The New Mother by Nora Murphy #bookreview #thriller #suspense

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Title: The New Mother

Author: Nora Murphy

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Page Count:  295

My rating: 4 stars

About the book:

From Nora Murphy, author of The Favor, The New Mother is both relatable and nerve-wracking, sympathetic and bone-chilling— a fresh new twist on motherhood and murder in suburbia.

Isolated. Lonely. Tired. It’s hard being The New Mother. Sometimes it’s murder.

Nothing is simple about being a new mom alone in a new house, especially when your baby is collicky. Natalie Fanning loves her son unconditionally, but being a mother was not all she wanted to be.

Enter Paul, the neighbor.

Paul provides the lifeline she needs in what feels like the most desperate of times. When Paul is helping with Oliver, calmed by his reassuring, steady presence, Nat feels like she can finally rest.

But Paul wants something in return. It’s no coincidence that he has befriended Nat—she is the perfect pawn for his own plan. Will Nat wake up in time to see it?

The New Mother by Nora Murphy is a slow burn suspense novel that takes a deep dive into postpartum depression. The story is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters to give both sides of the mystery involved.

Natalie Fanning is a new mother who feels like she is failing extremely at taking care of her new baby. Constant crying and late night feedings have Natalie’s world turned upside down and her husband, Tyler, is no help as he returns to his job leaving Natalie alone to spiral further down her rabbit hole.

One day Natalie meets a very helpful neighbor, Paul. Paul is a stay at home father to a ten year old daughter who now putters his days away while his wife is working and his daughter attends school. Paul is a baby whisperer and immediately Natalie trusts Paul to help her sooth her new infant giving her those precious moments of peace she so desires but should she really be trusting this charming neighbor??

The New Mother by Nora Murphy is one of those novels that seems to be a hit or miss with the early readers and I found myself being one of the ones that enjoyed this one. The author didn’t miss a thing when it came to developing Natalie’s character and I felt I wanted to jump in and help her myself. The mystery takes a while to develop but I was invested the entire way and actually found I enjoyed the wrap up after all the slowly built suspense throughout. I’d definitely come back to this author again in the future when finished.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Nora Murphy attended law school in Washington, D.C., then worked as a judicial law clerk before transitioning to private practice. During law school, she participated in two clinics through which she represented and studied the issues facing survivors of intimate partner violence. A practicing attorney, Nora writes as much as she can, usually long before the sunrise or on her phone for brief moments when the inspiration strikes. Nora resides in Maryland with her husband, young son, and five rescue pets. The Favor is her first novel.