A Life for a Life

by Maria Frankland

Shaun has spent years stuck in the middle of his wife and his mother.

Usually he can keep them apart, but when circumstances conspire to put them indefinitely under the same roof, he's discovers the depth of ill feeling between them.

This is a situation that can only have one outcome. One of them has to go. "I have not read a Maria Frankland book that I haven’t enjoyed. She is the queen of dark, domestic thrillers."

"If you like domestic thrillers, you will love this book. I highly recommend it."

"Two women hate each other and want the other gone - but what measures will each one take to win? Great story."

Genres: Fiction, Mystery Thriller

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2021

About the author

Maria Frankland has a dubious internet search history and a very worried mother-in-law. However, neither of these things can stop her writing gripping psychological thrillers in which you’ll never find a happy-ever-after.

Her novels are mostly set in Yorkshire where you’ll hear the accent through all her characters. These are people you could live next door to, or closer still… don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Maria’s novels are fast-paced, down to earth and realistic. You never know what’s around the corner…

Find out more about Maria at https://www.mariafrankland.co.uk. Whilst you’re there, you can download your free novella – The Brother-in-Law.

Reviews

[Dun's · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella starts with an intense first chapter that grabs my attention right away. It's a domestic thriller with a wife and a mother-in-law right at the center.

It's a quick read that I quite enjoy, but the lack of punctuation is annoying. The ending is rushed and disappointing. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

[Samantha Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book

Danielle did annoy me but as you read more of the story you could see why she was so bitter towards her mother in law. Really didn’t expect that ending

[Donna Mallery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Frankland’s books. And she is one author that I continually will read until I’ve read all of her books. This story is definitely tense at times, and we all hope to love our daughter-in-law/mother-in-law! So hopefully this book isn’t too close to home for you. As expected, this book reads very quickly. I just wasn’t thrilled with the ending, but it’s way better than many books I’ve read lately! This wasn’t my favorite of her books so don’t let this one deter you from reading her other books.

[Tracy Larner-Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this novella had me hooked. Sadly, I was disappointed by the ending. I couldn't make sense of it - just me?

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Didn't know which one to feel sorry for and which one to hate between the mother-in-law and the wife. So well done

[Spooky Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

It only took me a couple hours to read this and I enjoyed it. I can’t get over how evil Shaun’s mother was, to rip a family apart because she didn’t think Danielle deserved him was absolutely insane.

[valerie gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

What is it with mother's of sons,who think they are reincarnation of Jesus christ,and can walk on water.give me strength, brilliant book

[Maria Vargas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Are you joking with that ending 👁👄👁 like... the 'evil' mother-in-law endgame was so over the top delusional. How she figured out that by killing herself her son would 'really see' how evil his wife is?!

I guess we should feel bad for Shaun somehow because his wife and his mom hate each other? Danielle wants to get rid of her mother-in-law while Jeannie is trying to make her son see the 'true story' of who Danielle really is. The typical mother-in-law/daughter-in-law war but the way things ended 🙄...

Everyone was so toxic, Shaun mad because Danielle is making decisions without telling him, Danielle is mad because he made decisions without telling her and then Jeannie planning a master evil plan to make them divorce. What a bunch of hypocrites.



The book feels like still needs a couple round of editing because the lack of punctuation had me running through pages trying to catch up 😂!

[Kirsty Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novella, another great read by Maria Frankland!

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Which one will it be

This was every interesting and a good example of the authors writing style. I will be looking for more books by her.

[Florbert M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mother and daughter-in-law

Clever way of getting a fiction simple and interesting: Few characters in a family environment for a short period of time, written in present tense. A simple story , almost every adult can feel related to the characters and their trouble. The twist how the wife's plan for physio, turned out against herself was not a bad thing. A negative point, Maybe the mother-in-law was too fictional 🙅🙅

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Just the tonic I needed. Short, sharp and intoxicating. Husband...grow some. Mother....leave well alone. Wife...be strong. It was a freebie and I am very grateful. Thank you Maria Frankland. I have joined the 'keep in touch' that was on offer.

[Pheadra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaun was engaged to Simone who received two thumbs up from his mother,Jeannie.  He cheated with Danielle and remained with her despite Jeannie's best efforts to break them up. Her disapproval of Danielle could not be more obvious. Danielle as it turns out despises her mother in law too and Shaun is often pulled into the middle, playing referee. Other victims of this toxic relationship are Gemima and Benedict, Danielle and Shaun's children.

When Jeannie suffers a minor stroke, Shaun insists that his mother move in temporarily with them despite Danielle's fervent protestations. From the moment Jeannie arrives at their home, things go south quickly with Jeannie accusing Danielle of physical and emotional abuse. A disturbing and not entirety satisfactory ending but still an excellent novella. 5 Stars

[Charlotte Baddeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like so many other reviewers, I too have not read a Maria Frankland book that I haven’t enjoyed. She is the queen of dark, domestic thrillers. The relationship between Danielle and her mother-in-law Jeannie is so brilliantly scripted that I could not make up my mind which of them I disliked the most in one instant and in the next which one I felt the most sorry for. And as for the incredibly dramatic end. I certainly didn’t see that coming.

[SANDY INGLE · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great quick read if you love domestic thrillers!

[Ms Sarah E Woodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Proper Whodunnit and What Did They Do?

Another brilliant thriller from Maria Frankland. Two women hate each other and want the other gone - but what measures will each one take to win? Great story with a great ending. I recommend any of Maria Frankland's books if you like dark domestic thrillers.

[Eirlys · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange story.

I liked the interactions between Danielle and her mother-in-law , Jeannie. They had a weird relationship and it was interesting.

[Gary Dowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaun's wife and mother have never seen eye to eye so when he demands his mum lives with them after a stroke, his wife is less than pleased to say the least! This is my third read from this author and I've really enjoyed them all!! I do love a good domestic thriller and although it's a novella, there is enough nastiness, animosity and toxicity between the characters to make it worth a read. None of the main three are particularly likeable (not a criticism) and as the story goes on, more of the past is revealed to understand why the vindictive behaviour has continued. There are moments you just want to virtually bash some heads together but the joy of domestic thrillers is how normal the initial situation is and how many can relate to it, even if the aftermath is hopefully alien to many......! Highly recommended for a nice quick, uneasy read.

[Samm Stenzhorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read by Maria Frankland.
This was a free read if you signed up to her on kindle.
Without any spoilers it was a fast paced quick read with a great twist right at the end!

[Andria Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars. This was a short read but well put together. It really brought something home that happened to me years ago. My first husband's mother whom he was estranged from for many years, got down on her luck and ask us if we could take her in temporarily. Much like in this story it was trouble from the start, she tried to drive a wedge in between us, would treat me terribly when he wasn't around and then tell him that I had been mean to her when it was the other way around. She did a lot of different things on purpose to cause trouble in our marriage. He did realize eventually what she was doing and he made her leave. She supposedly was down on her luck and didn't have any money, but then bought a ticket for a month-long trip to Australia. She ate our groceries and didn't contribute in any way, never got the job she said she was going to get. She just moved in with us to take advantage of us and I was never so glad to see her leave. Thank goodness it didn't end up like in this book with someone dying and someone being falsely accused of murder. This story/book was very realistic and I love realistic thrillers.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Life for a Life (kindle version) A novella by Maria Frankland was absolutely amazing.

Shaun is married to Danielle and have two children, Gemima and Benedict. Their marriage has started to go sour especially for Danielle.

Shaun has a well paid job and Danielle can afford not to go out to work and be a full time Mother and housewife.

Life is about to become a whole lot tougher, especially for Danielle when her Mother-in-law Jeannie, Shaun's Mother arrives on their doorstep after suffering from a stroke and Shaun has not even discussed this with Danielle before inviting her to stay. Both Danielle and Jeannie despise each other so badly because they both yearn for Shaun's undivided attention and poor Shaun acts as a mediator between them both.

Jeannie is a widow and is feeling so lonely without her beloved husband and having to live alone in her flat. Danielle is an only child and has been used to getting her own way all her life and Shaun can not say no to both the women in his life.

[Lindatugby81 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Wife or my mother ? My mother or my wife ?

Mum’s had a stroke and needs somewhere to recuperate . I’m hardly going to turn her away. Much as my wife would like me to .

I really can’t understand the depth of their animosity .Yet it’s always been the same - this treacherous divide between my Danielle and mum with me and the poor kids stuck in the middle .

Normally , I’m able to maintain the fragile balance that keeps them at arm’s length from each other , but now they’re being forced under the same roof.

So it’s make -or-break time .

It doesn’t take long for the situation to descend into chaos. Every time my back is turned something seems to happen.
To begin with , it’s impossible to know who to believe . Before long, however , it becomes clear which of the two of them I need to protect from the other .

And how little I really knew either of them…

[Catherine Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good for a novella,A Life For A Life , Mariah Franklin does it once again . We have Danielle and her husband Shaun , and they have two children, a daughter Gemma , and the son whose name is Benny ! And then there’s the mother-in-law Jeannie . Danielle and her mother-in-law never got along her mother-in-law despise her. I’m gonna leave that there. They had a nice life Danielle and her husband and their two children they had a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood. The kids were doing well in school. Life was good until…… this book was full of so much thrill and twisted. It was a great read a great thriller from page one until the very end I rated this five stars. I wish I could’ve rated it more. It was that good thank you Mariah Franklin for such a great story. .

[Marbea Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel made me cringe in so many ways. The momma boy syndrome Shaun has. The wealthy privileged spoiled life Danielle is used to. The lyiny manipulative ways of Jeannie. It was all so extremely intense because Shaun, Danielle, and Jeannie are fictional characters. Have any of the other readers seen Monsters Ball?. It was a fictionalized movie too, but the man had more common sense when it came between his father and his woman. He chose happiness, because he believed he deserved it. I don't think Shaun knows happiness just complacency. He knows the truth of his wife and still lives a lie like his mother always wanted. I can't fathom what the children will be as they grow older.

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Another great domestic thriller novella by Maria Frankland. She really made me feel for the daughter-in-law. To not only have an evil mother-in-law come live with you but to have her successfully turn everyone against you, including your own children, would make anyone crazy.

Right off from the beginning, you know someone is dead and someone has shot them. You spend the rest of the book evaluating suspects and wondering who the shooter and victim are. Even once all of that is resolved, the author kicks you in the ribs one more time in the ending. I'm a little miffed, but they can't all be happy endings.

[Sylvia Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danielle and Shaun are married and have a family together. Jennie is Shaun's mother and can't stand Danielle. She has just had a stroke and will be staying with her son for a while while she recovers. A few weeks at best.
Jennie has other plans thou. A few weeks is not good enough. She plans on staying a lifetime. To do that Danielle must be out of the picture for good. Jennie does everything in her power to make sure Shaun and Danielle break up for good.
Jennie is a monster-in-law towards Danielle. Danielle can't get Shaun to see the truth about his mother. Someone may not live to see another day. No way both Danielle and Jennie can live together without killing each other

[Eva Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Life for a Life by Maria Frankland is one of those blood-boiling thrillers with a wife and a mother-in-law right at the centre, where you want to scream, shout, and slap someone!
It is full of hate and manipulation, making you read at record speed because you just have to know what the next move will be.
It’s crazy to witness how some mothers don’t know where the line is or understand that once children are grown, they are their own human beings with their own choices, good or bad.
It was going so well until the end... unfortunately, this time the ending ruined the story a bit for me. It earns 4 blood-boiling stars.

[Richard Kettlewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

RA

Very gripping read. Especially if you enjoy septuagenarian stroke victim villains! Some details about physiotherapy were a bit off. No one would recommend using a stick on stairs; and there's much more to it than making cups of tea. But letting that hobble off to one side, a tense an excellent tale about bitterness threatening to destroy a family. The mother of all mother-in-law thrillers.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not ever going to put spoilers of a book I don’t want to see them I imagine many more don’t either but in truth we can not alway avoid. So please respect for everyone’s I found this a good read. Fast and paced just as I love. The characters were believable which I do think is important they do come across as being believable. A very well put together book. With a rather surprising twist to it. Now you will have to read it to find out

[Michelle Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow

I really enjoyed this book. I could not put this book down. I had to know which one was lying. I was right about who it was. The ending did not make since. He finds out who lies and then still believes she is capable of what happens. The book is wonderful. The ending however makes no sense at all.