A Mother Would Know by Amber Garza is a slow-burn psych thriller with many moving parts that keep the reader guessing until the final pages.
Valerie is a broken person-fame is gone, she’s alone in an old Victorian house that may or may not be haunted, and she’s got personal ghosts of her own.
Her kids, Kendra and Hudson, are products of her life. Each one is a piece of work in their own way. But which one is worse, and who is responsible for all the bad events in their lives?
There’s a whole lot to unpack character-wise. The psych thriller comes partly as usual (who is doing what and why), but the psych part is especially prevalent.
Is it fair to blame one person’s choices for a lifetime of misery? At what point does personal responsibility play a part? And should a mother always be able to figure out her kids and know exactly what they are feeling or doing?
The author works hard to keep the mystery throughout the plot. Two particular events are the focus of the story, and the reader gets the truth of them in bits and pieces.
I liked the reflection on how Valerie’s life choices have made an impact on her kids. Additionally, the “who is responsible” was well done. I had theories that changed numerous times throughout the book.
And just when you think the author has wrapped things up satisfactorily and you are vindicated in your guesses…you’re probably wrong.
A Mother Would Know is a definite page-turner of a psych thriller. And I will continue to look for books from Amber Garza.
This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from MIRA. For more reviews like this, please browse this page.
