Publishers Weekly
★ 10/09/2023
A restless former newspaper reporter probes an accidental death in this pulse-pounding domestic thriller from British journalist Faulkner (Greenwich Park). Freelance writer and stay-at-home mom Natasha “Tash” Carpenter is casting about for story ideas when Jane Blake comes knocking at her door. Months ago, before Tash left her job at the London Evening Post to care for her toddler, she wrote an article reporting the coroner’s ruling that Jane’s 21-year-old daughter, Sophie, likely drowned while swimming drunk in a local reservoir. Jane believes someone murdered Sophie, however, and wants Tash to look into the matter. Tash acquiesces—at first to appease Jane, then because she becomes convinced she’s on to something when she gets anonymous threats demanding she cease her investigation. After uncovering links between Sophie, a trio of fellow mothers Tash has recently befriended, their spouses, and Tash’s own husband, she begins to worry where her inquiry might lead her next. Faulkner expertly interweaves Tash’s increasingly paranoid first-person-present narration with sections from Sophie’s perspective that detail her final months. Plausible suspects, persuasive red herrings, and seismic reveals enliven the precisely crafted plot. This one grips from start to shocking finish. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Ltd. (Dec.)
From the Publisher
[A] menace-infused thriller . . . Faulkner is a pro at ever-so-gradually ratcheting up the tension bit by tiny, spine-tingling bit. And, as the narrative deftly swings between timeframes . . . we get a vertiginous view of just how tightly a group of people’s lives can be inexorably twisted together. Faulkner pulls out all the psychological-thriller stops—and then some.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“Fans of Ashley Audrain and Chandler Baker will enjoy the similar themes of motherhood, the unspoken parts of women’s relationships, desire, envy, and heart-pounding suspense. The alternating timelines build anticipation but the twists will keep readers guessing to the last page.”—Library Journal
"Next-level mum noir, The Other Mothers is a brilliant portrayal of the complexities of parenthood, work and - oh yes - murder. Smart, tense and gripping. Loved it!" —Ellery Lloyd, author of New York Times bestseller and Reese's Bookclub pick The Club
"Katherine Faulkner unpeels Fornasetti wallpaper and opens glass box extensions, revealing delectably dislikeable characters, secrets - and murder. The Other Mothers is The Undoing meets Big Little Lies. A fast-paced, decadent skewering of upper middle-class motherhood." —Abigail Dean, author of New York Times bestseller Girl A
“A super-smart thriller... I was utterly captivated by the way this novel reeled me in, slowly revealing the layers of the wonderfully intricate plot. Smart, slick, and highly recommended.” —Sarah Bonner, author of the number one New York Times bestselling Her Perfect Twin
“Once again, Katherine Faulkner so masterfully delivers a delicious combination of treacherous secrets and enviable lives, this time among a group of upper class moms whose perfection unravels after Tash, a new mom to the playgroup and struggling journalist, realizes things aren’t quite what they seem. I couldn’t part with this book until I’d finished—THE OTHER MOTHERS is the elevated, devourable thriller you’ve been looking for.” —Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
"The Other Mothers is a first-class thriller, with taut prose, gasp-worthy twists and characters you’ll love to hate. Faulkner has done it again - fans of Greenwich Park won’t be disappointed." —Robin Morgan-Bentley, author of The Wreckage and The Guest House
"A highly addictive and whip-smart tale, The Other Mothers strips the surface from Insta-perfect lives to reveal a deeply unsettling reality. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! " —Teresa Driscoll, author of the international bestseller I am Watching You
New York Times bestselling author Ellery Lloyd
Next-level mum noir…a brilliant portrayal of the complexities of parenthood, work and—oh yes—murder. Smart, tense, and gripping.”
New York Times bestselling author Ashley Audrain
A delicious combination of treacherous secrets and enviable lives…The Other Mothers is the elevated, devourable thriller you’ve been looking for.”
Library Journal
10/13/2023
In Faulkner's second novel (after Greenwich Park), freelance journalist and new mom Tash seeks a playgroup for her son Finn. She finds it in a group of mothers who live in upper-class London neighborhoods and whose lifestyles Tash could only dream of. Sophie is a live-in nanny for Claire and Jez, who are expecting their first baby together while raising Jez's son, Jude. Sophie notices a strange detachment between Claire and Jude and works to make sure he's properly cared for. Meanwhile, Tash is quickly swept up in coffee dates and spa outings that she struggles to afford. All the while she's spending her spare time investigating the death of a young nanny. But when the investigation leads to her own playgroup, and another young woman dies mysteriously, Tash wonders, who are these other mothers? And why was she invited in? VERDICT Fans of Ashley Audrain and Chandler Baker will enjoy the similar themes of motherhood, the unspoken parts of women's relationships, desire, envy, and heart-pounding suspense. The alternating timelines build anticipation but the twists will keep readers guessing to the last page.—Kerri Copus
JANUARY 2024 - AudioFile
This audiobook pulls listeners in and keeps them guessing. When Sophie, a young London nanny, is found dead under suspicious circumstances, freelance journalist Tash is intrigued. A new mother, Tash is trying to be accepted by the beautiful, wealthy moms she's surrounded by. The story is told from two alternating perspectives and presents two timelines, one before Sophie's death and one after. Tash, voiced by Louise Brealey, is depicted as intelligent and inquisitive but desperate to fit in. Richards perfectly matches Sophie's youthful naïveté and recklessness. The closer Tash gets to the truth, the more she is forced to rethink her friendships, her actions, and the consequences for all involved. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2023-09-22
A London journalist struggles with parenting, work, and a coven of fellow playgroup mothers in this menace-infused thriller.
Freelance journalist Natasha Carpenter splits her harried time between work—when she can get it—her 2-year-old son, Finn, and her husband, Tom. When Finn, under heartbreaking duress, starts going to a local playgroup, Tash has slightly more time to pursue her current investigative article, the mystery of a local nanny, Sophie Blake, found dead in a reservoir; she also starts hanging out with some of the playgroup’s other mothers, Claire, Laura, and Nicole. Those three are living lives of higher-end luxury than Tash, accentuated by giant houses, cheerful—and sometime overly attentive—husbands, and fancy brunches at an upscale café, Ruby’s. Despite her limited budget, Tash goes along gamely for the breezy social ride. But when she starts getting anonymous threats, Tash realizes something is seriously amiss. Unfortunately, she’s already struggled to re-focus any police interest in Sophie’s case, and she finds herself not just playing amateur detective but beginning to wonder who she can trust. Faulkner is a pro at ever-so-gradually ratcheting up the tension bit by tiny, spine-tingling bit. And, as the narrative deftly swings between timeframes—many of the chapters are narrated by Sophie in the period leading up to her death—we get a vertiginous view of just how tightly a group of people’s lives can be inexorably twisted together.
Faulkner pulls out all the psychological-thriller stops—and then some.
