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The Mystery of the Missing Mum
One day, Jake wakes up to a different world: his mum seems to have vanished into thin air! Whilst his Grandma’s snoring in the kitchen and his older sister Rose is spending hours getting ready for school, it’s down to Jake to start the search for his mum by making a list of places she might be: Tesco? The EU? Hospital? The Bahamas?
Being a detective turns out to be QUITE HARD WORK and everyone Jake turns to for help seems FRUSTRATINGLY BUSY. Life at home wasn’t perfect, but he can’t understand why she would simply RUN OFF like this. And why doesn’t everyone else seem more concerned?
Being a detective turns out to be QUITE HARD WORK and everyone Jake turns to for help seems FRUSTRATINGLY BUSY. Life at home wasn’t perfect, but he can’t understand why she would simply RUN OFF like this. And why doesn’t everyone else seem more concerned?
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2022
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Frances Moloney
2 books3 followersFrances is a children’s author, editor & literary consultant with over ten years of experience, specialising in commercial and literary children’s fiction.
She was born and raised in London, where she now lives having spent brief stints in Cornwall, where she studied English with Creative Writing at Falmouth, and Sweden. She has worked in the world of stories for over ten years and loves reading, running and yoga - though not all at the same time! The Mystery of the Missing Mum is her first novel.
She was born and raised in London, where she now lives having spent brief stints in Cornwall, where she studied English with Creative Writing at Falmouth, and Sweden. She has worked in the world of stories for over ten years and loves reading, running and yoga - though not all at the same time! The Mystery of the Missing Mum is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 31, 2023
Jake wakes up one day to find his mother has disappeared, as he turns into a full time detective he wonders why nobody else isn't more concerned/.
Love to see that the author is pushing mental health into the mainstream for middle grade books
Love to see that the author is pushing mental health into the mainstream for middle grade books
January 2, 2023
2.5⭐️
I felt compelled to read this because the catchy cover reminded me of Jacqueline Wilson's work. However, the story failed to engage me despite its elements of suspense and mystery. I found myself plowing through just for the sake of it. Thankfully, it's a short book.
I appreciate the author saying how she wanted to create an "authentic and nuanced picture of mental illness and those affected by it" but I didn't find it particularly well-done here. Jake sounds like a child who needs professional help himself but this is largely ignored. Instead, the adults around him keep things from him, which is more damaging than useful.
I also wanted to know more about his mother's condition, though the focus was mostly on Jake and him coming to terms with what's going on. It was interesting seeing things from his POV and I liked the ending, but I wanted so much more out of this book.
Note: My digital ARC had random words ALL IN CAPS which was very distracting and felt like the protagonist was shouting every other sentence. It doesn't affect my rating, just the reading experience, but still.
Thank you to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
I felt compelled to read this because the catchy cover reminded me of Jacqueline Wilson's work. However, the story failed to engage me despite its elements of suspense and mystery. I found myself plowing through just for the sake of it. Thankfully, it's a short book.
I appreciate the author saying how she wanted to create an "authentic and nuanced picture of mental illness and those affected by it" but I didn't find it particularly well-done here. Jake sounds like a child who needs professional help himself but this is largely ignored. Instead, the adults around him keep things from him, which is more damaging than useful.
I also wanted to know more about his mother's condition, though the focus was mostly on Jake and him coming to terms with what's going on. It was interesting seeing things from his POV and I liked the ending, but I wanted so much more out of this book.
Note: My digital ARC had random words ALL IN CAPS which was very distracting and felt like the protagonist was shouting every other sentence. It doesn't affect my rating, just the reading experience, but still.
Thank you to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
October 4, 2022
Families, acceptance, growing up - and mental health.
I enjoyed the 'mystery' of this, the unreliable narrator that we can see is not seeing everything those around him are seeing, and the gradual reveal of his family situation. I think readers will also like this and take pride in working out what's actually happening to Jake. It's pertinent and heartfelt.
Jake's mum has left a note and disappeared. He doesn't know where. His grandma has come to stay, but he's worried she won't be back for Christmas and tries to work out where she could be and recruit his best friend Lukas to help him find her. But Lukas, his sister, everyone seems to be acting strangely.
The reader is put in the position of knowing more about the reader than the reader himself knows. We see his interactions with his family and friends, and his sometimes unfair treatment of them, though we can understand his anger and confusion. There's a small story about a bully as well, and separated parents, and finally we have some background into what's happened to Jake's mum.
This is a life many readers may see connection with, and though I applaud the writer for the story and pushing the plot into the mainstream for young people, I still don't understand the font and regular bold capitals throughout Jake's sentences. It was off-putting, slowed down my reading, and did not serve any purpose that I could see. This was not his diary per se. I'd be interested to know from Moloney what this signified.
I liked Jake, his flaws, and how he starts to look at himself with more honesty through the book. The lack of empathy with others felt very realistic for his age, not looking at their emotions and needs, and his growth felt nicely paced.
A good choice for classes and homes, for discussions on mental health and growing up, friends and families, divorces and bullies. For ages 9-13.
I enjoyed the 'mystery' of this, the unreliable narrator that we can see is not seeing everything those around him are seeing, and the gradual reveal of his family situation. I think readers will also like this and take pride in working out what's actually happening to Jake. It's pertinent and heartfelt.
Jake's mum has left a note and disappeared. He doesn't know where. His grandma has come to stay, but he's worried she won't be back for Christmas and tries to work out where she could be and recruit his best friend Lukas to help him find her. But Lukas, his sister, everyone seems to be acting strangely.
The reader is put in the position of knowing more about the reader than the reader himself knows. We see his interactions with his family and friends, and his sometimes unfair treatment of them, though we can understand his anger and confusion. There's a small story about a bully as well, and separated parents, and finally we have some background into what's happened to Jake's mum.
This is a life many readers may see connection with, and though I applaud the writer for the story and pushing the plot into the mainstream for young people, I still don't understand the font and regular bold capitals throughout Jake's sentences. It was off-putting, slowed down my reading, and did not serve any purpose that I could see. This was not his diary per se. I'd be interested to know from Moloney what this signified.
I liked Jake, his flaws, and how he starts to look at himself with more honesty through the book. The lack of empathy with others felt very realistic for his age, not looking at their emotions and needs, and his growth felt nicely paced.
A good choice for classes and homes, for discussions on mental health and growing up, friends and families, divorces and bullies. For ages 9-13.
April 11, 2022
This was very difficult to read, because every time the main character was speaking, and since he was the narrator, this was quite often, he would bold, and all caps every other word. It drove me crazy.
But once you get by that, you get to the heart of the story, which is that Jake's mother has vanished. She was home one moment, and then she was gone the next. And no one seems to care that he is all upset about this. He keeps trying to find out where she is from his grandmother, who has come to watch them, and his grandmother doesn't tell him.
So the story is Jake's flailing attempts to pin down exactly what has happened to his mother. He has a list that he checks off to make sure she hasn't gone abroad, or that she isn't down at the local supermarket.
The author said she based it on her mother's only mental breakdowns. If so, that must have abeen quite rough as a child.
I think this book is trying to be funny, but the subject is so serious, I don't find it funny.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
But once you get by that, you get to the heart of the story, which is that Jake's mother has vanished. She was home one moment, and then she was gone the next. And no one seems to care that he is all upset about this. He keeps trying to find out where she is from his grandmother, who has come to watch them, and his grandmother doesn't tell him.
So the story is Jake's flailing attempts to pin down exactly what has happened to his mother. He has a list that he checks off to make sure she hasn't gone abroad, or that she isn't down at the local supermarket.
The author said she based it on her mother's only mental breakdowns. If so, that must have abeen quite rough as a child.
I think this book is trying to be funny, but the subject is so serious, I don't find it funny.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
July 26, 2022
A book with so many good intentions, it really didn't need the massive amount of flaws it has. It's written from the point of view of Jake, a nerdy kid so needy he almost seems on the spectrum, who is distraught that his best friend seems to have a girlfriend to take up his time, and who is desperate for news of his mother. For he's woken up one school day, at the start of the last week before Christmas, to find a panicking older sister, a somnolent gran fresh from a night shift, and no mother.
Where to start with the problems? Well, first could be the style. You long for dialogue, for every other kind of sentence has RANDOM WORDS capitalised and PUT in BOLD for no useable reason whatsoever. Stress? Yes, they bloody well do cause it. There are some italicised asides, right-justified just because, and some flashbacky italic chapters of reminiscence, and the use of lists and the strike-through font to perk things up, but the EMPHASISING is pants, and I am quite sure makes this unreadable to dyslexics and those with similar reading issues.
Oh, AND the kid has an annoying habit of defining (explaining the meaning of) some of his words, whether they are the most sensible ones for him to explain or not. Oh, and he uses 'whilst' too much to ever be real.
The other large problems remain with the reason for his mother's disappearance, and include a large switcheroo attempt at the 60% mark that just negates too much that had gone before, and makes little logic where the note is concerned. And I still write about it as if it was a big surprise – it wasn't. The book's heart is split between wanting to be entertaining, and wanting to PRESENT AN ISSUE, and proves itself as being disappointingly, nay upsettingly, poor at both.
Where to start with the problems? Well, first could be the style. You long for dialogue, for every other kind of sentence has RANDOM WORDS capitalised and PUT in BOLD for no useable reason whatsoever. Stress? Yes, they bloody well do cause it. There are some italicised asides, right-justified just because, and some flashbacky italic chapters of reminiscence, and the use of lists and the strike-through font to perk things up, but the EMPHASISING is pants, and I am quite sure makes this unreadable to dyslexics and those with similar reading issues.
Oh, AND the kid has an annoying habit of defining (explaining the meaning of) some of his words, whether they are the most sensible ones for him to explain or not. Oh, and he uses 'whilst' too much to ever be real.
The other large problems remain with the reason for his mother's disappearance, and include a large switcheroo attempt at the 60% mark that just negates too much that had gone before, and makes little logic where the note is concerned. And I still write about it as if it was a big surprise – it wasn't. The book's heart is split between wanting to be entertaining, and wanting to PRESENT AN ISSUE, and proves itself as being disappointingly, nay upsettingly, poor at both.
April 23, 2025
This lovely book still sits proudly on my bookshelf.
For me I’d give this book more than 5 stars if I could have!
The first thing I noticed is how well the author portrayed Jake’s voice.
I could picture Jake, searching for his mother. Talking to his Dad.
The story has its funny moments, but is also more to the point, heartbreaking.
Jake is searching for his missing mother who has a mental health condition. Jake is late for school, but can’t find his mum anywhere, his mum’s bed hasn’t been slept in and his grandma was asleep so she wouldn’t have seen his mother.
He turns detective writing down everywhere where his mum might have gone. PLACES MUM MIGHT HAVE GONE 1. The EU 2. The Bahamas 3. Prison 4. Tesco 5. Christmas Shopping 6. Oxford Street 7. Hospital. 8. Lukas’s house. 9. Dad’s 10. Dead? The first place of priority is to go to see his dad who lives on the other side of the estate from Jake’s family. Jake decided to go to his dad to tell him his mum is missing. Will Jake find his missing mum?
I absolutely loved reading this children’s book myself so much, that I strongly recommend children to read this book and any other books that this author Frances Moloney writes.
If children like reading Jacqueline Wilson books you will absolutely love reading The Mystery of the Missing Mum, I simply cannot recommend it enough.
For me I’d give this book more than 5 stars if I could have!
The first thing I noticed is how well the author portrayed Jake’s voice.
I could picture Jake, searching for his mother. Talking to his Dad.
The story has its funny moments, but is also more to the point, heartbreaking.
Jake is searching for his missing mother who has a mental health condition. Jake is late for school, but can’t find his mum anywhere, his mum’s bed hasn’t been slept in and his grandma was asleep so she wouldn’t have seen his mother.
He turns detective writing down everywhere where his mum might have gone. PLACES MUM MIGHT HAVE GONE 1. The EU 2. The Bahamas 3. Prison 4. Tesco 5. Christmas Shopping 6. Oxford Street 7. Hospital. 8. Lukas’s house. 9. Dad’s 10. Dead? The first place of priority is to go to see his dad who lives on the other side of the estate from Jake’s family. Jake decided to go to his dad to tell him his mum is missing. Will Jake find his missing mum?
I absolutely loved reading this children’s book myself so much, that I strongly recommend children to read this book and any other books that this author Frances Moloney writes.
If children like reading Jacqueline Wilson books you will absolutely love reading The Mystery of the Missing Mum, I simply cannot recommend it enough.
October 19, 2022
actual rating: 3,5 stars.
the first thing that piqued my interest was the bright cover. then I saw the title. and then that's it, I'm gonna read it. and now here I am, approximately 24 hours later, already finished the book.
it's rare to find a realistic children fiction that tells about an imperfect family and more importantly, imperfect mother. narrated from a younger sibling's perspective, reading this book felt like reading an elementary school student's journal whose owner just learned about adjectives. there's a LOT of adjective emphasis that's typed capitalized and bold. it's distracting at first but I understand that it can be a way for children to learn about adjectives and phrases. the narrative was simple too, exactly like the words poured from a young child's mind. the conflict started when the narrator's mother suddenly disappeared from home, and the narrator was in some kind of denial phase that refuse to acknowledge where his mom went. it also explored siblings dynamic, friendship, and relationship with a divorced parent.
i don't know if whatever i typed above made sense but overall it's nice and heartwarming.
the first thing that piqued my interest was the bright cover. then I saw the title. and then that's it, I'm gonna read it. and now here I am, approximately 24 hours later, already finished the book.
it's rare to find a realistic children fiction that tells about an imperfect family and more importantly, imperfect mother. narrated from a younger sibling's perspective, reading this book felt like reading an elementary school student's journal whose owner just learned about adjectives. there's a LOT of adjective emphasis that's typed capitalized and bold. it's distracting at first but I understand that it can be a way for children to learn about adjectives and phrases. the narrative was simple too, exactly like the words poured from a young child's mind. the conflict started when the narrator's mother suddenly disappeared from home, and the narrator was in some kind of denial phase that refuse to acknowledge where his mom went. it also explored siblings dynamic, friendship, and relationship with a divorced parent.
i don't know if whatever i typed above made sense but overall it's nice and heartwarming.
April 28, 2023
This book is so appealing that adults may want to read it, even though it is a children’s title. The illustrations in the cartoon style are delightful and the text is an easy read.
The author’s note lets readers know that Jake’s mum has a mental health condition. It is portrayed in the pages that follow in a sensitive manner. This could lead to some helpful conversation in families.
Jake is a good narrator. I like how he directly addresses the reader and I adore his use of all caps. They let readers key into the feelings of the story.
Will Jake find his mum? How will he go about solving his case? What else will happen to him over the course of the book?
Readers will admire Jake and kudos to him for his resilience. This title is ecommended for young chapter book readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title was published in November 2022.
The author’s note lets readers know that Jake’s mum has a mental health condition. It is portrayed in the pages that follow in a sensitive manner. This could lead to some helpful conversation in families.
Jake is a good narrator. I like how he directly addresses the reader and I adore his use of all caps. They let readers key into the feelings of the story.
Will Jake find his mum? How will he go about solving his case? What else will happen to him over the course of the book?
Readers will admire Jake and kudos to him for his resilience. This title is ecommended for young chapter book readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title was published in November 2022.
April 14, 2022
This was a great middle grade read that had some valuable messages. It revolved around mental health in adults and how it affected children. This is a very important book for middle-grade readers that highlights the importance of mental health. I would definitely recommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!
January 5, 2023
When I first saw this book I thought that it would be a bit like a comic book and I wouldn’t like it. Luckily it wasn’t a comic book and I liked it. There were a lot of words in this book in BIG, BLACK AND BOLD WRITING! I don’t really have a favourite part in this book but I do know that some people will love this book!
February 9, 2024
Genuinely think this is a book that every person needs to read. I love how the author has managed to give a glimpse in to the effects of mental health. This is something that is not discussed enough. I fell in love with the characters and I was rooting for mum the whole way through. Just perfection!
April 6, 2022
I received an ARC of The Mystery of the Missing Mum, by Frances Moloney. This is a sweet and sometimes sad story about Jake. His mother is missing, someone is bullying him, and his best friend is moving away.
October 7, 2022
A quick, cute and easy read that is full of mystery and gave me all the feels. I fell in love with the characters and I didn't want this book to end.
January 21, 2023
I admire the author's deft handling of such a delicate topic.
January 25, 2024
There is no mystery and it's not funny. It's just sad. Why would anyone write a book like that?
October 18, 2024
Read this for work to see if it might be one to recommend.
May 11, 2025
It was nice to see the story from the eyes of the son.
April 20, 2022
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn’t even finish it. The constant capital, bold letters throughout the story meant that I really struggled to read it in a coherent way. It may be a personal thing, but it was very distracting for me.
However, I doubt a child would be distracted by these things and since as that is the target audience, I doubt that will hinder upon this books success. The story seems fun and the idea of putting clues together to find Mum is appealing.
If your child would get distracted by bold, capital letters every other word, perhaps read the story aloud instead of reading independently.
I couldn’t even finish it. The constant capital, bold letters throughout the story meant that I really struggled to read it in a coherent way. It may be a personal thing, but it was very distracting for me.
However, I doubt a child would be distracted by these things and since as that is the target audience, I doubt that will hinder upon this books success. The story seems fun and the idea of putting clues together to find Mum is appealing.
If your child would get distracted by bold, capital letters every other word, perhaps read the story aloud instead of reading independently.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews