The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner

THE OTHER MOTHERS by Katherine Faulkner is an exciting psychological thriller which will have wide appeal. With multiple narrators and multiple timeframes, Faulkner expertly builds suspense around the death of a nanny named Sophie Blake. She was judged to have drowned, but her mother doesn’t believe that and convinces Tash Carpenter, a freelance journalist and Mum to toddler Finn, to investigate. Tash’s inquiries seem to lead to some of her much richer playdate Mums (Claire, Laura, and Nicole ) and their families. With flashbacks to Sophie’s reaction to these same women, the menace really builds. Faulkner sets the mystery in present day London and explores questions of affluence, privilege, and social class as well as fidelity and marriage vows. Much darker than a cozy mystery, this often-scary, twisty novel is full of unexpected pairings, anonymous threats, and secrets. A LibraryReads selection for December, THE OTHER MOTHERS also received starred reviews from both Kirkus (“Faulkner is a pro at ever-so-gradually ratcheting up the tension”) and Publishers Weekly (“This one grips from start to shocking finish”).