Just from reading the book’s description we know that Natasha’s teenage son, Jack, has killer someone. And it’s not the first time he has killed someone. But his mother will do what she must to cover it up and protect him at all costs. After all, it is what a good mother would do.

Holy smokes, this probably one of the most disturbing thrillers I have read in a long time. Many times while reading I had to pick my jaw up off the floor or take a break and put it away for a bit. A large part of the story is told from the point I view of Natasha, but the further you read in the book the more you question whether she is a reliable narrator. Can we believe her accounts of the events in our story? Further toward the end of the book we hear the story from Jack’s point of view, but is he believable? In the end, who do you trust when telling this story? These two characters are clearly in a toxic relationship, but what caused it and how can they break the cycle? I do not want to reveal ANYTHING because I want everyone to be as shocked as I was, so keep reading and you will find out!

If you choose to read this book, buckle up and prepare yourself for a DARK and twisted thriller. There is a LOT of gore and disturbing imagery, which made me rate it lower than what I probably would have rated it had I been prepared for it in advance. I feel like I need to go watch a happy musical or read a lighthearted romance to cleanse my mind of the dark and twisted world of Natasha and Jack.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you Joffe Books & NetGalley for the gifted e-arc to read and review!

Pub: February 4, 2023

What really makes a good mother? How far will you go to protect your family and yourself?

Natasha (Tasha) prides herself on being the best mother to her son Jack. Jack isn't a regular boy though; Jack's a murderer who shows no signs of slowing down.

The book has a really interesting concept and the points about nuture vs, nature are interesting ones.

It's primarily told through Tasha's POV until the end when we finally get to hear directly from Jack. The book's pace slows down at points with repetition of past events and repetitive actions by Tasha and Jack and at times I did need to give myself an extra push. I would have loved to hear more of Jack's direct POV.

The ending is quite clever. I can't reveal more without spoliers, but it felt very true to the story and all the characters.

This is such a great read, and the synopsis just makes you want to pick it up. I actually couldn't put it down once I had started reading it!
If you, like me, love a book that's thought-provoking, twisty, and disturbing all at the same time. The Good Mother is one to try. Characters you love to hate, a plot you can't quite come to terms with. A psychological thriller that is not for the feint hearted, that's for sure!!

Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰.
𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰.

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: domestic suspense/thriller
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼‍♀️: fast
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🚫
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden, Keep it in the Family by John Marrs
𝙏𝙒 ⚠️: graphic violence, discussion of abuse

Holy mother of god this book was messed up. You’ve got a serial killer, very twisted and manipulative characters, creepy parental relationships, and an unreliable cast of characters.

I saw a lot of similarities to two of my favorite books, The Perfect Son and Keep it in the Family, so this felt like a comfort read to me 🥰. The plot was still different enough that I definitely did not feel like I was re reading something that’s already been written.

This book asks the age old question- how far would you go for your children?

I was so beautifully uncomfortable while reading this book. The mom’s obsessive protection of her son was extremely well done. The way they both manipulate each other had me cringing.

I feel gross and icky after finishing this book- it was fantastic. My twisted little heart is content.

👏🏼👏🏼 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 to readers who enjoy extra twisty psychological thrillers.

I tried for several days and I could just not get through this. It was too slow and I found myself not picking this back up. I was pretty sure I knew where this was going and I flipped to the end and I was right; the ending was predictable and not going through. I can’t recommend this to anyone who’s read more than a few thrillers; newbies to the genre might like this one but the slow start may detract those who want to try.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in advance. What would you do if your son was a killer? Would you protect him at all cost? Or would you feel differently about letting him pay for what he has done? This was a good read but feel like the crime investigating wasn't the best in my opinion.

How far does a mothers love go? In The Good Mother, the limit does not exist. A very well written thriller that had a little Dexter vibes in it, making it even better! I enjoyed this book and was sad it ended!

Tasha is trying to rebuild her life with her teenage son Jack. 10 years before her husband and Jack’s father was murdered by eight year old Jack. At the time Tasha thought he was just defending her but soon she finds out the reasons go much deeper. At the time she told the police her husband who was already known for JD dealings was taken out by one of his many enemies and they believe that but when she invites her new boyfriend Steve over to meet Jack and Jack murders him she doesn’t know what to do. This is what she realizes Jack’s issues go way deeper than just boys will be boys Natasha is determined to be a good mother it will do anything for Jack and I do mean anything! There is so much more to this book than the brief summary I have given there was a podcaster, missing homeless people and so much more. Most mothers would do anything for the children but Tasha goes above and beyond and she says it’s all for Jack but is it? This book was so good I don’t know what to say and what not to say because I don’t want to give any key plot points away this book was so good it’s dark witty intelligently done just an all-around great read. When it comes to thrillers The Good Mother by list Fry is up there with the best. Instead of whodunit the question is why in the answer is astounding. I’ve really enjoyed this book and think it is a five star thriller and that is only because I cannot give it more. This is a book I definitely highly recommend to those who love thrillers I received it from NetGalley and Jafibooks but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. An easy read which has been written well, full of suspense and intrigue. My one critique is that I predicted a few of the twists, however this doesn’t take away from the story or how interesting the book is. Thought provoking and a few times I wondered what I would do in the same situations.

This was a full on roller coaster of a ride. I could not put the book down even reading it at 5am still! The twists in this are unbelievable but unfortunately at the same time very believable. I kept thinking how would I have reacted if my son had killed his father? What makes a good mother? All the way through the book i was questioning both myself and Natasha. The ending was totally unexpected. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes either family drama's or simply psychological books.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

What would you do if your son was a serial killer? Turn him in, or help manage his kills?

Natasha is a “good mother”. After all Jacks been through, she has to protect him. Natasha was in an unhealthy, abusive relationship with Jack’s dad. One night when Jack is 8, he stabs his father, to prevent the abuse from continuing. Fast forward a few years, Natasha is dating a new wonderful guy. Unfortunately for him, the night he meets Jack is the last night of his life. Jack has done it again. Instead of going to the police, Natasha decides to monitor and even facilitate his kills. But in doing so, she may bring about her and Jack’s demise.

Okay, this book is what you’d call a page turner. I was engaged with the plot the entire time. Natasha is an unreliable character so as the story progresses you question what is true and what’s not.

The book gave me Dexter vibes, because Natasha would seek out immoral men, aka bad guys, for Jack to kill. Thus controlling his impulses. The ending did surprise me!
I would recommend it if you like family dramas/thrillers.

Well what can I say . This is about a ‘good’ mother. Unfortunately those around her seem to be getting kill, but by whom and how? Mum, Tasha is a sorry character with a son she dotes on, so she tries to keep things safe for him. As you go deeper in to this book it becomes very macabre and a bit surreal but strangely there is a compulsion to see it through to the end. It was an easy if harrowing read in places.

I was hooked on this book from the start, in fact the book description was an attention grabber . An 8 year old boy kills his father and what his mother does to protect him ( not a spoiler as it's in the book description) . I was very curious as to what lengths The Good Mother would go to to protect her son . What follows is certainly not what I expected. I couldn't read the pages fast enough to discover how this book ended. I certainly wasn't disappointed, shocked maybe, but not disappointed. I cant remember reading a book with this scenario.

The reader has to work hard to suspend disbelief in this mystery. It is a quick and easy read but the plot is a stretch to believe.

At the age of 8 Jack found his taste for killing. He had murdered his abusive father in order to protect himself and his mother. Natasha did her best to cover up Jacks murder, keep him out of prison and did everything within her power to ensure that they both continued to live a normal life.

10 years later with her new boyfriend Tasha decides to introduce him to Jack. It soon becomes clear that Jack isn’t impressed and things turn ugly pretty quickly. Soon Jacks taste for killing returns and Tasha is torn between choosing her new lover or her son.

Natasha realises Jack will never be able to lead a normal life and she knows she will need to do everything in her power to protect her son. However the measures she has to go to are beyond anything you could ever imagine and with every page you turn things get more deeper and darker than you could think possible.

I really enjoyed this book it was fast paced, had a lot going on. At times I did find it a bit predictable and I found myself thinking I knew that was going to happen, but there were also times where I found myself shocked by what happened next and the ending wasn’t what I thought it would be which was a nice surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

The Goid Mother #Netgallery
Depending on each individual reads this book it can be slightly disturbing.. it does actually make you really sit back as a mother and really think on how far we would go to protect our children. I really really would advise that as you are reading just to tell yourself this is a work of fiction. Nothing more and nothing less. Although I do as a mother understand it’s not easy as you think fortunately for me. I did not allow the book to disturb me. Although it did actually make me wonder. I do not think it could be anything but a thought provoking book. I have read some reviews were some have not been able to finish it because it’s too disturbing to finish. Also some say no I would not go there. Now seriously. To actually sit and think too much about the book and what the mother is doing. As a book it’s too far out there for any mother to even dream about it. Yet COME ON KNOW ONE CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER THST QUESTION. UNLESS YOU ARE IN THAT SITUATION.. BECAUSE UNTIL WE ARE THEN WE CAN NOT SAY. We might think yes I would cover for my son, but no way on earth would I go to that length….. BUT ONCE YOU HAVE ACTUALLY AGREED TO COVER, YOU HAVE PASSED THE MOROL COMPOSE. So I say again JUST REMEMBER ITS A NOVEL……….. I as a book it’s bloody brilliant, it takes a mother beyond the boundaries of what one would class as normal. It’s extremely well writing full of twist turns. Things that to us reading go way beyond a sane mothers grain. So this is we’re I strongly advise to remember that it’s a novel. I loved it and I most definitely would recommend this to book to anyone. In fact I already have to a few friend who I know would read it as it is a book nothing more and nothing less.. Thank you all for my advanced copy. My review is solely mine and is not influenced by author or publisher. Mine alone.

This book has me shook! I binged it in one sitting it was so good. What would you do if you found out your son was a serial killer? You would help him right? Because that’s what good mothers do.

Jack’s mother Natasha always knew he was different. When he was eight years old he killed his father and his mother always protected him. Jack is now eighteen and over a family dinner he kills Natasha’s boyfriend Steve. She will make sure no one knows what Jack did. She will continue to protect him even if it destroys herself.

Perfect for fans of Lucinda Berry The Good Mother is available February 4, 2023

Thank you netgalley and Joffebooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh.M.G ……. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader ebook! I honestly did not know what to expect with this book but I definitely didn’t expect what I read! Most of the time I was questioning my own sanity and my own morale compass and like what would I do if in this situation?! Goodness I need a Disney after this!!!

They fascinate: these human predators. Numerous books have been written about them, and have become bestseller books. Their stories stir public opinion - Netflix having gone ‘serial killer’, defying the limits of what is permissible - with series, such as Mindhunters, and ‘Dahmer’ (Jeffrey -, red.) almost glorifying the criminally insane; no matter how crazy, macabre or gruesome their crimes, they have already done it long ago.
And if you think it can't get any crazier, they have been putting this idea into practice for a very long time.
Science has been researching the link between nature and nurture for years, and unfortunately it turns out that growing up in a single-parent household, an absent father figure, or domestic violence puts quite a risk in the balance that your ‘very dearest sweet boy(/- girl) will grow up to be a cruel individual with a pathological predilection to control, manipulate others, and everything else unthinkable.

The Good Mother is a bone-chilling story, in which the reader descends into the mind of the criminal insane. Both protagonists are absolutely bonkers, no need for a M.D. here- the story veers between true crime and (fictional) crime thriller, in which the author has also managed to weave in references to 'real cases,’ e.g. Dennis Nilsen, the Camden Ripper (the real one recently deceased because of covid-19), ‘House of Horrors” (Fred West), et& ..

I initially gave the book 4 stars because I was confused about the lead-up to the story. I honestly didn't understand anything about it, and didn't know what to believe.
Now that I've finished the book, I think the author wanted to fool the reader. I now understand the beginning better, albeit it was rather chaotic and rather incredible.

Summarised: Jack witnesses his father beaten up his mum, and as a last resort, he stabs his father. The story continues 10 years later, Jack is then 18, and mother is now doing fine. She has her life back on track reasonably well, and has since found a nice job. She even starts dating, and the relationship with her new boyfriend Steve seems to be getting serious, she invites him for dinner and to meet Jack.
How the story continues is for the reader to find out for themselves. It’ll be a rollercoaster, with the reader being tossed back and forth between fascination, repulsion, and bewilderment. Clearly, Jack has obvious ‘mommy issues.’
If you don't believe the story of what happens in the basement, keep in mind that Ed Kemper's mother kept her son in a rat infested basement, offering him as a baby for a can of beer to the first one who wanted him.
I did not give five stars, - because there are quite a few loose ends in the story. If the body of a missing person is not found, it seems strange to me that there is a funeral within a week after, nowadays a mobile phone and its location can be traced easily, plus the fact that the police do not investigate further, and some things are presented as facts, domestic violence is said to have been normalised. Says who?
The beginning is rather messy, with the lead story sometimes coming across as so implausible that I can imagine some readers not wanting to continue reading, however, it pays to read on. I did find mum's internal dialogue quite disturbing. After a mere fact, or action, a whole ethical epistle follows about the how and what: I don’t think that was necessary. Despite some criticism, I devoured the book, and, being a single mum of three, I had to scratch my head, yet in the end I think I am just a good enough mum, no skeletons in the cupboard here. This macabre story is quite a different story, mind you. And I would love to read more by this author! Highly recommended, though not for the faint hearted!

**** 4 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Lizzie Fry for this arc. I leave this review voluntarily.


Thank you Joffe Books and Lizzie Fry for this arc. I leave this review voluntarily.