This book was really interesting! I thought the pacing was the right speed, and the subject was really gripping. Who doesn’t like to read about cults? I didn’t find any of the characters super likable, but they weren’t the worst characters I’ve ever read about. I think my only complaint was the reveal of the killer wasn’t someone we heard a lot from.

Stella O'Neill's quiet life as a library historian in Boston gets turned upside down when a true crime post that reveals she's a daughter of a murder victim goes viral. Her mother Rose was part of a group of people called The Diviners at an isolated compound in Vermont. One night when Stella was 10 years old, she was the only witness to her mother's brutal murder. As an adult Stella has tried to hide her past and stay hidden from the enigmatic leader of the cult, but now has no choice but to go back to the commune where all started. Can Stella find the answers she needs or will her mother's killer make her the next target?

I love a good cult story and A Mother Always Knows definitely did not disappoint! Living in Vermont and having the town I live in mentioned was an added bonus! A multi-layered mystery, A Mother Always Knows is both emotionally complex and suspenseful with an ominous undertone full of supernatural elements. This is a slow burn type of thriller but with the way it is laid out it never feels too slow. I really love the multiple POVs between adult Stella in 2023, Rose in 2003, and Priti, all these perspectives blend and create the whole picture, and it keeps the tension taut and suspenseful. I also really like the supernatural connection that Stella has via her mom's rose quartz pendulum. I know that it is seen by some reviewers as being too over the top but I think it added to the whole story! Overall, if you like layered family drama, cult vibes and a supernatural twist, definitely check this one out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Sarah Strohmeyer, and Harper Perennial for this ARC! Happy to be a Harper partner! Publication date was July 1st 2025.

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.

📚 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its intensity. A twisty and eerie atmosphere that grab you in from the start - and perhaps has you from the start claiming you know exactly who it was and what happened - only for the ending to do a 180 turn and leave you with a shocking final twist! One which came entirely out the blue and spun it on characters you’d never even have suspected. Got to love a curveball, right?

Thank you to @harperperennial and @netgalley for this Advanced Reader Copy

#NetGalley #AMotherAlwaysKnows #advancedreaderscopy #harperperennial #sarahstrohmeyer

DNF 13%

I am so incredibly disappointed to be pulling the plug on this read. I love the premise of the book and the cover is one of my favorites of the year. However, something with the writing style isn't clicking with me and I'm finding it very distracting. There is a frenetic pace that seems unwarranted. The action in the opening chapters feels rushed rather than merely fast-paced.

I hope this book finds the right readers for it. Unfortunately, I'm not the right reader for this book.

I love a cult thriller. I thought this one was great. It’s told from three different perspectives, and I tore through pages wanting to figure out what had happened. The writing flowed well and it was quite easy to read. A solid thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC! This is out now.

Thank you @harperperennial for the gifted arc!

Stella grew up in a cult until her mother’s murder twenty years ago. Now she must solve the mystery of the past before she is next.

This was an engaging and atmospheric mystery! I liked the cult aspects with a touch of the supernatural. The main character’s voice was snarky and sarcastic, which added some comic relief. Despite her psychic abilities, however, she seemed pretty clueless. The reveal at the end was definitely a shock I did not see coming!

Rating 4⭐️

this book left me with mixed feelings. from the beginning, i could see the vision the author was going for, and i absolutely understood the intention behind the story. the plot had potential, and on paper, it made sense. but somehow, in execution, it just didn’t quite land for me.

there was something about the way the story unfolded that felt a bit off. the plot seemed to drag on unnecessarily, it felt like it kept circling around the same point without really pulling me in or giving me enough reason to stay fully engaged.

that said, i do want to acknowledge that the writing style itself was actually quite good, simple, clean, and tailored well. i also think the author had a clear sense of the character’s world and tried to let that shine through the prose.

many thanks to Netgalley & Harper Perennial for this ARC.

Thoughts 🧠
Creepy woods. Charismatic cult leader. Secrets, trauma, and a daughter chasing answers. Ummm, YES PLEASE! This four star read is a slow-burning, atmospheric thriller full of psychological twists—making this a deliciously dark read!

The creepy, haunting cover was the first thing that drew me in—officially solidifying that I will never be a “camp in the woods” kind of girl. 🏕️ Then I saw it was a new thriller by Sarah Strohmeyer, and I was sold. I’ve loved her other books, and this one delivered a chilling, twisted ride I couldn’t put down.

Summary 📝
Right off the bat, the prologue gave me goosebumps—especially since my own daughter is named Stella. The main female character Stella has spent twenty years trying to disappear. Because when she was three years old, her mother, Rose, was murdered… and Stella was right there.

But Rose didn’t die in some random attack—she was killed inside a secluded commune she’d fled to, taking Stella with her and cutting ties with the outside world, including her husband. So what makes a woman abandon her life for an off-the-grid cult? And what really happened the night she died?

Now, a true crime podcast is digging into the case, forcing Stella to confront the past she’s worked so hard to forget. As former cult members resurface and old secrets refuse to stay buried, Stella realizes the truth about her mother—and that night—may be far more horrifying than she ever imagined.

This is one you won’t want to miss! It will be available July 1st!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial, and Sarah Strohmeyer for the advanced copy!

Stella O'Neill is an archivist at a public library, illegally subletting a room, and trying to keep under the radar by living under an assumed name. When she was young her mother left Stella's father to go join a commune of "diviners" in Vermont. When she was ten, her mother was brutally murdered on the same night she planned to escape the commune with Stella, and the murder was never solved. Stella saw the murderer, but they were dressed in a Solstice costume, so she was unable to identify them. Now, her quiet, anonymous existence is upended when a true-crime obsessive posts her current name and location on the internet. 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 a supernatural gift on her side though - she is able to divine using her mother’s beloved rose quartz pendulum. Now she needs to end this once and for all before she becomes his next victim.

I usually avoid reading books about cults, but I always enjoy this author's books, so I made an exception. I am so glad I did. This book kept me on the edge of my seat for almost the entire book. I really liked Stella, and felt invested in her story. Towards the end, when it became obvious someone close to her was involved, I think I guessed just about every single character at some point, before guessing correctly. The book is told in the POV's of three different characters: Rose (Stella's mom) which is the past timeline, Stella, and Priti. Priti is married to Ben, who was and still is one of the prime suspects in Rose's murder. I really enoyed Priti's character as well. If you love a good thriller, then you should definitely check this out.

A disturbing psychological thriller that will keep you interested throughout. Following both the story of the main character and her mother in different timelines this thriller has plenty of twists and turns, as well as red herrings to the true killer.

I went into A Mother Always Knows knowing it was about cults but it really didn’t rise to what I expected. It was just okay.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and leave an honest review.

The culty aspect of this book excited me, and I definitely moved it up my tbr when I received the advance copy from the publisher. While overall I enjoyed the story, I just didn’t LOVE it. The characters were kind of boring and I really didn’t care who killed Rose in the end. I actually would have been more interested to read more about Rose and the cult interactions in that time period.
While I felt that the male character exposed in the end was fairly obvious, I wasn’t really expecting the final twist as Rose’s murderer was revealed.
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(When I thought Fig had gone rogue, I nearly threw the book. Thank you for not taking us there 😆)
Thank you to Sarah Strohmeyer and Harper Perennial for the advance copy!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sarah Strohmeyer's “A Mother Always Knows” is a chilling, multi-layered mystery that combines the psychological suspense of a decades-old murder with the eerie undertones of cult fanaticism and the power of maternal instinct. With a story that stretches across timelines and perspectives, the novel delivers an emotionally complex and compulsively readable thriller.

The plot centers on Stella, a woman haunted by the murder of her mother, Rose, which occurred during their escape from a dangerous cult when Stella was just ten years old. Now, twenty years later, a viral social media post threatens to unearth Stella’s carefully buried past. As her true identity is exposed, Stella embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death; one that is tied to secrets, psychic abilities, and the darkness lurking within those once closest to them.

The story unfolds through three compelling points of view: Stella in the present, still processing trauma and newly reawakened memories; Rose in the past, navigating the slow, disturbing unraveling of a once-idyllic commune under a charismatic but corrupt leader; and Priti, an outsider with unexpected connections to the cult’s remnants and a growing suspicion that her husband may be hiding something deadly. These interwoven narratives build a complete picture of the events leading up to and following Rose’s murder.

Strohmeyer’s portrayal of the cult, its hierarchy, and its twisted form of enlightenment is particularly engrossing. The author doesn't just rely on the sensational aspects of cult life; instead, she explores the emotional manipulation, false promises, and subtle radicalization that led Rose and others to buy in. Radcliffe, the enigmatic leader, is both magnetic and terrifying, and his storyline is brought to a satisfying conclusion. But perhaps the most unique aspect of the book is the presence of real psychic abilities. Stella’s gift, which is the ability to sense the presence of the dead, is both a burden and a key to unlocking the past, making her journey all the more compelling.

While the story explores heavy themes like grief, trauma, toxic belief systems, and the complexity of mother-daughter bonds, it also delivers on the promise of a twisty, satisfying mystery. Just when you think you have it figured out, Strohmeyer throws in another curveball. The killer’s reveal is unexpected, and while some may wish for more development or foreshadowing, others may appreciate the surprise and the way all the disparate threads come together in the end.

Not every character is equally compelling (I was craving more of Priti’s grounded outsider perspective or feeling distanced from Stella’s emotionally guarded demeanor), but standout side characters like Fig add heart and humor to the story. Fig, Stella’s fiercely loyal friend, is a scene-stealer whose boldness and comedic relief lighten the darker moments. I also really liked how the cult ended up being the ultimate red herring.

Overall, “A Mother Always Knows” is a slow-burn thriller that delivers a rich tapestry of secrets, suspense, and supernatural flair. Strohmeyer crafts a smart and emotionally resonant mystery that examines the power of belief, the scars left by trauma, and the fierce bond between mother and daughter. For those fascinated by cults, twisted pasts, and stories where the past refuses to stay buried, this one is worth the read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: July 1, 2025

Sarah Strohmeyer's new novel, “A Mother Always Knows”, is a dual-timelime, multi-character story about cults, magic, and the lengths mothers will go to to protect their children.

2023- Stella O’Neill is a library historian, who tends to keep to herself in order to ensure her dark past stays secret. When she is confronted by a stranger from her past, she finds she must revisit her darkest traumas in order to find out the truth about who killed her mother.
2003- Rose is a young mother, desperately seeking answers, and she soon finds herself under the sway of Radcliffe MacBeath, a cult leader who claims to want nothing more than to have his followers find their connection to the “Divine Energy”. Leaving her husband, with her young daughter in tow, Rose decides to leave her life behind and start anew at the commune. But when Rose realizes exactly what Radcliffe is, Rose knows her life is in danger and she sets out to do the only thing she can- free her daughter from the cult’s clutches.

Both women in this story are connected by more than their lineage; they are connected by their search for answers, connection and, in Stella’s case, the truth. Although Rose's choices are easy to judge, her maternal instinct and love made her an easy character to bond with. Both Stella and Rose are broken from past traumas, confronting their demons (sometimes literally) and becoming survivors.

Obviously, I was all about the cult component of this novel. I was addicted to the hierarchy and the levels of darkness (disguised as light) contained within the cult leader, Radcliffe. Without giving too much away, I was satisfied with the way Radcliffe's storyline concluded and felt that Radcliffe and his followers received the punishment they deserved (for the most part).

Speaking of the ending, it was, quite literally, a twisty-turny guessing game. As Stella is so distrusting of others (for obvious reasons), anyone that exists in her life was immediately shady. As the story played out, I changed my opinion several times on how it was going to play out and, when the truth was revealed, I can honestly say it took me by surprise. Strohmeyer ensured that all of the plot points ended in a coherent, unexpected way.

"Mother" was page-turning suspense at it's finest. Adding the cult component for me was just icing on the cake. It is always an honour to read Strohmeyer, and I've been an avid fan since discovering her novel “Do I Know You?”. I highly recommend "Mother" for anyone who wants to be completely immersed in an intriguing story of motherhood, with some extremely disturbing cult aspects.

This was a genre blend of mystery, a little horror/thriller, and family saga. It’s clear that the author did research on cults; the nuances of control and growing gaps in power dynamic felt realistic, making it all the more unnerving. The multiple POVs worked well and also really heightened the tension, getting to see everything from multiple perspectives and time points.

At first, I really struggled with this cast of characters, but the plot of the cult was so intriguing I kept reading. You have no idea who to trust in this and that ramps up the suspense. A pretty good read.

This is the second or third book I've read from the author, and when it popped up on NetGalley, I liked the concept and wanted to give it a chance. Unfortunately, the characters weren't likable, so I found myself not investing in the plight of who killed her mothers decades ago and who was lurking in present time to watch out for any signs of her memory returning. Various chapters pulled me in and I was eager to understand what happened back then, but I also struggled to understand why the murder went so long without being solved. Plus, the ultimate killer wasn't a character we spent a lot of time with, so I wasn't sure how readers could ever pick up on clues or connections. That said, I did enjoy many scenes and the writing was good.

I love cult stuff and this one was fun. I liked the different perspectives and the solid mystery throughout. The pieces all came together nicely in the end.

The premise of this book, surrounding the adult life of a child who grew up in a cult, is what drew me to it. The author never really let you know who you could trust until the very end. I thought I guessed the final twist around 92% but I was wrong. It did wrap up a little too easily and there were some portions, one part specifically, that was just out of the realm of possibility in my mind. Regardless, 4 stars and thank you for the ARC.

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!