Just Like Mother

Maeve, a thirtysomething book editor in New York City, had a traumatic childhood. She escaped a cult when she was very young, leaving everything she knew - including her best friend and beloved cousin, Andrea - behind. She now lives a relatively peaceful but lonely life, always holding everyone at a distance until she gets a match on a DNA testing site one day. Andrea has been found after searching on and off for years, and although Maeve is wary, she is excited to have her one true friend back.

As her old life begins to crumble, Maeve seeks refuge in Andrea's new home: a remote, partially refinished mansion in the Catskills. There, she becomes friends with Andrea's friends, who try to impart the importance of motherhood as every woman's privilege and right. And although Andrea doesn't want to speak of the past, Maeve's new life brings more and more memories to the surface, and her past may be catching up with her.

This novel was a pulpy thrill ride with some horrific imagery. The reveals are orchestrated relatively early in the story, but it still had some “aha!” moments. The first-person narrative makes you feel connected with Maeve, even if you sometimes want to shake her and tell her to pay attention (as you do with most horror protagonists). My overall main problem was the epilogue, which I felt diminished the story a bit and seemed tacked on—still, a solid psychological thriller with a good gothic setting. For some of the spookier moments, the use of technology was an effective contrast to the dusty old mansion. Overall, 3.5 creepy doll heads out of 5 bumped up because that cover is too good.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a digital ARC to review!