Nonfiction-I went in pretty blind, so I quickly realized this. This book is about Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen by proxy, and boy is it a doozy. The author Andrea, herself watched her sister manipulate and control the narrative around her own cancer diagnosis and her daughters cerebral palsy- all to eventually find out that her sister suffers from Munchausen syndrome. The story was told in a well lined out timeline along with the effects it had on all people involved. I found it fascinating.

The authors then proceed to tell two other Munchausen by proxy stories. Again, so interesting.

I found the authors interest and then writing of this book well fitted. Andrea with her sister, and Mike Weber was a detective that worked on Andrea's sisters case, the two others discussed in the book and other child abuse cases.

Towards the end, Mike is frustrated with the politics of trying to get the county to take these child abuse cases seriously, allow the time needed to research and to prosecute.

I think this would be a great audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the gifted e-arc of this book.

This was a little dry for me. When you take out the personal opinions of the author, the weird mentions of her family with no context, and the overall impression that she gives of being an expert on the subject, all you have is a lot of repetition and some very sad stories.

The book covers three interesting cases, but the constant repetition made them hard to get fully into. I wanted to know more about the facts of the Mary Welch case, but that just didn’t happen.

I have a few friends who enjoy her podcast, so I’d recommend it to them.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Raw and so emotional. The Mother Next Door was such a good read. So hard to believe what Mothers can do to their own children

WOW! This book is so powerful. We have all heard the stories of mothers making their children sick, to gain attention, money, fame (?), and sympathy, this book explores it and takes the reader along for the bumpy ride of prosecuting those mothers.

It was heartbreaking to read and to hear what mothers do to their own children. I am happy that the author and Mike Weber were there to stop the mothers as much as possible.

The authors really do a deep dive into what it takes to prosecute a case of medical child abuse. The heartbreaking decisions made by uninformed CPS, courts, police, and even doctors. AT points it was hard to take in and I would need a break.

yet I was also proud that Mike was determined to keep investigating, to keep pursuing justice. I learned more about how parents can manipulate the healthcare system and doctors to do their bidding.

Overall, a great book, well written, well researched about Munchausen by Proxy.

This book offers a deep dive into Munchausen by proxy, a particularly disturbing type of child abuse that reveals the darker side of human behavior. The author shares three chilling cases where mothers inflicted severe harm on their children, manipulating doctors into performing unnecessary and dangerous medical treatments just to gain attention and sympathy from others. What’s truly shocking is how effortlessly these women manage to deceive medical professionals and sometimes even evade the justice system, continuing to live seemingly normal lives in society.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Absolutely mind-blowing and heartbreaking. This book dives deep into three real cases of Munchausen by proxy, exposing the harrowing stories of mothers who harmed their own children for attention. It’s chilling to think about the trauma these kids endured, but even more heartbreaking to realize how the system often overlooks these crimes.

Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber’s writing brings these cases to life with compassion and urgency, reminding us of the importance of recognizing and addressing child medical abuse. It’s not an easy read, but it’s an essential one. The balance between emotional depth and investigative detail is incredible.

This is a book that lingers long after the last page—a must-read for anyone who cares about fighting for justice and protecting the most vulnerable.

The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy is an informative and, at times, frustrating read. It's nearly impossible to get through it without feeling some anger toward the systems that are supposedly in place to protect children, even from their own mothers. Seeing those systems fail repeatedly makes for a challenging book.

While the book was bogged down with extraneous information, the action moves swiftly in the three Munchausen by Proxy cases. Andrea Dunlop has a natural talent for giving a lot of information without slowing down the book's pace. I learned a lot without getting the sense that I was reading a textbook.

I struggled with this one because it began to feel like three different books. The Introduction provides helpful background on the author and her family's experience with MBP involving her sister. We also met co-author Mike Weber, whose work investigating MBP cases makes up most of the book.

The rest of the book is dedicated to three of these cases. What threw me is that periodically we would receive a data dump of personal info on Weber or Dunlop would call out a detail in a case as being similiar to her own experience. None of this info brought anything to the book. Both Dunlop and Weber are clearly passionate about bringing the reality of medical child abuse to light. Still, it seems like they got distracted from that purpose, as though each was trying to fit their autobiography into the book as well.

Overall, at its core, it's an excellent book that would have been served by a bit of refining. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

"The Mother Next Door" by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber offers a profound examination of Munchausen by Proxy (MBP), a multifaceted form of child maltreatment wherein a caregiver, typically the mother, fabricates or induces health issues in their child to elicit sympathy and garner attention. The text meticulously analyzes three distinct cases, each illustrating the various tactics employed by mothers to manipulate healthcare professionals and the medical system to obtain unwarranted treatments for their children. The authors draw upon their personal experiences and professional expertise; Dunlop's sister was subjected to an investigation for medical child abuse, while Weber has devoted his career to safeguarding vulnerable children from analogous predicaments. The narrative provides a comprehensive timeline of the abusive behavior, the investigative procedures, and the obstacles encountered in pursuing legal action against these cases.

Throughout the discourse, the authors illuminate the emotional and psychological intricacies inherent in MBP. They underscore that many victims initially exhibit genuine medical concerns, which their mothers subsequently amplify, placing them in considerable jeopardy. The narrative also reveals the challenges faced by healthcare practitioners, who frequently depend on parental narratives and may struggle to discern the underlying deceit. The authors contend that the legal framework is encumbered not only by bureaucratic challenges but also by the charisma and social standing of the offenders, complicating efforts to achieve justice. This dimension of the text underscores the necessity for heightened awareness and enhanced training for medical professionals in identifying potential MBP scenarios. While "The Mother Next Door" delivers a compelling and thought-provoking account of these alarming cases, it also provokes essential inquiries regarding accountability within the system. Ultimately, the book serves as a clarion call for heightened awareness and vigilance surrounding MBP, emphasizing the urgent imperative for systemic reform to protect vulnerable children ensnared in such tragic situations.

This was a thought provoking read, one that I was very interested in after following the Maya Kowalski case. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fascinating look at Munchausen by Proxy through the stories of 3 different women and the trauma they put their families through. This book was heartbreaking at times, and I’m amazed at the courage of the children who made it out the other side. Thanks to #Netgalley for the arc.

The Mother Next Door by Andrea Dunlop; Mike Weber offers a chilling and informative look into Munchausen by Proxy. As someone fascinated by the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case, I appreciated how the book explored this disturbing topic through the lens of investigative work, with insights from doctors, family members, and the detective himself. Rather than focusing on the mother-child dynamic, it examines the ripple effects of these cases and the challenges of uncovering the truth. A compelling read for those drawn to true crime and psychological investigations.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy.
Book to be published February 4, 2025.

I am a listener of Andrea Dunlop’s podcast, and had high hopes for The Mother Next Door. If you’ve listened to the podcast, there’s really nothing new for you here. The stories are interesting. But there’s a lot of filler rambling that some editor should have chopped. The author also makes several references to things that happened to her / her family that she assumes the audience knows. The audience does not know.
The Mother Next Door is a good true crime book. With better editing, it could be great.

3 cases of medical child abuse. Two authors. One baffling criminal deception: Munchausen by Proxy (MBP).

THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR is a compelling exploration of three mothers investigated for MBP. Many victims start with legitimate medical needs, often prematurity, that become exaggerated by their mother’s to the point of placing the child in grave danger.

The author’s passion for these perplexing cases was so evident; Andrea Dunlop’s sister was investigated for medical child abuse, and detective Mike Weber has spent his career devoted to helping vulnerable children avoid unnecessary medical procedures.

It was fascinating to learn about the legal barriers to prosecuting these cases that are anything but straightforward. When the perpetrator is a charming, successful mother, family members, medical professionals, and a jury can be duped.

While this is a deep dive into the legal system, the medical terms are presented in layman's terms. This narrative nonfiction is a bingeable story that sheds light on a little known crime with big consequences.


Read this if you:
-like to get into the legal weeds of criminal cases
-believe that mother doesn’t always know best
-have a heart for injustices against children

PUB DATE: February 4, 2025
RATING: 4/5

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review

Munchausen by proxy is one of those illnesses that I am aware of (and i believe the public is as well) however I can honestly say that I never considered it to be as prevalent as it is. To hear Mike Weber tell of the many cases he has prosecuted was surprising. This is just ONE detective. This crime is ridiculously difficult to prove and prosecute. How can the one person most responsible for the care and well being of a child be the child’s worst nightmare? How do you get people to believe the horrors a child is subjected to solely by the hands of a loving parent? Many people are biased and don’t want to believe a mother could inflict this kind of atrocity on her child. Fasten your seat belt and ride along with this Texas detective while he seeks justice in three Munchausen by proxy cases. Mike Weber is renown for investigating and prosecuting more cases than anyone in the country. We learn shocking truths from this book. It should be required reading for every doctor, especially pediatricians as well as judges and court advocates. It is appalling but needs to be told.

Many thanks to Mike Weber who is a heaven sent warrior who tireless fights the battles for these defenseless children. Many thanks to the very talented author Andrea Dunlop who has experienced MBP first hand and was brave enough to dive in and investigate these tragic stories and share them with grace and science. Thanks also to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy of this phenomenal book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This was a powerful read about a very disturbing topic. Not only could I not put it down, but now I’m going to read the author’s previous book which dealt with the same topic but in her own family. I don’t usually read nonfiction but I’m glad I made an exception.

I think when I initially downloaded this book, I thought it would more of a "based on a true story" style fiction book. The fact that is presents the facts of several real-life incidents is heartbreaking. Very well written

This book was wonderful. So informative yet so personal with the case studies and I loved the introduction by the author. Made me want to go read her fiction book to determine what was fact, part of her real life, and what was fiction. These case studies in this book were so intriguing. Very sad and heartbreaking at times, but very interesting. As someone who studied psychology with a degree, the study of why people do what they do and seeing how they do them deliberately is very interesting to read about. I'm talking about this book to everyone because it truly is so fascinating why people would do what they do to themselves and to those they love.

I was given this book as a complimentary copy from netgalley. I chose to write a review and all opinions are my honest feelings.

WOW! This was a mind blowing read and I’m familiar with MBP and FD! It was so well written and organized, I couldn’t put it down. I’d definitely recommend this if you’re interested into Munchausen Syndrome or MBP. It’s wild to me that moms like this exist, but I’ve seen investigations in my career in pediatric healthcare and seen it happen in front of my face. The motivation of attention is a huge one. Everyone wants to feel seen and valued, these moms just take it way too far. Brilliantly done, definitely read this book!

I received a free copy of, The Mother Next Door, by Andrea Dunlop, Mike Weber, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Munchausen by Proxy has always fascinated me, mothers are supposed to protect their children, not make them sick. This book has 3 mothers: Mary Welch, Hope Ybarra and, Brittan Phelps, mothers who were supposed to take care of their children, not make them sick. This was an interesting and horrifying read.

Such a great book!!!! I was so hooked on this book that I read it in one day! I couldn’t put it down. So intriguing yet sad reading about what these parents tried to get away with and shocking that the detective mentioned how prevalent it was. It wasn’t to heavy on medical terms and jargon but the right balance to convey what the parents did.

I was very intrigued to read this book because it is all about Munchausen by proxy which is something that I haven't heard a lot about besides one famous case (which is referenced in this novel). This was a nonfiction account of the disorder however it read like a fiction novel, very fast paced and a nice flow not different stories that don't fit together. This made for what was, and is, a very sad, and serious topic to be a little bit easier to digest for the reader because it wasn't all dark. The book is told through a woman's eyes but she also goes on to tell about three different women's who had gone through this in one form or another and what their stories were. I love how it was done like that because it gave so much detail on such a depressing topic but it felt very informative. The three cases that are discussed in this book were very different but all boiled down to the same subject. It was fascinating to see how these women deceived so many people, friends, families, doctors and who are you to question a woman with a sick child? It breaks my heart for the children and families suffering. This was such a sad book however it was very informative and I found that we were able to get all of the information without becoming overwhelmed by it. I highly recommend this book to anyone in a medical field but also to any parent or family members of parents, it could give you the information that you need to help someone in need. Great read and while it was sad to have this topic even discussed I'm very glad that I got the chance to check out this book.