Bloggin' 'bout Books: 12/05/19

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama

- Alaska

- Arizona

- Arkansas

- California

- Colorado

- Connecticut

- Delaware

- Florida

- Georgia

- Hawaii

- Idaho

- ~~Illinois~~ (1)

- Indiana

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- Maryland

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- ~~New York~~ (1)

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- ~~Rhode Island~~ (1)

- South Carolina

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- ~~Virginia~~ (1)

- Washington

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- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- England (2)

Newest Not My Favorite Kelly Novel, But Still An Engrossing Page-Turner

6:17 AM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Sometimes reinventing the wheel by writing my own plot summaries for the books I review doesn't make any sense, especially when a novel's back cover copy describes it in a way that's both succinct and brilliant. Such is the case with Stone Mothers, the newest thriller from British crime writer Erin Kelly. Check it out:

You can't keep the secret.

You can't tell the truth.

You can't escape the past...

Marianne was seventeen when she fled her home in Nusstead – leaving behind her family, her boyfriend, Jesse, and the body they buried. Now, thirty years later, forced to return to in order to help care for her sick mother, she can feel the past closing around her. And Jesse, who never forgave her for leaving in the first place, is finally threatening to expose the truth.

Marianne will do anything to protect the life she's built, the husband and daughter who must never know what happened all those years ago. Even if it means turning to her worst enemy for help... But Marianne may not know the whole story – and she isn't the only one with secrets they'd kill to keep.

I find books about the early treatment of mental illness both fascinating and horrifying. Even if I hadn't already been a fan of Kelly's, then, I would have been eager to read Stone Mothers. Turns out, this isn't my favorite of the author's books. Still, as with all of Kelly's work, this one kept me burning through pages to see what would happen next. The characters are complex and intriguing, the plot is fast-paced but contemplative, and the vibe is gothic and eerie. With plenty of twists to keep things interesting, Stone Mothers is definitely an engrossing page-turner. It's also sad, depressing, and not my favorite Kelly novel. Overall, though, I enjoyed it.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Other Mother by Carol Goodman; Woman 99 by Greer MacAllister; and a little of The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts)

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