Description:

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?

Adele’s Review:

3.5 Stars

The New Mother takes readers on a journey with first time parents Natalie, her husband, Tyler, and the dangerous friendship Nat develops with her neighbor, Paul, a stay-at-home dad. Overwhelmed by new motherhood and devolving from post-partum depression into post-partum psychosis, Natalie becomes the perfect prey for her seemingly well-intentioned neighbor. As her attachment to Paul increases, she equally withdraws from her loving husband and her legal career. And that’s when things go very, very wrong.

The New Mother is well written and has good character development. I would have liked the novel to offer an additional subplot to give the tale more depth, since most of the story focuses on Natalie’s struggle to care for her newborn, Oliver. Mothers might identify with some of Nat’s issues, and empathize with her fears of inadequacy, though she clearly does her best to nurture her child. The story is brought to a straightforward, but satisfactory conclusion.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5457754923

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9KW1YMF