Bullies ... you find them everywhere. At school, in your workplace, in the gym,.. They have different backgrounds and different ages. They can be men or women. 

Bullies are always surrounded by 'friends'. Not because those 'friends' love the bully so much. Oh no, it's rather the opposite. They are happy the bully's viciousness is addressed to someone else and they support the bully because they fear they will be next if they don't. 

Bullies have a long 'career'. They start from a very young age often and even when they have become adults, when push comes to shove they rediscover their inner bully. 

Why do people become a bully? It's often because they are jealous of someone or they have to hide frustrations and bullying becomes a second nature.

There are different kinds of bullying. It's never good of course, but some actions are rather harmless. Others can go way to far and when it goes very, very wrong, the bully still takes the lead in order to protect himself.

You can hide a dark secret for many years, but one day someone will make you come clean...

You never know who your neighbour is. They can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Which one will the mother next door be...?

A very enjoyable book that begins very promising and kept me alert the whole time. An easy read with short chapters that keeps the pace going. 5 stars

Thank you

Lou has recently moved into the neighbourhood and quickly makes friends. She is helping out by picking up her neighbours children from school. One day she doesn’t bring them home and everyone is in a panic as to their whereabouts.
A story with lots of twist and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for my ARC! Unpopular opinion but I didn’t love it. I had a hard time getting into it because of the multiple POVs. I had a hard time keeping track of who was who, who was married to who, whose kid was whose, etc. I also found it a bit predictable except for the final plot twist, that got me! I also thought it ended strange. It seemed very drawn out and repetitive at times only to end abruptly.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5286879937

I dedicated a post on my bookstagram to this book, check it out here:
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The Mother Next Door is a gripping thriller that’s leaves you wondering how well you know your neighbours.

Although an interesting concept and plot I did find myself skimming some pages and that feeling connected to anyone particular character.

This was my first book by Leah and man it was insane! At first I was confused how this would end but then the double twists came and oh boy I was not expecting that!!!

I would lose it if someone I knew took my kids but then again what these women did as kids was completely unacceptable!!!! Highly recommend this thriller.

Thanks Netgalley!

On the whole I enjoyed this. The story was easy to get into. The short chapters of alternating characters confused me a first bit I soon got to grips with it.

Enjoyed the twists, some of the characters not so much!

Fantastic read, this author writes some great books! The book is told from four perspectives: three mothers Fiona, Alison, and Jasmine along with Tabitha, who is one of Fiona’s twins. Well, this was riveting! Truthfully, I couldn’t put it down. I love books with this kind of pace. Great book and congrats. I’m sure many more will enjoy it as well. I loved it . . . stayed up late to finish it!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Mother Next Door. This was a Great read, lots of twists and turns. I did figure it out about halfway through but that didn’t stop me from turning the pages. Loved the ending and the characters seemed real. Settle in and ENJOY this Fantastic book.

Lou, a seemingly perfect mother and dependable friend, often helps out her friends with child care & pick-ups. Her friends, Fiona, Alison, & Jasmine, all experience a parent’s worst nightmare. One day, when Lou was supposed to pick up their kids & drop them off, things don’t go according to plan. The kids are missing, and Lou is MIA.

Readers of thrillers & suspense should find this enjoyable. This was a page-turner, and I got through it quickly. I was satisfied with the ending as well. The book explores thought-provoking themes (e.g., the importance of the truth, secrets coming out, actions having consequences, forgiving yourself and forgiving others).

The book is told from four perspectives: three mothers (Fiona, Alison, & Jasmine) and one child (Tabitha, who is one of Fiona’s twins). I enjoy books with this structure, and I like multiple perspectives being presented.

The book is set in Holmwood, which appears to be a nice town in England. I have never been to Holmwood or England, but the author does a sufficient job painting a picture of the setting.

This was my first read by Leah Mercer, and I plan to look up others by her after getting through this one so quickly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in return for an honest review.

"The Mother Next Door" is my first read by Leah Mercer but it won't be my last. A gripping and suspenseful domestic drama that tackles a parent's worst fear: What would you do if your children were taken and the person you thought you could trust is not who you think she is? Highly recommended for suspense lovers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Anyone who's been in a reading slump knows it takes just the perfect book to bring you out of it and this was the one for me! I could barely get a dozen into 4 other books but Ince I started this, I couldnt put it down. I loved the writing style, the pace kept up, the tension was so cleverly built throughout and just when you start thinking you know what's going on...... WRONG!!! the twists were sooo amazing and absolutely not what you expect. The whole book was just such a good read. It's so easy to read and you really do struggle to put it down and get back to real life when you still haven't figured out what's going to happen next. I'd recommend to anyone, I loved every second

The author builds the tension in this very nicely indeed. The story is told from several different view points and this adds to the sense of overwhelming anxiety in the parents of the missing children. If I had children I think I would have been rushing in to their rooms to check they were safe. Well worth reading!

This started out slow but picked up in the second half .. There were lots of twists in the last part that really defined this book. The whole idea of a neighbor picking up kids at school is just a regular thing but there is a whole new twist on it. One well liked neighbor picks up several kids and then disappears with them. What a thrilling read this was!!

This thriller is about three mothers whose children disappear in the care of a trusted friend.
I thought I figured out how this all ties togehter, but I was wrong. It was a gripping story with high stakes.
There's more to these characters that meets the eye that the reader finds out along the way.
We get the perspective of the three mothers and one of the children. The child's POV gives a unique insight as we get to see the situation through the child's eyes.
The reader knows before the parents that something happened to their children, adding another layer of suspense.
I thoroughly enjoyed both the story and the writing style and will definitely continue to read Leah Mercer's books.

“The Mother Next Door” is a thriller by Leah Mercer. I really liked this book as it held my attention and in a short time I became invested in the characters. There’s an interesting mix of characters and I liked the multiple POVs - from three of the mothers and one of their children. I found myself puzzling out what I though was going on and had it figured out (for the most part). My one negative note would be that once it is known what is going on, the ending felt rather rushed and nicely wrapped up. I would’ve liked a bit less of a wrapped up conclusion. However, if you like to be a armchair detective, this book has the clues laid out so you can untangle them, though one twist might elude you in the end. Well written and it held my interest.

This was a great multi perspective thriller based over a very short time period when Lou, a popular local mum who frequently looks after a variety of children disappears whilst four children are in her care. An increasingly dangerous storm adds to the drama then a text message to each of the children’s mums has them asking just how well do they really know Lou. It took me a short while to get into this however it did get me hooked a short while in, it was a great story but for me the clues were all clearly there so there were no major shocks. The characters were quite a mix and it was interesting to see how their childhood selves made them who the are today, overall it’s a good domestic thriller.

What a brilliant book this is, great story-telling at its best, a fantastic family drama, well written, both emotional and heartbreaking.

I was kept on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end I just couldn't put it down, everything just great with a fantastic ending that you will never guess.

I have read a few books from this author but for me personally this is her best yet and is one of my top ten reads this year, well done Leah Mercer.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this brilliant ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending, 5+ stars from me.

I found this one a bit slow and repetitive at times, but the story was an interesting premise. The characters were intriguing, but it takes awhile to get into what makes them mysterious. If you can power through the first half, it’ll pick up in the second. Overall I would conclude it’s a decent read but not a fantastic one.

Love it. This is a great read about three mothers who have many deep dark secrets and their lives are thrown together when their friend Lou vanishes during a really bad storm with their children. As the truth sinks in that maybe there is more to this than meets the eye the women must finally start to be truthful with themselves and their families in order to save their children. What is the dark secret that links them all together.

Lou is the best friend to have. Friendly, helpful and dependable. She does school pick ups and keeps the children till their parents get home.
Until she doesn't return them.
Then you find out that she has tried to seduce your husband... and wants to take over your business.
Lou is not the friend you thought she was. She wants you to take a good hard look at past events before she returns the children.

A good psychological thriller. Lots of twists and turns, makes you wonder what goes on behind closed doors in your friend's homes. Many have a past that they don't want to disclose, and it affects their future.
Well thought out, and a page turner.