Saturday, September 5, 2020

Five thrillers with riveting mother-daughter dynamics

S.F. Kosa (aka Sarah Fine) is a long-time clinical psychologist. She was born on the West Coast, raised in the Midwest, and is now firmly entrenched on the East Coast.

The Quiet Girl is her debut psychological suspense novel.

At The Strand Magazine, Kosa tagged five favorite thrillers with riveting mother-daughter dynamics, including:
The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan

It’s fair to question why this gem is on the list, given that Maria, the mother, is dead at the end of the first chapter (which poses the mystery central to the plot). But the structure of this book, as well as the perspectives of Zoe, Maria’s daughter and one of the main characters, and Tessa, Maria’s sister, give us insight into the determination of a mother to sacrifice for and protect her offspring, shield them from consequences—unearned and otherwise—and sculpt a better future for them, even while daring to hope for happiness in her own life. This intricate story also explores how maturing girls can see their mothers’ vulnerabilities with a poignant, tense kind of insight, limned with both bafflement and gratitude, as they gain strength to come into their own.
Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue