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My Mother's Secret
'A gripping page-turner - the twists kept coming!' Catherine Ryan Howard
You can only hide for so long...
Lizzie Bradshaw. A student from the Lake District, forced to work away from home, who witnesses a terrible crime. But who will ultimately pay the price?
Emma Taylor. A mother, a wife, and a woman with a dangerous secret. Can she keep her beloved family safely together?
Stella Taylor. A disaffected teenager, determined to discover what her mother is hiding. But how far will she go to uncover the truth?
And one man, powerful, manipulative and cunning, who controls all their destinies.
You can only hide for so long...
Lizzie Bradshaw. A student from the Lake District, forced to work away from home, who witnesses a terrible crime. But who will ultimately pay the price?
Emma Taylor. A mother, a wife, and a woman with a dangerous secret. Can she keep her beloved family safely together?
Stella Taylor. A disaffected teenager, determined to discover what her mother is hiding. But how far will she go to uncover the truth?
And one man, powerful, manipulative and cunning, who controls all their destinies.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2018
13 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Sanjida Kay
8 books115 followersSanjida Kay is the author of psychological thrillers, 'One Year Later', 'My Mother's Secret', 'The Stolen Child' and 'Bone by Bone', which was longlisted for a CWA Steel Dagger. She's an Amazon rising star, and is published by Corvus Books. She has two short thrillers published in anthologies - 'The Beautiful Game', in 'The Perfect Crime' (which won a CWA Short Story Dagger), edited by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski, published by Harper Collins, and 'The Divide' in 'The Book of Bristol' edited by Heather Marks and Joe Melia, published by Comma Press. Sanjida lives in Somerset with her husband and her daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 21, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Sanjida Kay’s third novel and the second piece of work I have read by this author is a meticulously plotted domestic noir, which slots into the psychological thriller and mystery genres. It deftly combines two timelines and three contrasting point of view, revealing a family in crisis after a deadly secret linked to times past controls the lives of more than one family unit. My Mother’s Secret put the spotlight on the scenario of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and how this has the potential to shatter your life.
My Mother’s Secret begins with the character of Lizzie Bradshaw, a young mother and wife, who travels away from home to work. On her way home one day, Lizzie’s life is irrevocably changed when she becomes the chief witness to an awful crime. The fallout from witnessing this crime is a heartbreaking choice that will haunt Lizzie for years to come. Kay also introduces the voice of Emma Taylor, a mother of two, who holds a secret so dangerous it could threaten the existence of all those she holds dear. Connected to Emma’s story is that of her oldest daughter, Stella. Emma’s daughter is one perceptive teenager who is convinced her mother is concealing something from their family. Emma is determined to expose the truth, at any cost. My Mother’s Secret considers how all of these people’s lives are interlinked to one life changing incident, which occurred years ago.
The front covers tagline of My Mother’s Secret states, ‘you can only hide for so long’. It is an enticing and bewildering premise that serves up plenty of scenarios as to what this book might explore. On the whole I found My Mother’s Secret well written, methodically plotted, twisty and absorbing. It did take me a little by surprise in the beginning. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with the novel as a whole. I found it hard to get a handle on all the characters and what part they played in the overall proceedings of the book. But after a few chapters I settled into the groove of My Mother’s Secret and I found myself quite taken in by the ensuing story.
I like the way My Mother’s Secret is structured. Dividing the book between three different points of view provides the reader with a wide eyed and comprehensive picture of the central story. Kay has a good handle on each of these differing perspectives. She successfully embodies the mind of emotionally distraught young mother Lizzie, fearful Emma and suspicious Stella. I can only imagine how hard it would be to write and swap identities, but Kay takes this aspect of My Mother’s Secret in her stride. I also appreciated how the book was clearly separated in two different timelines, the past and the present. This serves to heighten the tension, atmosphere and the puzzle element of the storyline. Kay gently reveals titbits, leading the reader slowly into the path of the central mystery. I enjoyed this aspect of the story very much.
I am finding this review very hard to go into any great amount of detail, for I am mindful of revealing too much about the plot or twists that will expose the crux of the story. What I will say is I appreciated the well thought out plot, the flooring twists (which come late too), the clear characterisation, the gentle literary references and ominous atmosphere, which all compliment one another. The use of short and succinct chapters works to unveil the events of the story and serves to draw the reader further into the book. I personally love this style of novel, especially when I read a lot of psychological thrillers. Before I knew it I had already got through a third of the novel when I selected this book late into the night!
Sanjida Kay is an author who proves she is worthy of a place in the field of domestic fiction based psychological thrillers. It is a popular genre, but My Mother’s Secret is one not to be missed.
*I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Sanjida Kay’s third novel and the second piece of work I have read by this author is a meticulously plotted domestic noir, which slots into the psychological thriller and mystery genres. It deftly combines two timelines and three contrasting point of view, revealing a family in crisis after a deadly secret linked to times past controls the lives of more than one family unit. My Mother’s Secret put the spotlight on the scenario of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and how this has the potential to shatter your life.
My Mother’s Secret begins with the character of Lizzie Bradshaw, a young mother and wife, who travels away from home to work. On her way home one day, Lizzie’s life is irrevocably changed when she becomes the chief witness to an awful crime. The fallout from witnessing this crime is a heartbreaking choice that will haunt Lizzie for years to come. Kay also introduces the voice of Emma Taylor, a mother of two, who holds a secret so dangerous it could threaten the existence of all those she holds dear. Connected to Emma’s story is that of her oldest daughter, Stella. Emma’s daughter is one perceptive teenager who is convinced her mother is concealing something from their family. Emma is determined to expose the truth, at any cost. My Mother’s Secret considers how all of these people’s lives are interlinked to one life changing incident, which occurred years ago.
The front covers tagline of My Mother’s Secret states, ‘you can only hide for so long’. It is an enticing and bewildering premise that serves up plenty of scenarios as to what this book might explore. On the whole I found My Mother’s Secret well written, methodically plotted, twisty and absorbing. It did take me a little by surprise in the beginning. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get on with the novel as a whole. I found it hard to get a handle on all the characters and what part they played in the overall proceedings of the book. But after a few chapters I settled into the groove of My Mother’s Secret and I found myself quite taken in by the ensuing story.
I like the way My Mother’s Secret is structured. Dividing the book between three different points of view provides the reader with a wide eyed and comprehensive picture of the central story. Kay has a good handle on each of these differing perspectives. She successfully embodies the mind of emotionally distraught young mother Lizzie, fearful Emma and suspicious Stella. I can only imagine how hard it would be to write and swap identities, but Kay takes this aspect of My Mother’s Secret in her stride. I also appreciated how the book was clearly separated in two different timelines, the past and the present. This serves to heighten the tension, atmosphere and the puzzle element of the storyline. Kay gently reveals titbits, leading the reader slowly into the path of the central mystery. I enjoyed this aspect of the story very much.
I am finding this review very hard to go into any great amount of detail, for I am mindful of revealing too much about the plot or twists that will expose the crux of the story. What I will say is I appreciated the well thought out plot, the flooring twists (which come late too), the clear characterisation, the gentle literary references and ominous atmosphere, which all compliment one another. The use of short and succinct chapters works to unveil the events of the story and serves to draw the reader further into the book. I personally love this style of novel, especially when I read a lot of psychological thrillers. Before I knew it I had already got through a third of the novel when I selected this book late into the night!
Sanjida Kay is an author who proves she is worthy of a place in the field of domestic fiction based psychological thrillers. It is a popular genre, but My Mother’s Secret is one not to be missed.
*I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
March 15, 2018
Here's a fabulous example of how to take a simple premise and turn it on its head. How by just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, your whole world can come crashing down around you and your life will change forever.
The chapters in this novel switch between Emma, Lizzie and Stella. Emma leads a rather nice and comfortable life with her husband and two daughters, until one day she spots a man and her past catches up with her. Emma has been keeping a humongous secret that is slowly revealed throughout the story and I obviously can't say any more about that because that would ruin the entire plot for you.
Personally, I thought it was rather obvious from the start what that secret was and I did feel some things were rather predictable but there is something so beautiful and absorbing in the way Sanjida Kay writes, that it didn't matter one bit to me. As in her previous books, the characters in this story are all incredibly realistic and believable and it's easy to imagine how one event can change the course of your life so dramatically. It makes you wonder what you would do. How do you choose between the life you have now and the one you could have had?
While Lizzie's circumstances are heartbreaking, to say the least, I must say the stand-out character for me was Stella and Sanjida Kay brought this hormonal teenager to life perfectly. And yes, there is a bit of a twist that I didn't see coming at all, which also made me rethink the entire story and enormously appreciate the way the plot was crafted. This is another gripping and compelling novel by this author and I look forward to more by her in future!
The chapters in this novel switch between Emma, Lizzie and Stella. Emma leads a rather nice and comfortable life with her husband and two daughters, until one day she spots a man and her past catches up with her. Emma has been keeping a humongous secret that is slowly revealed throughout the story and I obviously can't say any more about that because that would ruin the entire plot for you.
Personally, I thought it was rather obvious from the start what that secret was and I did feel some things were rather predictable but there is something so beautiful and absorbing in the way Sanjida Kay writes, that it didn't matter one bit to me. As in her previous books, the characters in this story are all incredibly realistic and believable and it's easy to imagine how one event can change the course of your life so dramatically. It makes you wonder what you would do. How do you choose between the life you have now and the one you could have had?
While Lizzie's circumstances are heartbreaking, to say the least, I must say the stand-out character for me was Stella and Sanjida Kay brought this hormonal teenager to life perfectly. And yes, there is a bit of a twist that I didn't see coming at all, which also made me rethink the entire story and enormously appreciate the way the plot was crafted. This is another gripping and compelling novel by this author and I look forward to more by her in future!
July 20, 2019
One of my favourite.
I can always rely on my favourite author Sanjida Kay to give me the greatest pleasure in reading a suspenseful story.
Family problems happen to the most perfect family.
Lizzie Bradshaw has to leave her son and her husband to work away from home. While Lizzie is away working she witnesses an horrific crime and frighteningly she sees everything that happened. Lizzie is now a key witness to what the men looked like, which will complicate her world.
Emma Taylor is married to the kind caring Jack and they have two beautiful daughters who can be a bit of handful with tantrums, just like most girls do. Mother Emma is keeping a very dark secret. I do love it when someone hides secrets, it urges me on where I just want to know where the story will go.
How clever Sanjida is weaving Lizzie and Emma with a bond that’s all comes together.
Emma thinks she has recognised a man from her past. Things in Emma’s life start to get extremely complicated for her. So much real danger is set in this story just waiting for all readers like myself to enjoy the tense chapters.
Honestly nothing could tear me away from this family twist. I’ve read Bone By Bone and The Stolen Child and now My Mother’s Secret. With my hand on my heart I recommend all three novels by Sanjida Kay.
June 28, 2018
My Mother’s Secret is the kind of book that you pick up to read a little, and by the time you look up again you’re halfway through! Sanjida Kay has a lovely writing style, in that it flows really well and you don’t notice the time going by as you read.
I really enjoyed My Mother’s Secret. The characters were all interesting in their own way, and they are all going through some stuff. And who doesn’t like to read a bit of drama every now and again?!
Sanjida Kay has a real knack for writing relationships. Most especially the dynamics between mothers and their children, for better or worse. She just “gets” it. The moods, the communication (or lack thereof), the huffing at each other, it’s all there. I find that this gives a very real, tangible feeling to her writing, because it makes it that bit more relatable.
There is quite a lot going on in My Mother’s Secret, not so much that you can’t keep track, but enough to make the reader think. I loved how the stories intermingled, and then went in different directions, and were then brought back around. A really clever look at relationships and how the impact of decisions can affect everything.
Recommended for sure!
I really enjoyed My Mother’s Secret. The characters were all interesting in their own way, and they are all going through some stuff. And who doesn’t like to read a bit of drama every now and again?!
Sanjida Kay has a real knack for writing relationships. Most especially the dynamics between mothers and their children, for better or worse. She just “gets” it. The moods, the communication (or lack thereof), the huffing at each other, it’s all there. I find that this gives a very real, tangible feeling to her writing, because it makes it that bit more relatable.
There is quite a lot going on in My Mother’s Secret, not so much that you can’t keep track, but enough to make the reader think. I loved how the stories intermingled, and then went in different directions, and were then brought back around. A really clever look at relationships and how the impact of decisions can affect everything.
Recommended for sure!
April 12, 2018
3.5 stars
My Mother’s Secret is the third psychological thriller from Sanjida Kay and behind the uninspiring title awaits an acutely well observed and insightful novel which steers clear of melodrama and impresses with a very well-realised cast. The result, in the main, is an oddly unsettling family drama with the power to destroy two families whose lives collide in a story that considers the often extraordinary lengths we go to in order to protect and keep safe the people we love.
Whilst admittedly a slow starter with the lives of three narrators languidly taking shape, My Mother’s Secret soon captivated me with its unflinchingly honest handling of how one random event can set our lives on an unforeseen trajectory and the often devastating collateral damage it can unleashes on the unsuspecting and innocent parties. As the lives of each of the three narrators takes form each incremental layer of detail adds to the unfolding picture of an impossible dilemma with a very destructive power. In a story set against the backdrop of the breathtaking Lake District and a Bristol steeped in National Trust heritage, that the markedly different landscapes play a part in the lives of all three narrators helps ensure each of the voices remains admirably distinct.
Bristolian part-time baker, mother to fourteen-year-old Stella and eleven-year-old Ava, Emma Taylor is married to a man twenty years her senior in the accommodating, endlessly patient and sympathetic, Jack. Caught in a daily battle to keep her anxiety at bay and marshalling a four-way family timetable to ensure every hour is accounted for her frayed nerves cast a shadow over her family life. For sarcastic teen Stella, struggling for independence and living in far-flung Long Ashton she is increasingly growing frustrated by her father’s excuses of the loss of her mother’s family when she was just seventeen for her jumpy disposition and overprotectiveness. As a chance sighting of an old face takes Emma on an unforeseen walk down memory lane and Jack plans a surprise fifteen year wedding anniversary party, Stella starts to suspect that her newly glowing mother is withholding a secret.. and she is intent on finding out and as such initiates an assiduous search for potentially damning evidence. For Lizzie Bradshaw, a young mum to six month old Dylan, married to National Trust ranger, Paul and living a stone’s throw from the Cumbrian Way in the Lake District, the economic realities of family life force her to accept a part-time job in Belle Isle, a rough neighbourhood in Leeds. Fiercely intelligent and highly motivated, tomboy Lizzie has a provisional place to study for a Masters in Environmental Science only for a chance sighting of a heinous crime sends her life into free fall. But just what connects Emma, Stella and Lizzie?
Admittedly the past/ present tense dichotomy of the narrative means it will not take any savvy reader long to guess the secret which is thinly veiled, although in truth it wouldn’t have marred my enjoyment of the reading experience if Kay had made the differing timelines more readily apparent. Both Emma and Lizzie’s fateful meetings go on to shape their destinies - magical for one and catastrophic for the other, however elaborating further on the themes addressed would spoil the surprises in store for other readers. As they both discover the practicalities of a life built on subterfuge and the associated realities of existing in a state of perpetual fear, despite their polar opposite personalities they are confronted by the exact same realisation that the choice was out of their hands.
My Mother’s Secret illustrates just what can happens when something as simple as being in the wrong place as the wrong time and an event out of our control wreaks havoc on our lives and sends it spinning in the most unexpected of direction and presents a predicament which is the very definition of the paradoxical catch-22 situation. It doesn’t make it anymore bearable or just for those involved and credit goes to Sanjida Kay for her characters often visceral emotions. Of the three narrators it was Lizzie who I felt most removed from and struggled to connect with and, in hindsight, this may be reflective of her past tense narrative and reduced part in the unfolding action. She certainly felt less distinct in contrast to stroppy and very sarcastic Stella who shines through with her impulsive outbursts and subsequently considered actions as befitting her clear intelligence. From her love of literature to her pithy soundbites on everything from tentative first love (“a cross between nervous palpitations and a tummy bug”), she brings an energy and a lighter side to the story.
Interestingly, Sanjida Kay holds fire on the real bombshell revelation until the final moments of the novel and for many readers this will seem like a definite abuse of power by one character and bring a rather unsavoury and very abrupt ending to proceedings. I was remarkably disappointed by the outcome which in my opinion did a disservice to the utterly absorbing story that preceded it with its neat and oversimplified denouement. Not only do I think that the conclusion depended on some out of character behaviour on the part of the majority of the characters but the idea that it was reached with such magnanimity and aplomb is laughable. Whilst I can understand Sanjida Kay opting to concentrate her novel on the dynamics and emotional upheaval of the unfolding events, this far-fetched and facile conclusion is baffling. If Kay achieved anything throughout a sympathetically recounted story it is that life is never simple but full of myriad complications which have the power to change the course of every life, only for a conclusion to be the very epitome of happy families platitudes. This ending in itself is enough to reduce a four star review to a three and a half and it is this which forced me to reconsider the true identity of the powerful, manipulative and cunning man so chillingly controlling the destinies of all three of the narrators.. An interesting and captivating story which, despite the flaws proves emotionally involving and refreshingly original.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
My Mother’s Secret is the third psychological thriller from Sanjida Kay and behind the uninspiring title awaits an acutely well observed and insightful novel which steers clear of melodrama and impresses with a very well-realised cast. The result, in the main, is an oddly unsettling family drama with the power to destroy two families whose lives collide in a story that considers the often extraordinary lengths we go to in order to protect and keep safe the people we love.
Whilst admittedly a slow starter with the lives of three narrators languidly taking shape, My Mother’s Secret soon captivated me with its unflinchingly honest handling of how one random event can set our lives on an unforeseen trajectory and the often devastating collateral damage it can unleashes on the unsuspecting and innocent parties. As the lives of each of the three narrators takes form each incremental layer of detail adds to the unfolding picture of an impossible dilemma with a very destructive power. In a story set against the backdrop of the breathtaking Lake District and a Bristol steeped in National Trust heritage, that the markedly different landscapes play a part in the lives of all three narrators helps ensure each of the voices remains admirably distinct.
Bristolian part-time baker, mother to fourteen-year-old Stella and eleven-year-old Ava, Emma Taylor is married to a man twenty years her senior in the accommodating, endlessly patient and sympathetic, Jack. Caught in a daily battle to keep her anxiety at bay and marshalling a four-way family timetable to ensure every hour is accounted for her frayed nerves cast a shadow over her family life. For sarcastic teen Stella, struggling for independence and living in far-flung Long Ashton she is increasingly growing frustrated by her father’s excuses of the loss of her mother’s family when she was just seventeen for her jumpy disposition and overprotectiveness. As a chance sighting of an old face takes Emma on an unforeseen walk down memory lane and Jack plans a surprise fifteen year wedding anniversary party, Stella starts to suspect that her newly glowing mother is withholding a secret.. and she is intent on finding out and as such initiates an assiduous search for potentially damning evidence. For Lizzie Bradshaw, a young mum to six month old Dylan, married to National Trust ranger, Paul and living a stone’s throw from the Cumbrian Way in the Lake District, the economic realities of family life force her to accept a part-time job in Belle Isle, a rough neighbourhood in Leeds. Fiercely intelligent and highly motivated, tomboy Lizzie has a provisional place to study for a Masters in Environmental Science only for a chance sighting of a heinous crime sends her life into free fall. But just what connects Emma, Stella and Lizzie?
Admittedly the past/ present tense dichotomy of the narrative means it will not take any savvy reader long to guess the secret which is thinly veiled, although in truth it wouldn’t have marred my enjoyment of the reading experience if Kay had made the differing timelines more readily apparent. Both Emma and Lizzie’s fateful meetings go on to shape their destinies - magical for one and catastrophic for the other, however elaborating further on the themes addressed would spoil the surprises in store for other readers. As they both discover the practicalities of a life built on subterfuge and the associated realities of existing in a state of perpetual fear, despite their polar opposite personalities they are confronted by the exact same realisation that the choice was out of their hands.
My Mother’s Secret illustrates just what can happens when something as simple as being in the wrong place as the wrong time and an event out of our control wreaks havoc on our lives and sends it spinning in the most unexpected of direction and presents a predicament which is the very definition of the paradoxical catch-22 situation. It doesn’t make it anymore bearable or just for those involved and credit goes to Sanjida Kay for her characters often visceral emotions. Of the three narrators it was Lizzie who I felt most removed from and struggled to connect with and, in hindsight, this may be reflective of her past tense narrative and reduced part in the unfolding action. She certainly felt less distinct in contrast to stroppy and very sarcastic Stella who shines through with her impulsive outbursts and subsequently considered actions as befitting her clear intelligence. From her love of literature to her pithy soundbites on everything from tentative first love (“a cross between nervous palpitations and a tummy bug”), she brings an energy and a lighter side to the story.
Interestingly, Sanjida Kay holds fire on the real bombshell revelation until the final moments of the novel and for many readers this will seem like a definite abuse of power by one character and bring a rather unsavoury and very abrupt ending to proceedings. I was remarkably disappointed by the outcome which in my opinion did a disservice to the utterly absorbing story that preceded it with its neat and oversimplified denouement. Not only do I think that the conclusion depended on some out of character behaviour on the part of the majority of the characters but the idea that it was reached with such magnanimity and aplomb is laughable. Whilst I can understand Sanjida Kay opting to concentrate her novel on the dynamics and emotional upheaval of the unfolding events, this far-fetched and facile conclusion is baffling. If Kay achieved anything throughout a sympathetically recounted story it is that life is never simple but full of myriad complications which have the power to change the course of every life, only for a conclusion to be the very epitome of happy families platitudes. This ending in itself is enough to reduce a four star review to a three and a half and it is this which forced me to reconsider the true identity of the powerful, manipulative and cunning man so chillingly controlling the destinies of all three of the narrators.. An interesting and captivating story which, despite the flaws proves emotionally involving and refreshingly original.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
March 12, 2018
Book reviews and more on www.snazzybooks.com
I am a huge fan of Sanjida Kay, having raved about Bone by Bone and The Stolen Child. So I was really excited to see that she has a new release, My Mother's Secret - a story that in some ways is fairly different to her other two but is equally as gripping!
Focusing more on a family with a mother that has a big secret, this novel addresses a whole range of issues whilst slowly revealing what Emma is hiding as the novel goes on. Bit by bit the reader starts to realise that people are linked in surprising ways, and I loved the slow reveal of clues and information.
This isn't a fast-paced, all-action novel; rather it's a steady but completely absorbing story which I raced through in no time at all. The characters are all so well crafted and convincing (as, I feel, is always the case in Sanjida Kay's novels) and there were some truly heartbreaking decisions for characters in this novel. I don't want to say much more, as I don't want to spoil anything, but to me the ending was surprising but just right and it really makes you think about how you'd react in the same situation. I hugely enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it!
* Many thanks to Corvus and Netgalley for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review. *
I am a huge fan of Sanjida Kay, having raved about Bone by Bone and The Stolen Child. So I was really excited to see that she has a new release, My Mother's Secret - a story that in some ways is fairly different to her other two but is equally as gripping!
Focusing more on a family with a mother that has a big secret, this novel addresses a whole range of issues whilst slowly revealing what Emma is hiding as the novel goes on. Bit by bit the reader starts to realise that people are linked in surprising ways, and I loved the slow reveal of clues and information.
This isn't a fast-paced, all-action novel; rather it's a steady but completely absorbing story which I raced through in no time at all. The characters are all so well crafted and convincing (as, I feel, is always the case in Sanjida Kay's novels) and there were some truly heartbreaking decisions for characters in this novel. I don't want to say much more, as I don't want to spoil anything, but to me the ending was surprising but just right and it really makes you think about how you'd react in the same situation. I hugely enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend it!
* Many thanks to Corvus and Netgalley for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review. *
April 11, 2018
"My Mother's Secret" written by Sanjida Kay is a really enjoyable and entertaining psychological thriller.
The blurb - Lizzie Bradshaw. A student from the Lake District, forced to work away from home, who witnesses a terrible crime. Emma Taylor. A mother, a wife, and a woman with a dangerous secret. Can she keep her beloved family safely together? Stella Taylor. A disaffected teenager, determined to discover what her mother is hiding. But how far will she go to uncover the truth? And one man, powerful, manipulative and cunning, who controls all their destinies.
There were quite a few characters to get your head around in the beginning of the story and the timeline does jump around slightly but they soon all fit together and everything clicks into place. I did think I'd guessed the plot twist but I was slightly wrong and although you are aware of the connections in the story it doesn't spoil the enjoyment of how it all concludes.
On a completely different note altogether, if there was ever a book destined to be a scratch and sniff book this is it. The descriptions of the countryside were beautiful and atmospheric, with the aromas of the lavender and roses jumping from the pages and floating around you. Combined with the bakery smells of the pastries, cakes and baking bread - my mouth was truly watering.
This is a well written, decent psychological thriller that I would happily recommend and I would certainly not hesitate in reading more by this author again.
4 stars
Merged review:
"My Mother's Secret" written by Sanjida Kay is a really enjoyable and entertaining psychological thriller.
The blurb - Lizzie Bradshaw. A student from the Lake District, forced to work away from home, who witnesses a terrible crime. Emma Taylor. A mother, a wife, and a woman with a dangerous secret. Can she keep her beloved family safely together? Stella Taylor. A disaffected teenager, determined to discover what her mother is hiding. But how far will she go to uncover the truth? And one man, powerful, manipulative and cunning, who controls all their destinies.
There were quite a few characters to get your head around in the beginning of the story and the timeline does jump around slightly but they soon all fit together and everything clicks into place. I did think I'd guessed the plot twist but I was slightly wrong and although you are aware of the connections in the story it doesn't spoil the enjoyment of how it all concludes.
On a completely different note altogether, if there was ever a book destined to be a scratch and sniff book this is it. The descriptions of the countryside were beautiful and atmospheric, with the aromas of the lavender and roses jumping from the pages and floating around you. Combined with the bakery smells of the pastries, cakes and baking bread - my mouth was truly watering.
This is a well written, decent psychological thriller that I would happily recommend and I would certainly not hesitate in reading more by this author again.
4 stars
The blurb - Lizzie Bradshaw. A student from the Lake District, forced to work away from home, who witnesses a terrible crime. Emma Taylor. A mother, a wife, and a woman with a dangerous secret. Can she keep her beloved family safely together? Stella Taylor. A disaffected teenager, determined to discover what her mother is hiding. But how far will she go to uncover the truth? And one man, powerful, manipulative and cunning, who controls all their destinies.
There were quite a few characters to get your head around in the beginning of the story and the timeline does jump around slightly but they soon all fit together and everything clicks into place. I did think I'd guessed the plot twist but I was slightly wrong and although you are aware of the connections in the story it doesn't spoil the enjoyment of how it all concludes.
On a completely different note altogether, if there was ever a book destined to be a scratch and sniff book this is it. The descriptions of the countryside were beautiful and atmospheric, with the aromas of the lavender and roses jumping from the pages and floating around you. Combined with the bakery smells of the pastries, cakes and baking bread - my mouth was truly watering.
This is a well written, decent psychological thriller that I would happily recommend and I would certainly not hesitate in reading more by this author again.
4 stars
Merged review:
"My Mother's Secret" written by Sanjida Kay is a really enjoyable and entertaining psychological thriller.
The blurb - Lizzie Bradshaw. A student from the Lake District, forced to work away from home, who witnesses a terrible crime. Emma Taylor. A mother, a wife, and a woman with a dangerous secret. Can she keep her beloved family safely together? Stella Taylor. A disaffected teenager, determined to discover what her mother is hiding. But how far will she go to uncover the truth? And one man, powerful, manipulative and cunning, who controls all their destinies.
There were quite a few characters to get your head around in the beginning of the story and the timeline does jump around slightly but they soon all fit together and everything clicks into place. I did think I'd guessed the plot twist but I was slightly wrong and although you are aware of the connections in the story it doesn't spoil the enjoyment of how it all concludes.
On a completely different note altogether, if there was ever a book destined to be a scratch and sniff book this is it. The descriptions of the countryside were beautiful and atmospheric, with the aromas of the lavender and roses jumping from the pages and floating around you. Combined with the bakery smells of the pastries, cakes and baking bread - my mouth was truly watering.
This is a well written, decent psychological thriller that I would happily recommend and I would certainly not hesitate in reading more by this author again.
4 stars
April 8, 2018
I received a copy of this novel via Readers First in exchange for an honest review, which is (obviously) this.
I found this to be a bit of a slow burner at first. I got a bit muddled, keeping track of the characters – each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of 3 characters, although there are (of course) other characters mentioned within said chapters. I found it easier to keep track of who was who after a while, when the plot (and indeed some sub plots) became a bit clearer. I was curious to find out more about Emma's background and I wondered if her daughter, Stella, would discover all the secrets her mother (Emma) kept from her and the rest of her family. I noticed one or two plot elements that seemed a little unlikely, a bit convenient perhaps although I want to make it clear I genuinely didn't feel it spoilt the book entirely and indeed half way through the book I was quite gripped by it. Its fair to say its quite mysterious in general.
There were some slightly dry/bland parts in it but overall I was sufficiently intrigued to keep reading. However, I did feel the ending to be a bit rushed. On the plus side, I appreciated (as ever, if you know me) the relatively short chapters – their mostly 10 pages long (at the most) or shorter. Due to this, I found it to be an easy book for dipping in and out of, if you can keep track of the characters. This is not a bad book - not an especially great one as such but certainly not a bad one either, I'd say its worth a read if it appeals to you. One or two elements frustrated me but my overall feeling was that it was for the most part a good, sometimes gripping, read in general that I did feel somewhat engrossed in, so I'm giving it a 4 star rating.
I found this to be a bit of a slow burner at first. I got a bit muddled, keeping track of the characters – each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of 3 characters, although there are (of course) other characters mentioned within said chapters. I found it easier to keep track of who was who after a while, when the plot (and indeed some sub plots) became a bit clearer. I was curious to find out more about Emma's background and I wondered if her daughter, Stella, would discover all the secrets her mother (Emma) kept from her and the rest of her family. I noticed one or two plot elements that seemed a little unlikely, a bit convenient perhaps although I want to make it clear I genuinely didn't feel it spoilt the book entirely and indeed half way through the book I was quite gripped by it. Its fair to say its quite mysterious in general.
There were some slightly dry/bland parts in it but overall I was sufficiently intrigued to keep reading. However, I did feel the ending to be a bit rushed. On the plus side, I appreciated (as ever, if you know me) the relatively short chapters – their mostly 10 pages long (at the most) or shorter. Due to this, I found it to be an easy book for dipping in and out of, if you can keep track of the characters. This is not a bad book - not an especially great one as such but certainly not a bad one either, I'd say its worth a read if it appeals to you. One or two elements frustrated me but my overall feeling was that it was for the most part a good, sometimes gripping, read in general that I did feel somewhat engrossed in, so I'm giving it a 4 star rating.
May 12, 2018
3.5 stars. It took me a while to get into the story, but then I became engrossed and was looking forward to seeing how it all turned out. In my opinion the ending lets it down, it just sort of fizzled out.
October 24, 2025
What a brilliant story line…so clever!! It kept me guessing up to the last page. I’d never read any of this authors books before, but will definitely be reading more of them now :)
Read
April 6, 2018The front cover shows a woman's reflection within a puddle and this could represent issues that the character wants to avoid . Within the first couple of pages the book immediately dives into suspense (which I expect will carry on through the whole book).
May 9, 2018
I must say, well done, well done! I love a good twists and here I got several. Let me show you.
I think, no, yes, no. Dang!
Oh no, oh oh oh no! Whaat?
.....NO WAY!
There you go, lol, those were my feelings for the twists that kept on coming. They were perfect!
Because it feels rather light, it is easy to read, but at the same time you feel tensions running through it. And secrets are coming out.
The book is about tree women, Lizzie, who sees a crime and then we go back, and then what happens after that horrible event.
Emma, who has a secret in her past. I liked Emma, she just tries so hard and her husband is so controlling in ways. But she is happy ...
Stella, Emma's daughter, who is starting to think that her mother is hiding something.
And I kept wondering how it would all fit together. As we see two POVS in the present and one that is moving to the present.
But yes those twists were the best thing, I really like how the author handled them. She is a great writer and she sure made me want to read more by her. I like being surprised.
Some secrets just can't stay hidden. *music of doom*
Great book!
I think, no, yes, no. Dang!
Oh no, oh oh oh no! Whaat?
.....NO WAY!
There you go, lol, those were my feelings for the twists that kept on coming. They were perfect!
Because it feels rather light, it is easy to read, but at the same time you feel tensions running through it. And secrets are coming out.
The book is about tree women, Lizzie, who sees a crime and then we go back, and then what happens after that horrible event.
Emma, who has a secret in her past. I liked Emma, she just tries so hard and her husband is so controlling in ways. But she is happy ...
Stella, Emma's daughter, who is starting to think that her mother is hiding something.
And I kept wondering how it would all fit together. As we see two POVS in the present and one that is moving to the present.
But yes those twists were the best thing, I really like how the author handled them. She is a great writer and she sure made me want to read more by her. I like being surprised.
Some secrets just can't stay hidden. *music of doom*
Great book!
April 1, 2018
Netgalley and the publisher kindly gave me a chance to read this book.
The story is told from Lizzie a young mother, Emma a married mum and her daughter Stella. Lizzie witnesses a serious crime and her life is changed for ever. Emma is an ordinary working mum and merts a man and starts to see him. At first the characters of Lizzie and Emma are separate but I soon worked out the connection.
This book was a very enjoyable read with some good twists, the last one I didn't see coming. I did think the book was going to finish differently but I still enjoyed the ending.
I would give the book 5 stars, it's a great fit fans of gone girl and girl on a train. Will be looking out for this author in the future.
The story is told from Lizzie a young mother, Emma a married mum and her daughter Stella. Lizzie witnesses a serious crime and her life is changed for ever. Emma is an ordinary working mum and merts a man and starts to see him. At first the characters of Lizzie and Emma are separate but I soon worked out the connection.
This book was a very enjoyable read with some good twists, the last one I didn't see coming. I did think the book was going to finish differently but I still enjoyed the ending.
I would give the book 5 stars, it's a great fit fans of gone girl and girl on a train. Will be looking out for this author in the future.
April 15, 2018
I really wanted to like this book, it starts off so well as we are introduced to Emma and her stroppy teenage daughter Stella and are starting to get to know quiet, intelligent Lizzie. Obviously not everything is at it seems at first or else there would be no Mother's Secret to unfurl. As is popular in the genre each chapter is devoted to one character so we can see the same action from different viewpoints. However, this is what spoils the book as it gives away the big reveal quite early on so you then start reading just to get to the end and find out just how everyone becomes aware of the secret.
The character of Stella is particularly well written. She shows all the angst and changeable mood of a normal 15 year old girl, along with the foul mouth and propensity for hiding her life from her parents. Her relationship with her younger sister and her friends is of the hot/cold variety that just feels right for her age and the things she is finding out. Sadly, this is the only character that felt complete throughout the whole book.
Lizzie is the quintessential Country Mouse and loves nothing more than a good Lake District hike with her baby son and husband. Emma is the Town Mouse with her therapist husband, posh house and job that she doesn't really need financially but for her own self-respect. Both women are written as tired cliches and although the author tries I never really felt I got under the skin of either of them and didn't really care about their convoluted, entangled lives.
The biggest problem is with the execution of the plot. The idea is a sound one (I won't go into it in detail here as that will spoil the book for you if you decide to read it). Because some of the cataclysmic events happen prior to the tale being told her the flashback chapters give away exactly what is happening. Even the interpersonal relationships between Lizzie and Paul and Emma and Jack flag up what is happening. With a thriller you really want to be kept guessing and I simply wasn't; I even had the little twists worked out before they were revealed as the writing standard wasn't such that when you got to the denouement you went "Oohhhh, so that's why X said that to Y".
I did feel slightly cheated by the book as well. The first 2 or 3 chapters are so immersive that I was up for burning the midnight oil to find out what happened. Instead I ended up reading this alongside another book as I kept becoming disinterested in what was happening and needed a respite from the unrelenting bleakness of the relationships between wives and husbands and daughters and parents.
There is nothing that makes this book stand out in a very crowded genre and as this is the Author's third novel in the genre I would have expected a lot more; I certainly won't be rushing to check out her earlier books.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READER'S FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
The character of Stella is particularly well written. She shows all the angst and changeable mood of a normal 15 year old girl, along with the foul mouth and propensity for hiding her life from her parents. Her relationship with her younger sister and her friends is of the hot/cold variety that just feels right for her age and the things she is finding out. Sadly, this is the only character that felt complete throughout the whole book.
Lizzie is the quintessential Country Mouse and loves nothing more than a good Lake District hike with her baby son and husband. Emma is the Town Mouse with her therapist husband, posh house and job that she doesn't really need financially but for her own self-respect. Both women are written as tired cliches and although the author tries I never really felt I got under the skin of either of them and didn't really care about their convoluted, entangled lives.
The biggest problem is with the execution of the plot. The idea is a sound one (I won't go into it in detail here as that will spoil the book for you if you decide to read it). Because some of the cataclysmic events happen prior to the tale being told her the flashback chapters give away exactly what is happening. Even the interpersonal relationships between Lizzie and Paul and Emma and Jack flag up what is happening. With a thriller you really want to be kept guessing and I simply wasn't; I even had the little twists worked out before they were revealed as the writing standard wasn't such that when you got to the denouement you went "Oohhhh, so that's why X said that to Y".
I did feel slightly cheated by the book as well. The first 2 or 3 chapters are so immersive that I was up for burning the midnight oil to find out what happened. Instead I ended up reading this alongside another book as I kept becoming disinterested in what was happening and needed a respite from the unrelenting bleakness of the relationships between wives and husbands and daughters and parents.
There is nothing that makes this book stand out in a very crowded genre and as this is the Author's third novel in the genre I would have expected a lot more; I certainly won't be rushing to check out her earlier books.
I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READER'S FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
May 12, 2018
I read this book through The Pigeonhole, a sort of online book club and read it with other readers on the web. It was split into 10 parts, called staves, emailed to me each day. I was able to leave comments throughout and interact with the others. There were videos and photographs and comments from Sanjida Kay during this time, which really added to my reading experience.
I’ve not read anything by this author before so I wasn’t too sure what to expect. It started off slowly setting the scene as told by the three main characters, Emma and Lizzie two women, and Stella, Emma’s teenage daughter.
I really liked Lizzie and felt so sorry for her feeling that she had to leave her young family behind in the Lake District to get her degree in Leeds. She goes to live in a scummy house share with her old best friend and gets a part-time job in Ikea. She feels guilty and really misses her family and her best friend isn’t exactly welcoming. Talk about an all round guilt trip!
I took longer to warm to Emma and her husband Jack. They seemed quite smug and not particularly likeable people. However Emma suffers with terrible anxiety, worrying constantly about her family’s safety and Jack is quite controlling, making sure he knows exactly where they are all are at any given time.
Stella is your typical teenage girl full of hormones and very unsure of herself. She’s a strong character and so her chapters were very spiky, especially as she tries to find out exactly what her mother is hiding.
I really enjoyed this book as the paced pick up. There were quite a few plot twists and reveals through out making me unsure as to what was going on. I guessed a few things, but not everything, and I felt so tense towards the end that I actually saved up the last two staves from The Pigeonhole as I needed to read the ending in one big hit.
I recommend this if you enjoy psychological thrillers and will definitely be checking out Sanjida Kay’s other books.
I’ve not read anything by this author before so I wasn’t too sure what to expect. It started off slowly setting the scene as told by the three main characters, Emma and Lizzie two women, and Stella, Emma’s teenage daughter.
I really liked Lizzie and felt so sorry for her feeling that she had to leave her young family behind in the Lake District to get her degree in Leeds. She goes to live in a scummy house share with her old best friend and gets a part-time job in Ikea. She feels guilty and really misses her family and her best friend isn’t exactly welcoming. Talk about an all round guilt trip!
I took longer to warm to Emma and her husband Jack. They seemed quite smug and not particularly likeable people. However Emma suffers with terrible anxiety, worrying constantly about her family’s safety and Jack is quite controlling, making sure he knows exactly where they are all are at any given time.
Stella is your typical teenage girl full of hormones and very unsure of herself. She’s a strong character and so her chapters were very spiky, especially as she tries to find out exactly what her mother is hiding.
I really enjoyed this book as the paced pick up. There were quite a few plot twists and reveals through out making me unsure as to what was going on. I guessed a few things, but not everything, and I felt so tense towards the end that I actually saved up the last two staves from The Pigeonhole as I needed to read the ending in one big hit.
I recommend this if you enjoy psychological thrillers and will definitely be checking out Sanjida Kay’s other books.
May 3, 2018
Having thoroughly enjoyed the two previous novels by Sanjida Kay I was keen to see what lay in store for readers in My Mother’s Secret.
Family drama from multiple narrators is what I got to enjoy, the story is told from different viewpoints and we can see one incident played out from various perspectives. One of the main voices is teenager Stella and her contributions are perfectly laced with teenage hormones and anger.
Sanjida Kay gets right into the head of each of her narrators – we read what a wife thinks about her husband, his annoying habits and quirks which irritate her. Stella’s frustrations at her mother and the lack of respect she feels towards her father who seems too forgiving of others.
Chapters come in small bursts and name the next narrator so you can know who is pulling the story on. I have a terrible habit of skipping chapter names/numbers so I often found I had to flick my eyes back a page to make sure I knew who was speaking (do not adopt this lazy reading habit!!!)
I am purposefully not speaking too much about the plot for fear of slipping spoilers. There are secrets lurking in this tale (and I love stories with secrets) but the reason things are kept a secret is that having the information made pubic can create pain or problems for others. Probably not ideal for the characters in My Mother’s Secret…
Sanjida Kay writes beautifully and I swear that I could smell fresh baking or the countryside freshness as I was reading her latest book. Trials and troubles in this story – well worth your time seeking this one out.
Family drama from multiple narrators is what I got to enjoy, the story is told from different viewpoints and we can see one incident played out from various perspectives. One of the main voices is teenager Stella and her contributions are perfectly laced with teenage hormones and anger.
Sanjida Kay gets right into the head of each of her narrators – we read what a wife thinks about her husband, his annoying habits and quirks which irritate her. Stella’s frustrations at her mother and the lack of respect she feels towards her father who seems too forgiving of others.
Chapters come in small bursts and name the next narrator so you can know who is pulling the story on. I have a terrible habit of skipping chapter names/numbers so I often found I had to flick my eyes back a page to make sure I knew who was speaking (do not adopt this lazy reading habit!!!)
I am purposefully not speaking too much about the plot for fear of slipping spoilers. There are secrets lurking in this tale (and I love stories with secrets) but the reason things are kept a secret is that having the information made pubic can create pain or problems for others. Probably not ideal for the characters in My Mother’s Secret…
Sanjida Kay writes beautifully and I swear that I could smell fresh baking or the countryside freshness as I was reading her latest book. Trials and troubles in this story – well worth your time seeking this one out.
May 1, 2018
Lizzie and Paul Bradshaw met at university and married when she became pregnant, just before she had completed her degree. Dylan, their baby son is now six months old and they are living in the Lake District, where Paul is doing two part-time jobs, as a National Trust Ranger and working in a bar. However, as they are struggling to make ends meet Lizzie, who wants to be able to complete her dissertation and then take up a provisional place she has been offered to study for a Masters in Environmental Science, decides to take a part-time job in Leeds. This means that she will be separated from Paul and Dylan for half the week but it will be worth it because it will allow her to contribute to the household finances and also to save to finance her future studies. However, when she witnesses a violent crime her life, and the lives of all the people she loves are put in danger. The fact of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time means that, for everyone’s protection, she is forced to abandon her husband and son, a sacrifice which will have profound implications for all of them.
Emma Taylor lives in Bristol with her husband Jack and daughters, fourteen-year-old Stella and eleven-year-old Amy. Emma is neurotically anxious; obsessional about security and keeping her family safe, their lives a ruled by her strict scheduling of all their daily activities. Her apparently supportive and endlessly understanding husband, who is twenty years her senior, often needs to act as mediator when Stella, a typical teenager, becomes increasingly frustrated by the tight controls her mother exerts over the family. Although it gradually becomes clear that Jack must have his own investment in maintaining the neurotic dynamics of family interactions! Stella is sick and tired of being reminded that her mother’s excessive need to keep her family safe stems from the deaths of her parents and sister in a car accident when she was seventeen; as far as Stella is concerned, her mother should have got over that by now! However, Emma has a secret she has never shared with anyone and an unexpected encounter threatens to expose this and to tear the family apart. Before long Stella realises that her mother’s behaviour is becoming even more weird than usual and she is determined to find out who her mother is meeting in secret.
This psychological thriller is told in short chapters, through the alternating voices of Lizzie, Emma and Stella and as it develops the various strands gradually come together. Whilst each of the voices is distinct and I certainly felt pulled into the struggles faced by both Lizzie and Emma, the most convincing one was that of Stella. I thought that the author beautifully captured and evoked the angst of a highly intelligent, thoughtful, disaffected, truculent and sarcastic teenage girl who was desperate for more independence and yet still in need of a sense of security and reliability in her life. All of Stella’s ideo-centric observations on life added an important extra dimension to the unfolding story. She was tenacious about finding out what secrets her mother was keeping whilst also struggling with negotiating her relationships with girlfriends and a tentatively blossoming relationship with her first boyfriend. Her relationship with her rather sweet, ballet-obsessed younger sister was beautifully evoked in what felt like a “pitch-perfect” way. The author captured all the ambivalences of the sibling relationship, with Stella’s feelings of frustration with, and her casual cruelty towards Amy masking a much stronger loving and protective attitude as she attempted to protect her sister as their mother’s behaviour became increasingly strange, secretive and distracted, threatening to destroy the family.
Although I had guessed much of the plot at an early stage, this didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of this essentially well-crafted psychological story. I think this is probably because Sanjida Kay managed to capture the insidious and destructive nature of secrets in families, as well as the long-lasting impact and anguish of loss and desertion. She managed to keep control of the slow build-up of tension, only gradually revealing the complexities of the family dynamics and the secrets which most of the characters were hiding. For most of the time I found her characters credible, although there were moments when some of their behaviour and decision-making did stretch my credulity – there were also some moments in the plotting which required a certain suspension of disbelief!
I do think that, following the very gradual and leisurely revelations of significant past events, the resolution to the story was both very rushed and, despite the revelations which had immediately preceded it, rather less than convincing! I found it a rather facile ending which seemed so out of character with the author’s previous capacity to convey a reasonably convincing psychological coherence in her portrayals of her characters, and of the dilemmas they were facing. For most of the time I was reading I had felt inclined to give the novel a four-star rating but my frustration about the ending is what has influenced my final three-star rating. However, there are lots of themes, particularly those about secrets, identity, loss and the effects of abandonment, which would make this an interesting and thought-provoking choice for reading groups, hence my higher rating for this category.
One proviso I would add to this review is that that you shouldn’t read it if you are hungry – I found the mouth-watering descriptions of bread and cake-making to be all too deliciously evocative!
My thanks to Real Readers and Corvus for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2018
This book starts out quite slow and it took me a little while to get into it. There are a number of characters who are introduced in one go and it is disorientating just as you become familiar with one character, the chapter ends and follows a different one.
The story is told from the perspective of three characters; Emma, her daughter, Stella and Lizzie.
Once I got into the book it became really hard to put down. As soon as it became prominent that Emma is keeping an immense secret from her family, with no clue as to what it was, I felt a strong need to find out! I also needed to understand how Lizzie fits into the picture because for a long time her part of the story feels disjointed and completely unrelated.
The story unfolds itself in a slow-burning but riveting way. It wouldn't describe this book as fast-paced yet I really struggled to put it down sometimes. It had pulled me in so strongly and made me feel the characters were so real that I needed to understand the secrets that were woven between them.
One thing I loved about this book was the fact that it had several well thought out twists and dramatic turns. They didn't feel forced and they had been carefully planted much further back in the story which made it feel shocking yet realistic whenever it was revealed. The twists were also very cleverly written because of the fact that they were not all seeded and unloaded at the same time. The twists started coming from about halfway into the story so it kept it really interesting.
Some of the twists I could see coming but I'm sure that was intentional; whereas some of the other aspects of the story, I only suspected them right before they were revealed to the reader.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this book was all the literary references! Jane Eyre and many of Margaret Atwood's novels were frequently referred to in this story and that made me appreciate this book all the more - there's nothing that wins me over quite like a link to my favourite book!
The epigraph of the book reads:
'If I were to marry you, you would kill me.'
Reader, I married him.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
This instantly made me more intrigued and after reading it, it was such an apt quote to choose and I loved it.
This was a cleverly written and carefully plotted psychological thriller, I would definitely recommend it.
The story is told from the perspective of three characters; Emma, her daughter, Stella and Lizzie.
Once I got into the book it became really hard to put down. As soon as it became prominent that Emma is keeping an immense secret from her family, with no clue as to what it was, I felt a strong need to find out! I also needed to understand how Lizzie fits into the picture because for a long time her part of the story feels disjointed and completely unrelated.
The story unfolds itself in a slow-burning but riveting way. It wouldn't describe this book as fast-paced yet I really struggled to put it down sometimes. It had pulled me in so strongly and made me feel the characters were so real that I needed to understand the secrets that were woven between them.
One thing I loved about this book was the fact that it had several well thought out twists and dramatic turns. They didn't feel forced and they had been carefully planted much further back in the story which made it feel shocking yet realistic whenever it was revealed. The twists were also very cleverly written because of the fact that they were not all seeded and unloaded at the same time. The twists started coming from about halfway into the story so it kept it really interesting.
Some of the twists I could see coming but I'm sure that was intentional; whereas some of the other aspects of the story, I only suspected them right before they were revealed to the reader.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this book was all the literary references! Jane Eyre and many of Margaret Atwood's novels were frequently referred to in this story and that made me appreciate this book all the more - there's nothing that wins me over quite like a link to my favourite book!
The epigraph of the book reads:
'If I were to marry you, you would kill me.'
Reader, I married him.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
This instantly made me more intrigued and after reading it, it was such an apt quote to choose and I loved it.
This was a cleverly written and carefully plotted psychological thriller, I would definitely recommend it.
October 13, 2018
An enjoyable read worthy of 3 and a half stars if only Goodreads would change their rating system. This psychological crime drama is a great holiday read - a well-paced story with short chapters narrated by the main characters.
Unusually for me, I picked the twist before it happened...and I quite liked the fact that we knew this before the final pages.
Possibly a 4 star rating if I hadn’t been disappointed by the ending.
Unusually for me, I picked the twist before it happened...and I quite liked the fact that we knew this before the final pages.
Possibly a 4 star rating if I hadn’t been disappointed by the ending.
May 3, 2021
I enjoyed this and it had couple of good twists that I didn't see coming but I wasn't sure of the ending, it kind of just got fixed, and all too quickly for how detailed the rest of the story was. It almost seems open for a sequel. Worth a read though.
December 30, 2021
It was very cleverly written and I enjoyed the story, however the ending for me let it down. It’s an ending that comes quickly and for me didn’t do justice to all the effort and story before it. For that reason I have give 3.5 but would have been a 4.5 if not for the ending :(
April 27, 2018
Did I like MY MOTHER'S SECRET?
I did.
It doesn't matter I guessed the ending but I truly enjoyed reading the book.
Language was easy so it was pleasure to read (english is my second language).
I liked the characters- Lizzie and Emma was so different but....
I will not spoil it :P
Stella was a bit annoying for me- I did not like her attitude towards her mum. Was very cold to her and I felt sad for Emma... I know she was a teenager but still.
I spend about a week with this book- not because it wasn't page turner, simply I did not have time.
The things which you can hide from your family and pretend- unbelievable. And what can you do to pretect your love ones.
I recommend this book- definitely
I did.
It doesn't matter I guessed the ending but I truly enjoyed reading the book.
Language was easy so it was pleasure to read (english is my second language).
I liked the characters- Lizzie and Emma was so different but....
I will not spoil it :P
Stella was a bit annoying for me- I did not like her attitude towards her mum. Was very cold to her and I felt sad for Emma... I know she was a teenager but still.
I spend about a week with this book- not because it wasn't page turner, simply I did not have time.
The things which you can hide from your family and pretend- unbelievable. And what can you do to pretect your love ones.
I recommend this book- definitely
May 3, 2018
Lizzie Bradshaw a young mum goes missing after witnessing a crime, Emma Taylor a mother also but with a big secret that count threaten her family and Stella, Emma's daughter. A teenager learning her life is not what she thinks. How do these three lives intertwine and how dangerous are the secrets they know.
This was quite the twist filled story. I loved the intertwining stories and learning the truth of everything but the ending was quite rushed and unexpected. The build up was good but I struggled with the ending a little.
Stella was probably my favourite character in this. She's a typical teen but easily relatable given what she's going through. I liked Lizzie too but it took time to warm to Emma. She's a harder character to like but eventually I understood her.
This was quite the twist filled story. I loved the intertwining stories and learning the truth of everything but the ending was quite rushed and unexpected. The build up was good but I struggled with the ending a little.
Stella was probably my favourite character in this. She's a typical teen but easily relatable given what she's going through. I liked Lizzie too but it took time to warm to Emma. She's a harder character to like but eventually I understood her.
May 30, 2018
Full review available to read on my blog: https://stephenwriterblog.wordpress.c...
This is an excellent work of literature. A story packed with astonishing twists and palpable suspense, but all the while combining it with sophisticated points of view, expertly realised settings, and an unwavering attention to detail.
The story begins in an intriguing way, and although at first glance some of the characters appear to be unrelated and part of two different narratives, there is so much lying beneath the surface. What follows is a complex and absorbing tale which gradually unwinds with increasing tension.
It covers a wide range of themes, some of which come to the fore as the story develops and act as major plot points. Trying to disentangle the mystery in my head was great fun, as Kay leaves few clues until revealing the twists in dramatic style.
I will try not to give too much away, but the way the lives of the two sets of characters merge into one is done very well, and it happens in more ways than I could have believed as the story progresses. About three quarters of the way through, there is a massive curve-ball of a twist that I really did not see coming! There is also another major twist towards the end, which I did kind of predict, although the way it was written meant it still carried a great effect.
The themes of My Mothers Secret and the actions of the characters give rise to a lot of interesting moral questions. Should Emma have given in to her temptation? What would you do in Lizzie’s predicament? Is the ending a fair outcome for everyone?
The story is told from three separate points of view. We have Emma, who is clearly hiding something; her 14-year-old daughter, Stella; and Lizzie, a young woman married woman with a baby son, who witnesses a terrible crime.
Of the three, I connected most with Stella. Though at times she is the archetypal moody teenager, she has the most authentic voice and provides a more open-minded perspective. In amongst all of her questionable attitudes, she is strong-willed and always knows her own mind. I love that she is a feminist, and that she is also a bookworm 😉
And Sanjida Kay captures her very well as a character. The way she writes most of her perspective in the language of a teenage girl shows just what a talented author she is, and that comes across especially well in Stella’s tantrums, and the moments where she voices her inner insecurities.
All of the characters are very well drawn, and we get to know them right to the last detail. Even the minor supporting characters such as Gillian and Katie conjure up a clear image in my mind.
Attention to detail is Sanjida Kay’s top selling point, and what initially attracted me to her work. As ever, this is best demonstrated in the description of the settings. Every aspect of every landscape, every feature of a particular room, every background noise adding that little extra atmosphere, it is all there on the page (or on the screen of my Kindle 🙂 ). It is akin to watching television in ultra high definition!
And then we also have the added bits about cake, and rare plants. The National Trust sites which I have yet to visit. It is extremely enriching for me as a reader, and though it leads to a slower pace, it never detracts from the story. I also like the added use of similes and effective juxtapositions.
There is the added bonus of the book being partly set in Bristol, where both I and Sanjida Kay happen to live. Just like in Bone by Bone, it was cool to read about some places which I know really well!
Despite all of these good points, there were a couple of things in my mind that just about stopped it from being a five-star read. The main thing was the tone of the writing. I appreciate that the subject matter is dark, but some of the descriptions and language used was a bit too explicit for my taste. I just feel that Sanjida Kay’s other books had a little more subtlety in this regard.
But on the whole, a fabulous read. I would certainly recommend it if you were looking for a complex, slowly building psychological thriller with many a startling twist.
This is an excellent work of literature. A story packed with astonishing twists and palpable suspense, but all the while combining it with sophisticated points of view, expertly realised settings, and an unwavering attention to detail.
The story begins in an intriguing way, and although at first glance some of the characters appear to be unrelated and part of two different narratives, there is so much lying beneath the surface. What follows is a complex and absorbing tale which gradually unwinds with increasing tension.
It covers a wide range of themes, some of which come to the fore as the story develops and act as major plot points. Trying to disentangle the mystery in my head was great fun, as Kay leaves few clues until revealing the twists in dramatic style.
I will try not to give too much away, but the way the lives of the two sets of characters merge into one is done very well, and it happens in more ways than I could have believed as the story progresses. About three quarters of the way through, there is a massive curve-ball of a twist that I really did not see coming! There is also another major twist towards the end, which I did kind of predict, although the way it was written meant it still carried a great effect.
The themes of My Mothers Secret and the actions of the characters give rise to a lot of interesting moral questions. Should Emma have given in to her temptation? What would you do in Lizzie’s predicament? Is the ending a fair outcome for everyone?
The story is told from three separate points of view. We have Emma, who is clearly hiding something; her 14-year-old daughter, Stella; and Lizzie, a young woman married woman with a baby son, who witnesses a terrible crime.
Of the three, I connected most with Stella. Though at times she is the archetypal moody teenager, she has the most authentic voice and provides a more open-minded perspective. In amongst all of her questionable attitudes, she is strong-willed and always knows her own mind. I love that she is a feminist, and that she is also a bookworm 😉
And Sanjida Kay captures her very well as a character. The way she writes most of her perspective in the language of a teenage girl shows just what a talented author she is, and that comes across especially well in Stella’s tantrums, and the moments where she voices her inner insecurities.
All of the characters are very well drawn, and we get to know them right to the last detail. Even the minor supporting characters such as Gillian and Katie conjure up a clear image in my mind.
Attention to detail is Sanjida Kay’s top selling point, and what initially attracted me to her work. As ever, this is best demonstrated in the description of the settings. Every aspect of every landscape, every feature of a particular room, every background noise adding that little extra atmosphere, it is all there on the page (or on the screen of my Kindle 🙂 ). It is akin to watching television in ultra high definition!
And then we also have the added bits about cake, and rare plants. The National Trust sites which I have yet to visit. It is extremely enriching for me as a reader, and though it leads to a slower pace, it never detracts from the story. I also like the added use of similes and effective juxtapositions.
There is the added bonus of the book being partly set in Bristol, where both I and Sanjida Kay happen to live. Just like in Bone by Bone, it was cool to read about some places which I know really well!
Despite all of these good points, there were a couple of things in my mind that just about stopped it from being a five-star read. The main thing was the tone of the writing. I appreciate that the subject matter is dark, but some of the descriptions and language used was a bit too explicit for my taste. I just feel that Sanjida Kay’s other books had a little more subtlety in this regard.
But on the whole, a fabulous read. I would certainly recommend it if you were looking for a complex, slowly building psychological thriller with many a startling twist.
Read
April 18, 2018This was a cracking tale - told from the perspective of Stella, Emma and Lizzie. Emma is married with two daughters (Stella and Ava) but when she spots a man from her past at the local National Trust property her whole life is changed.
She's drawn back into the past - It's like there has always been an invisible thread between her and Paul and just the sight of him transports her back 15 years in time.
Meanwhile Lizzie has witnessed a serious and brutal crime - that one moment of being in the wrong place at the wrong time as wide ranging and life changing consequences for both her and her family.
This book builds at a slow but compelling pace, with each chapter we learn a little bit more about the link between all the characters. I was constantly second guessing what would happen next - so hard to put down that I devoured it in two days flat!
She's drawn back into the past - It's like there has always been an invisible thread between her and Paul and just the sight of him transports her back 15 years in time.
Meanwhile Lizzie has witnessed a serious and brutal crime - that one moment of being in the wrong place at the wrong time as wide ranging and life changing consequences for both her and her family.
This book builds at a slow but compelling pace, with each chapter we learn a little bit more about the link between all the characters. I was constantly second guessing what would happen next - so hard to put down that I devoured it in two days flat!
August 25, 2025
Heavy spoilers (though the big twist is obvious straight away, since the whole “alternating perspectives of a younger woman in the past and an older woman in the present are actually the same person” is a well-worn trope).
A young woman named Lizzie witnesses an assault at a newsagent as part of a protection racket and is told by police that the culprit is so powerful she’ll have to abandon her six month old baby and her husband and entire family forever and go into witness protection for life, otherwise he’ll kill all of them and the police are powerless to stop him. Which is absolutely not how witness protection works.
The police arrange and pay for her to have plastic surgery and have her freckles lasered off (lol no) and change her name to Emma, and as Emma she meets, marries and has children with a new man (OR DOES SHE *Poppy from Frasier voice* /no/) The police don’t bother to have her old identity declared legally dead because apparently they’re cool with bigamy, and also it’s fine for someone in witness protection to also be a high profile Missing Person and have their family looking for them.
The book starts when Emma bumps into the first husband she was forced to abandon. He doesn’t recognise his own wife just because she’s had a nose job (wtf???) and he literally has an affair with HIS WIFE, who he’d slept with a thousand times, and still doesn’t recognise that his sexual partner is his own freaking wife.
A major subplot is her young daughter falling in love for the first time (with a boy in her school) and OF COURSE it turns out he’s the baby her mum had to abandon. Because sure why not chuck incest in there too.
It is well written in terms of characterisation, but there are many long descriptions of things unrelated to the plot (I lost track of how many times Emma describes her haircare routine in depth). Lizzie/Emma also comes across as infuriatingly stupid and passive.
A last minute plot twist reveals that Emma’s lovely second husband is actually Evil and is the police psychologist hired to help her transition to her new identity, who himself adopted a new identity in order to seduce her. So basically no one in this book has eyes?
Weirdly Lizzie’s daughter finds a photo of her mum (remember her mum vanished when she was just a baby) and instantly recognises that Emma is the woman in the photo, and realises that Emma is Lizzie. But this is because the daughter is Clever. We know she’s Clever because all she talks about is books and how she’s Not Like Other Girls.
The biggest stumbling block for me is that the criminal whose actions launch all this is portrayed as being basically Blofeld-meets-Don Corleone, but how much of an all-powerful supervillain can he really be, given that he’s personally going around shitty random council estates beating up Asian corner shop owners? He’s clearly a small time local thug, not a Mafia boss. Why doesn’t Lizzie just move her husband and child to Peru or Paris or something?
The book ends abruptly with Emma/Lizzie realising that her most recent husband is Evil but deciding to go along with his demands that she live a fake life with him, while also trying to have a civil relationship with her other husband, and I guess just kind of crossing her fingers that doing the thing the police told her would kill her family won’t have any repercussions? None of the villains are really brought to justice which is frustrating, and the book ends with the main character basically forced and trapped in an abusive relationship with a psycho.
A young woman named Lizzie witnesses an assault at a newsagent as part of a protection racket and is told by police that the culprit is so powerful she’ll have to abandon her six month old baby and her husband and entire family forever and go into witness protection for life, otherwise he’ll kill all of them and the police are powerless to stop him. Which is absolutely not how witness protection works.
The police arrange and pay for her to have plastic surgery and have her freckles lasered off (lol no) and change her name to Emma, and as Emma she meets, marries and has children with a new man (OR DOES SHE *Poppy from Frasier voice* /no/) The police don’t bother to have her old identity declared legally dead because apparently they’re cool with bigamy, and also it’s fine for someone in witness protection to also be a high profile Missing Person and have their family looking for them.
The book starts when Emma bumps into the first husband she was forced to abandon. He doesn’t recognise his own wife just because she’s had a nose job (wtf???) and he literally has an affair with HIS WIFE, who he’d slept with a thousand times, and still doesn’t recognise that his sexual partner is his own freaking wife.
A major subplot is her young daughter falling in love for the first time (with a boy in her school) and OF COURSE it turns out he’s the baby her mum had to abandon. Because sure why not chuck incest in there too.
It is well written in terms of characterisation, but there are many long descriptions of things unrelated to the plot (I lost track of how many times Emma describes her haircare routine in depth). Lizzie/Emma also comes across as infuriatingly stupid and passive.
A last minute plot twist reveals that Emma’s lovely second husband is actually Evil and is the police psychologist hired to help her transition to her new identity, who himself adopted a new identity in order to seduce her. So basically no one in this book has eyes?
Weirdly Lizzie’s daughter finds a photo of her mum (remember her mum vanished when she was just a baby) and instantly recognises that Emma is the woman in the photo, and realises that Emma is Lizzie. But this is because the daughter is Clever. We know she’s Clever because all she talks about is books and how she’s Not Like Other Girls.
The biggest stumbling block for me is that the criminal whose actions launch all this is portrayed as being basically Blofeld-meets-Don Corleone, but how much of an all-powerful supervillain can he really be, given that he’s personally going around shitty random council estates beating up Asian corner shop owners? He’s clearly a small time local thug, not a Mafia boss. Why doesn’t Lizzie just move her husband and child to Peru or Paris or something?
The book ends abruptly with Emma/Lizzie realising that her most recent husband is Evil but deciding to go along with his demands that she live a fake life with him, while also trying to have a civil relationship with her other husband, and I guess just kind of crossing her fingers that doing the thing the police told her would kill her family won’t have any repercussions? None of the villains are really brought to justice which is frustrating, and the book ends with the main character basically forced and trapped in an abusive relationship with a psycho.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2018
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller which had many surprises along the way.
April 16, 2018
What a twist! As you get further into the story you can kind of predict what is going to happen, but I definitely didn't see the ending coming. I loved the plot, the mystery, the fear when you find out, the torment that Emma has been and is currently going through. The author makes you feel like you are with each character, step by step, as they discover the truth behind Emma's past. This was a great read, I couldn't put the book down and I've been left wanting more, especially as the ending isn't how you expect it to be. This book proves that sometimes when you think you know someone, you actually really don't know them at all! Also don't read this whilst feeling hungry as you will have an insane longing for all things cake and bread related afterwards!
February 21, 2024
It took me months to finish this book but oh my god I haven’t read something so fucked up in forever.
This book started off quite slow to get a good picture of the perfect life Emma was living. Her perfect husband, her two daughters, one big happy family.
And then Emma starts cheating on her husband? I was like okay😭 is that the entire story? Her family finding about it?? Let me tell you, it was everything but that. The path the writer took is insane. The hate I felt for Emma started fading and sympathy took its place. What would I have done if I would see my husband and know that there’s a chance to meet my son after 17 years of not seeing them???
The different perspectives the writer used was so clever. Reading from Emma’s perspective and learning about Lizzie’s story as an outsider because Emma had to train herself to see Lizzie as a completely different person. Crazy.
I thought that was it. She kind of reunited with her old family and now what? She’d leave her husband? She sounded all happy but omg when she entered her husband work space and the story just kept going I knew something was gonna go wrong. But her husband being her THERAPIST I don’t think ‘shock’ shows enough emotion. WHY LIKE WHYYY😭😭😭 the way he described all the ways he was stalking her omd. I couldn’t process it and he just threatened her like tf? This book is actually insane.
Stella is quite brave btw idk what I would’ve done if I’d experienced something like that. I hope that Emma somehow manages to tell her the truth about Stella’s dad. She sounded like she wanted to share it when she asked for her help to go shopping.
To concludeee, the plot is well worked out and did its magic but the beginning didn’t really have me hooked as it took me MONTHS te finish it.
4/5✨
This book started off quite slow to get a good picture of the perfect life Emma was living. Her perfect husband, her two daughters, one big happy family.
And then Emma starts cheating on her husband? I was like okay😭 is that the entire story? Her family finding about it?? Let me tell you, it was everything but that. The path the writer took is insane. The hate I felt for Emma started fading and sympathy took its place. What would I have done if I would see my husband and know that there’s a chance to meet my son after 17 years of not seeing them???
The different perspectives the writer used was so clever. Reading from Emma’s perspective and learning about Lizzie’s story as an outsider because Emma had to train herself to see Lizzie as a completely different person. Crazy.
I thought that was it. She kind of reunited with her old family and now what? She’d leave her husband? She sounded all happy but omg when she entered her husband work space and the story just kept going I knew something was gonna go wrong. But her husband being her THERAPIST I don’t think ‘shock’ shows enough emotion. WHY LIKE WHYYY😭😭😭 the way he described all the ways he was stalking her omd. I couldn’t process it and he just threatened her like tf? This book is actually insane.
Stella is quite brave btw idk what I would’ve done if I’d experienced something like that. I hope that Emma somehow manages to tell her the truth about Stella’s dad. She sounded like she wanted to share it when she asked for her help to go shopping.
To concludeee, the plot is well worked out and did its magic but the beginning didn’t really have me hooked as it took me MONTHS te finish it.
4/5✨
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2018
I can't really make up my mind about this book. In all honesty, it is extremely well written; the story is gripping and the characters are fully developed. Because of this, I constantly found myself wanting more, often picking the book back up simply out of curiosity about the characters.
Yet this book also has its issues. My biggest problems were the plot "twists", all of which I guessed pretty early on (even the big twist at the end, although I did not get it ENTIRELY right) and its believability.
The main action in this book centres around a secret. Without giving too much away, I'll say that it's about a hidden past, yet everything about this past, and the reason for concealing it, is just so unlikely. I realise that this is fiction, but it is also a realist work, which means that it is set in the real world, and, as a result of this, it should be believable. Most things that happen in this novel are unlikely, but, to a degree, believable. Yet the idea that they all happened at once - to one person - does seem a little absurd.
Having said this, I did really enjoy this book. It's frustrating because I can't quite work out how I feel about it! Let me break it down a little bit:
Writing - excellent.
Characters - phenomenal.
Tension - palpable.
Plot twists - good, but slightly obvious.
Believability - a total failure.
To be fair to it, this novel also provides some fascinating insights into identity crises, anxiety issues and the struggles of parenthood. It's incredibly well written, has short chapters that makes it an easy read, and is certainly exciting. If you don't mind the occasional impossibility, then this is certainly a book that I can recommend.
Yet this book also has its issues. My biggest problems were the plot "twists", all of which I guessed pretty early on (even the big twist at the end, although I did not get it ENTIRELY right) and its believability.
The main action in this book centres around a secret. Without giving too much away, I'll say that it's about a hidden past, yet everything about this past, and the reason for concealing it, is just so unlikely. I realise that this is fiction, but it is also a realist work, which means that it is set in the real world, and, as a result of this, it should be believable. Most things that happen in this novel are unlikely, but, to a degree, believable. Yet the idea that they all happened at once - to one person - does seem a little absurd.
Having said this, I did really enjoy this book. It's frustrating because I can't quite work out how I feel about it! Let me break it down a little bit:
Writing - excellent.
Characters - phenomenal.
Tension - palpable.
Plot twists - good, but slightly obvious.
Believability - a total failure.
To be fair to it, this novel also provides some fascinating insights into identity crises, anxiety issues and the struggles of parenthood. It's incredibly well written, has short chapters that makes it an easy read, and is certainly exciting. If you don't mind the occasional impossibility, then this is certainly a book that I can recommend.
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