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The Other Mother
Four-year-old Florrie is missing. Who has taken her, and what do they want?
When Jane is asked to pick up her friend’s daughter, Florrie, from school, she can’t imagine the horror that will unfold. Because someone pretending to be Jane has already collected Florrie. And now the little four-year-old is missing…
Things don’t get any easier when Jane starts receiving anonymous letters that include intimate details about her life. As a psychologist and agony aunt, she's used to getting letters asking for advice, but these are different. Are they somehow connected to the missing child?
Then, to her utter dismay, Jane finds incriminating evidence in her own home, evidence that is clearly linked to Florrie. She starts to doubt everyone around her, even her own family – could one of them be implicated in Florrie’s disappearance?
Under the unspeakable stress, her marriage crumbles, her children act out and her once-successful business falls apart. And that’s when Jane discovers a shocking secret that shatters her entire world.
In a heart-pounding race against time, Jane must find Florrie and uncover the truth. Can she save Florrie and her own family, or will she be too late to stop the unthinkable?
The Other Mother is an explosive psychological thriller that will grip readers till the very end.
When Jane is asked to pick up her friend’s daughter, Florrie, from school, she can’t imagine the horror that will unfold. Because someone pretending to be Jane has already collected Florrie. And now the little four-year-old is missing…
Things don’t get any easier when Jane starts receiving anonymous letters that include intimate details about her life. As a psychologist and agony aunt, she's used to getting letters asking for advice, but these are different. Are they somehow connected to the missing child?
Then, to her utter dismay, Jane finds incriminating evidence in her own home, evidence that is clearly linked to Florrie. She starts to doubt everyone around her, even her own family – could one of them be implicated in Florrie’s disappearance?
Under the unspeakable stress, her marriage crumbles, her children act out and her once-successful business falls apart. And that’s when Jane discovers a shocking secret that shatters her entire world.
In a heart-pounding race against time, Jane must find Florrie and uncover the truth. Can she save Florrie and her own family, or will she be too late to stop the unthinkable?
The Other Mother is an explosive psychological thriller that will grip readers till the very end.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2023
913 people are currently reading
1119 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Rijks
42 books873 followersMiranda Rijks is the author of 26 psychological thrillers, many of which have been Amazon bestsellers. She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband and black Labrador.
Her fast-paced, twisty thrillers are inspired by scary things that have happened to her or places she has visited.
Miranda turned to writing after recovering from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She's so grateful that she's now a full-time author and living the dream!
Visit www.mirandarijks.com to get her FREE novella, The Cheat, and the chance to name characters in her books.
Her fast-paced, twisty thrillers are inspired by scary things that have happened to her or places she has visited.
Miranda turned to writing after recovering from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She's so grateful that she's now a full-time author and living the dream!
Visit www.mirandarijks.com to get her FREE novella, The Cheat, and the chance to name characters in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
August 13, 2023
I enjoyed it a lot, but there was one minor problem. If your child gets kidnapped, you'd do everything possible to find her or assist the police. However, in this story, that intense reaction was portrayed so mildly that it felt almost unrealistic. Everything else in the novel was up to the usual standard of Rijks.
May 12, 2025
4⭐
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Publication date ~ book ~ April 19, 2023, audio ~ August 10, 2023
Page Count ~ 282
Audio length ~ 8 hours 51 minutes
Narrators ~ Nicola Delgado-Sievertson, Lorna Bennett, Emma Fenney
POV ~ multiple 1st
Featuring ~ missing child, infidelity, secrets, lies
Jane is asked by Naomi to pick up her 4 year old daughter, Florrie, from school. But when Jane finally gets there it turns out that someone else has already picked her up. Oh no, who impersonated Jane and why did the school allow a stranger to pick her up.
I do like me a missing child plot that gets my mama heart racing. Luckily we do get the POV of Carmen, the kidnapper, which lets us know that Florrie is unharmed.
I do feel like Naomi was not as frantic as I felt she should have been, and I could do without the infidelity, but without it we wouldn't have had the unreliable characters that gave us some twists and made for a fast paced, suspenseful read. I wasn't overly in love with the last little bit, though.
I was lucky enough to have an ebook and an audio copy.
Narration notes:
So happy there were 3!!! They all did a great job.
*Thanks to Miranda Rijks, Inkubator Books, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Publication date ~ book ~ April 19, 2023, audio ~ August 10, 2023
Page Count ~ 282
Audio length ~ 8 hours 51 minutes
Narrators ~ Nicola Delgado-Sievertson, Lorna Bennett, Emma Fenney
POV ~ multiple 1st
Featuring ~ missing child, infidelity, secrets, lies
Jane is asked by Naomi to pick up her 4 year old daughter, Florrie, from school. But when Jane finally gets there it turns out that someone else has already picked her up. Oh no, who impersonated Jane and why did the school allow a stranger to pick her up.
I do like me a missing child plot that gets my mama heart racing. Luckily we do get the POV of Carmen, the kidnapper, which lets us know that Florrie is unharmed.
I do feel like Naomi was not as frantic as I felt she should have been, and I could do without the infidelity, but without it we wouldn't have had the unreliable characters that gave us some twists and made for a fast paced, suspenseful read. I wasn't overly in love with the last little bit, though.
I was lucky enough to have an ebook and an audio copy.
Narration notes:
So happy there were 3!!! They all did a great job.
*Thanks to Miranda Rijks, Inkubator Books, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
August 18, 2023
🌟🌟🌟💫
A missing child…
When a friend asks Jane for a favor, she’s quick to say yes! She just needs to pick up her friends daughter Florrie from school and take her to the dentist. But after arriving a few minutes late she’s told another woman claiming to be Jane already picked the child up!
Now Florrie is missing!
I had a couple issues listening to this audio.
First...Florrie’s family, friends or even the police for that matter didn’t act overly concerned that the child is missing. Most just went on with their daily lives. I’d think there would be more of a frenzy around the child's disappearance.🤷🏻♀️
Also...I believe this would have worked a better as a digital/book read rather than audio. The narrators just didn’t feel like a good match for the characters (IMO).
I am a huge fan of Miranda Rijks but this one just fell a bit short for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media🎧
A missing child…
When a friend asks Jane for a favor, she’s quick to say yes! She just needs to pick up her friends daughter Florrie from school and take her to the dentist. But after arriving a few minutes late she’s told another woman claiming to be Jane already picked the child up!
Now Florrie is missing!
I had a couple issues listening to this audio.
First...Florrie’s family, friends or even the police for that matter didn’t act overly concerned that the child is missing. Most just went on with their daily lives. I’d think there would be more of a frenzy around the child's disappearance.🤷🏻♀️
Also...I believe this would have worked a better as a digital/book read rather than audio. The narrators just didn’t feel like a good match for the characters (IMO).
I am a huge fan of Miranda Rijks but this one just fell a bit short for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media🎧
August 5, 2023
A child abduction thriller penned by
author Miranda Rijks????
Yes, I should have loved this book.
But I did not.
The book begins with a child abduction of a 4-year-old girl and I was instantly engaged.
Unfortunately, although the book was well-paced with ample twists, it lacked the sizzle, in-depth characterizations, and "thrills" of Miranda Rijks' other books.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
The book had too many characters, infidelities, plot holes, and eye-rolling moments.
In addition, the character in the book's final twist was not well developed.
Miranda Rijks is one of my "go-to" authors so perhaps my expectations were set too high.
I listened to the full-cast audiobook read by Nicola Delgado-Sievertson; Lorna Bennett; and Emma Fenney.
All narrators did an outstanding job with the narration.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars rounded up.
author Miranda Rijks????
Yes, I should have loved this book.
But I did not.
The book begins with a child abduction of a 4-year-old girl and I was instantly engaged.
Unfortunately, although the book was well-paced with ample twists, it lacked the sizzle, in-depth characterizations, and "thrills" of Miranda Rijks' other books.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
The book had too many characters, infidelities, plot holes, and eye-rolling moments.
In addition, the character in the book's final twist was not well developed.
Miranda Rijks is one of my "go-to" authors so perhaps my expectations were set too high.
I listened to the full-cast audiobook read by Nicola Delgado-Sievertson; Lorna Bennett; and Emma Fenney.
All narrators did an outstanding job with the narration.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars rounded up.
August 16, 2023
A standard mystery about a missing child. Like most mysteries, when hidden secrets were revealed, it complicated the case and relationships. I like the twists the author threw in. But what distracted me from the story was the characters. I found most of them to be unlikable. Therefore, I didn't care or feel any connection to them.
Overall, decent story but needed likable characters.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Rijks, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Overall, decent story but needed likable characters.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Rijks, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
May 1, 2023
Now that is what I call a fast paced thriller! Such a quick read, very easy to lose yourself in the story. A bunch of highly unlikeable characters and some that I really did feel for. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, with a surprising ending. Very entertaining.
Nala is caught up at work and asks her best friend Jane to pick up her 4 year old daughter from school and meet her at the dentists. Only when Jane gets there, Florrie has already been collected. Where is she? Who has her? A parents worst nightmare. We slowly begin to get to know all the major players in this story, and their secrets. Of course nothing is straight forward.
Thanks to the author Miranda Rijks and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read. I do have some other books of Miranda’s on my kindle that I need to get to. Publishes on April 19th.
Nala is caught up at work and asks her best friend Jane to pick up her 4 year old daughter from school and meet her at the dentists. Only when Jane gets there, Florrie has already been collected. Where is she? Who has her? A parents worst nightmare. We slowly begin to get to know all the major players in this story, and their secrets. Of course nothing is straight forward.
Thanks to the author Miranda Rijks and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read. I do have some other books of Miranda’s on my kindle that I need to get to. Publishes on April 19th.
August 3, 2023
I do my best to start all reviews with at least one positive, no matter how much I may have disliked the book. That said, I really liked the plot of this book. I was drawn in from the beginning because it got off to a fast and exciting start. I liked the use of multiple narrators; I feel it really adds to the listening experience for audiobooks. I also found one of the twists pretty surprising.
Here is what I didn’t like:
As a Black woman and mother, I empathized with Naomi. However, at a certain point, I began to question the author’s reasons for, not just writing Naomi to be Black, but for writing the book’s only Black character (at least as far as I can tell) in the way that she did. Naomi was overworked, underappreciated, repeatedly victimized, financially unstable, weak, and just overall pitiful. Her character development didn’t extend beyond her struggle — that’s really all we knew of her. Oh, and she’s a physiotherapist.
Naomi was constantly disrespected, abused, and belittled by multiple characters throughout the ENTIRE book. Mostly by her Italian husband whose murder left her as a single mother and his “bigoted” (Naomi’s words) mother-in-law who joins her son in calling his wife “whore” and “slut” to her face, in her house when her affair comes to light. In my opinion, some of the scenes only served to kick Naomi when she was down and added absolutely nothing to the story. For example, when Naomi shows up to her “friend” Amira’s house to ask for money and she was shamed and humiliated beyond belief before being handed a $20 bill on the way out. WHEW.
I was actually ready to DNF after that but I stopped and thought to myself, “surely the author is trying to send a message here. There must be a theme to be discovered in all of this.” The world gives us enough racism and real-life, triggering content involving the abuse and brutalization of Black women that SURELY this white author isn’t doing all of this for kicks. That is the only and I do mean ONLY reason I finished this book — to see if there was any real message or point to be made by writing Naomi’s character like this but *shocker* there wasn’t. So I don’t know if this is just something that the author enjoyed or if I’m just missing it completely but it’s infuriating, exhausting, and honestly just something I could have gone without.
One thing about this book that I thought was particularly telling was the fact that although this book is told in alternating POV chapters between Naomi and Jane, once Florie is found, Naomi doesn’t get another POV chapter for the rest of the book. Her struggles and obstacles are showcased and told from her perspective throughout the entire book, but when it’s time for her biggest triumph to be celebrated, the reunification with her KIDNAPPED child, the author strips her of her voice and instead, tells the story from the perspective of the white woman who saved her. *deep breath*
Here is what else I didn’t like:
All of the characters sucked. ALL of them. Except for Jane’s dog, Pumpkin. Pumpkin was cool.
I don’t like books whose twists rely on an under-developed character we don’t really know or care much about.
It feels like we focused on Jane the clueless psychologist, her practice, her shitty husband, and her shitty kids, more than the actual kidnapping.
I truly disliked this book more than anything else I’ve ever read. Thank you nonetheless to NetGalley, Miranda Rijks, and Dreamscape for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Here is what I didn’t like:
As a Black woman and mother, I empathized with Naomi. However, at a certain point, I began to question the author’s reasons for, not just writing Naomi to be Black, but for writing the book’s only Black character (at least as far as I can tell) in the way that she did. Naomi was overworked, underappreciated, repeatedly victimized, financially unstable, weak, and just overall pitiful. Her character development didn’t extend beyond her struggle — that’s really all we knew of her. Oh, and she’s a physiotherapist.
Naomi was constantly disrespected, abused, and belittled by multiple characters throughout the ENTIRE book. Mostly by her Italian husband whose murder left her as a single mother and his “bigoted” (Naomi’s words) mother-in-law who joins her son in calling his wife “whore” and “slut” to her face, in her house when her affair comes to light. In my opinion, some of the scenes only served to kick Naomi when she was down and added absolutely nothing to the story. For example, when Naomi shows up to her “friend” Amira’s house to ask for money and she was shamed and humiliated beyond belief before being handed a $20 bill on the way out. WHEW.
I was actually ready to DNF after that but I stopped and thought to myself, “surely the author is trying to send a message here. There must be a theme to be discovered in all of this.” The world gives us enough racism and real-life, triggering content involving the abuse and brutalization of Black women that SURELY this white author isn’t doing all of this for kicks. That is the only and I do mean ONLY reason I finished this book — to see if there was any real message or point to be made by writing Naomi’s character like this but *shocker* there wasn’t. So I don’t know if this is just something that the author enjoyed or if I’m just missing it completely but it’s infuriating, exhausting, and honestly just something I could have gone without.
One thing about this book that I thought was particularly telling was the fact that although this book is told in alternating POV chapters between Naomi and Jane, once Florie is found, Naomi doesn’t get another POV chapter for the rest of the book. Her struggles and obstacles are showcased and told from her perspective throughout the entire book, but when it’s time for her biggest triumph to be celebrated, the reunification with her KIDNAPPED child, the author strips her of her voice and instead, tells the story from the perspective of the white woman who saved her. *deep breath*
Here is what else I didn’t like:
All of the characters sucked. ALL of them. Except for Jane’s dog, Pumpkin. Pumpkin was cool.
I don’t like books whose twists rely on an under-developed character we don’t really know or care much about.
It feels like we focused on Jane the clueless psychologist, her practice, her shitty husband, and her shitty kids, more than the actual kidnapping.
I truly disliked this book more than anything else I’ve ever read. Thank you nonetheless to NetGalley, Miranda Rijks, and Dreamscape for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2023
☆☆☆☆
Welcome to my stop on the book tour for “The Other Mother”.
Thank you to Zooloos Book Tours and Inkubator Books for the invitation to this book tour and the gifted book!
The Other Mother is gripping, elaborately twisted, and delicately layered! This isn’t my first book by Ms. Rijks and I plan on reading many more of her riveting thrillers.
Jane has been asked by her friend Naomi to pick up her young daughter Florrie from school. If only she knew this one good deed was going to shatter so many lives.
As a psychologist, Jane is clueless about what’s going on in her own family. She’s focused on her clients and her advice column. No one knows about her secret role as Agony Aunt and the advice she provides as Aurora Rae. Or do they?
None of the characters are particularly likable or trustworthy but together they weave a quick-paced, compelling, and tense story.
Thanks to Zooloos Book Tours, Inkubator Books, and Miranda Rijks for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.
#TheOtherMother #mirandarijks #Inkubatorbooks #ZooLoosBookTours #giftedARC #honestreview #justfinished #newrelease #UK #childabduction #booktour #booktourhost #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #ad
Welcome to my stop on the book tour for “The Other Mother”.
Thank you to Zooloos Book Tours and Inkubator Books for the invitation to this book tour and the gifted book!
The Other Mother is gripping, elaborately twisted, and delicately layered! This isn’t my first book by Ms. Rijks and I plan on reading many more of her riveting thrillers.
Jane has been asked by her friend Naomi to pick up her young daughter Florrie from school. If only she knew this one good deed was going to shatter so many lives.
As a psychologist, Jane is clueless about what’s going on in her own family. She’s focused on her clients and her advice column. No one knows about her secret role as Agony Aunt and the advice she provides as Aurora Rae. Or do they?
None of the characters are particularly likable or trustworthy but together they weave a quick-paced, compelling, and tense story.
Thanks to Zooloos Book Tours, Inkubator Books, and Miranda Rijks for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.
#TheOtherMother #mirandarijks #Inkubatorbooks #ZooLoosBookTours #giftedARC #honestreview #justfinished #newrelease #UK #childabduction #booktour #booktourhost #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #ad
April 21, 2023
Many thanks to NetGalley, Inkubator Books and Miranda Rijks for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a 'meh' story for me. I liked it, but I saw some plot twists coming. I couldn't really connect with the characters, but I enjoyed Jane and Naomi to an extent. I also didn't understand the way Elsa behaved. Why did she withhold so much anger towards her mother? And her diary entrance was unexpected and out of place. It is a good thriller, it just didn't blow me away.
This was a 'meh' story for me. I liked it, but I saw some plot twists coming. I couldn't really connect with the characters, but I enjoyed Jane and Naomi to an extent. I also didn't understand the way Elsa behaved. Why did she withhold so much anger towards her mother? And her diary entrance was unexpected and out of place. It is a good thriller, it just didn't blow me away.
May 1, 2023
Four-year-old Florrie is missing...who has taken her and what do they want...?
I'm a sucker for missing child thriller tropes and I love Miranda Rijks' easy style. She just pulls you in, ramps up the tension and delivers a thrilling read every time. With a mixed bunch of characters (mostly unlikeable), there are plenty of twists to keep you guessing and entertained throughout. THE OTHER MOTHER was such a quick read that I devoured it in one sitting in bed last night.
Naomi is a physiotherapist caught up on a training course when she asks her best friend Jane to pick up her four year old daughter Florrie from school and meet her at the dentists where Florrie has an appointment. But when Jane arrives at the school she is told that the little girl has already been collected by her mother's friend Jane. But she is Jane! So who picked up Florrie? And where is she now?
Jane is frantic trying to contact Naomi, who is unreachable, and searching for the little girl all the while questioning the school as to why they didn't properly identify the woman who picked her up claiming to be Jane. They certainly wanted to see her identification so why did they not check those of whoever picked up Florrie?
A psychologist who specialises in family dynamics, Jane also masquerades as an agony aunt for a local paper doling out advice to those who seek it. But it isn't long before the "agony aunt" letters begin to take a sinister turn targeting her and including intimate details of her own life. Every time something happens in her life, she receives a letter from an anonymous source mirroring recent events. Jane begins to feel spooked. And when a client starts getting too familiar and wanting to focus on her her life rather than his own, Jane wonders if it's all somehow connected.
And then when she finds incriminating evidence in her own home that is clearly linked to Florrie, she begins to doubt everyone around her...including her own family. As her marriage crumbles, her children acting out and becoming more distant than ever and her successful practice falls apart, Jane is further rocked by a secret that threatens to shatter her entire world. Can things ever be the same again?
Time is running out. Can Jane find Florrie and uncover the truth whilst saving her own family before it's too late?
Once again, Rijks delivers a fast paced tension-filled thriller that keeps you turning the pages until you reach the end. I devoured it in under five hours as it was such an easy read. None of the characters were particularly likeable but some moreso than others. It was such an easy and entertaining read that I have come to love. I also love the multiple POVs that allow you to see different sides of the story whilst trying to figure out the mystery therein.
I don't think the ending was the "twist you won't see coming" kind of jaw-dropping shock the tagline promised, but it was still a nice touch all the same.
Overall, THE OTHER MOTHER was a thoroughly entertaining thriller that is easily devoured and completely addictive from start to finish.
I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheOtherMother in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
I'm a sucker for missing child thriller tropes and I love Miranda Rijks' easy style. She just pulls you in, ramps up the tension and delivers a thrilling read every time. With a mixed bunch of characters (mostly unlikeable), there are plenty of twists to keep you guessing and entertained throughout. THE OTHER MOTHER was such a quick read that I devoured it in one sitting in bed last night.
Naomi is a physiotherapist caught up on a training course when she asks her best friend Jane to pick up her four year old daughter Florrie from school and meet her at the dentists where Florrie has an appointment. But when Jane arrives at the school she is told that the little girl has already been collected by her mother's friend Jane. But she is Jane! So who picked up Florrie? And where is she now?
Jane is frantic trying to contact Naomi, who is unreachable, and searching for the little girl all the while questioning the school as to why they didn't properly identify the woman who picked her up claiming to be Jane. They certainly wanted to see her identification so why did they not check those of whoever picked up Florrie?
A psychologist who specialises in family dynamics, Jane also masquerades as an agony aunt for a local paper doling out advice to those who seek it. But it isn't long before the "agony aunt" letters begin to take a sinister turn targeting her and including intimate details of her own life. Every time something happens in her life, she receives a letter from an anonymous source mirroring recent events. Jane begins to feel spooked. And when a client starts getting too familiar and wanting to focus on her her life rather than his own, Jane wonders if it's all somehow connected.
And then when she finds incriminating evidence in her own home that is clearly linked to Florrie, she begins to doubt everyone around her...including her own family. As her marriage crumbles, her children acting out and becoming more distant than ever and her successful practice falls apart, Jane is further rocked by a secret that threatens to shatter her entire world. Can things ever be the same again?
Time is running out. Can Jane find Florrie and uncover the truth whilst saving her own family before it's too late?
Once again, Rijks delivers a fast paced tension-filled thriller that keeps you turning the pages until you reach the end. I devoured it in under five hours as it was such an easy read. None of the characters were particularly likeable but some moreso than others. It was such an easy and entertaining read that I have come to love. I also love the multiple POVs that allow you to see different sides of the story whilst trying to figure out the mystery therein.
I don't think the ending was the "twist you won't see coming" kind of jaw-dropping shock the tagline promised, but it was still a nice touch all the same.
Overall, THE OTHER MOTHER was a thoroughly entertaining thriller that is easily devoured and completely addictive from start to finish.
I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheOtherMother in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
April 23, 2023
I’ve been reading a lot of Miranda’s books lately and have really enjoyed them. This book was my least favorite. The twist at the end was totally unnecessary and ruined it for me due to the irritation I felt. The plot isn’t bad, and there are some nice twists along the way though. A little girl is abducted, and this book centers around the support given by the mother’s friends, especially Jane a psychologist. Jane does seem to be clueless at times as to what a psychologist should know or do. She also has some bratty children. About half of this book is Jane’s POV. She, along with other friends try really hard to find the little girl. They all are a bit dysfunctional as well as the girl’s parents. And soon, everyone is a suspect
July 25, 2023
Jane is asked as a last minute favour to pick up her friends four year old daughter Florrie from school. But to her horror she has already being collected by someone called Jane!!
This is a book that will have you gripped from the beginning, there are lots happening with twists and secrets galore.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a book that will have you gripped from the beginning, there are lots happening with twists and secrets galore.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2023
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
I really like the multi cast narration on this book! It was very clear, concise, and easy to listen to for hours! The plot is about a four year old girl that goes missing from school one day when she’s picked up early by the wrong person. There are a whole lot of twists and turns in the story, most of which I never saw coming. I enjoyed how it came to a conclusion and look forward to more books by this author. If you’re into psychological thrillers this might be perfect for you!
I really like the multi cast narration on this book! It was very clear, concise, and easy to listen to for hours! The plot is about a four year old girl that goes missing from school one day when she’s picked up early by the wrong person. There are a whole lot of twists and turns in the story, most of which I never saw coming. I enjoyed how it came to a conclusion and look forward to more books by this author. If you’re into psychological thrillers this might be perfect for you!
April 21, 2023
The Other Mother by Miranda Rijks was an excellent psychological thriller that will have you drawn in from the very first few pages.
Nala is stuck on a training course for work and has to stay to the end. She has asked her other friends to pick up her daughter Florrie early from school, as she has a booked dentist appointment, with no reply Nara takes that everyone is busy.
So, Nara contacts Jane who is a very close friend to her and asked her to pick up her daughter, Florrie, from school, she can’t imagine the horror that will unfold. A parents worst nightmare is about to happen!
Because someone pretending to be Jane has already collected Florrie. And now the little four-year-old is missing.
Panic sets in all around Jane..............
Who has picked up her daughter if it wasn't Jane?
Jane starts to receive anonymous letters that include intimate details about her life. As a psychologist and agony aunt, she's used to getting letters asking for advice, but these letters are so different.
Are they somehow connected to the missing child?
Then, to her utter dismay, Jane finds incriminating evidence in her own home, evidence that is clearly linked to Florrie. She starts to doubt everyone around her, even her own family.......Now, could one of them be implicated in Florrie’s disappearance? and why?
Jane is under so much stress all around her and her marriage crumbles, her children act out and her once very successful business falls apart. This is when Jane discovers a shocking secret that shatters her entire world around her.
Time is running out Jane must find Florrie and uncover the truth.
Can she save Florrie and her own family, or will she be too late to stop the unthinkable?
Will Nara and Jane's friendship ever be the same!
WoW This book was so good I loved it and I had to finish this book once I started it. it had so many twists and turns throughout it made it a great page turner from start to finish.
I highly recommend this book....Another 5 star read!
Big Thank you to the author Miranda Rijks and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read.
Nala is stuck on a training course for work and has to stay to the end. She has asked her other friends to pick up her daughter Florrie early from school, as she has a booked dentist appointment, with no reply Nara takes that everyone is busy.
So, Nara contacts Jane who is a very close friend to her and asked her to pick up her daughter, Florrie, from school, she can’t imagine the horror that will unfold. A parents worst nightmare is about to happen!
Because someone pretending to be Jane has already collected Florrie. And now the little four-year-old is missing.
Panic sets in all around Jane..............
Who has picked up her daughter if it wasn't Jane?
Jane starts to receive anonymous letters that include intimate details about her life. As a psychologist and agony aunt, she's used to getting letters asking for advice, but these letters are so different.
Are they somehow connected to the missing child?
Then, to her utter dismay, Jane finds incriminating evidence in her own home, evidence that is clearly linked to Florrie. She starts to doubt everyone around her, even her own family.......Now, could one of them be implicated in Florrie’s disappearance? and why?
Jane is under so much stress all around her and her marriage crumbles, her children act out and her once very successful business falls apart. This is when Jane discovers a shocking secret that shatters her entire world around her.
Time is running out Jane must find Florrie and uncover the truth.
Can she save Florrie and her own family, or will she be too late to stop the unthinkable?
Will Nara and Jane's friendship ever be the same!
WoW This book was so good I loved it and I had to finish this book once I started it. it had so many twists and turns throughout it made it a great page turner from start to finish.
I highly recommend this book....Another 5 star read!
Big Thank you to the author Miranda Rijks and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read.
May 1, 2023
Four-year-old Florence goes missing. Everyone in her mother's and her aunt's life become a suspect.
I was intrigued from the start, though this did take until about 20% to really get going. But then it picks up speed and runs at a rapid pace as new clues are picked up to implicate different people. It wad a whirlwind of red herrings. Not to mention the shocking twists and revelations.
I was so excited when I saw a new book from Rijks and it did not disappoint. A must read thriller with heart pounding suspense and captivating mystery.
I was intrigued from the start, though this did take until about 20% to really get going. But then it picks up speed and runs at a rapid pace as new clues are picked up to implicate different people. It wad a whirlwind of red herrings. Not to mention the shocking twists and revelations.
I was so excited when I saw a new book from Rijks and it did not disappoint. A must read thriller with heart pounding suspense and captivating mystery.
March 16, 2024
3.5 stars
If you're in the mood for a cat and mouse suspense, you may want to give this book a try. I would describe it as a "pinball machine" read in which I had no idea where it was going for a large part of the story. I just sat back, and allowed it to take me where it wanted. I enjoyed the ride.
It was told through multiple perspectives and had some decent plot twists. I had to suspend disbelief at times as there were some plot elements and character decisions that were farfetched. The characters were also more on the one note side. However, despite its shortcomings, it was a fun listen.
The audio performance used different narrators for the various perspectives, which I liked. It kept me engaged.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#TheOtherMother
If you're in the mood for a cat and mouse suspense, you may want to give this book a try. I would describe it as a "pinball machine" read in which I had no idea where it was going for a large part of the story. I just sat back, and allowed it to take me where it wanted. I enjoyed the ride.
It was told through multiple perspectives and had some decent plot twists. I had to suspend disbelief at times as there were some plot elements and character decisions that were farfetched. The characters were also more on the one note side. However, despite its shortcomings, it was a fun listen.
The audio performance used different narrators for the various perspectives, which I liked. It kept me engaged.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#TheOtherMother
May 30, 2023
Jane Wildman is asked by her close friend, Nala, to pick up her four year old daughter, Florrie, from school. Jane agrees but arrives late to the school and when she gets there, she’s shocked to discover that someone claiming to be Jane Wildman has already collected Florrie. A police investigation quickly begins and everyone is looking for little Florrie. At the same time, Jane starts to receive letters on her agony aunt column that strangely mirror her life, and she begins to wonder if someone is watching her and if that same person took Florrie.
This was a fast paced thriller about a child abduction with lots of twists and turns. The characters all had secrets and everyone was a suspect. I was really invested in the story and wanted to find out who was responsible. I actually didn’t figure out what was going on and I was really shocked by who the kidnapper was and I thought it was very cleverly written. This was my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be the last! This was an excellent thriller that really shocked me.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fast paced thriller about a child abduction with lots of twists and turns. The characters all had secrets and everyone was a suspect. I was really invested in the story and wanted to find out who was responsible. I actually didn’t figure out what was going on and I was really shocked by who the kidnapper was and I thought it was very cleverly written. This was my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be the last! This was an excellent thriller that really shocked me.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 17, 2024
I’m not sure the exact reason I didn’t like this book since I typically enjoy this author’s books, but I think it had to do with a lot of little pieces. I was enthralled for the first two hours of the book, but then I realized there was another 6-7 hours left. Then the book dragged on with random tangents and infidelities. Apparently the only problems available in this book were to make the spouses cheat. It didn’t feel very original.
Then I listened to the audiobook and I think I went wrong there as well. The narrators didn’t match the characters.
I also struggled with some of the unrealistic actions people took throughout the book. I honestly don’t think I would have forgiven someone for what they did. I would love to give more details, but that would give away the twist.
I wanted to DNF this book several times, but I wanted to stick it through. I don’t think sticking out was the right choice.
Then I listened to the audiobook and I think I went wrong there as well. The narrators didn’t match the characters.
I also struggled with some of the unrealistic actions people took throughout the book. I honestly don’t think I would have forgiven someone for what they did. I would love to give more details, but that would give away the twist.
I wanted to DNF this book several times, but I wanted to stick it through. I don’t think sticking out was the right choice.
November 3, 2023
2.5⭐
This was an OK book, I liked the story but wasn't a fan of the family dramas happening. There were a few love scenes in it is well, but were not detailed and easy to skip. I felt not many people really cares that the little girl went missing in the book. You would think thay people would be more worried.
This was an OK book, I liked the story but wasn't a fan of the family dramas happening. There were a few love scenes in it is well, but were not detailed and easy to skip. I felt not many people really cares that the little girl went missing in the book. You would think thay people would be more worried.
August 13, 2023
I liked The Arrangement (4-stars) and was excited to read a child abduction story by Rijks. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me, even with the full-cast audio.
Initially the story was very gripping with a new take on an old story, but the rest of the book lacked any spice and there were far too many characters; some of whom were entirely unnecessary. I can't find a reason why Amira (a friend of the MC) was introduced into the story at all, or her son for that matter. Anything involving that family was pointless.
The MC also kept acting out of her own character or for a psychologist. For example, upon finding a child's sock in her laundry she immediately suspected her husband and teenage son of being pedo's completely out of the blue. I imagine the typical reaction would be denial, if anything? Plus she's a THERAPiST. Yet other times she was purposely an ostrich, such as not calling the police when the child goes missing because she assumes the school will or the mother picked the child up.
SUMMARY: Therapist Jane has been asked by her pregnant friend to pickup her 4yo at school and take her to the dentist as she (the mother) is stuck at work. When Jane goes to collect the child she learns from the school the child has already left with another woman and that woman had presented herself as Jane, the therapist.
The book loosely follows the case of the missing child but more focuses on Jane and how she is handling this abduction (answer: not well. She basically becomes unhinged and starts accusing members of her own family and goes nuts). There are the usual secrets like questionable paternity and affairs, plus a lot of time spent on Jane's family. I struggled with the characters and plot holes. There was also a fair deal of eye-rolling with the kidnapper.
Overall, the pacing was fine but it still felt slow and bleh.
The narrators did a great job, however.
Lastly, the cover of this really irks me. The child was taken from school not walked down a neighborhood street and the kidnapped child is black, not a little blonde girl.
Thanks netgalley for my ARC ALC
Initially the story was very gripping with a new take on an old story, but the rest of the book lacked any spice and there were far too many characters; some of whom were entirely unnecessary. I can't find a reason why Amira (a friend of the MC) was introduced into the story at all, or her son for that matter. Anything involving that family was pointless.
The MC also kept acting out of her own character or for a psychologist. For example, upon finding a child's sock in her laundry she immediately suspected her husband and teenage son of being pedo's completely out of the blue. I imagine the typical reaction would be denial, if anything? Plus she's a THERAPiST. Yet other times she was purposely an ostrich, such as not calling the police when the child goes missing because she assumes the school will or the mother picked the child up.
SUMMARY: Therapist Jane has been asked by her pregnant friend to pickup her 4yo at school and take her to the dentist as she (the mother) is stuck at work. When Jane goes to collect the child she learns from the school the child has already left with another woman and that woman had presented herself as Jane, the therapist.
The book loosely follows the case of the missing child but more focuses on Jane and how she is handling this abduction (answer: not well. She basically becomes unhinged and starts accusing members of her own family and goes nuts). There are the usual secrets like questionable paternity and affairs, plus a lot of time spent on Jane's family. I struggled with the characters and plot holes. There was also a fair deal of eye-rolling with the kidnapper.
Overall, the pacing was fine but it still felt slow and bleh.
The narrators did a great job, however.
Lastly, the cover of this really irks me. The child was taken from school not walked down a neighborhood street and the kidnapped child is black, not a little blonde girl.
Thanks netgalley for my ARC ALC
October 17, 2023
Wowzers
Holy hell, people are nuts. The story was so inthralling. A little girl going missing and taken by someone you don’t know yet the little girl went willing so it’s more likely it’s someone you do know has to be the scariest scenario ever.
And teenage girls are so toxic.
Holy hell, people are nuts. The story was so inthralling. A little girl going missing and taken by someone you don’t know yet the little girl went willing so it’s more likely it’s someone you do know has to be the scariest scenario ever.
And teenage girls are so toxic.
January 26, 2024
Thank you Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read and review The Other Mother on NetGalley.
Narrators: Nicola F. Delgado; Lorna Bennett; Emma Fenney.
Stars: 3
I reminded myself several times there was a kidnapped 4-year-old while reading. At around 70% of the book, I realized this was not about a missing child. The characters around the child makeup the story with their individual quirks, idiosyncrasies, and relationships. None of the characters are likable; all are shady and unscrupulous.
The narrators were okay.
I had three wow moments:
1. This is less than 300 pages and it felt so much longer.
2. There is no profanity. Rijks at one point uses the phrase F word, I noticed and appreciated her choice.
3. The Letter -- again --- WOW, didn't see it coming. I liked it.
Overall, the book is just okay. It is mainstream. The bones are there for a better story; so I will pick up another by the author.
I like that I can unapologetically recommend this to youth groups, teens, young adults, and elderly. (FYI. I don't recommend what I cannot read out loud.)
Published: 08/10/23
Narrators: Nicola F. Delgado; Lorna Bennett; Emma Fenney.
Stars: 3
I reminded myself several times there was a kidnapped 4-year-old while reading. At around 70% of the book, I realized this was not about a missing child. The characters around the child makeup the story with their individual quirks, idiosyncrasies, and relationships. None of the characters are likable; all are shady and unscrupulous.
The narrators were okay.
I had three wow moments:
1. This is less than 300 pages and it felt so much longer.
2. There is no profanity. Rijks at one point uses the phrase F word, I noticed and appreciated her choice.
3. The Letter -- again --- WOW, didn't see it coming. I liked it.
Overall, the book is just okay. It is mainstream. The bones are there for a better story; so I will pick up another by the author.
I like that I can unapologetically recommend this to youth groups, teens, young adults, and elderly. (FYI. I don't recommend what I cannot read out loud.)
Published: 08/10/23
April 8, 2023
Jane, a psychiatrist, is supposed to pick up her friend Nala’s young daughter from school. Only when she arrives at the school, she is told that someone claiming to be her already picked up the child. Jane is horrified and guilty, and Nala heartbroken. It doesn’t take long for rumors to begin spreading through the small town, as they continue to search for Florrie. Jane’s professional career begins to take a hit as well, as this isn’t the first time she is involved in a type of kidnapping scandal.
Another solid thriller by Miranda Rijks - every book of hers that I read, I am taken for a winding ride of never seeing what’s coming. The terror and guilt of the missing child was palpable, and it kept me reading late into the night to make sure Florrie was okay. Multiple points of view allowed readers to get perspectives of Jane, Nala and the kidnapper. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers, pick this one up.
Thanks to Miranda Rijks for the ARC! “The Other Mother” releases April 18th!
This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)
Another solid thriller by Miranda Rijks - every book of hers that I read, I am taken for a winding ride of never seeing what’s coming. The terror and guilt of the missing child was palpable, and it kept me reading late into the night to make sure Florrie was okay. Multiple points of view allowed readers to get perspectives of Jane, Nala and the kidnapper. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers, pick this one up.
Thanks to Miranda Rijks for the ARC! “The Other Mother” releases April 18th!
This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)
June 22, 2025
The storyline for this was super interesting, and I thought that the twists were very good! It was easy to read and I flew through it.
However, I wish that it hadn’t ended with the diary entry from Elsa; she only appeared in the book as a stereotypical bratty teenager, and to be honest I wasn’t that interested in her part in the storyline, so it seemed like an odd narrative choice to end the book on her POV.
However, I wish that it hadn’t ended with the diary entry from Elsa; she only appeared in the book as a stereotypical bratty teenager, and to be honest I wasn’t that interested in her part in the storyline, so it seemed like an odd narrative choice to end the book on her POV.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the first half and the set up of everything. The premise is that a mother can't get away from work so she asks one of her best friends to go pick her daughter up from daycare. When the friend (Jane) gets there, she is told that someone else claiming to be her has already taken the 4 year old child (Florie). The first half of the book is trying to figure out whodunnit but we find that out at about 50% and begin to get the kidnappers POV. I really don't care for books when the plot twist involves some underdeveloped character that we don't know much about and don't care about. As soon as we knew who had her, I kind of lost interest because then the 2nd half of the book is just trying to get her back. Infidelity is a major factor in this book and there are multiple cases of it and it all felt a little convoluted and cheap. I also felt like the mention of Naomi (the mother) being black felt weird and did not help anything given the way Naomi is poorly treated throughout the story. It also seemed like her reaction to her child being missing was a little understated. The ending was fine, but this book just lost its luster as it went on.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Our main character (Naomi) is married to an abusive Italian man named Lorenzo. He was in France when Florie was taken but comes back in a rage. Jane is married to Robert with 2 bratty tween/teen kids and she writes a dear Abby column on the side of her therapist practice. Long story, Naomi and Robert had an affair and he's actually Florie's father but nobody knows that. Lorenzo had an affair with a woman named Carmen and she's the one who has Florie. She got pregnant by Lorenzo and lost the baby so she kidnapped Florie thinking she would be better off with her as a replacement for the baby that should've been. Its a big confrontation in the end and Jane kills Carmen and returns Florie safely.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Our main character (Naomi) is married to an abusive Italian man named Lorenzo. He was in France when Florie was taken but comes back in a rage. Jane is married to Robert with 2 bratty tween/teen kids and she writes a dear Abby column on the side of her therapist practice. Long story, Naomi and Robert had an affair and he's actually Florie's father but nobody knows that. Lorenzo had an affair with a woman named Carmen and she's the one who has Florie. She got pregnant by Lorenzo and lost the baby so she kidnapped Florie thinking she would be better off with her as a replacement for the baby that should've been. Its a big confrontation in the end and Jane kills Carmen and returns Florie safely.
May 6, 2023
Thank you @ZooloosBT and @MirandaRijks for letting me be part of tbis tour and reviewing this book. The Other Mother is a psychological thriller and I loved it. I could not put it down. This is the first I have read by the Miranda Rijks and I will be reading more. There is some great twists that I never saw coming. I read the book in a couple of hours because i could not put it down. The story was easy to follow and get into. The story is written well and the chapters are written from Jane and Naomi perspective. I did like the characters and I did feel sorry for Naomi due to Florrie going missing. The story was intense and was at great pace. I loved how the story was making me think and I was trying to figure it all out but I got it completely wrong and I love it when this happens.The ending was not what i expected which was great Gripping and enjoyable read 5 Stars.
August 8, 2023
This is a book with both positives and drawbacks. While I didn't connect with the characters due to their abundance, the saving grace was the skillfully executed plot twists that maintained my engagement. The narrators, Nicola Delgado-Sievertson, Lorna Bennett, and Emma Fenney, contributed to the overall engagement, although one performance wasn't to my liking. Overall, the book's twists injected suspense, making it worth a read for those who enjoy surprises in their narratives.
A very special thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the complimentary copy.
A very special thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the complimentary copy.
October 26, 2024
An okay story, but the characters were just blah and so I wasn't that invested. I was concerned for Florrie, but that was it. Jane was tiresome, Florrie's parents didn't seem that upset, and the big reveals at the end didn't seem believable.
May 7, 2023
I was given a copy to review for a
book tour. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #TheOtherMother
#MirandaRijks #ZoolooBookTours #BookTourReview #Thriller #ZooLoo #BookReview
#gifted #ad
The Other Mother was a fast paced read with numerous twists and turns leading to a rather shocking reveal at the end. If you want to know just what it is you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out because as always, no spoilers!
When Jane, an agony aunt and psychologist, is asked by her friend to pick up their four-year-old daughter Florrie for a dentist appointment she couldn’t imagine the nightmare that is about to unfold. Someone pretending to be Jane has already come to collect Florrie and now she is missing. Things only get worse as Jane begins to receive agony letters that reveal intimate details of her life. She cannot help but wonder if these are connected to the missing child? If it wasn’t possible to get worse Jane then finds incriminating evidence in her own home. Slowly Jane’s life begins to unravel around her and she is left questioning everyone around her including her own family. The final straw is when a shocking secret is revealed that threatens to break up her family and shatters her entire world.
I have to say this thriller kept me hooked with several twists and changes along the way. Despite not particularly gelling with Jane, or Naomi (Florrie’s mother), the storyline and other characters were enough to keep me hooked. What I did like about Jane though was how realistic she was as a character. She is rather proactive and while everything around her is falling apart she does try to keep going and focused.
The story itself is tightly woven and being told from multiple points of view I felt helped keep me engaged and I particularly enjoyed getting to see other characters reaction to what is going on around them. What I did enjoy though and what shocked me the most was the twist at the end. I had not even considered it at all so it made a nice, although sinister, twist. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre and will be looking into other works by the author.
book tour. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #TheOtherMother
#MirandaRijks #ZoolooBookTours #BookTourReview #Thriller #ZooLoo #BookReview
#gifted #ad
The Other Mother was a fast paced read with numerous twists and turns leading to a rather shocking reveal at the end. If you want to know just what it is you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out because as always, no spoilers!
When Jane, an agony aunt and psychologist, is asked by her friend to pick up their four-year-old daughter Florrie for a dentist appointment she couldn’t imagine the nightmare that is about to unfold. Someone pretending to be Jane has already come to collect Florrie and now she is missing. Things only get worse as Jane begins to receive agony letters that reveal intimate details of her life. She cannot help but wonder if these are connected to the missing child? If it wasn’t possible to get worse Jane then finds incriminating evidence in her own home. Slowly Jane’s life begins to unravel around her and she is left questioning everyone around her including her own family. The final straw is when a shocking secret is revealed that threatens to break up her family and shatters her entire world.
I have to say this thriller kept me hooked with several twists and changes along the way. Despite not particularly gelling with Jane, or Naomi (Florrie’s mother), the storyline and other characters were enough to keep me hooked. What I did like about Jane though was how realistic she was as a character. She is rather proactive and while everything around her is falling apart she does try to keep going and focused.
The story itself is tightly woven and being told from multiple points of view I felt helped keep me engaged and I particularly enjoyed getting to see other characters reaction to what is going on around them. What I did enjoy though and what shocked me the most was the twist at the end. I had not even considered it at all so it made a nice, although sinister, twist. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre and will be looking into other works by the author.
April 13, 2023
Miranda Rijks The Other Mother Inkubator Books, 2023.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
The Other Mother is an awkward read, predominantly because while a child has been abducted, there is little sense of urgency about solving the crime. Rijks tells several women’s stories, including that of the mother of the missing child. While these stories revolve around four-year-old Florrie and interactions with her parents, the police and friends, at times they detract from the enormity of the kidnap.
The two main characters are Nala, Florrie’s mother, and Jane, her friend and the woman who should have collected Florrie. In her interactions with her friends, husband and the police Nala’s feelings seem relatively unengaged with the horror of Florrie’s disappearance for several days. Jane, who has been impersonated by the kidnapper when she is late to collect Florrie, while distressed, is also engrossed by her other responsibilities. Other characters’ stories are woven throughout and seem to vie with the main narrative for precedence.
The resolution is similarly complicated by several threads: jealously, infidelity and other marriage problems, friendships that flounder, teenage angst, and past grievances. None of the characters was particularly pleasant and the twist at the end was predictable, only serving to emphasise the unpleasantness of one character and failure of another.
I have read several of Miranda Rijks’ novels and have always found them enjoyable reads for the beach. Unfortunately, The Other Mother does not live up to her other work and I was disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
The Other Mother is an awkward read, predominantly because while a child has been abducted, there is little sense of urgency about solving the crime. Rijks tells several women’s stories, including that of the mother of the missing child. While these stories revolve around four-year-old Florrie and interactions with her parents, the police and friends, at times they detract from the enormity of the kidnap.
The two main characters are Nala, Florrie’s mother, and Jane, her friend and the woman who should have collected Florrie. In her interactions with her friends, husband and the police Nala’s feelings seem relatively unengaged with the horror of Florrie’s disappearance for several days. Jane, who has been impersonated by the kidnapper when she is late to collect Florrie, while distressed, is also engrossed by her other responsibilities. Other characters’ stories are woven throughout and seem to vie with the main narrative for precedence.
The resolution is similarly complicated by several threads: jealously, infidelity and other marriage problems, friendships that flounder, teenage angst, and past grievances. None of the characters was particularly pleasant and the twist at the end was predictable, only serving to emphasise the unpleasantness of one character and failure of another.
I have read several of Miranda Rijks’ novels and have always found them enjoyable reads for the beach. Unfortunately, The Other Mother does not live up to her other work and I was disappointed.
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