Member Reviews

this was a whole different beast of creepy. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend if you like a more creepy type of thriller.

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A brilliant author who I am following, so far i haven't been disappointed and the books keep you thinking from start to finish.
Enjoyed the storyline in this particular book as there are a lot of truths hidden.

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Wow! This book grabbed me right from the beginning and kept me right until the end! This had some good twists and turns and I love the fact that Kate decided she wasn't just going to sit around and wait to see what the killer was going to do. She went after him and took care of business! This was my 1st book by Margaret Murphy but will certainly not be my last!

#DearMum
#NetGalley

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This novel was interesting and had me hooked on the plot. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. I would recommend this novel.

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I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. The story itself is okay. An interesting mystery that kept me guessing. The narrator did a good job. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat. A good weekend read.
The characters themselves were fine and all in all I think I would read from this author again.

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Well….I loved the tone and pacing of the audio narrator for this one.

However, there was just too much going on in this one and I couldn’t keep up.

The characters were not memorable or well defined so that I could keep who was who sorted. So that was a little frustrating. The mother was easy to empathize with but overall I just don’t think this one was for me.

The premise sounded cool but I almost didn’t finish it….I would think it was interesting and then zone out. Then the story would grab my attention again and lose me again.

So I can’t really say I recommend this one…or perhaps maybe just not as an audiobook. It might be easier to keep all of the characters straight if I read it instead of listening to it. Maybe the audio narrator was TOO soothing. I loved her voice and attn to dramatization where it fit.

Wish I wasn’t so conflicted but here I am..

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Though I did like this one more than Before He Kills Again, it's still not the greatest book. Maybe a little less than 3 stars. I guess this author is just not for me. I would have MUCH rather Melanie been missing the whole time and not already definitely dead when the book starts.

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This is an extremely dark book. I didn’t read a thing about it other than that it was a thriller before diving in so I had no idea where this book was going to go. I’ll tell you a tiny bit about it but going in blindly or nearly so was a fantastic way to go.
Kate’s twelve year old daughter Melanie disappeared six months ago. Six months ago her body was found battered and lifeless. Kate is working on coming to terms with the murder when a message pops up on her comptuer screen. The message reads “ WHY DID You LET HIM HURT ME MUMMY?”. Many more messages follow, and the only person who could possibly be sending them is Melanie’s killer.
The investigation, led by Chief Inspector Harmon, focuses on Kate’s abusive ex-husband David and a colleague of hers, Adam Shepherd, the wiz-kid computer guy. Kate decides to fight and unmask the killer that took everything from her and not become another of his victims.
This is a well written story that keeps you on your toes guessing the whole time. You may figure it out and you may not but either way you’ll find it hard to put down.
You can get this book in audio form as well. It’s done extremely well and makes the story even that much creepier. Either way, it’s a good dark thriller.

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Despite not completely loving the writing style of this book, I enjoyed the story. I found the characters intriguing and the plot quite creative. Some parts of the book confused me, so I'm not sure if that's because I listened to the audiobook. However, I enjoyed it overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

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*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Would have to reread this for sure. there was a lot going on, a lot i felt i missed or was added weirdly late. not a bad story but could have been better, especially if it is just being republished under a new name.

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I love this author so I already knew before starting the audiobook, that I would enjoy this book. The narrator was incredible. All the different characters each had a unique voice. It was terrific.

The story is about a mother who is being terrorized after losing her daughter. Because I did listen to the I had trouble following some of the twists but it was still terrific.

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The narrator has the perfect voice for audiobooks. They made it engaging and entertaining to listen to. It felt a little like the story dragged on longer than it possibly should but I really enjoyed listening to it. David getting arrested was particularly fun for me.

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While I did not entirely love the writing style of this book, I did enjoy the story. The characters were interesting and the majority of the plot was quite clever. There were a few spots that confused me, I'm not sure if that's because I was listening to the audiobook or not. Overall, it was enjoyable.

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I received a complimentary, audio copy of Dear Mum by Margaret Murphy in exchange for my honest review.
This book is a thrill a minute, it grabs you and won't let you go! The narration was fabulous and it pulled me in and kept me there, let me feel and experience what was happening. I loved the twists and turns of the storyline, the psychological thrill, the guessing and wondering.
Kate's young daughter, Melanie, disappeared six months ago. Kate had to go through every parent's worst nightmare, the terror, the pain of losing your child, identifying her battered body.
Kate is doing everything she can to get through her days, to function as a normal person, since Melanie's death. One day at work, a message shows up on Kate's computer, "Why did you let him hurt me Mum?" Kate knows that Melanie can't have sent the message, so who did? More messages show up, more things happen to terrorize Kate. Only one person could be doing this, playing with Kate's emotions like this, Melanie's murderer.
Kate can't live like this, she has to find the person who is doing this.
Kate reluctantly goes to the police, and Inspector Harmon seems to focus primarily on Kate's abusive ex-husband David and her computer savvy colleague Adam. At times, Inspector Harmon, wonders if Kate has broken from reality, if she is doing this to herself. The things that are happening are so horrifying, the messages so brutal that Kate is driven to do whatever it takes to find this person, even if it means risking her own life.
This is a book that you won't want to end!

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This book was released several years ago under a different title and I’m not sure if anything other than the title was changed. I listened to the audiobook of it and it was kind of choppy and some parts needed expansion and some could have been left out.
Kate’s daughter was taken murdered 6 months ago. They haven’t caught the killer. Then one day she starts getting emails from what seems to be her daughter saying “why did you let him hurt me mummy?” Kate tries to get her friend Adam, an IT whiz to figure out who sent the email, thinking that they will turn out to be the killer. However, she makes a lot of dumb choices that could have had better outcomes if she had been smarter. There are some flashbacks to her previous relationship that was abusive, which could be a trigger for some.
Overall this was an average read. Nothing spectacular or wow moments. The narrator did a good job though.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Margaret Murphy for this audiobook ARC copy of Dear Mum.

Kate, mourning the loss of her daughter who was murdered just 6 months ago, is receiving threatening and cryptic email messages from an unknown party. She’s creeped out beyond belief and scared (understandably so), thinking the messages might be coming from her daughter’s murderer who has yet to be caught.

This book is pitched as a psychological thriller though I don’t feel it captivates the audience throughout the book. I found the beginning interesting however, I did find myself needing to stop the audiobook and regroup before continuing because I had begun to space out.

I think the concept of this book is great but not greatly executed.

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Dear Mum by Margaret Murphy will keep you guessing right to the end. I read reviews that said they knew immediately who was guilty, but I had no idea. I kept wondering and I was wrong every time. The story is about Kate, who loses her daughter Melanie to a horrible murder at just 11 years old. When, six months later, she starts to get messages from the killer, they say things like, "Mummy, I want to come home". With quick wit and intel, the book is fun and fast paced. I enjoyed the narrator as well, though there were times she was hard to hear.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this story.

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this audiobook was a great version! the story is very well written & i feel like you really get a sense of the characters inside & out. i felt the author did a wonderful job of including you in all aspects of the events going on in the story.

definitely one you will need to process emotionally when over!

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Enjoyment: 3.5
Total rating: 3.93

I have conflicted feelings about Dear Mum's audiobook. Gail Shalan's narration is well-paced, flows well, and her voice is very soothing. I absolutely adored most of her narration, but I lost engagement when she changed to either a child or male POV. I don't mean to criticize, as I couldn't have done it better myself; it just didn't work for me.

I feel the same way about the story itself - it was strong and claustrophobic. Kare is a compelling, relatable and believable character, but the plot lost steam in the third act, and the climax was weaker than the road leading to it.

I never request an ARC or pick up a book I feel I won't like, and I feel bad when I don't. But I have to be honest. With that said, I suggest you pick it up if the plot interests you; it may jive better with you.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of Dear Mum.

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3.25 stars

From what I am understanding this is quite an old book. It was first published as Goodnight, My Angel back in 1997, then it got a new title in 2020 and now I am listening to the audiobook that is due out on May 10, 2022. Was any of the story changed or just the title?

6 months after Kate Pearson had to live her worst nightmare and identify the body of her 12 year old daughter, Melanie, she starts getting messages that make it seem they are from Melanie.

Kate seeks out the help of Adam, her co-worker and a genius on the computer.
There are some flashbacks of an abusive husband, David, that make him a suspect.

There were some suspenseful moments that kept me engaged and wanting to get to the end quickly. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit of a let down to be honest.

Gail Shalan did a pretty good job narrating and giving emotion when necessary.

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