Mother Knows Best by J.A. Baker, published by Boldwood Books, is a gripping psychological thriller.
Telling the tragic story of Helena and her family, told in multiple povs and asks the question nature vs. nuture.
I started reading and soon I couldn't put the book down. Read in one sitting story, 4 stars.

Is your upbringing responsible for your character and actions when you are an adult?
This book explores that. Kids brought up by uncaring, alcoholic parents vs kids brought up by good, kind caring parents.
It seems that it doesn't matter. You are your own person, not defined by upbringing at all.

I liked Helene, she seemed the sanest of all the characters. Not perfect, but loving her children despite what they were.
Twisty and unpredictable, this novel kept me rapt.
I just found the beginning to be a little slow, but the pace picked up after a while.
Not my favourite JA Baker book, but I did enjoy it.

I just finished a good book. Mother Knows Best by JA Baker is available soon and is one you should put on your list.

Wow! This book is Baker at his best! Helena has two daughters who are very different. Vanessa has two young children and Rachel is homeless and refuses help. And then we have Alex, a childhood bully from their past.who continues to act out as his childhood was abusive. It's a wonderfully convoluted novel about murder, lies, and people who will fight for what they believe in. Loved every page!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Helena prides herself on being a good mother, but one of her daughters is accused of child abuse and the other is an addict. Told from multiple points of view.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. This book was a fast paced thrilling read that kept my attention the whole way through. I love the different POVs as narration. I couldn’t put this book down!

I really enjoyed this book! It was expertly written. It is told from multiple POVs; Helena is one POV she is a mother of 2 daughters and is a grandmother of 2 and she loves them dearly. Another POV is from Alex who was an abused neglected child and has some unpleasant behaviours, thoughts and feelings as a result. There is also a mystery POV from somebody who has been abducted and there are a few chapters from Helena’s daughters. In a spoiler free nut shell the story is about Helena’s worry’s for her daughters after local women are going missing. It is a slow burn that details the complexities of relationships as well as the nature/nurture debate. There are a few twists in it too. I would definitely recommend and I will be reading more by this author as the 2 I have read have been great!

A devoted mother, Helena has always prided herself on being a good mother, a constant for her daughters, Vanessa the responsible one, and Rachel fragile and sensitive. But as her daughters navigate adulthood, a chilling question begins to fester: has her devotion been a delusion?! Now, Rachel walks the city streets, lost to addiction, while Vanessa's endless nights at work leave her children vulnerable in Helena's care proof of their fractured family.Her worst nightmare! Then the disappearances begin. Local girls, snatched from the darkness, their lives brutally extinguished. Fear consumes Helena, yet the harder she tries to protect her girls, the more her daughters push her away until a terrifying thought takes root, twisting Helena’s maternal instincts into icy suspicion. What if the danger isn't lurking in the shadows...but has been much closer to home all along?! Wow! What a chilling thriller with some jaw dropping twists! This book had shocking suspense, murder, dark family secrets, intrigue, mystery, and some chilling moments! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for sharing this book with me!

I loved this book! A must read for all thriller fans. Well developed characters and a tense plot. I'm a fan of Baker's books and this one definitely didn't disappoint. An easy 5 stars from me

Don’t walk, RUN for this book! I loved the themes in it! Discusses stresses and worries that parents go through, sibling rivalry, mental illness, trauma and lastly it also off Hitchcocks Psycho vibes.
I read this in a day and it certainly did not disappoint!