I have read other books from this author and enjoyed them but this one wasn't my favorite. Told from multiple POV, the story starts with the murder of the mayor's wife and the body found by the autistic son of the local beauty queen. I found the characters unlikeable and the adults juvenile. The story was interesting but the writing was not as good as her other stories. I still recommend it because it was a quick easy read that addressed autism as well as the lengths people will go to in order to seem important.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for a review.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book. I have read other books by Lucinda Berry and enjoyed them; however, this book fell flat for me. I felt as though this thriller was more of a book promoting autism awareness—which I can completely get behind. I found the ending to be rushed, and would like to have seen more development of the narrator as a character.

This is a compelling story about the lengths one will go to in order to stay relevant and sustain the perception of greatness. Heartbreaking and disturbing describe this intriguing psychological thriller that had me racing to the surprising conclusion. This is the second book I have read from Lucinda Berry and look forward to reading more of her books in the future. Appearances are deceiving and smiles are not to be trusted as lies are exposed and façades are shattered forever. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for my copy.

I love Lucinda Berry books but this one wasn’t as good as her others. I thought the book was really slow to get off the ground and I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. The ending definitely boosted my rating from 2 to 3.. but I couldn’t justify anything higher than that.

The main character Casey is a psychologist that specializes in autism and is helping a suspected teen murderer who is on the spectrum. Casey fully believes that Mason did not kill the mayors wife and thinks it was Mason’s overbearing mom Genevieve. Genevieve is a town staple as she is popular and is very well to do with the community. She is more than just a helicopter parent to Mason and Casey tries hard to break Mason away from Genevieve to truly understand what is going on. Savannah is Genevieve’s daughter who hasn’t spoken to her in years because of how poorly she was treated by Genevieve. Casey uses Savannah to dig deeper into Genevieve’s past to see how this could be related to the murder.

A lot of POVs in this book and I was super hopeful for this one, but I couldn’t stay engaged - to the point that I almost returned it to the library without finishing. :/

This book was a WILD ride! Every time I thought I had it figured out there was another twist and then ending was CRAZY!! Casey Walker is brought on ad an expert in working with autistic children when Mason Hill is the lead suspect in a murder of the mayors wife. From the beginning something doesn’t sit right with Casey about Mason and his mom Genevieve and she is committed to finding out the truth! This was a great read!

I enjoyed Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry. It was an interesting premise and delved into some of the aspects of kids with autism disorder (and their parents). I also liked the multiple POVs.
Casey Walker is an expert in kids with autism and is pulled into a police investigation involving 14-year-old Mason (who has autism) and his mother. Mason is accused of murdering the mayor's wife, but his mother, Genevieve, states Mason found her dead and was trying to save her. But what really happened? As Casey starts looking into Mason's records and doing her own testing, something is not adding up. And even more family secrets come out when she interviews Mason's sister Savannah.
I liked the plot, but would call it more of a family drama than thriller. There were some surprises that I enjoyed as well.
I thought it was a solid read.

An intense, twisted thriller. Lucinda Berry brings her own expertise as a psychologist into her work which lends a unique and credible voice to her with. Autism rep and an unsolved murder. This book is a fast paced read that kept me guessing til the end

Genevieve Hill, former Miss USA, widow of a respected man in the community, mother of 14 yr old Mason, who is autistic and just happens to be the main suspect in a brutal murder.

The detective on the case calls in Casey Walker, a local psychologist who specializes on autism, to assist on this case. The detective believes this is an open and shut case, they don't need to look any further. But as Casey begins to interview Genevieve more and observe Mason, she believes everything is not as it seems. Is Genevieve really protecting her son? Or is there an ulterior motive to her actions? Casey finds out Mason has a sister, Savannah, who is quite a big question mark to Casey. It appears that all the members of the Hill family have secrets. Casey feels she is racing against the clock to get to the bottom of the things.

This is told in dual narratives, Casey Walker & Genevieve Hill, with little windows into Mason. A story of a motherhood, murder, betrayal and lies. Which about sums up what I love!

I just love @lucindaberryauthor ‘s books! The are super twisted and really make me think about the crazy ways people can manipulate and control others. The human psyche is such an intricate thing.

I love that Berry is a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma who writes from first hand knowledge/experience. It makes the journey through her books so much more intense and intriguing for me!

Under Her Care follows a mother and her son with autism. Her son is being accused of murdering the mayor’s wife, and the mother is adamant that he didn’t do it. The cops bring in an autism expert to hopefully have a break through with the son and figure out what happened. Well, things get crazy, and it’s a wild ride. I enjoyed it a lot!

Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasmerceruk for the arc in exchange for my honest review! 💜

Yes I really enjoyed this book.
Never having read a book about autism and if the child is or not autistic, and make them believe they are autistic even if the child is not.
Mason was accused of murder he is autistic we are led to understand and his mother is very protective over him, but apparently he was not born autistic but his mother brain washed and tortured him into becoming one.
Casey Walker became involved with Mason and a murder, but she did not think Mason was a murderer and was up,to her t prove him innocent.
Thanks netgalley for this very interesting book I really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC at my request in exchange for my honest review!

I am a big fan of Lucinda Berry so I didn't wait to request her latest book. This book is heavy on autism which could be a TW for some but the author's knowledge of autism was so informative to me. This was overall a really good phycological thriller with so many twists, you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough!

We are introduced to what seems to be “Mother of the year”. She cares for her son, she puts him into the best programs and advocates for children with disabilities. It is not until Casey Walker, a psychologist who specializes in children with autism, takes on the case. Mason has been accused of attacking the mayors wife and Casey is brought in as a way to speak to Mason without his mother. As the case progresses, Casey stumbles on some information that is horrible. As the book unfolds things only get stranger. The end is quite the surprise as expected by this author. A really good psychological thriller.

This was my first book by this author and though it wasn't what I thought it was going to be, I thought it was really good. It was very informative and lots of information which didn't make you feel lost about the subject. I think it was sad but well done for this type of thriller. I can't wait to see what else it out there by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a free e-copy. I am glad I read this book.

Under Her Care follows 3 POVs as a police detective and autism specialist try to solve the murder of a local townswoman of high esteem. At first, if feels closed door, like the only people present are the only potential suspects in the room. Then there emerge some red herrings and we end up in a spot that could be quite predictable if you've read enough psych thrillers. This was my first Lucinda Berry, however, so I am not familiar with her style.

What didn't work for me: the storyline ended up being about something entirely different than what is advertised (spoilers prevent expanding on this). The characters had no depth or substance to them at all; the entire book was the case and there was no "life" or other things going on these people's lives. This made it hard to care about them. The characters were LOATHSOME! It was very hard to like them and they were just plain annoying. The ending left the entire story hanging and switched trajectories at the end. Makes me question what the point of the book is-the initial plot and majority of the book, or just the ending?

What worked for me: the setting and local references, although they weren't prevalent enough to evoke realistic feelings of being there. The information on autism and other mental illnesses was interesting and interwoven pretty well. Events got a little gruesome and gross in certain scenes. This made the story less cheesy and more exciting (it toed the line for me in terms of grotesqueness).

This one is a hard one to rate for me. It lands between a 2 and 3 star rating.

Mason becomes the prime suspect in a murder. His mom, Genevieve said they were out for their daily walk when she lost track of him.

When Casey Walker, a psychologist comes onto the case, she learns more about Mason, Genevieve, and Genevieve’s daughter, Savannah. Casey also learns why people are afraid of Genevieve.

The characters and story are really well written, and there’s a twist in every chapter.

Lucinda Berry is one of my favorite authors. Her psychology background shines through her writing when reading her thrillers. While I found this book a bit off the rails of her previous works, I still rather enjoyed it.

I found some of the dialogue a bit forced and details to be extraneous. I found the plot to be a bit predictable and obvious, but I was ultimately thrown into a crazy story that help me interested enough to learn more.

The book was well paced and had me turning the pages so it definitely is engaging. This is a wild ride and I would recommend if you’re a fan of thrillers and the author!

I loved reading this suspenseful story. This is an author that I have enjoyed reading from the first book I picked. I never hesitate to pick up this author's books as they are that great. This one may just be my favorite yet. This is a well written story that has twists and turns like no other. They are edge sitting and page turners for sure. I enjoyed how the author used her writing skills to make the story come to life. The characters are not only strong, supprotive but connectable as well. i enjoyed watching their growth throughout. This is a fast paced, action filled story that you dont want to miss. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another twisty and gripping psychological thriller by Lucinda Berry! Love the cover of this book!
I didn't know that Berry is a former trauma psychologist, so that added to the fun of reading this book. I thought this book was really interesting, fast-paced, and had me furiously turning the pages. I will definitely be reading more books by Berry!

Really great book def will be looking for more from the author will be reading the perfect child next thanks NetGalley for the arc

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on a red hot day, the mayor’s wife, Annabelle Chapman turns up brutally murdered on a riverbank. Former Miss USA, Genevieve Hill's autistic son, fourteen-year-old Mason is the prime suspect. Local autism expert, Casey Walker is called in to consult on the case.

In this zippily paced novel, I really needed to know what would be happening next. Dark, twisty and clever.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.