I love fun cult like books and this was a winner for me! it was a bit dark and spooky and keeps you guessing if the cult is actually after Stella or if she is starting to lose her mind!

"The beloved, award-winning author of Do I Know You? and We Love To Entertain returns with an electrifying novel of psychological suspense that explores the way our pasts shape our futures in so many unexpected ways.

Stella O'Neill is just your average millennial, working at a public library and worrying about making rent. No one would suspect she's been living under an assumed name or that she was raised in a Vermont commune of "diviners" where, and as a ten-year-old, she witnessed her mother's brutal murder - a crime that has gone unsolved for years.

But her quiet, anonymous existence is upended when a true-crime obsessive posts her current name and location on the internet. Now, Stella has to get out of Boston before her mother's killer can find her and finish the job he started all those years ago. Fed up with living in fear, she heads to the off-the-grid retreat of her childhood to confront her mother's unhinged guru who controlled their lives for so long - the infamous Radcliffe MacBeath.

Stella has two powerful assets: determination and a supernatural gift. Relying on her mother's beloved rose quartz pendulum, Stella will have to outwit the charismatic leader who's ruined so many lives and discover once and for all the true identity of her mother's killer - before becoming his next victim."

See, there is a downside to true crime, and that's if you're in hiding for your safety. Doxing is not cool.

Release: July 1, 2025
Author: Sarah Stromeyer
Publisher: Harper Perennial

Rating: 3.5 ★ 

Stella O’Neill seems like a normal millennial—she works at a library, worries about paying rent, and keeps to herself. But behind the scenes, she’s been hiding from a dark past. As a child, she lived in a strange Vermont commune and witnessed her mother’s brutal murder—something that’s haunted her ever since. The killer was never caught, and Stella has been living under a new name ever since.
Things unravel when a true crime blogger exposes her identity online, putting her right back in danger. Instead of running again, Stella decides to face her past head-on. She returns to the commune she escaped years ago, determined to confront Radcliffe MacBeath—the manipulative cult leader who once ruled over her and her mother.
Armed with her mother’s rose quartz pendulum and a mysterious gift she’s tried to ignore, Stella is ready to find the truth about what really happened that night. But with old secrets, dangerous people, and a killer still on the loose, she’s running out of time to uncover the truth—before she becomes the next victim.

This book had such a strong start—it hooked me right away with Stella’s voice and the creepy, mysterious atmosphere. She’s a complicated, haunted character who’s spent years running from the trauma of her mother’s murder, and I really liked watching her finally decide to confront her past. The mix of psychological suspense and supernatural undertones gave the story a unique edge without feeling overdone.
The flashbacks to Stella’s childhood in the commune were some of the most compelling parts for me—unsettling, eerie, and layered with tension. The cult leader, Radcliffe MacBeath, definitely gives off that magnetic but dangerous vibe, and the true crime angle added urgency that kept me turning the pages.
That said, some parts of the plot got a bit messy. There were a lot of side threads that felt like distractions, and a few of the characters’ motivations didn’t quite land for me—especially Fig, who felt off in a way that never really paid off. The pacing also lagged a little in the middle, and some of the twists didn’t hit as hard as they were probably meant to.
Still, the ending wrapped things up in a satisfying way, and despite a few bumps, I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys cult-based mysteries with a touch of the supernatural. Not perfect, but definitely an engaging and atmospheric read.

Favorite Quote:
"the last words my mother said to me were "love abides". And I guess she was right because here you are and here she's not and yet my love for both of you are stronger than ever. Love ways waste time and death."

Okay, this book was so good—dark, twisty, and just the right amount of creepy. It hooked me from the start. Stella is such a relatable mess—just trying to live her quiet life, working at the library, and then BAM, her whole past comes crashing back in thanks to some random internet sleuth. The tension builds fast, and I was so invested.

The mix of true crime vibes, culty flashbacks, and a little supernatural twist made it feel totally fresh. Going back to the off-the-grid commune? Wild. I loved the eerie energy, the unreliable characters, and that constant sense of “who can she actually trust?” And don’t even get me started on Radcliffe MacBeath—chilling in the best way.

It’s part psychological thriller, part mystery, part emotional reckoning, and all of it kept me turning pages like crazy. A couple things felt a little far-fetched, which is why I’m giving it 4 instead of 5 stars—but honestly, I didn’t care. I was way too into the story.

If you’re into cult drama, messy pasts, and smart women taking control of their lives, you need to read this. It’s fast, intense, and totally satisfying.

This was such a gripping ride. Right from the start, I was pulled in by Stella’s voice—she’s sharp, resourceful, and deeply haunted, and I loved watching her finally face the trauma she’s been running from for years. The blend of psychological suspense and subtle supernatural elements was done just right—enough to make you question what’s real without leaning too hard into fantasy.

The flashbacks to her childhood in the commune were some of my favorite parts—eerie, culty, and full of buried tension. Radcliffe MacBeath is the kind of villain you love to hate—manipulative, magnetic, and always one step ahead. And that true crime element? It gave the whole story an added layer of urgency that kept the pages turning.

It does wrap up a bit neatly, but honestly, I didn’t mind. The journey there was full of atmosphere, tension, and just enough weirdness to keep it interesting. A solid, satisfying read with a strong, flawed heroine at its center.

This was such a twisted and terrifying book. It will keep you guessing till the end. Stella was just a child when she witnessed her mother’s brutal murder. Raised by a vermont commune of diviners. Twenty years later, she is trying to find the person who cut her mother’s life short. Her mother kept away secrets and truth from her. When a k!ller sends Stella threats and her father gets falsely accused of k!lling her mother and Stella’s location has been discovered by true crime obsessive post, she must get out of there before the k!ller finds her. The truth was so twisted and terrifying things keeps happening in the book. The ending was shocking. I definitely didn’t guess the twists. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a psychological suspense with atmospheric elements.

Thanks to the Publisher.

A Mother Always Knows started off very strong for me. The opening part of the story was gripping. However, mid way through I felt there were too many side stories and became distracted. It also was hard for me to read Rose's viewpoint as it seems her daughter was on the back burner in her decision making. I do think the ending was satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Perennial, and Sarah Strohmeyer for allowing me to read this ARC.

A Mother Always Knows had it all. It was a thriller about cults, murder, a deity, mystical power. There was a lot to take in and to suspend disbelief. Lots of twists. Very different than any other book I have read. If you are looking for cult type books this is for you.

This was such a fun read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected eproof ARC of 'A Mother Always Knows' by Sarah Strohmeyer - expected release date of 07/01/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite different from her last. I know I'm reading a lot, but it seems like I'm seeing the same themes over and over. This book was about a murder, cults, and mediumship. While I was surprised by the reveal at the very end, it wasn't mind-blowing enough to separate it from other similar books. Strohmeyer's writing is solid, though, and her characters are well developed, I just didn't like any of them. I wanted to like Fig. I tried! It kinda seemed like she was in it all for the wrong reasons, though. Her actions towards Stella and how she spoke to her were odd. I really thought she was gonna be revealed as one of the bad guys and couldn't believe she ended up trustworthy! The book's pacing was OK but did get repetitive at times (Ben is the killer, Ben isn't the killer, Ben must be the killer, Ben can't be the killer). If you're a fan of cults and communicating with the dead, give this one a go!

We all know that I saw this cover and screeched with pure excitement. A horned deity in the middle of the woods! Deity... take me away! (Think Calgon but with Satan) Then the synopsis caught me. I cannot get enough cultish books, so I jumped fully clothed into the pond of weird.

This book was an okay read. The mystery of who killed the almost runaway mom was hit and miss. The author threw too many curveballs at once, leading readers to suspect the least likely character. After making two picks, my second one was correct.

The cult, the buildup, Stella's mystical "power," and Genivieve were the key elements that kept me engaged with this book. The backstory added emotional depth to the current events, making me eager to uncover what was truly happening.

While "A Mother Always Knows" was an average read, it's not one I would revisit. The writing style didn't resonate with me, nor did the mystery itself. Interestingly, the side plots were more compelling than the main one, which was disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A Mother Always Knows.

I've never read this author before so I had an open mind when my request was approved.

I'm not a fan of cult-themed novels but I want to expand my reading horizons and read outside of my comfort zone.

I liked Stella's voice and was getting involved in the story when it began to skid off the rails with the Winslows. That was confusing.

The flashbacks provided exposition, not surprisingly I wasn't a fan of Rose, and though I didn't dislike Stella, I didn't like her, either.

For someone who grew up in a commune and was later reunited with her father, she lacked street smarts and typical skills.

There's a subplot involving the Winslows which came out of left field.

It was unnecessary and sort of the equivalent of a superhero movie with two bad guys instead of focusing on one.

Lots of stuff is going on and since my belief suspension meter is working well so it was hard for me to believe the revelations at the end.

The author is doing what many authors of the thriller genre are doing now; throwing one crazy twist after another at the reader, hoping something will stick.

I've heard of dowsing but the New Age-y stuff was a huge eye roll for me.

I liked Stella's supernatural gift and wished the narrative had leaned more into it. More supernatural, less woo-woo stuff for me, thanks.

The writing was okay, but repetitive in the flashbacks.

There's some suspense and drama but you need to be able to suspend disbelief.

If you can do that, this is the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the arc of this book. This book is a cult centric mystery thriller. This is the first book I have read by this author. This book starts out kinda slow but picks up fairly quickly. This story has many twists and turns. I did not see the big twist at the end coming. Overall I enjoyed this book.

Obsessed much. But such a good book. Loved it so much thank you for letting me read in advance. I couldn't put it down all night long.

A Mother Always Knows is a murder mystery laced with a supernatural twist that sets up a compelling premise. Stella, now an adult, is still haunted by the trauma of her mother’s brutal murder—a tragedy that left her stranded in the woods as a child. Two decades later, after being doxxed online in connection to the cold case, she’s forced to flee. With her location now public and the killer still at large, Stella decides to stop running and confront the one person who may hold the answers: Radcliffe MacBeath, the enigmatic leader of the cult her mother was once a part of.

Unfortunately, despite my love for cult-centric stories, I struggled to connect with this one. The plot had potential, but I found the characters difficult to engage with, and without that emotional investment, it was hard to care about the unfolding mystery. The twists didn’t catch me off guard, and some major plot holes left the narrative feeling incomplete.

One bright spot was the inclusion of Rose’s chapters, which offered valuable backstory and were easily the most compelling parts of the book. However, I didn’t find Cliff as charismatic as the story insisted he was, which made his influence hard to believe.

While the concept was promising, the execution just didn’t deliver for me.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Mother Always Knows delivers an intriguing premise—a woman haunted by her past, a cult commune in the Vermont woods, and a long-unsolved murder—but doesn’t always stick the landing.

Stella O’Neill is a sympathetic protagonist: a librarian with a secret identity, hiding from the trauma of her mother’s brutal murder at the hands of someone still unknown. When a true-crime podcaster outs her location, she’s forced back to the off-grid commune where it all began—determined to confront the manipulative leader who shaped her childhood and uncover the truth once and for all.

The concept is strong, and the atmosphere is effectively eerie, with flashes of suspense and a welcome thread of magical realism woven in through Stella’s divining pendulum. But while the setup promises high-stakes psychological thrills, the pacing often drags, and the tension doesn’t quite build with the urgency you'd expect. Some plot points feel rushed or underdeveloped, and the supporting cast never quite comes into focus.

That said, Strohmeyer’s writing remains sharp and observant, especially when exploring themes of power, agency, and maternal intuition. It’s a readable, if uneven, thriller that will appeal to fans of cult-centric suspense and layered family mysteries.

I was bummed I didn’t like this more. Cool idea, but kinda has a lot going on. That made me not super invested in the story.

I want to start this by saying that I gave Strohmeyer's book, "We Love to Entertain" 5 stars and was an absolutely amazing ride.

This book, however...

None of the characters were likable or believable. They all made incredibly stupid decisions, which, unfortunately, did not kill them. Every twist was seen several miles away, and the amount of tropes, cliches, etc, was overboard.

Stella was raised in a cult from ages 3 to 10, when her mother decided to take her from her father and live with a guru and his clan in the woods. The dad just lets this happen, apparently. Anyway, continuing on. Her mother is then murdered one night and Stella is finally taken from the cult and goes back to live with her dad.

Things are fine and dandy until 20 years later, someone decides to dox her dad and suddenly people care about her again. She is convinced she's going to be killed, so she runs. Shockingly, she ends up back at the cult's door, and this time the murderer is going to be found.

I can't recommend this book unless you enjoy torturing yourself. I think this author is going to be a pass from now on.

I do want to thank NetGalley for the ARC!

Started off strong but lost me somewhere along the way. The story had too much happening and it kinda fizzled out for me sadly

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I liked the dual timelines/multiple POVs so that you were able to get a better sense of what was going on in this book. However, it felt like the author was trying a little too hard to make a plot twist happen that they fell a bit flat, especially the last one. If you like cults and murder mysteries, it's a decent enough read.