This was a hard book to read. The actual mystery was interesting enough but the back story was pretty brutal and I found myself desperately wanting to skip to the end so I could stop reading it. This book should come with a trigger warning since you get reminded over and over and over again about Jess’ unfortunate circumstances. It was just definitely not for me.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, but my opinions are all mine.

Overall a good book. Keeps you pulled in and interested..storyline starts off with a bang.
Would check out more from this author.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Jess is in a wheelchair due to a sad medical incident when she loses her baby son. Sadly she suffering with depression but still drags herself out with her young daughter to the park. There she meets Morag and her daughter Daisy. The problems start when Morag’s little girl whispers She is not my mother to Jess. Both women then keep watching each other closely. The secret Morag has will lead to death and a police investigation. What is this mysterious secret and who is she so afraid of?
The portrayal of Jess and her disability problems is sensitively told but is coming off her medication making things worse or better for her? Morag is protecting her daughter but why and who from? Is she even really Daisy’s mother? This at the heart of the story and the answer is surprising.
Hearing the story from both woman and then the Policeman investigating the death of the young man makes it feel real and frightening in parts. This is an amazing read that keeps you guessing right up until the end.

A book set in the "now" , where a man lies dead on the kitchen floor and the "then" where Jess and Morag, both mums struggling with parenthood, meet through their childresn friendship..
Jess wants to befriend Morag after her daughter tells Jess that "she is not my mummy". Intrigued and appalled in equal measures Jess sets out to discover the truth behind what she believes to be a child abduction and culminates in a corpse.
There is an oblique hint that Jess's own mental health issues, following an injury that paralyses her, fuel her suspicions as her immediate assumption is that Morag is too old to be a mum are really her only pointers to something being wrong.
I did feel that this perhaps should have been more explicit as there are so many different types of family out there and yes, some are mums at an older age than you might expect, that it was a bit confronting to allow those assumptions into the book without making it clear that Jess, in her own precarious state, was clearly leaping to conclusions that may not be correct.

The story is told across two timelines of ‘before’ and ‘now’.

‘Now’
A man’s body is found in a kitchen. A woman is at the scene covered in his blood but she appears to be in shock and is not able to speak.

‘Before’
The before is told from the POV of two female narrators, Jess and Morag.
Jess and Morag meet at a park where their daughters are playing. Morag’s daughter whispers to Jess ‘She’s not my mum’. These four words prey on Jess’s mind. Initially she wonders if she imagined it but decides she did say those four words. Was the girl lying or as Jess suspects telling the truth? Has she been abducted? Jess takes it upon herself to try to investigate and shares her worries with her husband who thinks she is making it up. Jess suffers from anxiety and depression which has worsened since an incident left her confined to a wheelchair.

Morag and her husband have recently moved to the area but are secretive about their past.

Morag and Jess are suspicious of each other although their young daughters become friends and start school together.

Jess also has suspicions that her husband may be having an affair.

I enjoyed the secrets and suspicions, and the twists and turns the story took.

I would certainly read more from this author,

Thank you to One More Chapter for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

The blurb for this book sounded really good. As a mother of young kids, I found myself instantly drawn to this high-stakes premise, so I was happy to pre-approved and quickly dove in.

As Jess watches her daughter on the playground, another young girl approaches her with a distressing statement: she's not my mum. Convinced the little girl is in danger, Jess introduces herself to Morag, her alleged mother, and is determined to get to find the truth about Daisy.

I liked this book.

Jess was an interesting character. I appreciated her shifting emotions regarding her accident, the sudden, unexpected paralysis and learning to adjust to the wheelchair. I found her anxiety to be grounded and realistic and the traumatic memories of childbirth really struck a note. Her suspicion of Morag, too, really drove the suspense, and the overall structure worked well. The chapters with the detectives were probably my favorite, but I found Jess and Morag to be compelling.

There were some things that missed the mark. Birth trauma is a sensitive subject for many women, so I might have included a content warning because the nature of Jess' accident is quite traumatic. I had complications from my first epidural carry over into my second birth, and reading about this definitely was a gut-punch.

My main snag was Jess' interest in Daisy and Morag. The huge assumption that Daisy must be in danger because Morag was too old to be Daisy's mother felt both rushed and invasive. Adoptive parents, grandparents, surrogates--there were countless explanations for Daisy's comment and their relationship, and the way that Jess locked down required me to suspend my disbelief. I had a difficult time imagining a scenario where I would be that fixated on a situation while simultaneously not wanting to know anything about the family. It was an odd level of infatuation and avoidance that was, I guess partly explained away by the events that happened pre-accident. No spoilers, of course, but it felt a bit shaky and I wanted more of a catalyst for her involvement.

That being said, I enjoyed most of the investigation, even if I had the conclusion pegged pretty early on. I think many readers will find the story entertaining and tense.

Overall, Mummy's Little Secret is a fun, quick read that will leave you second-guessing those other parents at the playground.

Big thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

A great read not what I was expecting.But from start to finish had me guessing.Did not end the way I was expecting.But was really pleased if finished the way it did.Well written would recommend this book and author to anyone who likes mystery novels.

I thought this book was just OK, though I am clearly in the minority. It centers on Jess, who is recently wheelchair bound and morning the loss of her newborn son, both which happened during the same incident. Jess is trying to get herself back out there by taking her daughter to the park regularly. One day she meets another mother, Morag, whose daughter whispers to Jess that Morag is not her real mother, and sends Jess deep into investigation mode to find out what is going on. There are also alternating chapters from Morag's point of view.

The thing I didn't love about the book was how Jess immediately got over-involved in figuring out what might be happening, when she didn't really have any interest in getting to know the family, and she didn't have a lot to go on. This felt like a stretch to me. Also, though I can't say I fully figured out the ending but when it happened, it made sense to me based on the information I had been given thus far, so it didn't feel like much of a twist.

I did enjoy the alternating perspectives and the opportunity to learn more about each woman and why they made the decisions that they made. The book moved at a fast clip overall.

Again, not my favorite but it was a decent read. Looks like others have really loved it so seems like it's worth a read for anyone who enjoys the psychological thriller genre. I would check out other books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘She’s not my mum’ whispers Daisy to Jess who is at a playground with her daughter Grace. Is Morag her mother?? Her loving behaviour towards the little girl suggests so but Jess’s suspicions are aroused. The story is told ‘Before’ by Morag and Jess and ‘Now’ via DI Mike Ferry, when a body is found at a bloody crime serene with a near catatonic, blood stained possible witness. This works extremely well with the storyline flowing between the different points of view and timelines.

This is a well written mystery thriller which has a plausible plot and plenty of pace. The novel has several layers to it, all of which are interesting. Jess is recently confined to a wheelchair and this storyline is particularly compelling as we learn her backstory. The author conveys effectively the difficulties Jess faces in just getting around but also in how she’s treated at times, you feel her powerlessness then, and her lack of choice. Her character is well fleshed out, you sense her grief, anger, confusion and her obsession in trying to learn the truth about Daisy. I like how the author balances Jess’s darker issues with the bubbliness of Grace who is a lovely, confident girl who proves a loyal friend to Daisy. The mystery of Morag is a good one as you realise there are a load of secrets to be uncovered. The plot builds well, there’s a lot of tension between several of the protagonists which builds to a crescendo. The ending is tense and it takes DI Ferry a while to sort out exactly what occurs in this difficult investigation which throws up a lot of confusion. My only reservation is that towards the end I find some of the dialogue a bit unrealistic but it’s only a small criticism as overall the book is really good and a gripping read. It’s definitely made me want to read more by the author.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins:One More Chapter for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Jess is the mother of a young girl, Grace, and one day while they're at the park, a little girl comes up to Jess and whispers the words that will change all of their lives: "She's not my mum.' Jess is instantly chilled and has no idea how to take this. Before she can decide what to do, the girl's mother introduces herself as Morag, and the girl as Daisy. Morag appears friendly, if a little standoffish. And maybe a bit too old to be Daisy's mother? But that's normal nowadays, women have children later in life, or they could have adopted her, or...?

Already struggling to cope with the recent tragedy that left her confined to a wheelchair and emotionally broken, Jess now becomes fixated on proving that something is not right with Daisy's family. Jess's husband, Charlie, doesn't believe that there is anything sinister going on - he thinks Jess is just distracting herself from her own pain. Jess is clearly obsessed and her loved ones fear she is becoming increasingly unstable. Is there any truth to uncover or is it all in Jess's mind?

The story is written from the perspective of both Jess and Morag, so we know early on that there may indeed be something off about Daisy and her family. There's also a third narrative from the point of view of a detective, who has his own mystery to sort out. It all comes together in an explosive way, and you may find yourself shedding a tear or two. Beneath the action and suspense there's an emotional undercurrent that resonated deeply with me. A mother's love is conveyed so heartbreakingly that you'll forget this is supposed to be just another standard psychological thriller. Undoubtedly, it is so much more.

M A Hunter is the author of one of my favorite series - The Missing Children Case Files - and this is a standalone thriller. Four little words plant doubt in the mind of Jess when she and her daughter Grace meet a new friend Daisy at the park. Is the woman Morag claiming to be Daisys Mum really her mum? Meanwhile Jess has a full plate of her own after tragically losing her second child during childbirth and a mistake during the trauma has left her in a wheelchair . Everone around Jess is concerned for her emotional and psychical welfare as a result of the loss of the child and loss of feeling in her legs. This is a story of loss, abuse and the lengths women will go to to protect loved ones, regardless of possible outcomes. Both Jess and Morag are strong women, far stronger than their families realize, who often doubt themselves. We watch helpless as their paths converge and misunderstandings and searching for the truth bring violence into their lives.

I received a complimentary copy of Mummy’s Little Secret from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Great book! This one kept me guessing (incorrectly) until the very end. Medicated and wheelchair bound,
Jess made for a deliciously unreliable narrator! Morag, an older and suspiciously behaving “mother” seemed to be hiding something from the very beginning, concerning the young Daisy. Daisy’s sometimes glum moods only highlighted the strange situation. I did not figure this one out until the resolution. Excellent mystery!

WOW! What an excellent book. I was led down the garden path which I loved. My first book by this Author but not my last. When Jess takes her daughter to the park she becomes embroiled in a mystery. When 5 year old Daisy whispers “She’s not my mum” you assume the worst. I loved the characters and the story. This book had me turning the pages faster and faster to the stunning ending. Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK One More Chapter and the Author for the privilege of reading and reviewing this book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Jess meetsxaxwomen and daisy at a park on a cold day in London Daisy tells jess that the woman is not her mom. After hearing this, Jess jumps to several different conclusions. This book kept me interested from the first page.

Thanks to netgalley for letting me review this book, its definately a page turner, on the edge of your seat stuff, Jess meets a lady and her little girl daisy in the park, the little girl whispers 4 words in jess's ear........ jess is obsessed trying to find out why daisy has said these 4 words to her, Is there anything sinister going on ?????? Highley recommend

This book has a cracking start... A woman is in a park with her daughter, when a little girl whispers to her 'she's not my mum'....Jess, the mother who hears Daisy (the little girl) say this, is immediately concerned. Particularly as the little girl seems frightened.
As the story develops you begin to question Jess and her motives as she seems increasingly paranoid. It's a plot that is written in different timelines and it works well as it twists and turns to conclusion.

I enjoyed it. A solid 3* Good Read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

A very tense thriller with excellent writing and character development!

I love a good psychological thriller and this one scratched my itch!

I have read a few of M A Hunters books and always enjoy them so when I was given a widget for this one I was thrilled and it was an excellent read.
“She’s not my Mum” these are the whispered words that Jess hears from a little girl at the park and that sets off a chain of events that left me breathless as I raced through the book. It’s a twisty plot with a lot going on and although I did suspect at times what was going on I was still surprised by the story overall and it was very well written. The characters were all interesting and I liked that the story was written in alternate timelines before and now and that gave an edge to the plot line.
The book was a quick read for me I really did race through it and I put that down to how good it was a real psychological thriller at it’s best and a satisfying read that I would recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. I likede the 2 viewpoints but was less keen on the police procedural parts, I felt they detracted a little from what was going on and would skim these a little to get back to the main Characters. You follow the story of Jess and Morag. They meet at the park when Morag's child Daisy tells Jess that "she isn't my mummy" The story is slow to start but the pace picks up as you progress I enjoyed the twists and the ending was Ok I think it could have been a little More exciting but overall a good read.

Mummy's Little Secret by M.A. Hunter is a thrilling read that kept me guessing until the very end.

When Jess meets Morag and her daughter at a local playground, she is startled when little Daisy whispers in her ear that Morag is not her mum. Having recently suffered a two-fold tragedy of her own, Jess wonders if the drugs she takes to battle depression could be responsible for her paranoid reaction to young Daisy's claim. Dismissed by her husband as making too much of what she believes she heard, Jess is determined to get to the bottom of Morag and Daisy's true identities, all the while battling her own demons and teetering on the brink of credibility.

This is a compelling, utterly addictive read. I tore through the pages uninterrupted, desperately seeking answers. Recommended. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.