Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora

Good Bad Mother – Anya Mora

When we move to the exclusive Cutters Island, my life changes overnight. Dressed like the perfect wife, pushing my baby down the street in her pink stroller, I look up and smile at the security cameras. Because I know they are watching. And for now, I need to play my part.

I wake up in my beautiful bedroom and instinctively feel for my husband. But the silk sheets are cold—he hasn’t come home. Reaching for the baby monitor on my nightstand, I scan the screen for the familiar shape of my sleeping daughter. But she’s not there.

Moving through the house in the darkness, I tell myself the footage is just grainy. I pass the large window over the stairs, and see a light on in my mother-in-law’s house across the street, as if she is watching. The thought sends a chill down my spine and I start to run. And as I open my daughter’s bedroom door, my worst fear comes my baby is gone.

As I collapse onto the carpet, I smell smoke. And when I turn to see flames licking at the banister, I know this is my fault. I am paying for what happened that night all those years ago…

Because I am not a perfect wife.I am not a good mother.But I am the perfect liar.

No one knows what I have been through to get this life. And they shouldn’t underestimate how far I’ll go to get my baby back…

Review

Good Bad Mother is a decent read, but it falls short of delivering the gripping suspense expected of a mystery-thriller. While the book is fast paced in narrative, it lacks the tension and urgency that typically defines this genre.

One of the main issues I had with the book was the characters, I simply didn’t care about any of them. They felt flat.
In a story where emotional stakes should be high, I felt indifferent. Additionally, the final reveals were underwhelming. Instead of a shocking or satisfying conclusion, they felt somewhat forgettable.

While Good Bad Mother isn’t a terrible book, it’s not one that stands out in the crowded mystery-thriller genre. It’s an okay read, but not particularly memorable.

2 or so stars.