What Kind Of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly

What Kind Of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly
Release Date – April 30, 2013
Publisher Website - Random House Canada
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  320 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

A searing and sinister thriller for readers who liked Gone Girl.

What if your best friend's child disappears? And it was all your fault.

A searing and sinister thriller for readers who liked Gone Girl.What if your best friend's child disappears? And it was all your fault. This is exactly what happens to Lisa Kallisto, overwhelmed working mother of three, one freezing December in the English Lake District. She takes her eye off the ball for just a moment and her whole world descends into the stuff of nightmares. Because, not only is thirteen-year-old Lucinda missing, and not only is it all Lisa's fault, but she's the second teenage girl to disappear within this small tightknit community over two weeks. The first girl turned up stripped bare, dumped on a busy high street, after suffering from a terrifying ordeal.

Wracked with guilt over her mistake and after being publicly blamed by Lucinda's family, Lisa sets out to right the wrong. But as she begins peeling away the layers surrounding Lucinda's disappearance, Lisa learns that the small, posh, quiet town she lives in isn't what she thought it was, and her friends may not be who they appear, either.

What if in one moment you were responsible for not only changing your life, but the life of someone else? What if you were responsible for the unthinkable? The guilt you would feel, and the sadness would be crippling. This novel looks at the devastating nature of family secrets, the idea of responsibility, and provides a fantastic thrilling read.

Lisa seemed like a typical working mother. Stretched thin trying to be everything to everyone in her life. She's not perfect, but the point is nobody is. The biggest message in this novel is that things are not always how they appear from the outside. As someone who is not a mother, but have close family and friends who are, it was refreshing to see someone who is a little frazzled by motherhood. Often mothers do so much, and are hard on themselves when they are unable to do it all. This glimpse shows that they're not alone in that.

Kate is what everyone considers to be the perfect mother. Put together, always on top of everything, and totally focused. She appears to be never frazzled, and would never for a moment not be able to juggle all the balls she has in the air. We get to see her world crumble when her daughter goes missing.

Joanne, and her Aunt Jackie were immediately my favourite character. A female detective that was capable and resourceful. Aunt Jackie was feisty and says exactly what everyone is thinking. She is the voice of reason and saying things exactly the way they are. Their interaction provided lots of humour in an otherwise tense story structure.

This debut novel is not only well constructed, and flows wonderfully, but is fantastically written. This novel will resonate with mother's who can all too easily relate to the overwhelmed Lisa, and fans of intense thrillers that leave you on the edge of your seat.

The inclusion of chapters from the point of view of a kidnapper gave the novel a sinister, and creepy feel. I was more unsettled by what was not said, with only the littlest hints leaving your imagination free to fill in the blanks. Shivers plagued me as I realized whose points of view these chapters are from, and it gives the novel a little something extra among an already tense storyline.

There are multiple storylines going on in this novel. They all seem like they are going to connect in a certain way, but twist in the most deliciously unexpected way at the last moment. They all tie together in a way that not only makes sense, but provides a most satisfying end to the story. There are even little storylines that appear to have no direct link to the story other than character background that are seen in a different light by the final pages.

This novel was a one sitting reading for me. I was drawn in right from the first page. A twisty, gripping novel that is not be missed. Don't spoil the end twists for yourself, as the way it all weaves together is part of this storylines appeal.