A searing and sinister thriller for readers who liked Gone Girl.
What if your best friend's child disappears? And it was all your fault.
A searing and sinister thriller for readers who liked Gone Girl.What if your best friend's child disappears? And it was all your fault. This is exactly what happens to Lisa Kallisto, overwhelmed working mother of three, one freezing December in the English Lake District. She takes her eye off the ball for just a moment and her whole world descends into the stuff of nightmares. Because, not only is thirteen-year-old Lucinda missing, and not only is it all Lisa's fault, but she's the second teenage girl to disappear within this small tightknit community over two weeks. The first girl turned up stripped bare, dumped on a busy high street, after suffering from a terrifying ordeal.
Wracked with guilt over her mistake and after being publicly blamed by Lucinda's family, Lisa sets out to right the wrong. But as she begins peeling away the layers surrounding Lucinda's disappearance, Lisa learns that the small, posh, quiet town she lives in isn't what she thought it was, and her friends may not be who they appear, either.
Review
"Paula Daly's strong debut . . . is fiendishly addictive as well as perceptive about guilt and social class." β Guardian (UK)
"Riveting! Daly plunges straight into the heart of every parent's worst nightmare with page turning results. You know this family. You may even be one of these moms. And you will fly through this novel, as their pain, bewilderment, and ultimately determination becomes your own." βLisa Gardner , #1 New York Times bestselling author of Touch & Go and Catch Me
"One of the most hypnotically gripping books I've read in a long, long time. Masterfully written and utterly unputdownable, this thriller will surprise and astound you with every ingenious twist and turn." βTess Gerritsen , New York Times bestselling author of Last to Die
"A crackling good read, Just What Kind of Mother Are You? is a remarkable domestic thriller debut. Fueled by every parent's worst nightmare, Paula Daly takes you for an intense, gritty and heartbreaking roller-coaster ride. A writer to watch." βJulia Spencer-Fleming , New York Times bestselling author of One Was A Soldier
"Just What Kind of Mother Are You? is an intricate, absolutely absorbing account of a series of chilling events that once unleashed will keep the reader riveted to the pages. A grave reminder of the heavy responsibility of being a mother, a wife, a friend. Hypnotic and harrowing right up to the pulse-pounding end. Unforgettable." βHeather Gudenkauf , New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden
"The very definition of a page-turnerβthe sort of book that causes you to lose half a day without even noticing. Savour every page, because this will probably be your book of the year. With characters so real they canβt possibly be made up, itβs a brilliant, thrilling story of friendship, families and the sort of terrifying betrayal that can only happen to those closest to us." βElizabeth Haynes , author of Into the Darkest Corner
"A terrifying story that strips away all our preconceptions about love, loyalty, and friendship. Paula Daly writes so compellingly and convincingly about one motherβs descent into the darkest of places, that we canβt help but be dragged along with her. A fantastic debut." βCarla Buckley , author of Invisible
"I read the book in just a few hours, gripped by the believable characters and switchbacks of the plot. Everyone will recognize the dilemmas in this book and hold their breath for the finale." βClaire McGowan , author of The Fall and Director of the Crime Writers' Association
"Paula Daly's finely-wrought debut thriller deals with overburdened working women who are doing their best but are in danger of being swamped by the conflicting demands being placed upon them. Daly's characters are well-drawn, complex individuals who oftentimes are not what they seem to be, and her small-town settings seethe with twisted dynamics lurking just below the bucolic surfaces." βLisa Brackmann , author of Rock Paper Tiger
"A terrifically assured debutβa compelling read with a wholly appealing protagonist and great doses of humor along with the suspense." βKathleen George , author of Simple and The Odds
"An assured and nail-biting debut which gives an authentic portrayal of modern family life and the pressures of being a working mother. Daly writes eloquently about an ordinary family plunged into a nightmare and sets her story in the wintry landscape of the English Lakes. A tense and satisfying read." βCath Staincliffe , author of Split Second and Dead to Me
"This is a superb debut novel, which engages the reader from the first page and doesn't let up until the final twist at the very end. An unsettling portrayal of just how easily lives can unravel amid the pressures of modern life. Close the curtains, stoke up the fire and prepare for an excellent read." βDiane Janes , author of Why Didnβt You Come for Me?
"A cracking page turner that explores every womanβs second worst nightmare: your child is safe but your friendβs child goes missing on your watch. A highly enjoyable read." β The Bookseller
About the Author
Paula Daly lives in Cumbria County in North West England with her husband, three children, and whippet Skippy. She is a freelance physiotherapist. JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU? is her debut novel.