Monday, March 13, 2023

Five top maternal thrillers

Gillian McAllister has been writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she now writes full-time.

McAllister's latest novel is Wrong Place Wrong Time.

At the Waterstones blog she tagged five favorite "novels in the rising genre of maternal page-turners," including:
Haven’t They Grown by Sophie Hannah

A conceptual thriller by an author who always favours a high-wire act and absolutely always pulls it off. Beth sees her old friend’s children out one day, but they haven’t aged at all in twelve years. How could this be? As always, Hannah takes an irresistible premise and runs with it, without ever stretching the plot beyond credulity. The answer is so satisfying that it feels obvious, but you’d never have thought of it yourself. What sets this novel apart, though, is the relatability of the middle-aged, wry protagonist, and her relationship with her own daughter, the fabulously witty and enthralling Zannah. Achingly funny, sharp and sincere, their love beats joyfully through the otherwise dark heart of the book.
Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue