Mother, Mother

by Zia Rayyan

Iris Blackwood always knew her mother didn’t love her.

It’s why she left six years ago and never looked back. But when her aunt—her mother’s identical twin—and her stepfather die in a tragic accident, she’s forced to return home.

The cruel woman she remembers is gone. In her place is someone who cooks breakfast with a smile and says, “I love you.”

Iris wants to believe it’s real. But then she finds a journal in the attic. One that reveals her mother and aunt used to switch places all the time.

And when her car mysteriously won’t start, she begins to fear the truth.

She came home to the wrong mother.

And now she may never leave.

Mother, Mother is a psychological thriller with a twist that plays on the time old tale of "Are you my mother", perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Kiersten Modglin, and Lucinda Berry.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[WHL (Bill)]

Mother, Mother by Zia Ryyan is the best psychological thriller I’ve read so far this year.
I stumbled upon it on my Kindle recommendations. The cover and title were intriguing and when I read the synopsis I was hooked.

Fast-paced, twisty, with excellent character development and a jaw-dropping twisty ending. Crisp, compelling writing that kept me reading. —My first time reading Zia Ryyan but I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

[Janae’ Shannon]

I finished this book in a few hours. I can honestly say it did not disappoint! Once you think you have it all figured out, you’re still wrong. 😩 It’s a great read, fast-paced, but the ending will definitely shock you.

[Kellie Welty]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Absolute Page-Turner!

I had never heard of Zia Rayyan before, but after seeing her post about this book in my psychological thriller Facebook group, I decided to give it a try—and I’m so glad I did. I was instantly pulled in and spent the whole day devouring this twisty, gripping story.

The writing style is sharp, compelling, and incredibly well-paced. Every chapter left me needing to know what happened next. Rayyan masterfully builds suspense without ever feeling overdone. It’s the kind of book where you tell yourself “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s midnight.

I’m so impressed by this debut (or at least new-to-me) author and already excited to dive into her other work. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with strong writing and smart twists, this one’s a must-read.

[Its Nuni]

The story pulled me in more and more as I kept reading, and I was constantly curious to see how everything would come together.

There were so many moments where I thought I knew what was happening, only to realize I was completely wrong 😭 I love when a thriller can actually surprise me, and this one definitely did.

Fast, addictive, and such a good read.

[Candish Watson]

One of the best books I’ve read this year!!!

Wow!!! All I can say is wow!!! The twist. The plots. The story line. All just wow. This book is truly a must read. I wish I could give it more starts than 5 stars.

[Jessica Bryan]

I did NOT see that ending coming. I couldn't put this down. 10/10

[Ney oh the thrill of it FN]

Sensational!!

This book was not on my TBR list, but I saw it and just had to read it. Im so glad I did (sorry to all the books patiently waiting to be read lol).

The story follows Iris who returns for the funeral of her aunt and her step father. Iris has been away from home for a number of years and its clear she doesnt want to hang around for long.

She returns to her family home, one that is shrouded in deceit lies and family secrets that have long sincec been buried. Returning threatens to unearth these secrets.

Iris wants to leave as quickly as she returned, her mother wants her to stay. Mother knows best? Or does she?

This book was initially a slow burn for me but it quickly gained momentum and once the action built it was twist after twist! I honestly didnt know if I was coming or going! I didnt see the twists coming and audibly gasped on a few ocassions as they were revealed. The twists for me where real psychological twists filled with suspense and intrigue and caused me to stay up late as I just had to know how it ended.

This book now lives rent free in my head and I wont stop recommending it, honestly can't give it enough praise!

Very excited to read more of Zia's work.

[Nicki Thoirs]

3.5 rounded up. This was an absolutely brilliant book, but can quickly become confusing if you aren't paying attention.
I really did not expect that twist at the end! Whiplash inducing!

[Anne Chinn]

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!

Kept me tense until the very end! What a great 📚📚📚! I tried to take a nap before I finished the book but I couldn't quit thinking about it! I had to finish. Lots of twists and turns, which I love! Can't wait to read more from this author!

[Nancy❤The❤Bookaholic]

Really good

I really enjoyed this book. It kept my interest and I had my suspicion and it was just a what if and I was right. Highly recommended This twisty thriller.

[Peter Jackson]

it didn’t draw me in

“His knuckles turned white” the white knuckle line was repeated a lot. It was an ok book, it just didn’t pull me in at all.

[iris muller]

This book is my favorite book of all time!!! The author used my name in it and my obsession with Ghostface and drawing!!! I love this book so much!!! This author is so amazing!!! The way he describes characters and the setting!!! I am a visual reader and if an author describes the book well enough I can picture the setting and characters and this author is amazing at describing things!!! I love it so so much!!! The thrill in this book was amazing as well! It kept me on the edge of my seat!!

[Alexis Williams]

ZIAAAAA you gotta keep these suspenseful page turners coming. This one took me some more time to read but not because it was lacking anything just because I was taking my time. Such a fast paced easy read.

[Ashley Cwiklewski]

I AM PRETTY SURE THIS BOOK GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!! I had to stay up to finish it becUse my heart was beating out of my chest! I cant remember the last time i was hooked and read a book this quickly. It is a short read but kept my interest the whole time! THANKS TO WHATEVER TIKTOKER OR LEMON8 PERSON WHERE I SAW THIS RECOMMENDATION!! Now i need to go calm myself so i can go to bed🤣

[fuzzyreads]

3⭐️

Took me a while to get through this book. It didn’t capture my attention the way it should have based on the plot. Some things were predictable and some just ridiculous. That being said, it wasn’t too boring either.

[Kelsey Van Hook]

Guessed the twist early on. A little
Outlandish. No likable characters but I did want to find out what would happen next.

[Pam Roth]

Quite the THRILL ride!

I thought I knew what was going on three times only to find out I was WRONG. This author REALLY knows how to weave a story. Fast paced,interesting characters, great plot.

[karin whitehead]

Mother?

Wow! Murder can destroy a family, three generations of deceit. Iris is sent scrambling to return home for her aunt, and step fathers funnel. Six years away from the memories of the pain of growing up, knowing you killed your father when you were at the tender age of seven. Fast paced, great characters and a stunning story line. A must read!

[Alison]

Intriguing plot, but I was not impressed by the execution. It might have been the way the narrator read the audiobook, I’m not sure, but it was not good. It felt like too many plot twists being crammed and it got exhausting.

[Alisha Gardner]

I give this a 4.2. Some of the twists were a little predictable, but one of them GOT ME!!! It was definitely a good read and got me out of a little slump that I was in.

[Heather]

Another winner by Zia Rayyan! I thought I knew, but I didn't. I'm finding myself wanting to read all their books.

[Sharon]

AMAZING! I read it twice! I couldn't put the book down, reading it too fast to see what happens. Mindblown. I didn't see that ending coming. I read it a second time, a bit slower. Zia is a genius.

[Hailey Rae Griffin ✨]

I am in absolute beyond belief after finishing this book! 🤯💬

The entire storyline and plot was something I DID NOT see coming, and I am going to be so honest with you: you will not see it coming either! I am still in complete disbelief that I did not figure this one out, especially when it felt like the answer to who the mother truly was should have been simple.

Pausing and Staring at the Wall 😳
This book completely took over my life while reading it. There were multiple times where I had to pause the audiobook, stare at the wall for a second, speak out loud to myself, or completely stop whatever I was doing just to be fully immersed in the moment. The tension and shock value were off the charts.

Emotional Vulnerability and Sisterhood 🧩
Beyond the insane mystery, the character development was incredible. If you love stories filled with dark lies, unexpected twists and turns, deep emotional vulnerability from the oldest sister, and trying to piece together a massive puzzle, this book is 100% for you.

Final Thoughts 💭
An absolute five out of five stars! I truly need to read so much more from this author immediately. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up right now if you want a thriller that will completely throw you for a loop!

[Alesha E]

Pretty binge worthy. Good read

[Brittany Nichole]

Loved the plot of this one. A good, easy read! Zia knows how to write a fun read!

[Danielle]

4 stars! This book is narrated by a girl named Iris who loses her aunt and her stepfather in a car accident. Her aunt and her mom were identical twins. She goes home for the services and finds that her mom is acting significantly different. Instead of her baseline, cold and hard attitude, she is nice. Making her meals. The author is also hinting of something horrible that happened in the attic of her family home and how all the family members are visiting to try and see if her mom’s going to list the place for sale. She does have a younger brother named Cole who still lives at the house. He’s also acting strange. The author left for an unknown reason 6 years ago abandoning her family and her best friend Dean. After a short power outage, Iris finds her way into the attic and finds a leather bound notebook written by her aunt Anna in cursive writing.

In the book, and writes about how her twin sister Mara stole her first love David Eriks. She had sex with him and he did not know the difference between the twins. She was heartbroken that their connection was not sacred and was interchangeable. David is Iris’s dad.

Anna and Mara decided to share David. They shared him by both pretending to be Anna. David couldn’t tell them apart and didn’t know the difference. Eventually, Mara got pregnant. There is a journal entry about a lot of blood. This sends the narrator Iris into a panic attack. She has some memory again in the attic that we are unsure of. She starts questioning if this is why her mom was so cold to her. She questions if Anna was really the one they buried.

She starts having more panic symptoms and decides she needs to leave. She goes to get in her car and it won’t start. She immediately gets a call from her job saying she has fire effective immediately for gross misconduct. She now has to stay.

Her neighbor and old best friend Dean agrees to investigate the family with her. We find out that her grandma committed suicide by hanging in the home and Claire (her aunt) was there. Her aunts sister’s Anna and Mara blamed Claire. Three months later, Claire was dead and in the ground very quickly. We find out that the narrator was also there in the attic when her father committed suicide. When the cops got there, she was covered in blood and calm.

After iris finds out that the break lines in the car that killed her mom Mara and stepfather might have been cut she’s almost arrested. Anna ties her to the bed to detox her at home at threatens to have her committed.

Iris gets back on her mom’s good terms and finds a loose floorboard in her mom’s room. She learns from a ripped old photo and missing journal entries that her dead aunt Claire was their triplet not their younger sister. Also Claire is her mom. Anna and Mara are both dead. One in the car accident with her stepfather and one who killed herself after her own mom died. Long story short, they think that their mom is going to kill them, so they call the neighbor - who’s secretly been in love with Iris the whole time - Dean to come save them. When he shows up Cole admits that Dean told him cutting the brake lines would not actually kill them and that there was a back up break system. Dean was sabotaging their family and killing the two of them so that he could have Iris to himself. Claire stabs Dean in self-defense after he almost strangles Iris to death. In the end, Iris and Cole end up with a life insurance policy from their stepdad and eat a pint of mint chocolate chip while they watch their house burn to the ground after dousing it in gasoline. Dean dies. Claire ends up in jail, likely for the rest of her life

[Denee Beintema]

So good. Crazy twists.

[Nikki Houghton]

Triplets
That’s it
Just triplets
What a lot of idiocy.
Who writes this stuff? I just wasted three hours reading this nonsense I’ll never get back.
Avoid.

[Bugs]

Wow. Just..wow.

Utterly gobsmacked, I am.

*slow clap*

Very rarely does a thriller, regardless of its sub-genres, particularly psychological in nature, utterly surprise me to a point of shock because of the sheer amount of twists the story unravels. Until now. And I'm a huge fan of thrillers, especially the psychological, twisty (that makes sense) ones and have had my share of reading all kinds.

Nothing really shocks me or catches me off-guard anymore with a few exceptions albeit few and far-between. So when I started "Mother, Mother," I had an inclination of what it'd be about because the premise was not unknown to me. I was just thrilled to listen to Kira Fixx's performance in their new thriller role!

As usual, Fixx's incredible knack for creating a sustained sense of unease, anxiety, fear, suspense and paranoia throughout the story that screams for it makes this thriller (and all the others that they've done, thusfar!), crafted brilliantly by Zia Rayyan, a total MUST-LISTEN!

You know that visuals and sounds are tools used to create a certain mood and atmosphere in a movie/show or in the case of a book, descriptive wordings that trigger the effects, right?

Well, our voice can also create an atmospheric effect, too, if we know how to tweak and manipulate its pitch, rhythm, intonation, volume, texture, layer, even breadth, so effortlessly that the listener can't help but detects and senses the mood, the emotions of the story, making the aural experience a visually immersive one.

And that's what I get from Fixx's vocal artistry every single time they perform an audiobook in any genre, really. And that's saying something about their level of vocal artistry in their work, always with passion and conviction. I think that's why the execution of their performance is always so visceral, so authentic, to the story they portray with their voice that exudes versatility.

Rayyan's "Mother, Mother" is one dark, twisty story weaved brilliantly by her written narrative, embodied to precise intensity by Fixx. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something else crept up from my peripheral, ready to pounce from its dark corners when I wasn't "looking!" And then the hits just kept coming! Oh, how I LOVED that feeling! The adrenaline!! The thrills! The jaw-drop! YES!

I stand corrected. I did not see that coming! What an original take on a not-so-original trope! Hats off! I'm impressed!

There was one scene that absolutely had me sitting at the edge of my seat! Rayyan's words were there to incite that tension needed to create the suspense but Fixx drove the stake right through the heart with her vocal embodiment of sheer intensity I had to remind myself that I wasn't watching the scene visually. I was "watching" it with my auditory perception through the voice that became visual! It was an absolutely adrenaline-filled scene perfectly executed by the person who can bring to life a story, a character, a scene, by only their vocals that transcend all five senses with their raw, unfiltered emotional energy!

If you're into psychological thrillers with some devilish twists and dark turns, look no further. Read this one. And if you want to further immerse yourself into the paranoia and suspense, listen to the story unfold visually like you're watching the thriller on-screen!

It behooves me to mention that Marnie Penning, although this was my first listen of her performance, did a fabulous job playing the role of the mother!! Great pairing between Penning and Fixx as their performance styles compliment each other superbly!

"Mother, Mother" is a dark, suspenseful, and highly twisted psychological thriller that takes you from one discovery to the next revelation until its ultimate climax as you slowly begin to understand what truly lies beneath...

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

[Dezarae]

Mother Mother ⭐️⭐️½

This was probably a 2.5-star read for me because by the end I was mostly just sitting there thinking… what is happening? 😂

We follow a woman who left home after growing up in a very cold, traumatic family. Her father died by suicide, she’s heavily dependent on antidepressants and Xanax, and it is very obvious from the beginning that she is not doing well.

Then her aunt Anna and Anna’s husband are involved in a car accident, so she comes home for the funeral.

While she’s there, she finds an old diary and discovers that her mom and Aunt Anna used to switch places with each other so often that even the family apparently didn’t always know who was who. Then she starts questioning whether the woman she thought was her mother was actually Anna.

Already weird.

Then she digs deeper, goes to the library, and discovers that her mom and Anna weren’t twins at all—they were triplets. There was a third sister, Claire, who supposedly died when they were young and had always been treated like the unwanted outcast.

Except… of course, things are not that simple.

There are more diaries, more family secrets, suspicious deaths, no autopsies where there probably should have been autopsies, and eventually she finds out that her brother cut the brakes on Anna’s car.

So now we have murder.

She also starts having these horrifying flashbacks that suggest she may have actually been the one who killed her father, including remembering him calling her a monster. Meanwhile, her mother and friends basically restrain her and force her to detox because they insist she’s hallucinating and losing her mind.

And THEN comes the giant twist.

It turns out Anna isn’t Anna.

She’s actually Claire.

Claire never died, and apparently these sisters have been switching identities for YEARS.

Then we find out there was this entire elaborate plot involving Claire, her brother, the car accident, and getting her back home. Her brother was involved because he loved Claire and wanted her there, which somehow includes helping cut the brakes and orchestrating all of this insanity.

Eventually people start dying, her brother ends up hospitalized, Claire confesses to the murders, and she goes to prison.

And that’s basically where we land.

I understand what the book was trying to do with unreliable memories, identity, trauma, and this completely dysfunctional family, but there were just so many twists that eventually they stopped feeling shocking and started feeling confusing.

The switching identities especially just did not track for me. By the end, instead of thinking, WOW, what a twist, I was thinking, Wait… so who was who again?

Definitely dark, definitely twisted, but it was just a little too messy for me.

⭐️⭐️½ — weird, chaotic, and not quite in a good way.