“Barbara Petty has written a riveting mystery reminiscent of Psycho. Somewhere, Hitchcock is smiling. And to think, this is just the first of the Thea Browne Mysteries.”—J.M. LeDuc, author of the Sinclair O’Malley series“A gripping drama unfolds as Barbara Petty explores the tensions between a woman with Alzheimer’s accused of an unspeakable crime, and her daughter, an investigative reporter … investigative reporter determined to clear her mother’s name. Well worth the read.”
—Sheila Lowe, author of the Forensic Handwriting Mystery series
In a small Midwestern town, on a cold, blustery March day, a man plunges to his death off a high, rocky cliff, setting in motion a string of events that lead to murders and rips open the long-hidden secrets of the town’s most prominent family…
The man is George Prentice, and the woman the police suspect of murdering him is his wife, Daphne. But Daphne has Alzheimer’s and, as she is likely to be incompetent to stand trial, has not been arrested.
Daphne’s daughter, Thea Browne, is a trained investigative reporter, who is furious that the police haven’t bothered to look any further for a culprit other than her mother. She suspects her stepfather made enemies when meddling in local politics and, according to one of his cronies, George wrote a memoir threatening to “blow the lid off this town.”
As Thea follows her own investigation, she discovers a widening circle of suspects, some much closer to home than she expected. Even her best friend from childhood, Annie Biggs, seems to be keeping a deep dark secret that she refuses to share with Thea.
More murders push Thea to the point where protecting her mother forces her to put her own life on the line to track down a diabolical killer.
“Thea Browne returns to her small hometown to discover nothing is at it seems. Struggling with the death of her beloved stepfather and her mother’s Alzheimer’s, she becomes caught in a web of intrigue as events from the past lead to danger in the present. A must read.”
—Mike Befeler, author of “Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse” and the Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery series
“Petty builds a strong character and supporting actors in this compelling story.”
—Peg Brantley, award finalist for “The Sacrifice”
more
This is a book that makes you re-examine your beliefs about growing up. I loved the ending.
The book was excellent up untill the last few chapters. Even then it was good, but I just felt a little let down they way things unfolded and ended.
started slow but redeemed itself in the end
Great setting and wonderful characters. A tragic death and a daughter terrified to learn the truth.
Much too slow, Came to a conclusion that was easy to figure out
Well written using Alzheimers in the story.
Page turner
Entertaining, quick read.
Well-paced. Kept me guessing! Nice ending.
I’m just going to come out and say it. Barbara Petty is a little sneaky. When I began reading What Has Mother Done, the author introduced a story that could easily have been a cozy mystery. Sure, right off the bat, there’s a body. But we’ve got a main character who is wicked-funny with her internal thoughts and asides pitted against the proverbial small town where everyone—and I mean everyone—has a secret.
Yes, the story could have been a perfectly respectable cozy mystery. That is until the body count goes up. What Has Mother Done is a first-rate mystery thriller. The characters are engaging—and often frustrating. As Thea goes about trying to solve the mystery of her stepfather’s untimely death, I found my pulse quickening. If you enjoy smartly written scenes of small-town intrigue, violence, and questionable loyalties, then I suggest you check out this excellent novel.
I just loved the over the top but realistic background to this book. It’s one of those woman moves back home to do health care for aging parent stories, with a twist. We learn the characters’ histories through the author’s flow of narrative. The setting is a small town that the protagonist had left happily decades ago. I think my Kindle called it a six hour read, the perfect length for a weekend.
I did not see the ending coming.
This book has a really good premise. Unfortunately, in an aim to cast doubt in the reader’s mind as to whodunnit, the writer may have strayed too much into casting characters as red herrings at the cost of any real character development. I may read another of her books, but I don’t think i’d actively go looking for more.
great read!
I love mysteries and my mother had alzteimers, so I could really relate to this story.
A man has been pushed off a cliff, and the likely suspect is his wife, who has Alzheimer’s and thus can’t tell anybody what happened. The woman’s daughter decides to exonerate her mother and find the killer of her beloved step-father. The mother is cleared too early for the title of the book to be apt. We go through the usual run down of various people in town who seem to have motives just to keep the reader guessing, and the daughter makes various stupid decisions (to keep the plot going). The ending, where the killer is revealed, reads like the plot of a Grade B movie. Still, it is a good mindless novel for the beach or plane while vacationing.
Good read. Couldn’t put down. Definitely recommend
This book was pretty good, but not really compelling.
The book was different and had twists and turns.
Well-written. Shallow but engaging. Plot driven. Tone of voice too light and breezy for the action. Lots of characters, relationships, and red herrings to sort through. Many plot points remain undeveloped. Great beach read.