Having become a big fan of T.M. Logan’s writing I’m extremely grateful to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for his latest thriller The Mother. I’m delighted to share my review of The Mother today. You’ll also find my review of The Curfew here.

Published by Bonnier imprint Zaffre on 2nd March 2023, The Mother is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

The Mother

Framed for murder. Now she’s free . . .

A woman attends a funeral, standing in the shadows and watching in agony as her sons grieve. But she is unable to comfort them – or reveal her secret.

A decade earlier, Heather gets her children ready for bed and awaits the return of her husband Liam, little realising that this is the last night they will spend together as a family. Because tomorrow she will be accused of Liam’s murder.

Ten years ago Heather lost everything. Now she will stop at nothing to clear her name – and to get her children back . . .

My Review of The Mother

Heather is newly released from prison.

My goodness I enjoyed this perfectly crafted thriller, not least because T.M. Logan has an eye for detail that adds just enough description to bring alive his scenes without slowing pace and theme at all. The episodic nature of the plot means that The Mother would translate brilliantly into another superb television series. Indeed, I think this narrative is T.M. Logan at his best. 

One of the aspects of The Mother that I found most affecting was the way T.M. Logan illustrated how society judges by appearance, or continues to condemn those who find themselves facing adversity without knowing the full details. This prejudicial aspect lends a thought-provoking element that made me feel quite sad, even as I was enjoying the fast pace and the excitement of the plot.

And what a plot it is. It’s one of those stories that’s very difficult to review without spoilers but the narrative made my blood boil. I loathe unfairness and corruption and with so much of The Mother revolving around these two concepts, reading the story infuriated me, engaging me completely and making me totally invested in the outcomes. There’s a rapid pace that alternates between 2013 and 2023 that ensures the reader is drip fed information and is frequently wrong footed and caught up in the story, elevating their heart rate in the process. I had no idea what would happen and all the theories I developed were proven wrong through the excellent story-telling. 

In addition, I think one of the aspects that made The Mother so exciting for me, and such a gripping read, was the fact that Heather’s relentless pursuit of the truth goes so far beyond anything I’d dare attempt, that I was fascinated by her and her actions. I completely forgot that she’s a fictional character and was desperate for her to get justice. There’s quite a limited cast too with much of the action revolving around Heather, Jodie, Owen and Amy and this increases the tension and provides a sense of claustrophobia. 

I thought The Mother was excellent, finding it gripping, absorbing and exciting. I thoroughly appreciated the depth given to the narrative through the themes of justice and family and the way Heather is fiercely determined to uncover the truth of Liam’s murder – whatever the consequences. I recommend The Mother completely. It’s a super read.

About T.M. Logan

TM Logan’s thrillers have sold more than a million copies in the UK and been translated into 22 other languages for publication around the world.

His thriller, Trust Me, begins when a woman is asked to look after a stranger’s baby on a train – only for the mother to vanish. When she looks in the baby’s things, she finds a note that says: ‘Please protect Mia. Don’t trust the police. Don’t trust anyone.’

The Curfew, coming March 2022, follows the events of a hot midsummer’s night, when five teenagers go up to the woods to celebrate the end of exams, and only four come out…

Tim’s thriller The Holiday was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. It has since won a Nielsen Bestseller Award and been made into a four-part TV drama with Jill Halfpenny for Channel 5. The Catch recently aired on Channel 5 too.

A former national newspaper journalist, Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his family and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

For further information, exclusive writing, new releases and a FREE deleted scene from Tim, sign up to the Readers’ Club on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor, or find him on Facebook and on Instagram.

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