoyed reading each of the women’s perspectives. I did struggle believing that Abby was a 10/11 year old- she came across as a teenager to me. ⁣
⁣
Final thoughts 🤔 ⁣
It’s fun and bingeable read that takes a predictable plot line, adds in an interesting concept and makes you think about the morals and ethics around genetic engineering. Worth a read ! ⁣
⁣
Thank you to #netgalley ,#crookedlane and #kirapeikoff for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and for including me in the Blog Tour ! ⁣

Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable read. I liked the mystery and tension of the first half and thought the second half tied it together nicely. It has one of my favorite tropes: unreliable narrator. Is she going crazy? Was she seeing things the whole time?

While there were times where the characters did not act like normal people would in a situation, it gets a pass for being entertaining. It wasn't a very heavy-handed thriller/mystery, but it has enough thriller/mystery elements that if you like that genre, you might enjoy this one.

Mother Knows best was an incredible and unpredictable read! It kept me on the edge of my seat and was not what I was expecting. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended.

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book for my review.

This was another thriller that for me, held promise and sounded good but unfortunately fell a little flat. The storyline is what really gripped me in the beginning as I’ve never read anything like it before but to me, certain things seemed a little far fetched.

As for the plot twist, I felt like there really wasn’t one. Or at least to me there wasn’t. When crazy things started going down I wasn’t gasping in disbelief and I wasn’t speed reading to find out what was going to happen next.

This was a very fast read for me but I feel like I skimmed over areas of it and I really don’t feel that I lost out on anything by doing that. I’m giving it 3 stars mainly because the storyline was very creative and captured my attention and I did enjoy the characters but it didn’t give me the thrills I wanted.

This book was absolutely amazing. I read the blurb but didn't have a full expectation of what I was going to get myself into. This absolutely is worth a read if you love suspense novels. The book goes back and forth between the past and present, which normally I am not a huge fan of, but it was absolutely necessary and executed perfectly.

Her son died from a genetic mutation that was passed on to him from his mother, Claire.

Ten years later, she has a daughter ... free of any genetic mutation. How was this possible? It's a secret ... a secret that could put Claire, her doctor Robert Nash, and his assistant Jill at great risk. They have discovered how to eliminate inherited diseases ... but anything they do is entirely illegal.

When word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

But Jill is now free .. and she wants her daughter ... and the doctor.

This is a complex journey into what could happen in our own future. The question is ... just because we can.. does it mean we should?. For every leap into the unknown, there are consequences ... and Claire, Robert and Jill are going to discover just how dangerous those consequences can be.

Well written, part science fiction, part crime thriller, this one is guaranteed to keep the reader glued to each and every page from the very first page to the very last. The story is told in alternating viewpoints and the pace never once slows down. The characters are somewhat credible ... but some of the story doesn't quite reach that level. An interesting and entertaining read nonetheless.

Many thanks to the author / Crooked Lane Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

3.5 ⭐️‘s
Claire Abrams has recently lost her son to Mitochondrial Disease. When her husband, Ethan, wants another child she drags her feet afraid to go through that pain and devastation again. When she hears about Dr. Nash and his controversial genetic testing, she takes matters into her own hands and has the first genetically modified human being. A baby not with the usual 2, but with 3 parents. The premise of this book was quite good and the story moved along swiftly, but as it progressed
it became quite convoluted and lost its original appeal, making the first half of the book much more intriguing than the second. The psychological suspense was overdone in my opinion and it ended much too neatly.

Mother Knows Best is a dramatic new thriller from the mind of Kira Keikoff. Here we have all of the thriller elements we know and love, mashed up into a plot full of genetic engineering, drama, and science.
Claire Abrams has always wanted to be a mother. And for a brief time, she even was. But thanks to a genetic mutation running through her cells, her son didn’t get the long life she hoped for him. Now, Claire has the chance to make sure that her future children won’t face the same fate.
But it’s going to require an illegal experiment in order to make it work. Claire is willing to take the risk. And so are the two scientists she’s found. But when things go south, it isn’t Claire who’s left to foot the bill for the risks taken.
That was ten years ago. Ten years of Claire living, constantly looking over her shoulder. Waiting for Jillian to come back into her family’s life. Ten years of waiting. Or dreading.

“In this numb state, I am severed from time and space. I find myself tumbling back years, to the last time we saw each other.”

Warnings: The description alone should give away most of the warnings for this novel. Mother Knows Best covers subjects such as genetic mutations (which range from benign to fatal), child illness and death, genetic engineering, as well as kidnapping and endangerment.

Mother Knows Best is a dramatic thriller, full of family dynamics, genetic engineering, and revenge. It’s not a combination you see every day, and that is what makes this novel stand out so well. The unique concept is supported by extensive character development, turning it into an entirely different tale along the way.
There were a lot of reasons why I wanted to get my hands on this book. For one thing, the cover is striking. That’s what first brought my attention to it. Then there was the unique plot. I’ve never read anything that blended this branch of science (and politics, really) with a thriller element.
I’m not going to deny the part that really drew me into this novel; the focus of having a daughter with three parents. It seemed like the perfect twist to throw into this sort of novel. And admittedly, this plot point started feeling less and less relevant as the novel carried on. But I don’t think that’s automatically a bad thing – it just went in a different direction than I expected.
I loved the focus on all of the characters, their backstories, their motives, the works. It made for a complex tale, having so many people acting in their best interests. Having that one common theme to tie them back together helped of course.
So while Mother Knows Best didn’t end up being quite the novel I expected, I still greatly enjoyed reading it. And it was a quick read too – I got through it in a day. So there was no waiting to find out what happened next for me! I loved that bit.

As gene research and CRISPR gene editing become more common, it may soon be possible to use doctored embryos to create “designer” children. That science, amped up on steroids, is the subject of Mother Knows Best.

Claire and Ethan watch their eight-year-old son die from a rare inherited disease. Claire is a carrier of a bad gene. It is 100% likely that her children will get the disease, though some may be asymptomatic like her. Ethan wants another child regardless of the risk. Claire finds an answer at a mothers’ support group. Using that innovative but illegal option, without telling Ethan, starts off a chain reaction involving family, deception, and prison.

Mother Knows Best starts out as a fast-paced science thriller. I loved the beginning. However, once the science was explained, I quickly lost interest as the typical crazy stalker plot played itself out. Also, Abby is literally the most annoying teenager in a fifth grader’s body ever. I had to grit my teeth through each of her scenes. Why didn’t she just believe her parents? Although this thriller wasn’t my favorite, it is well-written so 3 stars.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Claire Abram’s saw her worst nightmare come true when she learned that she had passed along a genetic mutation to her son. Colton was able to fight the disease for a few years, but eventually lost his battle. Claire wants nothing more than to be a mother again, but the risk of endangering another child is too high. Things change the day she learns of Robert Nash, a fertility doctor working in secret with scientist, Jillian Hendricks to develop a way to eliminate the part of the mother’s genetic material that passes long this inherited disease.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian join forces to create the world’s first baby with three genetic parents. Word gets out about their illegal experiment and Claire is forced into hiding. Now pregnant, Claire must rely on Robert for everything as they both risk the future to bring baby Abby into the world. Meanwhile, Jillian stands alone to face the charges of their crime. After ten years, Jillian has finally planned her revenge on Claire and Robert. Past and present will collide and she hunts for those who did her wrong.

MOTHER KNOWS BEST is a fantastic psychological thriller that hones in on a unique premise. There are plenty of books in the crime fiction genre that choose to focus around family interactions, but Claire’s situation starts off as a moral dilemma. Would you choose to bring a second child into the world if you knew that the potential for them to inherit a life-threatening disease was massive? If you heard that there was a way to eliminate this issue, but it crossed an ethical boundary, would you give it a try? By placing the reader into Claire’s mind from the first few pages, Peikoff forms a strong bond between one of the main characters and the reader. This bond drives the reader to binge read sections of this book anticipating what might happen next.

Peikoff smartly uses alternating narratives between Claire, Jillian, and Abby. The narratives for Claire and Jillian span both past and present, while Abby’s sections are devoted to showing the impact of the actions of these women. Each viewpoint is strong and dripping with passion as the three characters navigate the story and work towards the ultimate breaking point. The chapters are short and action-packed with a high potential to end on a cliffhanger, which propels the reader to continue reading.

This book seems to have readers divided on whether or not they love the book. I think for many the need to suspend reality and embrace the medical scenario surrounding this story won’t work for every reader. You have to walk into this book with an open mind and be willing to buy into the plot. There’s also a predictability factor to this book, which could deter readers from falling in love. Did I find some parts predictable? Yes, but I thought Peikoff did a great job of navigating a well-traveled storyline. There are only so many directions to take a psychological thriller of this nature and what you need to succeed is good writing, which is exactly what Peikoff provides. Everything was smooth, captivating, and intriguing. At the end of the day I fully enjoyed binge reading this book!

Disclosure: A huge thank you to Crooked Lane Books for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh that pesky genetic testing to find out your ancestry! Claire lost a child to a rare genetic disorder and after dealing with the grief, sought out Robert Nash and Jillian Hendicks who were working on a new IVF technique which showed promise for families with similar problems. Miracle of miracles- Claire became pregnant with Abby but there was a problem. Abby had the DNA of three parents. Hmm. Told by Claire, Abby, and Jillian, who goes to jail for her role in the experimentation, this is a tale that sometimes gets a little implausible but is always page turning. You'll find Claire and her husband Ethan sympathetic but wonder about Robert, who flees with Claire to avoid prosecution. You'll also experience the ups and downs faced by Jillian. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this well plotted and written novel. It's a cautionary story about so many things.

WOW! Not sure what I expected from this book but what I got was WOW!! It was a thrilling, scary, emotional read. A little sci-fi (which isn't my thing) but more thriller (which is). Just when you think you know what's going on there's a twist and you're confused again. It's a little mind-boggling to know that this could actually happen and probably will but fascinating at the same time. Very well written and it keeps you riveted.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

Mother Knows Best is an inventive and creative psychological thriller. It is difficult not to empathize with Claire and her reasons for wanting assistance in securing a healthy child that won't suffer with the genetic abnormalities that she can pass on. After already watching her son die from the effects of a mitochondrial disorder, Claire doesn't want to risk putting another child through that fate. This drives her to seek out the assistance of a fertility doctor who is making advances on the cutting edge of science and has had luck in a procedure which could potentially aid Claire with her goal. There are a few catches with this plan. This type of experimentation is illegal and Claire's husband, Ethan, is a bioethics expert who will never approve.

Claire proceeds with the experiment under the guise of standard invitro fertilization. She works with Dr. Nash and his assistant, Jillian to create an embryo free of her mitochondrial defect which will be implanted. She plans to never tell Ethan and just let him think that they were fortunate. Naturally, nothing works out as planned and this is where Claire has to make even harder decisions.

I enjoyed the fact that the author blended futuristic science with a psychological thriller. It gave it a very different flavor. The only thing that bothered my about the story was that the daughter, Abby, felt older than her age of ten. In my opinion, her behavior would have been more typical of a teenager. Other than that, I found the book to be unique and quite enjoyable.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mother Knows Best Is something new and original, never have I read a book with a storyline like this. The book definitely keeps me wanting to read more and love triangle of the story makes it more interesting. Throughout the reading you start asking yourself does mother know best? And if so which mother. This no ordinary family and there child is none like any other. I Highly recommend it. Thank you to netgalley for giving me the privilege of reading this book.