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Mother, Mother
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.
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.
- GenresThriller
310 pages, Paperback
Published June 27, 2025
636 people are currently reading
943 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 24, 2025
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.
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.
July 7, 2025
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.
July 6, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
July 8, 2025
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.
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.
December 17, 2025
I did NOT see that ending coming. I couldn't put this down. 10/10
October 31, 2025
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.
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.
October 19, 2025
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!
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!
July 28, 2025
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.
“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.
September 30, 2025
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!!
July 29, 2025
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.
July 19, 2025
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🤣
August 15, 2025
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.
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.
July 16, 2025
Guessed the twist early on. A little
Outlandish. No likable characters but I did want to find out what would happen next.
Outlandish. No likable characters but I did want to find out what would happen next.
August 2, 2025
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.
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.
August 20, 2025
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!
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!
July 9, 2025
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.
July 5, 2025
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.
December 31, 2025
Loved the plot of this one. A good, easy read! Zia knows how to write a fun read!
July 20, 2025
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.
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.
August 3, 2025
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
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
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
Childhood is not happy and carefree for everyone and family is not same for every child. Having a loving family is truly a blessing and every child deserves one but not always possible. Every child deserves parents but not all parents deserve children, it is the decision of parents to bring the child so why do they hate them after birth?
Some traumas are so worst that we literally need to run from the people we love and care about in order to stay sane. Pills help getting over anxieties but they aren’t the forever solution because after sometime they do become the drugs that we need to avoid at any cost.
This is the story of Iris who has come back to her hometown for the funeral of her aunt and step-father. She has a lot of trauma related to the house which is the reason she wants to go back as soon as possible but her mother and brother don’t want her to leave altogether. She is shocked to see the person her mother has become since she left 6 years ago as she was one of the coldest person on earth and now she is the most loving and caring mother.
As her car fails to start and she’s fired from her job without notice she is left with no choice but to stay back for inevitable time. While she is here, she finds a journal which belonged to her aunt and the things she read makes her too shocked to even react and she decides to find the truth about her childhood and the house she has lived for most of her life.
As the facts unravel she is more n more invested in knowing the history and the secrets that her mother never told her. The things keep getting weird around her, her childhood best friend is trying everything to help her unravel the mystery of the deaths related to her life and home.
Is the woman in the house really her mother or the secrets will give way to so many lies that she will never be able to trust anyone but herself ever in life? Not everything told and seen and remembered is the same way it is, sometimes the reality is way different from the memories.
Some traumas are so worst that we literally need to run from the people we love and care about in order to stay sane. Pills help getting over anxieties but they aren’t the forever solution because after sometime they do become the drugs that we need to avoid at any cost.
This is the story of Iris who has come back to her hometown for the funeral of her aunt and step-father. She has a lot of trauma related to the house which is the reason she wants to go back as soon as possible but her mother and brother don’t want her to leave altogether. She is shocked to see the person her mother has become since she left 6 years ago as she was one of the coldest person on earth and now she is the most loving and caring mother.
As her car fails to start and she’s fired from her job without notice she is left with no choice but to stay back for inevitable time. While she is here, she finds a journal which belonged to her aunt and the things she read makes her too shocked to even react and she decides to find the truth about her childhood and the house she has lived for most of her life.
As the facts unravel she is more n more invested in knowing the history and the secrets that her mother never told her. The things keep getting weird around her, her childhood best friend is trying everything to help her unravel the mystery of the deaths related to her life and home.
Is the woman in the house really her mother or the secrets will give way to so many lies that she will never be able to trust anyone but herself ever in life? Not everything told and seen and remembered is the same way it is, sometimes the reality is way different from the memories.
August 11, 2025
SPOILERS-
Figured out most of the twists early on which and a few loose ends still lingering out there. Don’t read further unless you want spoilers.
1. Figured out super early that mom wasn’t mom and that Claire was a triplet. The news article clearly stated that 2 sisters left behind, both ALSO 10. I reread that 3 times.
2. Who effed up Iris’ car? Who sabotaged her job and what was this so-called HR issue. I kept waiting for this and no explanation.
3. The best friend guy was suspect and I had a feeling he’d be bad at some point.
4. When “mom” asked Iris if she remembered anything after the stabbing, I knew something or someone extra was in that attic. We never did find out what happened “after” though.
5. How did all these people get away with so much corruption and why was everyone a killer of some sort? Too much. Too much.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I did like the story and saw a lot of potential. Not 4 or 5 because predictable, pretty unrealistic, and loose ended imo. But for a new author, great start with a ton of twists. It kept me reading.
Figured out most of the twists early on which and a few loose ends still lingering out there. Don’t read further unless you want spoilers.
1. Figured out super early that mom wasn’t mom and that Claire was a triplet. The news article clearly stated that 2 sisters left behind, both ALSO 10. I reread that 3 times.
2. Who effed up Iris’ car? Who sabotaged her job and what was this so-called HR issue. I kept waiting for this and no explanation.
3. The best friend guy was suspect and I had a feeling he’d be bad at some point.
4. When “mom” asked Iris if she remembered anything after the stabbing, I knew something or someone extra was in that attic. We never did find out what happened “after” though.
5. How did all these people get away with so much corruption and why was everyone a killer of some sort? Too much. Too much.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I did like the story and saw a lot of potential. Not 4 or 5 because predictable, pretty unrealistic, and loose ended imo. But for a new author, great start with a ton of twists. It kept me reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2025
This was really good!!!!!
3 stars because there were a couple of missed plot holes, or points that should’ve been caught during editing, little things like on one page saying ‘school’ then next paragraph/page saying ‘asylum’, or the saying “it feels so heavy / like a rock in my pocket” - that one was used 5+ times to describe a piece of paper or photograph in a pocket
There were a few grammatical errors but this IS a new author and nobodies perfect & it’s nothing another edit or two can’t fix..
I wasn’t surprised by any of the “plot twists” but the writing/story telling itself is so well done that it kept me hooked right to the ending.
Also, all therapy should start over a pint of ice cream!!!
3 stars because there were a couple of missed plot holes, or points that should’ve been caught during editing, little things like on one page saying ‘school’ then next paragraph/page saying ‘asylum’, or the saying “it feels so heavy / like a rock in my pocket” - that one was used 5+ times to describe a piece of paper or photograph in a pocket
There were a few grammatical errors but this IS a new author and nobodies perfect & it’s nothing another edit or two can’t fix..
I wasn’t surprised by any of the “plot twists” but the writing/story telling itself is so well done that it kept me hooked right to the ending.
Also, all therapy should start over a pint of ice cream!!!
July 21, 2025
This Family is Cursed
This book was great, very unhinged. Lots of twists and WTF moments. It was definitely a page turner and was very fast paced. I gave 4 stars because some of it was so unbelievable lol think of those soap operas. Very entertaining, but also like "ain't no way!" Lol overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it, if you like crazy unhinged characters and wild family dynamics.
This book was great, very unhinged. Lots of twists and WTF moments. It was definitely a page turner and was very fast paced. I gave 4 stars because some of it was so unbelievable lol think of those soap operas. Very entertaining, but also like "ain't no way!" Lol overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it, if you like crazy unhinged characters and wild family dynamics.
October 13, 2025
Zia delivers another tale chock full of deception, duplicity, and defiance. Like every great thriller, nothing is ever what it seems…and Iris learns that better than anyone when she returns home for a funeral. The life she thought she left behind comes rearing back with a new ugliness she never could have expected. I managed to piece together the twist, but once more, Zia fooled me in how the twist plays out. I enjoyed Mother, Mother, and I can’t wait for my next Rayyan read!
October 16, 2025
When I read the blurb for this, it gave me Coraline vibes. I kept picturing "your other mother". I immediately knew I had to read this not only for that reason but because Zia's books are sooo good.
Mother, Mother did not disappoint. I think I have whiplash from the amount of twists this book took. My heart was pounding with suspense and I did not want to put this down. (had the stomach bug while reading this and physically couldnt read but all I was thinking about was this book).
Mother, Mother did not disappoint. I think I have whiplash from the amount of twists this book took. My heart was pounding with suspense and I did not want to put this down. (had the stomach bug while reading this and physically couldnt read but all I was thinking about was this book).
October 19, 2025
Iris has been struggling with anxiety and holding her life together since her traumatic youth and fleeing her family. When death calls her back home, she has to deal with all the skeletons in her closet and unsure of who to trust.
My first book by this author. It was a great psychological thriller that did have some twist throughout. At one point, you were unsure who was a reliable character. The ending did seem a bit rushed but it was an enjoyable read.
Trigger warnings: violence
My first book by this author. It was a great psychological thriller that did have some twist throughout. At one point, you were unsure who was a reliable character. The ending did seem a bit rushed but it was an enjoyable read.
Trigger warnings: violence
July 7, 2025
Zia has outdone hereself
I have read all of Zia Rayyan's books, and this one I wish I could give more than 5 stars too. The incredible twist and ruins and edge of your seat suspense is really captivating. Just when I thought everything had been figured out, Zia came through with another surprise and left me unable to put this book down.
I have read all of Zia Rayyan's books, and this one I wish I could give more than 5 stars too. The incredible twist and ruins and edge of your seat suspense is really captivating. Just when I thought everything had been figured out, Zia came through with another surprise and left me unable to put this book down.
August 3, 2025
Loved it. What a page turner. It’s got despicable people, murder, lies, dysfunctional family & amazing twists. You think you know what’s going on then bam, it’s something else. I loved how it had my brain working hard at points to make sense of the tangle of lies, it really kept me on my toes. Fantastic book.
August 4, 2025
Pretty good read. The storytelling style reminded me a lot of Freida McFadden. The ending delivered exactly what I was hoping for, even if the buildup felt a predictable. That said, I do wish the end of the book had gone a bit further, like giving more insight into what happened after the “final event’s” iykyk. I'd definitely read more from this author to get a better sense of their range.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews