A picture is worth a thousand words—and every one is a lie in this gripping psychological suspense thriller.Laurie Miller is left in utter shock when her husband vanishes without a trace, leaving her with a stack of bills she can’t pay. As the lonely days stretch into weeks with no reappearance or body resurfacing, the stay-at-home mom accepts a photography job from a former sorority sister, and … former sorority sister, and current Instagram sensation, and returns to her Milwaukee roots—and the trauma she thought she’d escaped.
Her college days left her with scars no camera can capture, and Laurie’s old OCD coping mechanisms creep in as she navigates the frightening new life of single motherhood. But becoming a personal photographer to a popular Instagram-Mom is helping Laurie provide for her daughter like any good mother should. She just never expected her daughter to become the center of so much attention.
As the world of celebrity influencers feed her insecurities, Laurie realizes she’s not only lost her husband but now is losing the love of her only child. Arguments ensue. Accidental injuries surface. Allegations of neglect and endangerment are flung her way. But when Laurie’s daughter goes missing, a twisted scheme thrusts the past into the glaring light of the present.
And this time, her daughter’s life is at stake.
Bestselling domestic noir author Jo Crow invites you to hunt for the truth in this shocking psychological thriller with gripping suspense and a breathtaking twist that will keep you up at night…
This novel contains sexual content, violence and profanity.
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I thought this book was great. I was kept guessing until the very end when it was finally revealed as to ‘whodunnit’. I enjoy this genre of books and the author kept me entertained throughout. There were small issues that had me saying huh such as the description of an outfit as a skirt and pants suit, how do you wear both? And I felt like the neighborhood description was redundant at times. But that’s something small and does not take away from what the story is delivering. Here you are trying to do what’s best for you and your daughter and it seems like anything and everything is getting in the way to stop that. This book leaves you wondering if your friends are really your friends. I see Jo Crow has more books of this nature and I plan to go back and read them all. I’ve found a new Author to follow. Great Job!!!
I’ve enjoyed the last couple of books by Jo Crow and found this one just as enjoyable. I found myself not wanting to put it down right from the start. Even though it becomes slightly predictable there is still more than enough intrigue to make you want to keep reading. Definitely looking forward to more books by Jo Crow.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Perfect Mother by Jo Crow is your average thriller. While it was not a bad read, I felt it was very slow moving and everything was predictable. This will be one that I won’t even think twice about once I move on to my next read.
Thank you to Hidden Gems for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.
Excellent story of a woman’s journey through impossibly challenging life events, happening suddenly and inexplicably. The author allows the reader to hear what the woman, Laurie, is thinking and feeling so I understood her choices and her anxiety. The one thread throughout her decisions is what will be best for her daughter. Laurie is not a perfect protagonist; she is flawed as we all are, yet I was cheering her on as she faced the obstacles in her way. Excellent novel and my favorite Jo Crow book!
When Ben disappears, Laurie is just beside herself. He left them in dire financial straits, and she’s not sure how she’ll provide for their daughter, Fay. A college friend offers her a photography job, and they move to Milwaukee. An incident in college (in Milwaukee, coincidentally) left her with OCD as a way to cope, and it’s becoming more prominent in her life again as her stress levels increase. She trusts a little too much, and feels her daughter begin to slip away. I was able to figure out some of happened, and thought I knew who the players were, but I wasn’t entirely correct. And I spent much of my reading time trying to figure out who else was bad or good. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story did not have any ‘surprise moments’ for me. It is a good story, but I read a lot of stories so this one really didn’t give me anything I would call ‘surprises’. The characters are good, except for me it seems like the author really honed in on Laurie’s OCD problem. I would have liked more about the other characters and why they did what they did. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.
I think this is my favorite Jo Crow novel! It is the story of Laurie, a mom with OCD, who comes home one night to find her husband missing, and her young daughter, Fay, all alone. Ben is missing and the police aren’t helping Laurie find him. Distraught and strapped for money, Laurie starts working at the bakery Ben owned, when Teddy – a friend from college – stops in. He views Laurie’s photographs and suggests that Laurie might want to work for his sister, Marissa, an Instagram star. Laurie reluctantly agrees, and Marissa starts working her way into Fay’s heart. Laurie is uncomfortable with the attention Fay is receiving online, and she also has a strained relationship with Marissa’s assistant, Gretchen. In fact, the only person Laurie can confide in honestly is her friend, Kaity.
Laurie and Teddy become close, but Laurie feels guilty about Ben. Teddy had rescued Laurie years ago after a traumatic incident, and Laurie has always felt safe around him. Laurie has been seeing a therapist, Patrick, and working on her OCD, and making progress. Teddy, a school counselor, is trying to get Laurie to stop seeing Patrick, and reduce her meds.
However, nothing is as it seems on the surface. Ben’s disappearance, the lack of police assistance, Gretchen’s indifference, Teddy’s care, and Marissa’s kindness are all suspect.
There is something sinister going on and it will all come to a head – but will Laurie and Fay be able to come out of it safely? Will they be able to get their lives back to normal? Who is really their friend? Who is looking out for them?
Not sure why the title is A Perfect Mother. Yes, the story is about Laurie and her OCD and her trying to do the right things for Fay, but I am not sure it reflected the plot as well as another title may have.
#APerfectMother #JoCrow #Booksprout
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book had so many turns that you weren’t for sure which way was up till the end. This story really made you think and had you questioning everything.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was one of the more predictable books written by Jo Crow. It was a good story, but I guessed all the twists and turns to the story. That left me feeling a little disappointed. I didn’t care for all the emphasis on Laurie’s OCD behaviors either. I felt too much of the story surrounded her and her coping mechanisms. Sometimes I found myself wanting to fast forward in the story just to get past all of that. It amazed me how naive Laurie was. I did like the very end of the book that wrapped up where she was in life 5 years later. This story reminds me of the saying, “Keep you friends close and your enemies closer.”
Although this wasn’t one of my favorite books so far, I’m still looking forward to more books by Jo Crow.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Twists and turns and a suspenseful story line keeps you engaged in the story. A must read if you like mystery and suspense. It’s well written and pulls you in and keeps you engaged in the story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There is suspense and twists but I wouldn’t call the story a psychological thriller. Laurie, well she surpasses naive into the realm of idiotic. She was so easily persuaded and manipulated that it made some situations laughable. Overall it was an okay read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.