A Perfect Mother by Jo Crow

☆☆☆1/2
Kindle Edition, 325 pages
Published March 3rd 2020 by Relay Publishing
About the Book:
Laurie Miller is left in utter shock when her husband vanishes without a trace, leaving her with a stack of bills she can’t pay. As the lonely days stretch into weeks with no reappearance or body resurfacing, the stay-at-home mom accepts a photography job from a former sorority sister, and current Instagram sensation, and returns to her Milwaukee roots—and the trauma she thought she’d escaped. Her college days left her with scars no camera can capture, and Laurie’s old OCD coping mechanisms creep in as she navigates the frightening new life of single motherhood. But becoming a personal photographer to a popular Instagram-Mom is helping Laurie provide for her daughter like any good mother should. She just never expected her daughter to become the center of so much attention. As the world of celebrity influencers feed her insecurities, Laurie realizes she’s not only lost her husband but now is losing the love of her only child. Arguments ensue. Accidental injuries surface. Allegations of neglect and endangerment are flung her way. But when Laurie’s daughter goes missing, a twisted scheme thrusts the past into the glaring light of the present. And this time, her daughter’s life is at stake.

A Perfect Mother is a gripping, psychological thriller about a self-absorbed, social media influencer, Marissa, and the friend from college (Laurie) she hires as a photographer. Right from the get-go, this chilling story pulled me in and kept my interest right up until the very end. It involved many issues including OCD, rape and stalking.

Laurie's husband, Ben goes missing. Was he kidnapped? Or did he simply walk away? As the story unfolds, it is told through Laurie's point-of-view, allowing the reader to gain a greater insight into her characters life, including her daughter Fay. But it also showcases how awful OCD is for both the sufferer and their families.

While I had pegged Laurie’s stalker/rapist early on, the author did throw in enough red herrings to keep my questioning whether or not I had gotten it right. I actually enjoyed second-guessing myself, as I wondered how it would eventually all play out. The ending itself was a bit over-the-top, but somehow fitting for this crazy little ride.

Thank you NetGalley, Jo Crow and Relay Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#APerfectMother #NetGalley