How far would a mother go to protect her child? Is mother's revenge justified? Sara Blaedel, touches on this and other difficult topics in her latest crime fiction read.

💭 I really enjoyed this slow burn police procedural. Despite its steady pace and quiet backdrop of a small town in Denmark, there are several storylines that inevitably cross over and intertwine. The first twist came with a search for a young child, presumed dead two years ago, whose trace reappeared in the middle of unrelated murder investigation.

When detective Louise Rick began unraveling the mystery, so much more came to light. The story's focus shifted to the issue of hate crimes and the minority population trying to find their place in a society. Louise is hardened by her job, some may even see her as callous and abrasive. On the other hand, her journalist friend Camilla Lind, is more empathetic and emotionally involved in victim's lives. This duo balances each other perfectly in the book. Even though this novel is a stand-alone, Louise Rick is a character from a long-running detective series, and now I am so curious to read that backlist!

⚖️ My favorite part about this novel is its characters. I can't wait to learn their backstories and life experiences from the previous books. This read was emotional and touched deeply on mother's grief and the small town's prejudice and secrets. Great, immersive crime fiction read.

Im sure this book will be a hit among other readers, but it was just not for me. I also wasn't aware that the mc is part of a series, so maybe that's why Im feeling like I didn't get answers to the past relationship among Camilla, Louise, Eik, and Steph.

The first 20% of the book i felt bombarded with meeting characters and found it hard to keep track of who was who and how they fit. Then, there were a lot of side stories that were meant to all tie together, but the number of characters involved just made it confusing for me to follow (probably my own comprehension skills tbh).

When I requested an advance reading copy of this book, I was unaware that it is in fact the eleventh book in the Louise Rick / Camilla Lind series. Fortunately, though I was obviously missing information about previous events in the characters’ personal lives, there is sufficient explanation that the novel can be read as a standalone.

Dorthe, a widowed innkeeper, is found murdered. In the course of the investigation into her death, a search of the inn reveals a concealed nursery in which a child obviously lived. Since Dorthe was childless, who is the child and where is s/he? The search for a murderer also becomes a search for a child whose identity is unknown.

The investigation is lead by Detective Louise Rick, head of the recently created Mobile Task Unit charged with assisting with difficult cases across Denmark. Besides having to work with a hastily cobbled together team of officers she has never met, Louise finds herself having to work with Eik, her ex-fiancé. Louise does receive help from her friend, crime reporter Camilla Lind.

I had difficulty understanding the relationship between Louise and Camilla, though the suggestion is that they are best friends. In this novel, they have little interaction other than phone calls and texts. When they do communicate, Louise is brusque and churlish. Though Camilla repeats that she is taking a break from work, Louise insists she do some research for her. After demanding her help, Louise later rudely snaps at Camilla, accusing her of pumping her for information about the investigation.

There are a lot of twists in the plot to keep the reader entertained. I did find, however, that the events in the church at the end seem to have been included just to add suspense by prolonging the conclusion. Those events are not only unnecessary but also far-fetched. The suicide of a troubled individual is understandable but the other actions taken by that person make little sense.

There are other things that make no sense. How can two people (a killer and a victim) leave the same location at the same time and both arrive at a second location at the same time when the killer stops en route to pick up the murder weapon? How can someone who is hiding a young child in his/her house be absent for extended periods from home? There is no suggestion of that child being drugged. At one point Louise “went to join [Melvin and Jonas] in the living room” though Melvin had left for his own apartment and Jonas “disappeared into his room”? Then there’s the fact that the investigation is in a small town where it’s usual for people to know a lot about each others’ activities, yet there are so many secrets and secret locations? The number of evil characters totally lacking in humanity also requires some suspension of disbelief.

Despite the twists, I identified the murderer early on. There’s the title, of course, and then a definite focus on a subplot – both clues that a regular reader of crime fiction cannot miss.

This is an entertaining though not exceptional book because of the plot holes. Readers who have followed the series from the beginning may be interested in the developments in Louise and Camilla’s personal lives.

I always enjoy catching up with Louise and Camilla. It's like catching up with old friends with a series that just keeps getting better and better. In A Mother's Love, they're once again solving a missing person/murder case, and it's perfectly crafted. After all, what's more intriguing than a fully furnished and clearly used child's bedroom when the victim didn't have a child? This one hooked me early, kept me riveted, and I already want more. I need to know what happens next, and I hope that more of this series is translated ASAP.

Thank you Dutton, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of A Mother’s Love in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled to see a new Louise Rick book being translated into English. I’ve been a fan of this series ever since first discovering it back in 2014. ⁣
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What I love most about these books, & we definitely see here, is how complex & layered these stories are. What at first appears to be a murder investigation turns into so much more & I love that just when I feel I have a pulse as to what is going on, a new twist is thrown into the mix to shake everything up. As is typical with Scandinavian Noir, this is a dark, chilling read that will have you asking if you really know the people close to you. ⁣
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This is such a good police procedural with a strong mystery component. Camilla, Louise’s friend & journalist friend, also provides assistance & I love how these two continue to work together when needed. ⁣
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There are already 2 more books written in this series in Danish, so hopefully they will also be translated to English at some point.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the much appreciated ARC, 'A Mother's Love'. It is written by the popular bestselling Danish author Sara Blaedel. This is part of a series but works well as a standalone. I wished I had read some of her earlier books for a glimpse into the personalities and relationships of the recurring characters. The book had a strong beginning, and the plot was compelling with plenty of tension, suspense and intrigue. The early mystery was complex, and added subplots were not always necessary, and it became tedious and distracting while adding to the word count. The characters were interconnected, and there were many suspects. There were unexpected twists and turns, not always plausible.

The story includes at least three murders, two suicides, death by self-inflicted starvation, a woman severely depressed from circumstances, others with emotional problems, stress, kidnapping, attempted murder, deceit, financial skullduggery, male prostitution, and false arrests. So much going on!

Detective Louise Rick has been appointed head of a new Mobile Task unit. Its purpose is to help solve crimes in all parts of Denmark. Louise displays high self-esteem, acting like she is better and knows more than her colleagues. She handpicked a group of top investigators, but the team was not accepted. The head of the department assigned a team consisting of people she never met, which concerns her. She must also collaborate with Eik, an ex-finance from the Missing Persons Department. She knows that she must make the team successful to uphold her reputation. Journalist Camilla is Louise's best friend but is dominated and treated rudely by her.

The Mobile Task Unit is sent to a small, quiet town where Dorthe, an innkeeper, has been murdered. She was a recent widow. They find a concealed room in her upstairs apartment. It is strewn with toys and storybooks belonging to a young boy. The backyard, which neighbours cannot see, has a swing set, and other play items. All friends and relatives have described Dorthe as being childless. Who is the boy, how did he come to live there, and why was his presence kept secret? Of greatest concern is where is he now? There is no record of a boy gone missing several years earlier. He is now approximately four years old, and vanished when Dorthe was murdered. What is the luxurious building secretly belonging to the Inn, and hidden in the woods?

Louise finds that her assigned team are competent, but mistakes are made. There is a confession where someone says they killed Dorthe's husband, but it is not followed up. If it had been investigated, a shocking suicide and attempted murder might not have occurred near the close of the book. This is one example of a lack of continuity in this overly tangled plot. Several suspects are wrongfully arrested.
Recommended for fans of Sara Blaedel and Scandinavian Noir. Anyone who enjoys a challenging mystery should enjoy this book. Publication is set for March 11, 2025.

This story took me on one heck of a ride. My emotions and thoughts were all over the place. The author did an amazing job making you feel like you were part of the story. There's murder, there's a missing child, there's a kidnapping. Just when I thought I had figured something out, I was quickly proven wrong. This story will have you 🤔 right up to the end, when you head goes 🤯😢 . All I can say is buckle up, it's about to get crazy. My actual rating is 4.5 stars. I absolutely recommend this book to every psych thriller lover.

a murder of a woman. a secret room...that is a nursery. but a nursery for what child considering the woman wasnt know to have one.
this is a long standing detective series. but was my first. i would say id rather have known more of the characters backstory. but this didnt take away from the book and its tale. i will defiantly want to go back and read the others though, more as a preference of how i like to read books that are part of a series.
this book is grit and thriller. and its a full on dark town secrets kind of vibe which doesnt hold back on the disturbing punches.

A Mother's Love is the newest in the Louise Rick series by Sara Blaedel. I did not realize that this book was a continuation of a series. I definitely recommend reading other books in the series first. I felt like I missed a lot of context and had a hard time remembering who all the characters were.

I did not like the main character, Louise, and I found her to be very off-putting. There is some conflict with her and her prior boyfriend, Eik, that was mentioned but not explored - maybe in a later book. Additionally, her interactions with her frield Camille were very off for friends! They seemed to dislike each other.

Louise Rick is on the case after an innkeeper is found murdered. Upon investigating the scene, it appears that the dead woman had been living with child, but there is no record of any child who should be there, and it looks like he disappeared suddenly. So, who is this child? Where is he now? And how did he get there?

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Overall, I liked the story but thought it was a little slow, and I was annoyed by Louise. 3.5 stars.

Thank you so much Dutton for the gifted ARC!

What an exciting premise!! A young child found in a hidden room in a house that wasn't known to have a child living there AFTER someone was murdered there? That sure sounded like a plot that would be INTENSE to read.

What started off super strong, began to fall off around the 30%ish mark for me, I hate to say! I felt like the plot went spinning in so many different directions, it was hard for me to understand what the main storyline was even supposed to be.

Overall, this one was not for me, but I wish the author success.

I am late to the Detective Louise Rick party...but you do not need to have read any previous books to dive into this mystery.

A murder has taken place in a remote Danish town and Detective Louise Rick, of the newly formed Mobile Task Unit, heads off to take over the investigation. Her team is hastily put together and they begin to work on solving the murder. As they work the investigation, they find a tangle of mysteries all seeming attached together... can they unravel them and solve the murder?

Don't let the name of this book make you think this will be a cozy murder... it is not cozy at all. Rick's team find themselves shocked at the ugliness beneath the surface of the town. Blædel's writing is masterful! This might have been my first installment in her writing, but it won't be the last! Since finishing, I have not stopped thinking about all the threads Blædel weaves together! This is a true 5-star read! If you like a good noir mystery, you will love this one! I highly recommend!

I would like to thank Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this digital copy of A Mother's Love: A Novel. It will be published March 11, 2025.

Dorthe Hyllested the innkeeper is found murdered, and they send the new P13 team to investigate. Detective Louise Rick is heading up the new team and comes to town to start the investigation. When searching the inn a hidden room is found where a child lived, but Dorthe didn't have children. A search is made to find the child and find out who the child belongs to.

There are many twists and turns in this who done it story. Seems there was a lot going on in this small town that was keep hidden.

I’ve read a few of the novels in this series, but it’s been a while so it took me some time to remember the characters. This new entry has Louise investigating the murder of an innkeeper that soon leads to a possible missing child. Louise has a lot to lose, since this is the first case for her new task force. I’m sorry to say that this book didn’t hold my interest. I was looking forward to meeting her new coworkers, but there isn’t much about them. Louise’s journalist bestie, Camila, is important to the story but they hardly interact. The plot reminded me a lot of another Scandi Noir book that I recently read and that has a very similar story, including the missing child. There was also a lot of background information about Louise and Camila, including their family lives. I didn’t remember enough from previous entries to care too much about the supporting characters in their lives. This is not a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/PENGUIN GROUP Dutton.

In this latest Louise Rick thriller, she faces a new challenge as the head of a new department, The Mobile Task Unit. Away from her home in Copenhagen, Louise works with new colleagues she hasn't met before. During the course of her investigation that involves the murder of an innkeeper and an apparent missing child, she needs to contact her ex, Eik. In order for him to lend a helping hand seeing that the case requires his special skills, she sets her ego aside and calls him.
That's a challenge in itself, because they broke things off abruptly a while ago. She hasn't come to grips with the heartbreak yet. She also contacts Camilla, her journalist friend who she can always count on in her personal as well as in her professional life. To top it all off, the death of her close neighbor's companion adds to her stress.
Needless to say, Louise is not in the best frame of mind to find out who killed innkeeper Dorthe Hyllested and where the missing child is. But she, along with her newly-formed team, manages to solve both crimes in the end.
This was an enjoyable read, propulsive and fast-paced, although confusing at times. Louise and Camilla seemed to go through a disconnect of their own, as it is common in the series. It was a decent thriller, and I thank NetGalley and the publishers at Dutton for an advanced copy, but it didn't wow me. I'm still glad I read it, and I would recommend it to those who love Nordic Noir thrillers.

First of all thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this before publication date.
Detective Louise dives into a case of murder, mystery and somewhat kidnapping in this beginning series hopefully! Her press author friend Camille gives her all into her stories and cares for those she reported on. Together they link puzzle of the past bringing this story into the full picture of how history made the world's of the characters collide.

Title: A Mother's Love
Author: Sara Blaedel
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: March 11, 2025

There were just so many tangled webs weaved in this novel. It seemed like everyone/everything was interconnected somehow. What started out as a murder investigation turned into a missing child investigation, both involving the same cast of characters. Are the two incidents somehow connected?? Just when you thought the murderer was found, something else popped up.

I found the main character, Louise, hard to like. All of her interactions with her "best friend" Camilla seemed brusque and rude.

There were several times when I almost tapped out, putting the novel in my DNF pile, but I didn't want to feel like a quitter. I found the writing style to be rather dry, but I pushed on.

Even though who the murderer was made complete sense to me, the ending seemed rather abrupt. The author really didn't go into much setail regarding the missing boy (how he ended up with the innkeeper and why he was eventually taken from the foster home.)

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This was a great mystery with lots of twists and turns. Characters exhibited lots of personality, perhaps because they have been together for quite a number of books. It should appeal to those who’ve followed this series though it works as a stand alone novel too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the ARC to read and review.

An absolutely heart wrenching, yet fast paced story that hits with quite the ending. I did not expect the change of events as the story developed. This one was a true joy to read.

This book is apparently part of a series, which I didn't know until partway through. Maybe that's why I couldn't connect with Louise, who I found to be rather pretentious in some of her interactions. This was a problem for me, as I need to become invested in the characters to care about the story.

The mystery itself was good but seemed to be overwritten in an effort to give "wow" moments. I don't need a lot of surprises if the mystery is compelling. There were also some parts of the storyline/timeline that needs better editing because the details don't make sense. I hope they are fixed before the final publication.

My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

I have read other books in this series in the past, although it has been awhile so I'm a bit confused why this one isn't listed as part of the Louise Rick series when it obviously should be. And while there appears to be a lot that has changed for Louise since I last read one of the novels, this one was easy enough to pick up on and understand.

And sadly, now I remember why I stopped reading them. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there will be many others who will enjoy this book much more than I did. But for me, it just comes across as lackluster and tedious.

I found Louise to be much more dislikable in this book than the others, much in the way that she bossed Camilla (her friend who happened to be a journalist) around, basically forcing her to agree to look into the case she was working even after Camilla repeatedly told her that she was taking a much needed break to spend time with her father. This was even more annoying because Louise had already gotten snippy with Camilla about being "pumped for information". I'm sorry what? You cannot basically demand someone to do research on your behalf and then get snippy when they ask questions. There were also a couple of times throughout the book where she just comes off as though she thinks she's better than her colleagues (or at least knows better than they do), and does things the way she wants instead of taking into account what others have to say.

Then there were the continuity issues. For example, when someone is explaining how they murdered someone it is said that they followed their victim to one location where they remained for an hour until the victim returned home. And which point the killer went to their own home to get the murder weapon, and yet someone when they arrived back at the victim's house, the victim themselves had just gotten there? How were they just arriving home if they had already been there when the killer went to retrieve the murder weapon? There is another instance where it is said that Louise went into the living room to spend time with her son and their downstairs neighbor, except shortly before that we are told that Melvin (the neighbor) had returned to his own home, and Jonas (the son) was in his bedroom. Or earlier in the story when it was stated that a couple who may have been a potential witness to a different murder were on their way to Odense, when they stopped and ate lunch in Odense before continuing on. But if they were going to Odense, how could they have already stopped there for lunch? It was all the little things like this that started to add up and wear on me as a reader.

Finally we come to what was probably the biggest disappointment of all. The "twists" that I believe were supposed to be these major moments were as a reader we were expected to gasp in shock just felt.... contrived. To the point that when we got to the last big "twist" involving a church and a child, I was just over it entirely. By that point it just seemed like a meaningless way to drive up the word count and that was all. It added nothing to the story whatsoever.

As I said prior, I do believe this story will appeal to a wide majority of other readers, I'm just starting to think this author just isn't for me.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.