The Book:
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
Published December 2023 by Gallery Books
Torrie’s Rating:
The Plot (Goodreads):
When a young nanny is found dead in mysterious circumstances, new mom, Tash, is intrigued. She has been searching for a story to launch her career as a freelance journalist. But she has also been searching for something else—new friends to help her navigate motherhood.
She sees them at her son’s new playgroup. The other mothers. A group of sleek, sophisticated women who live in a neighborhood of tree-lined avenues and stunning houses. The sort of mothers Tash herself would like to be. When the mothers welcome her into their circle, Tash discovers the kind of life she has always dreamt of—their elegant London townhouses a far cry from her cramped basement flat and endless bills. She is quickly swept up into their wealthy world via coffees, cocktails, and playdates.
But when another young woman is found dead, it’s clear there’s much more to the community than meets the eye. The more Tash investigates, the more she’s led uncomfortably close to the other mothers. Are these women really her friends? Or is there another, more dangerous reason why she has been so quickly accepted into their exclusive world? Who, exactly, is investigating who?
The Other Mothers Spoilers
Jez is a serial cheater. He originally had a relationship with Christina before he married Emily (his first wife). Jez is the father of Christina’s daughter, Eliza. Christina confided in Sal, her babysitter, who eventually shared this with Tash. Though Sal is killed for knowing this (through an overdose faked by Laura). Jez also had an affair with Sophie, their nanny whose death Tash is investigating. Sophie had previously been assaulted by Ed Crawley (Laura’s husband) when she went on a date with him. Ed had been investigated at a prior job for assaulting a co-worker.
When Jez ended things with with Sophie, she decided to tell Claire, his current wife. Claire didn’t want to hear it. A verbal fight ensued on their stairs and Claire pushed Sophie into a wall and she fell down the stairs. Claire’s step-son (Jez’s son with his first wife Emily) saw this. Sophie didn’t immediately die. When Laura arrived for an unrelated reason, she killed Sophie by suffocating her with her scarf. Laura helped them cover up Sophie’s death in exchange for her husband to get a job with Jez.
Tash accidentally push Jez over the cliff when they were arguing. Tash was (incorrectly) accusing him of killing Sal and Sopie. The other mothers allow her to think Jez was the mastermind behind everything, and they all lie to the police that it was an accident. Allowing everyone to get away with Sophie’s and Sal’s murders.
Tom, Tash’s husband really isn’t up to anything sketchy. He isn’t the ideal husband or father, but everything else is a red-herring. He reported Laura (a fellow doctor) at work for overprescribing pills, which she was giving to Claire for her postpartum depression. Laura in turn, reports Tom for a fake accusation from a patient. Nicole is in on the report as well. Nicole was the one that sent threatening messages to Tash.
At first Tash agrees to tell the police that it was all an accident and she keeps her findings regarding Sophie and Sal’s murders a secret. Christina convinces her to come forward in order to hold Laura accountable.
Torrie’s Review:
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner is a fantastic mystery, and is perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies, Ten Perfect Strangers). Her writing styles and themes around imperfect families are very similar. This book has a cast of seemingly perfect mothers who must be hiding something, because no one’s life is that perfect, right?
While the ending isn’t shocking, I did really enjoy the journey, and there are many twists along the way that kept me very engaged. And there’s a fun little detail at the end that I really loved. Avid mystery and thriller readers should not skip this read!
Meet Guest Reviewer by Torrie Lewine
