This was a decent psychological thriller. Paul is a “baby whisperer” and misses the days when his daughter, Petra, was a baby. As such, he enjoys being able to help out his new neighbor, Natalie, who is struggling to adjust to motherhood (postpartum depression, colicky baby, etc.). Natalie cares about Oliver too much, convinced that she is the only one who can care for him, especially as nursing is the only thing that seems to soothe him. She is angry at her husband, Tyler, for not doing more to help and not being better at anticipating the needs of her and their son, but when he tries to help, she rebuffs him. She is also angry that he has been able to return to his career, and even receive a promotion, while her attempt to return after her maternity leave fails spectacularly due to sleep deprivation and undiagnosed postpartum depression and psychosis.

While Paul does enjoy spending time with Oliver and Natalie, he also recognizes that in her diminished state, Natalie can be of use to him, giving him a way to deal with his wife, Erin, who does not respect or appreciate him or their daughter. He takes advantage of Natalie’s sleep deprivation, as well as her trust in him as a source of support and understanding, to set her up for the murder of his wife. He does a masterful job of manipulating situations and evidence to make it appear that Natalie is infatuated with him. Will his plan succeed or will Natalie and/or the police figure out his scheme in time? You will have to read the book to find out.

My only real criticism of the story is Natalie taking naps while Paul is in her house with Oliver. It provides convenient opportunities for Paul to manufacture evidence and manipulate events. However, it is not plausible that Natalie, with her anxiety and insecurities and other issues, would be comfortable and relaxed enough to fall asleep. Taking a shower or bath, doing errands upstairs, or otherwise getting things accomplished while Paul is keeping Oliver content would be plausible, and would still allow opportunities for Paul to enact his scheme.

The New Mother followed Natalie Fanning as she gave birth to her son Oliver, who was not an easy baby. Her struggles with breastfeeding were well described as was her descent into postpartum depression and psychosis. She became fast friends with her neighbor Paul, a stay at home dad who was able to offer advice, kindness and a few alternative motives of his own. An interesting novel that will keep you in it's grip until the last page. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The New Mother by Nora Murphy
⭐⭐⭐/5
Releases may 30 2023

I don't know about this one.. I think I was more eager in hoping something would happen, rather than actually sucked into the plot.
I really, really dislikd the main Character Natalie. She was obsessed- like creepily obsessed with her new born . I understand new mom fear . But she was on a whole new level. She was unnecessarily confrontational with her husband, who absolutely did nothing to provoke it . She was to chumy with another womans husband and thought his wife was in the wrong to be jealous ( uhm what ?? )

The whole book was slow . Very very slow .. and it never picked up .. the first 40% is literally the main character complaining about her new life as a mother . . The next 20% is this neighbor man butting his way into her life. And then suddenly, things happen . Police are now investigating someones being murdered .. and even that was slow .. there was no thrill ! I was like " god, just get a search warrant, already "

Well, that being said . I loved the favor by Nora Murphy . I do enjoy the writing style . I just feel she my be a hit or miss writer . And that's ok .. this book was still good and maybe she meant for the reader to be annoyed with Nat . 🤷‍♀️

TW : theme of Post Partum Depression, mentions of Psychosis.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for the early copy of this book ❤

During the first half of this book, I despised the main character. I almost gave up on this book. I'm so happy I didn't because the second really pulled the entire story together. I would rate the first half a 3 and the second half a 5. So I'll go with a 4.

The New Mother by Nora Murphy left me speechless a few times with its painfully accurate portrayal of postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis. It paints a vivid picture of the main character, Natalie, as she and her husband bring home their first child. Her journey was so well written that I was having a hard time remembering that she is fictional. Perhaps because even if she is, she’s not, she’s so many mothers.

While she is home on work sabbatical, her creepy dude neighbor Paul befriends her and takes advantage of her mental state to make her a pawn in his messed up plan. The way he talked about his wife made me want to throw things and I would have loved a POV from her.

Overall the writing had me engrossed, the author knows how to build a multi-dimensional character, but the thriller label has me scratching my head. This felt like contemporary fiction about a mother’s experience with postpartum, returning to work outside of the home, and trying to process her mental state. There was a mystery-ish plot that kicked off around 50% though it wasn’t tense enough to call it thriller, nor did it have anything to really solve as a reader. It was attention-holding though – I stayed up past my bedtime to finish because I was invested.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. I appreciate you!

Content warnings: Postpartum depression / anxiety / psychosis (including intrusive thoughts), Death

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. Will recommend it to everyone I know!

Natalie and her husband, Tyler, have just moved to a new house in a new neighborhood and also welcomed their first born son into the world. They’re both lawyers, taking pride in their work and while Tyler seems to return to life as normal after baby Oliver’s birth, Natalie is having a much harder time than she had anticipated and is resentful of Tyler for having a much easier time being a new parent than she. Natalie’s sleep deprived, STARVING from breastfeeding, forgetting things, and periods of time seem to be disappearing. Ultimately she decides to take additional time off to stay home with her son but even that is proving much more difficult than she thought it would be. Paul, her neighbor, is a stay at home father to his 10 year old daughter but he is also having a difficult time connecting with his wife. He notices Natalie struggling and that her husband is gone during the day and uses it to his advantage. He earns Natalie’s trust quickly after being so seemingly understanding of her situation, she even lets him hold Oliver and confides in him about the issues she’s having both with new motherhood and her husband. One day someone close to them is murdered and while the police try to figure out what happened, so does Natalie. She’s not sure if she can trust Paul or herself anymore.

i’ll start off by saying if you’ve never had children or didn’t struggle after giving birth, your opinion of this book might vary from mine. for me personally though, i went through almost every single thing that Natalie did after having my son. i felt like i HAD to breastfeed even if it meant getting no sleep, i felt resentful that my partner could come and go as he pleased whereas if i were to leave i would have to take the baby and his diaper bag and all of the things new babies needed, he returned to work quickly while i didn’t go back at all, i desperately wanted a break but at the same time couldn’t bring myself to be away from my baby for one minute. all of it was so perfectly described in this story. it’s definitely a slow burn, the first 50% or so is mostly just painting the picture of what Natalie was feeling and how she was so easily manipulated by Paul who knew what she was feeling after his own wife had gone through very similar feelings, and used it to his advantage. the second half did get more interesting but feeling so seen by the description of Natalie’s struggles made this entire book such a good read. my PPD didn’t look like sadness and tears like all of the questionnaires ask about, mine was anger, irritability and resentment but i still wouldn’t let myself ask for or accept any help. i hope that anybody that reads this book and is going through something similar will speak to a professional and explain what you’re going through. you’re not alone.

thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The New Mother.

This book was very good, a story of a new mother, a desperate for sleep and a break mother, who accepts help with a stay at home dad. She thinks she has found a friend and a savior but........... It was hard to see how much she was struggling but it will also be illuminating for my students to see what it is actually like vs the romanticized version in their heads. Mixed in with a mystery. very good

The New Mother 🤱🏼•

📚Genre: mystery
🤔Rating: 🍺🍺🍺🍺.5(4.5/5)
#️⃣ of pages: 304
👯‍♀️ read if you like: “The Push”, “All the Dangerous Things”, slow burn mysteries & multiple POVs
⚠️TW: postpartum depression, anxiety & psychosis
Publishing Date: May 30, 2023
@noramurphybooks

👍🏼:
•loved loved the content. I’m loving these books I’m reading lately shedding light on postpartum issues
•the descriptions were on point. Maybe it’s because I’m freshly postpartum as well, but her hospital/birth description in the beginning was 👌🏼
•the author’s note at the end just made this for me. To hear how she wrote this from her experience just made the book even more personal.

👎🏼:
•I wanted more from the ending! I loved how it wrapped up but I kept wanting to know more. It just kind of “happened” then it was over.
•this is minor, but I would’ve loved headings for each chapter to let you know whose POV the chapter would belonged to.

Overall…
Talk about the timing of reading this! Reading the author’s note to find out she wrote this while she was on maternity leave with her second child (who was much easier than her first) while I am on maternity leave with my second child (who is MUCH easier than my first) was a very fitting experience. The book truly felt like it had a personal touch. She did a wonderful job giving Natalie a voice and allowing her to discuss the tough sides of childbirth. AND how having a colicky baby & sleep deprivation really can affect you, all with the immense pressure for breastfeeding (literally. relate. to. all.). This is a slow burn & I predicted the twist, but it was still a captivating read. I really enjoyed it & devoured it quickly! Loved your writing, @noramurphybooks !!

Thanks to NetGalley and @stmartinspress for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review!

The writing was good but thats maybe all. i get women get post pardum depression but reading over and over her depression, it was depressing me. i enjoyed the story besides for this .

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

all thoughts and opinions are my own and arent infkuenced by anyone else

I really enjoyed The Favor by this author, so I was excited to be approved for an ARC of The New Mother.
The story centers around Natalie, who is struggling with her colicky newborn, Oliver. She feels little support from her husband, so she turns to Paul, her stay-at-home father neighbor, who has his own experience with a difficult newborn and a rocky relationship with his own spouse. Paul is great with Oliver and frequently helps give Natalie some much needed breaks. As Natalie and Paul grow closer, we learn he has some ulterior motives for his kindness.
This was a fun domestic suspense that, while a bit of a slow burn, the build up and tension was worth it. I appreciated the focus on the reality of postpartum depression and I really felt for Natalie. I really enjoyed this one!

Book Title: The New Mother
Author: Nora Murphy
Publisher: Stain Martin’s Press- Minotaur Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: May 31, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars

Natalie Fanning met her husband Tyler in law school where she graduated summa cum laude. They recently moved into a beautiful house and is now a ‘new mother’ (thus the title) to baby Oliver. She loves her son, but he has colic so cries a lot and also isn’t sleeping.
Natalie is now working from home. She tried going back to work but it didn’t work. no one understood what she was going through. She is physically and emotionally exhausted!
Paul Riley, her neighbor is a writer and a stay-at-home-dad. He and his wife Erin have a daughter Petra who is ten years old.
Paul throws Natalie a lifeline and offers to help. Natalie could have done a fist pump as she is so delighted!
They become fast friends, but does Paul really want to help or does he have his own hidden agenda?
Although, a slow burn it kept me reading and curious.
However, I fear that any women thinking of having a baby just may be rethinking motherhood!

I read Nora Murphy’s debut novel "The Favor" which was GREAT!

In the ‘Author’s Note’ regarding this novel, Ms. Murphy tells us that this story is not an autobiography but in some ways can relate to Natalie’s as it is like her personal experience and like many other new mothers.
In fact, this part is a story within this story! She tells us more about her personal experience with a newborn.
I always love reading about the motivation in writing their stories. I also like when author’s tackle tough topics they offer resources. In this case:
“Postpartum Support International’ which has a website of nonprofit organization that offers PPD treatment.

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 31, 2023

Things shouldn’t be better for our main character Natalie. She just gave birth to her first child and she is and her husband, Tyler, have now moved into their dream house in their dream neighbourhood. Things should be going perfect, however that is not the case as Natalie is suffering from all of the mood swings that comes with just delivering a child. Natalie is overwhelmed with depression, all of the mood swings that come with giving birth but also the isolation that she feels at not knowing anyone since the couple has just moved and the resentment she is starting to feel towards her husband. I really liked how the author shows all of the things that real life mothers go through after they have a child. It was very refreshing to see it written without the rose coloured glasses and lets you know that you are not alone. Even though it was very sad to see her have to go through all of these hardships her comments on it seemed so realistic it was almost scary. After all of these negative effects from being a new mother it can only be a positive right when she meets her newest neighbour Paul. The two start up a brilliant friendship quickly however what starts off as friendly chats about the kids, the neighbourhood and all of Natalie’s problems suddenly turns dark. It isn’t until Paul’s wife is murdered and Natalie is the prime suspect that we really start to learn more about what was actually happening behind closed doors. Now it is up to Natalie not only to protect her family and prove her innocence but also to find out who really did such a horrible thing and why they are hellbent on blaming her for it. I really liked this book because it had so many different threads going on all at the same time however the author was able to keep everything separate and it let the reader get completely lost in the story. What I didn’t like about this novel was it was very slow moving, and while I was interested in the plot for most of it I felt that it went by like molasses and a lot of the information that we received especially in the beginning was a little bit unnecessary. I loved the back forth between the characters and the best part about it was every twist just lead to more twists. Great read and once I got past the first part it was impossible to close. My favourite character had to be Paul something about his mysteriousness really made for an interesting character to follow. This book was amazing and I’m so glad that I got the chance to check it out. Since this was the first book that I’ve read by this author I am no on a mission to read other works by her as well because she obviously has a gift. Great job..

not a fan of the husband thinks about, wants to or does kill wife. I know it’s a current cultural and unfortunately literary obsession. Has worked in noir film adaptations
of Patricia Highsmith only because she writes in a character driven style. Some serious topics are best explored as essay or journalism. The
crime podcast turned in to novels serve not much purpose in a culture with many other current issues to bring to light. Minus two stars from
me..but probably Hello Sunshine will turn it into tv fare.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an eARC of Nora Murphy's upcoming novel, The New Mother!

This one's described as relatable and nerve-wracking, which is spot on. Natalie loves her newborn son unconditionally, but she's also feeling isolated, lonely, and exhausted. Her neighbor Paul is seemingly a friend and lifeline for her, helping with Oliver and being a regular presence in her lonely days. Is Paul just being kind, or does he have a darker motive behind his actions?

Post-Partum Depression & psychosis is real. I pray that the more it's spoken about, the more comfortable new moms will be with talking about how they're feeling and seeking the help that they deserve. This book came for me at an interesting time - Trying to conceive, but also seeing all over the news stories of mothers suffering from PPD and PPP. Nora handles this topic in a way that's eye-opening yet gentle. The story is bone-chilling and so so twisted. I really enjoyed how everything came together in the end.

Nora's an auto-buy author for me, and this book sealed the deal - I really can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Also, I adore this cover.

I loved Nora Murphy’s debut novel “The Favor” and I was looking forward to what she had in store for us next. The storyline of “The New Mother” centers around Natalie and her feelings about becoming a mother, the struggle she is having with everything related to her baby, and the realization that perhaps she couldn’t handle all the changes. She is a brilliant and successful attorney who attempted to return to work, but the bond she has with her son was too strong because in her mind, she was the only one who could care for him. She refused any help from her husband, which I thought was a mistake, and she was jealous that he had the freedom to leave the house when she felt like a prisoner, surrounded by dirty diapers and feeding schedules. Little did she know that a kind-hearted and devious neighbor would appear at her door who would be the answer to all of her prayers, or would he be her worst nightmare? At this point in Natalie’s life she would take help from anyone and her neighbor Paul became her sounding board, baby whisperer and the one person she shouldn’t trust. He knew exactly what he was doing and preyed upon the sleep-deprived new mom who would become the pawn in his psychotic game. Could Natalie emerge from her sadness long enough to save herself and her son from the darkness that had taken over her life?

You would think that Natalie is beyond tired, but happy. After all, she’s just giving birth to her child, Oliver. She and her husband, Tyler have recently moved to a larger house in a great school district ( planning for the future). She is on maternity leave and will have the chance to bond with her new baby before going back to work. Sounds lovely but that isn’t exactly what happens. Oliver is a difficult baby, never sleeping and ensuring that Natalie could get hired as a zombie on The Walking Dead. She comes to loathe everything about her husband as he sleeps and his career progresses. The only bright spot is meeting her neighbor, Paul. A man who is a stay at home father and seems to be the only person who understands what Natalie is going through. But something about Paul just isn’t quite right, even if Natalie is too exhausted, and stressed to see it. Soon, though, she will discover that there is more to him than she imagined, and extreme fatigue might become the least of her problems.
A plot that builds chapter by chapter until I was sure that I had figured out how this would end. Spoiler alert: it didn’t, end in the way I imagined! What a surprise! I know it didn’t really fit into the story, but I would’ve liked to have spent more time with Paul. He was just such a loathsome,I mean helpful neighbor and quite a character.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of The New Mother by Nora Murphy. While I liked the lead up to the murder, I hated that so much time was spent portraying Natalie as an incapable mother and it was surprising that no one could tell that Natalie was suffering from PPD. The amount of time devoted to her attempts at and feed for breastfeeding and her feelings of inadequacy took up a huge portion of the book. While I feel for the author after reading the author notes, I felt like I was being browbeaten. The idea of the story was great, but the murder and its resolution was overshadowed by the PPD aspect. I would have loved it if the murder and investigation had felt less like it was just tacked on to give some suspense. 2.5 star rounded up to 3

Thanks so much to @stmartinspress for my advance preview of The New Mother by Nora Murphy. The story synopsis had a great premise and I was interested to read it as I'm a huge fan of psychological suspense and the mystery aspect of the book sounded interesting. A smart, competent attorney, living the dream in suburbia, has a baby, and the caring of that baby, sends her spiraling down a path of post partum depression and worse, she is beginning to question her memory. We have a strange neighbor that gives the impression of someone who is befriending our new mom, but is he really? This plot line was one that I wish was explored more, as I think it could have enhanced the story. I felt way too much effort was put on the breastfeeding aspect, it seemed every other page that is what was being described. The twist at the end was not surprising, and predictable.

4.5 stars. This is my second novel by Nora Murphy and I was so excited when I saw she was releasing her second. I loved, The Favor, and jumped to read The New Mother. I am. now a big fan of Nora Murphy because this was just as good as her debut. Murphy’s character development is wonderful, she creates unique and relatable characters who you are rooting for and hoping they get away with it or wake up and smell the coffee. I can’t wait to see what her third book is about and no matter what it is….I’m reading it!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read, The New Mother, in exchange for my honest review.