The Mother Next Door was a fascinating and disturbing read. The deep dive into Munchausen by Proxy (MBP) was both eye-opening and chilling. The authors did an excellent job of explaining the psychological complexities behind MBP, and it was hard to believe the extent of the manipulation and harm caused by the mothers in the cases discussed. The book examines three separate cases, providing a well-rounded view of the issue, and it was clear that a lot of research went into understanding the psychological and systemic aspects of this form of abuse.

This book, which covered three different cases of Munchausen by Proxy, was enthralling, but in the worst way. The author went into great detail about the depth of manipulation and cunning involved in the abuse these women inflicted on their children, and how difficult it is to legally prove it. It's just sickening. This is one condition that really baffles the mind.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #themothernextdoor by #andreadunlop in exchange for an honest review.

Munchausen by Proxy (MBP) is a horrific form of child abuse in which the medical community is used as a the main weapon. MBP is filled with misinformation. The Mother Next Door is about three different cases in which MBP takes place. Andrea Dunlop is a novelist and has a family member with MBP and Mike Weber is a detective who has the worked on more medical child abuse cases than any other detective in the nation.

Expect to be angry and heart broken as you read the cases in this book. MBP is disturbing and this book shows how important it is for the medical community and law enforcement to work together in order to protect the vulnerable.

The Mother Next Door looks into the cases of Hope Ybarra, Brittany Phillips and Mary Welch.

Few true crime books manage to be both deeply informative and utterly chilling, but The Mother Next Door achieves exactly that. Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber dive into the harrowing world of Munchausen by Proxy (MBP) with a unique blend of investigative rigor and personal insight.

Dunlop, who has firsthand experience with MBP within her own family, and Weber, a detective specializing in medical child abuse cases, guide readers through three real-life cases. Their storytelling is both compelling and compassionate, never sensationalizing the abuse but instead exposing the heartbreaking reality for victims, families, and medical professionals caught in its grip.

What sets this book apart is its thorough analysis of the systemic failures that allow MBP to continue unchecked—misdiagnoses, legal loopholes, and societal perceptions of motherhood. Dunlop and Weber don’t just present a problem; they explore solutions, making this a must-read for anyone in the medical, legal, or psychological fields.

At times, the sheer volume of case details can be overwhelming, and the subject matter is undeniably heavy. However, the book’s careful balance of investigative journalism and human storytelling ensures that readers stay engaged.

If you’re drawn to true crime, medical mysteries, or psychological deep dives, The Mother Next Door is an eye-opening and necessary read.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the advanced e-copy of The Mother Next Door in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of those books that once I heard about it, I knew I had to read it. It’s a topic that is just so hard to wrap my head around that anytime I hear about it, I want to know more. Munchausen by Proxy (MBP) is a tough subject to read about yet Andrea Dunlop is the perfect person to write about it, having experienced it in her own family and Mike Weber is a detective that worked many cases of medical child abuse. This is a power team that put together a book I could not put down once I started it.

This book takes us through three cases almost from the beginning. We see just how bad it gets for the child, yet the perpetrator (the mother) often makes it so convincing and weaves such a tangled web that many times, their own family doesn’t realize what is really going on.

This book gave such fascinating insights into the legal barriers that family members faced once the MBP is discovered. Even with an overabundance of evidence, it often takes a long time to bring up a case against someone, not to mention all that the child has to endure in the meantime.

If this topic even mildly interests you, if you want to know more about MBP and don’t know where to start or just want a good narrative nonfiction about a compelling topic, then pick this one up. Even though it is nonfiction, it definitely does not read like it.

Munchausen by proxy (MBP) is a complicated and often misunderstood syndrome. The authors of this book do an excellent job of explaining MBP to laypeople. It is a compelling read that uses three authentic cases of MBP that Mike Weber (co-author) was involved in during his tenure as a Texas detective. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about this phenomenon.

I have submitted reviews to Goodreads and Amazon as well as two FB true crime groups that I am in.

I received an advanced copy through NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are truthful and my own.

I was so excited to get this ARC, I love Andrea's podcast. If you are a fan of Nobody Should Believe Me, you will enjoy this book. Even though the stories were talked about on the podcast, I enjoyed reading about them and felt like it enhanced what I already heard. I think anyone who is interested in MPD will find this book valuable.

75 percent of this book was really good and factual. Up until the author discussed the third case, although there were sentences here and there before that let me know the author was going to blame politics - rather than the mothers - as the real problem.

The focus on the mothers was completely side-railed by the author's discussion of politics - details about local politicians that weren't necessary; assuming a male juror thought all women weren't intelligent; even including in the conclusion abortion laws that - as far as I know - have nothing to do with MBP.

That was frustrating and took away from the real enemy in these stories: the mothers.

MBP is an understudied topic and one that needs light shined on it. The author sorely missed the mark by including politics - her politics - into the non-fiction story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-copy of THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR to review.

I rate THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR three out of five stars.

This book was absolutely fascinating. The topic of Munchausen by Proxy is compelling enough on its own, but this narrative non-fiction look at three separate cases had me captivated the entire time. The book reads like a fast-paced suspense novel at times, but it's also filled with facts and research that only add to the comprehensive nature of the storytelling. These stories are so hard to believe (how could a loving mother actually cause harm to their own child?), but that's what makes these accounts even more important to share with the world. I applaud Dunlop and Weber for making this their lives' work and for tackling such a heart-wrenching crime. Their work (and this book) will help shed light on a devastating condition that more people need to be aware of.

When a novelist with a sister who has harmed her kids teams up with a police detective who has dedicated his life and career to investigating medical child abuse, what you get is The Mother Next Door. This is narrative nonfiction that explores three cases of Munchausen by Proxy that will leave you horrified and scratching your head about how anyone could do this to their kids.

I’m now off to download Dunlop’s podcast Nobody Should Believe Me where she explores even more about MBP.

Rating:
I loved it

What you’ll find:
Medical child abuse
Investigative journalism
Hope for the abused

Holy smokes, this book ripped my heart out and ate it right in front of me. I cannot believe the lengths people will go to for attention. Before the story of Gypsy Rose went viral (and if you’re old like me, Eminem circa 2002), Munchausen by proxy wasn’t something many people knew about. Unfortunately, there are so many more children and families affected by MBP and the authors have written this narrative nonfiction book not only to tell their stories but show how we can clear the fog surrounding it.

The audiobook is narrated by Andrea Dunlop and it’s clear she knows her way around a story! I was captivated, appalled, heartbroken, and furious but I couldn’t stop listening. The information provided definitely opened my eyes! The authors brought together so much information from various sources but it never felt heavy factually. It reads like a thriller and I had to keep reminding myself that this info is real!

This was an interesting read on a topic I didn’t know a lot about prior to go into it, except about some famous cases. This looks into 3 cases from the detective who worked them and how difficult the task was. You get the background of the details, the perpetrator and the victim and what it takes to collect evidence and then prepare for the trial amd then finally the outcome in each case.
It is truly heartbreaking to see what these poor children endure at the hands of people who are supposed to love and take care of them.
The fact that all 3 cases were worked by the same detective is sad because it shows just how many there are out there, but it also gives good consistency to the narrative. It is not sensationalized in any way. Very cut and dry information but all coming to solid conclusions.
Thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Sure wish I could leave a 3.5 star rating for this book, so I have rounded up instead. While I found this case study of Munchausen by Proxy to be interesting and incomprehensible, I found Ms Dunlop's Liberal tilt ironic to say the least. Here's a book about medical abuse of children yet she supports transgender surgery of children. I'll let you connect the dots in those two counter thoughts.
The second author is a police detective and his contributions let the reader see the difficulty that must be overcome in the medical and legal system in order to separate children from their abusers. The book was well written albeit a bit repetitive in parts.

An author and a detective have joined forces to craft "The Mother Next Door," an emotionally gripping narrative that delves deep into the chilling realm of Munchausen's by proxy. This unsettling disorder has captivated audiences in books and films for years, yet it remains just as unfathomable as the first time I encountered it.

As a mother, the instinct to protect our children is paramount, making it almost impossible for me to fathom how a mother could inflict harm upon her child. Yet, my enduring curiosity about psychology and the human mind's intricacies pulls me into this subject's dark waters. I find myself drawn to understanding the psyche of serial killers, and the thought of someone intentionally hurting or killing a stranger feels more digestible than the idea of a parent turning against their offspring.

Reading this book was not for the faint of heart; it's a challenging journey filled with harrowing accounts of child abuse. While I am keenly interested in true crime, the reality can be brutal. Typically, I gravitate towards fiction to find solace from the harshness of real life.

However, the authors have excelled in their research and have masterfully woven together the intricate details of these cases. This book promises to be a compelling and eye-opening experience for those passionate about true crime.

Thank you to the authors and St. Martin Press/Macmillan Audio for this ARC provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and well researched about a topic that you don't usually find too many books about. The cases were interesting and ones I haven't heard of before.

This book is a combination of three true stories of Munchausen by proxy and the horrible things that these poor children go through and the results that come of some of these are heartbreaking. 💔 It is very educational and a very interesting read

This narrative nonfiction is a compelling look at Munchhausen by Proxy, a form of medical child abuse. While it certainly isn't easy material, it's an important work. The authors have first hand experience, one as an long-time medical child abuse investigator and the other in her own family.

I had heard of Munchhausen by Proxy before, but I was not aware of the commonalities between many cases. The information is presented well, not sensationalized, and will hopefully shine a light on the many challenges in recognizing, investigating and proving medical child abuse.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for a free copy of #TheMotherNextDoor by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber. All opinions are my own.

A "must-read" for fans of "Anatomy of a Scandal" and "Scamanda"

A surprisingly quick read given the seriousness of the content, Andrea Dunlop's The Mother Next Door explains to readers the case files of three Texas-based Munchausen by Proxy cases, each guaranteed to leave you with a pit in your stomach. Having watched and read a lot of true crime in my time, this is certainly not the first I've heard of MBP. However, Dunlop definitely taught me a few things, specifically that it's not a case of mental illness, MBP is not in the ICD or DSM, and that perpetrators knowingly embark on these acts against their children. Dunlop respectfully approached the relaying of each case, her concern and care for the children involved evident on each page. Detective Mike Weber is the cop we all wished lived in our towns -- his tenacity, bravery, and big heart are what helped save these children, and I am in awe of his resilience in the face of so much bureaucratic red tape. I was heartbroken and incredibly anxious reading every single page of this work, and Dunlop's concluding chapter is a shining example of how to explain such a complicated event as MBP in the context of the political spectrum and how fault can be found on both sides, unfortunately sometimes leaving justice unserved and children in danger.

More attention is being focused on Munchausen thanks to recent scandals just as Anatomy of a Scandal and the tragic Gypsy Rose story, but the reality is that Munchausen and MBP is still widely misunderstood and explained away because, as Dunlop mentions in her conclusion, people are more comfortable believing a lie and accepting someone they admire, care about, or respect has lied to them. So prevalent in today's society and metaphorically contagious thanks to social media. The Mother Next Door is an important read for medical field personnel, educators, parents, caregivers, and anyone who cares for children.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

This was a really interesting and well written book! I enjoyed the writing style and learned about cases I didn't know anything about previously . If you are interested in true crime, I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Andrea Dunlap, Mike Weber, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Mother Next Door by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber is an absolutely riveting and eye-opening read. I was immediately drawn into the complex and harrowing world of Munchausen by Proxy (MBP). This book is a masterful blend of true crime and psychological exploration, shedding light on a deeply disturbing form of child abuse that is often misunderstood.

Dunlop and Weber’s collaboration is nothing short of brilliant. Their narrative weaves together the chilling stories of three MBP offenders with expert insights, creating a compelling and informative read. The authors’ ability to humanize the victims while also delving into the psychological and systemic issues surrounding MBP is truly commendable.

The writing is both engaging and thought-provoking, making it difficult to put the book down. Each page is filled with suspense and empathy, drawing readers into the lives of those affected by this form of abuse. The detailed investigations and personal stories provide a comprehensive understanding of MBP, making this book an essential read for anyone interested in true crime, psychology, or medical ethics.

Overall, The Mother Next Door is a groundbreaking work that not only informs but also challenges readers to think critically about the complexities of motherhood and deception. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a powerful and enlightening read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me this ebook in exchange for my honest review.