Thrillers and mysteries aren’t my go to, but I love this author and had to give it a try. Of course, I wish there was more romance. But the story was really engaging and the epilogue had me sobbing. Honestly the ending and the epilogue were my favorite parts.

I really enjoyed this book, but I’d definitely say it’s more of a psychological thriller than a romantic thriller. I even almost wish the romance just wasn’t in it at all, because for me, there wasn’t enough of it there to really get me invested in Sienna & Gavin and honestly this book just didn’t really need romance. The thriller aspect alone was so freaking good and I really loved the cat & mouse vibes with all of the twists and turns.

Bad Mother is Clue meets Bates Motel meets To Hunt a Killer and even though the romance was a bit lackluster, if you’re a fan of thrillers or even just a fan of Mia’s writing in general, I’d absolutely still recommend checking this one out!

Thank you sm to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

Sienna Walker took a transfer to Reno, Nevada to rescue her police career after a decision her NYC boss disagreed with left her without any prospects in the city. She never imagined she would return to the city of her childhood -- a city filled with memories that cause her pain as well as a few bittersweet ones as well. She also never imagined she would be thrust into the middle of a serial murder investigation on her first week.

Gavin Decker is the boy who used to be her safe place. His house was where she went when things were bad at her own house. When his name comes up in connection with some of the clues at the murder scene, she is forced to face the memories between them as he is brought on as a consultant.

I loved the murder investigation aspect of this story. The clues are many but the leads are few and had me continually guessing at what was coming next and who could be involved. There were several twists and turns that surprised me, and the last third of the book packed some serious page-turning action. The crime scenes were details, deliberate, and filled with letters and clues written directly to Sienna

The second chance romance took a bit of a backseat to the thriller/mystery aspects of the story and I was ok with that because the details of the investigation were just so well developed. The romance progressed very quickly compared to the mystery plot, partly due to the history between the MCs. Would I have liked a little more on the romance side? Sure, as a primarily romance reader, but I also loved the way the plot had me questioning everything and everyone. And I mean everyone. Mia Sheridan has dabbled in psychological/thrillers and this is another solid story in that genre from her. I will always line up for a Mia Sheridan book, whether it is romance or thriller.

Mia Sheridan, you are completely diabolical in the very best of ways. Like a magician who pulls strings out of thin air, you wove a story that had me on the edge of my seat, making notes, trying to solve the puzzles (which I never got right of course), every other clue a new twist to a story that was altogether twisted, heartbreaking, macabre and absolutely brilliant.

<b>2-2,5 Stars</b>

I honestly don't know how to rate this book. I'm wavering between 2 and 2.5 stars. I'm not going to lie, this book took me WEEKS to read, and that's with skimming. I'd read a few pages, set it down and not pick it back up for days. I came close to DNFing a few times but a friend told me to hang in there because the last 25% or so was something else. I forced myself to finish it last night, and she's right the last quarter really does amp up and move quickly.

Bad Mother had soooo much potential but somewhere along the way the execution fell flat. This book just dragged on. Which is surprising because the meat of it is good. I liked Si and Kat, the two main detectives. I thought the letters were a unique touch, the psycho and his cray cray was pretty on point, the ending I did not see coming. Even the male lead was decent...he wasn't screaming book boyfriend material but he was likeable. So I mean, it had all the right ingredients, but something about it just didn't work. I wish I could pinpoint what it was.

Hell, I wish I'd read and experienced the same book everyone else did.

One thing I will say is that ending was a mind fuck. It messed with my head. Sending thanks to my friend for entertaining my rant. LOL. That was some serious messed up shit...

I have never read a book so fast in order to get to the end, but yet not wanting it to end, it was that good!! This review will be lacking a lot of details as this story should be read without spoilers.

Told in third person which I don’t typically like, but the author did such a great job telling this story that I didn’t mind it at all. This is a suspence/thriller with a second chance romance lurking in the background.

Detective Sienna Walker finds herself being transferred to Reno, Nevada, her home town someplace she never ever wanted to return to. It is filled with an unhappy childhood and a broken engagement.

Sienna’s first case her and her partner face is a serial killer. The killer is leaving clues and shocking journal entries addressed to Sienna with details of murders he says his mother committed. The journal entries and clues lead her straight to Gavin Decker, her ex- fiancé. She is asking for his assistance.

The mystery/thriller facet of the story was well developed, tons of clues and twists and turns, with some ugly revelations. Shocks that kept me guessing at every turn of the page. Loved all the characters and coworkers, they were perfectly developed.

Explosive finale that in a way went full circle, where all the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly!! And epilogue that had a heartwarming update!! You’ll have to read for yourself!!

J'avais déjà lu les deux précédents romantic suspense de Mia Sheridan et une fois de plus, elle excelle dans le genre. J'ai adoré cette enquête, ces retrouvailles, ces indices et traquer ce tueur qui ne laisse rien au hasard. Je n'avais pas vu venir le dénouement et c'est cela qui est génial.

Suite à une mise à pieds qui n'en porte pas le nom mais qui en est bien une, Sienna Walker est de retour dans sa ville natale de Reno, qu'elle a quittée quelques années auparavant. Elle y a de bons mais aussi de mauvais souvenirs. Elle va donc quitter pendant au moins un an New York et son petit ami Brandon pour rejoindre les forces de police. Ses débuts vont démarrer sur les chapeau de roue car elle aura à peine le temps de poser ses affaires qu'elle sera sur une enquête épineuse. Sa chef Ingrid va la mettre en duo avec Kat Kozlov et ce duo fonctionnera parfaitement. Elles devront donc comprendre les liens entre les victimes mais également déchiffrer les indices que le criminel a bien voulu laisser. C'est un jeu de piste sans fin et les indices sont très recherchés. Elles vont faire appel dans un premier temps à un ex joueur professionnel, que notre héroïne connaît bien, mais aussi à un profiler. J'ai aimé en apprendre plus sur Sienna et comprendre ce qui a pu amener nos deux héros à rompre le lien qu'ils allaient sceller. L'autrice ne nous laissera aucun moment de répit et même si la romance n'est pas le fil rouge du récit, il sera présent et nous donnera envie de creuser.

Gavin Decker est notre charmant héros. Dans quelques flashbacks, nous allons le revoir en compagnie d'une jeune Sienna qui cherche ses repères avec une famille qui va la délaisser. Elle saura trouver en Mirabelle, la mère de notre héros, une figure maternelle forte et malgré les années qui se sont écoulées, le lien n'est pas rompu. Quand il va revoir Sienna, on sent que c'est comme si le passé n'avait pas existé. Il a clairement encore des sentiments pour elle et il semble "ravi" de l'aider sur l'enquête puisque cela lui donne une excuse d'être à ses côtés. On apprendra à le connaître par le biais de leur souvenir mais aussi lorsque le temps des explications sera venu. Il sera d'une grande aide pour l'enquête car les indices laissés feront références au poker, aux jeux de cartes et autres jeux de société. Il lira lui aussi les lettres laissées par notre meurtrier car elles vont aussi cacher de nombreux indices. Ces dernières servent en quelque sorte de justificatifs à ces meurtres et actes odieux. On se forgera donc une idée de cet homme dérangé qui ne choisit clairement pas ses victimes au hasard.

Bref, je ne vous en dis pas plus mais sachez que j'ai passé un excellent moment de lecture. On se délecte de cette intrigue rondement menée, de ces indices savamment décortiqués et de ces personnages qui vont se retrouver et devoir faire face à leur passé. Un romantic suspense parfaitement réussi et la plume de Mia Sheridan est toujours aussi puissante.

Actual Rating: 4.5⭐

Highly recommended for readers who like to read mystery thrillers about a serial killer, revenge, found family and love.

I wasn’t expecting this book to be so addicting cause I finished it in just one day!
Lots of unexpected twists and riddles throughout the story kept me interested from the beginning until the end!

It’s a very well written game of cat and mouse between the detectives and the serial killer. Every clue and riddle in this story keep me guessing and making theories, I have my suspicion at the beginning, but the big reveal and the motive from the serial killer still surprised me even though I was right about the culprit.

This story has multiple POVs, short chapters, fast-paced and also a second-chance romance of the main character, Detective Sienna.
While I love the main focus of the plot - catching the serial killer, I wish there’s more to it for the romance element.
I wish there’s more interaction between the two of them and exploration about what happen in the past and how they find their way back together. Nevertheless, I can still feel the spark between the two of them.

Overall, this book is a real page turner! It’s very enjoyable, entertaining and thrilling. I also feel satisfied with how everything gets wrap up, it’s a fitting end in my opinion.
Make sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this one, some can be quite graphic and sensitive to some readers.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Child abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, death

I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!

Complex, compelling and wholly consuming, Bad Mother was an epic ride that I cannot recommend enough. The writing was fantastic, the characters were wonderfully fleshed out and the plot was unexpected in the best possible way. I would give this more than 5 stars if I could!

When Sienna Walker is nearly fired from the NYPD, the last thing she expects is a second chance in the one place she vowed never to return to. But she can’t afford to turn down the job offer, even if a painful familial past and a broken engagement hardly make Reno, Nevada, home sweet home.

It’s made even less sweet by Sienna’s first case—a serial killer with a curious fixation on her. Along with his victims, the killer leaves perplexing clues and chilling journal entries addressed to Sienna detailing the murders he claims his mother committed. The case continues to get personal when her ex-fiancé is called out by the killer as well. Whoever’s behind the diabolical murders, Sienna can only be sure of one thing…it’s someone close to home.

As the twisted truth forces Sienna to face her complicated feelings, she learns that no matter how far you run from your past, it always catches up to you in the end.

Sizzles with tension, desire, and a forever-escalating sense of menace! Let this supremely enjoyable thriller whisk you up, up and away. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mia Sheridan is well known and well loved for her romances, but in recent years she’s been writing romantic thrillers. This books definitely falls under more thriller than romance, and I loved the twisty nature of her writing!

This book kept a me guessing the entire time! Trying to puzzle out this book even when I wasn’t actively reading it, had me picking up this book every spare moment I had. I’m usually a romance reader, but this author’s storytelling ability, will have me reading everything she writes.

The sheer amount of research that went into this book is mind boggling. My mind is honestly blown with the ways that the puzzle pieces effortlessly fell into place.

Major content warnings for this book, do not pick up this book thinking it’s going to be a romance.

✨𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖✨

𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿
𝗕𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻
𝟯𝟰𝟳 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟯/𝟮𝟴/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 - 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻!

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: Homicide Detective Sienna Walker vowed to never return to Reno, Nevada - the place that holds nothing but bad memories and heartbreak... as well as her ex-fiance, Gavin. But when she's let go from the NYPD, strings are pulled to get her on with the Reno PD. She has to take the job; she can't afford not to.

Shortly after arriving and getting settled in her new job, Sienna gets her first case. A woman is found dead under a bridge with a hand of cards - cards that are somehow connected to her ex-fiance, Gavin. She and her partner Kat work tirelessly to solve the murder and stop the killer, but the killer is intent on taunting Sienna. He has made this very personal, and Sienna is unable to hide from the past she so desperately wanted to escape.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: This was a twisty game of cat-and-mouse. Like an onion, layers are revealed throughout the book, and I enjoyed the way the author gave us glimpses of Sienna's past, her tumultuous childhood, and her relationship with Gavin. This is categorized as romantic suspense, but it's much more crime thriller/police procedural than romance -- and I'm not complaining! Mia Sheridan fans looking for her traditional romance novels in this book will not find that here. There is some romance, but it's not the focus.

Overall this was an entertaining, super quick read with short chapters. Fans of Melinda Leigh, Sandra Brown, Karen Rose and Mary Burton will enjoy this one!

This will also be available in audio and ebook via Kindle Unlimited on Tuesday!

Thank you Montlake Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

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Mia Sheridan is one of my favourite authors when it comes to romance stories and while I love those , her romantic suspense one I just adore.
And Bad mother goes into the later category.
I’m a huge fan of police investigations and this one ticks all the boxes in my cards.
From the great main heroine to the twisted villain who leaves creepy diary entries as clues.
The final twist was really unpredictable and I loved how many times I had to stop and shake my head at some of the decisions she made throughout the story.
It’s addictive, twisted and so good. I highly recommend it for a great adrenaline rush thriller

Bad Mother by Mia Sheridan
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Sienna Walker has just transferred back to Reno PD, where she grew up. Her timing is uncanny as she is thrown into a cat and mouse game that a serial killer has put together.
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What I liked:
-This is probably the best cat and mouse style detective book I’ve read!
-The suspense started slow but built quickly till the last 20% was quite intense!
-I really enjoyed watching how the story played out through Sienna’s eyes, as she tried to put clues together to solve this case.
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4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Excellent and I would recommend to everyone who loves a good detective story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Bad Mother by Mia Sheridan that I read and reviewed.
All I can say about Bad Mother is oh my I did not see that coming. This book was one of those books that ending that blows your mind when you read it and you have no idea where in the world where it came from but you love it.
I can honestly at first I was not sure how I was feeling about this book because it was kind of moving along slowly and I was not in love with the characters but the the ending blew my mind and it totally changed my mind about the book and it became a must read. So all I can say is go into this book with an open mind and wait for the end.
Bad Mother gets five out of five stars from me.

I love how diverse this author can be. I love that she experiments with different genres.

I’ve read several books by her. Some were great and some were just okay, Bad Mother was just okay for me.

It did take me awhile to get into the story and make a connection with the characters.

It was an interesting read.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve never read a book by this author before but I’ve seen advertisements for her books for a few years so I was intrigued to start.

Right from the very first page I felt at ease reading and following the story, it almost felt like I was rewatching one of my favourite tv comfort shows ( Greys/ GOT). The characters feel like old friends.

Sienna gets a job in her hometown Reno, it’s a place she thought she’d never return to but here she is.

Immediately she’s thrown into a murder investigation that looks and feels like is connected to her in some way. On top of that she thrust back into the life of a man she once thought was her soulmate but now they’re strangers who haven’t communicated in over a decade.

The murderer left notes with his victims about his life that are terrifying but they contain a cryptic clue that could help catch him but that’s only if you can work out what the clue means.

This is the best thriller I’ve read this month, it had SO many twists/turns and red herrings I was so convinced I knew what was going on and then wham! It all got turned on it’s head.

This story definitely has potential to be an amazing series, I’ll keep my hope’s up because I need so much more of these characters.

Back to Reno, NV...

Sienna is packing around a lot of baggage. An ex who ghosted her (Gavin). She's working on a case in Reno...one that has ties to her and those around her. I'm trying to do this with no spoilers. So here goes. Mother and son relationships. On top of all of that, Gavin wants another chance.
Solve the case, Sienna. Tick, tick....

I loved archers voice so when I heard that Mia Sheridan had a thriller coming out I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it ! And I really enjoyed it, we have Sienna who finds her self back in her home town after an incident in New York and when she left this place 11 years ago she swore she would never be back but now does not have another option. She is a detective and finds her self right into the action as she soon as her gets in town, but the Murders she investigating have her right back at the door of her highschool boyfriend Gavin the love of her life once upon a time. as they investigate this Murder they can’t help but fall back into old habits. This was suppose to be a romantic suspense and I think to make these work you need to have a good balance and I think that’s what was missing in this, at times it felt like the romance was no where to be found in this book than bam all of a sudden we are getting all the romance with no real progress of how they got there. I also felt like there was a lot of them finding the murder but at times that felt like it was repetitive and could of been sized down a bit. But saying that the murder part was so interesting and I didn’t guess the ending at all! So over all I enjoyed this, and look forward to reading her next one which I have faith will be even better! This will be out soon!

3.5 Stars
Bad Mother differs entirely from my previous experience with Mia Sheridan's work. The other book I have read, Archer's Voice, is an emotionally gripping contemporary romance. Bad Mother is a crime thriller entwined with a second-chance romance, something I did not expect from this author.
Our heroine, Sienna, is a shunned detective, transferred from the NYPD back to her hometown of Reno, who is immediately thrust into an intense and violent murder case full of purposeful clues, which results in Sienna revisiting her past.
Gavin, her childhood best friend turned former fiance, is soon involved in solving the case, leading to resurfaced feelings and tense situations personally and professionally.
It is the type of book where you can't detail too much without spoiling the entire premise, but I enjoyed this more than I originally thought. I think Sheridan's criminal language was great and I never felt it was over the top or fake. Some criminal fiction comes across really dramatic, to the point it seems ridiculous but I didn't find that to be the case here.
Overall I look forward to Mia's other thriller books in the future, further suggesting her range as an author.