“A shocking psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist that will keep you up at night.”
Book Blurb:
Clara McNair is running out of time to save her son, James. When the two-year-old is diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, only an experimental treatment can save his life. She desperately needs money to pay for the surgery, but she’ll have to travel back to the site of her darkest memories to get it.
Clara has escaped the demons of her youth—or so she thinks. It’s been ten years since the mysterious disappearance of her parents. Widely suspected of murdering her mother and father, Clara fled west to start a new life. Now, a documentary film crew is offering cold, hard cash—enough to pay for James’s treatment—in exchange for the sordid secrets of her past.
With no other choice but to delve into a long-ago tragedy, Clara must unravel the lies surrounding that terrible night. Facing hostile gossip, Clara is fighting to clear her name and learn the truth about what really happened. But how far will she go into the dark to save her son—and herself?
NOTE: Books in the ‘Secrets of Suburbia’ Series can be read as standalones, but are linked by common themes of motherhood, suburbia not being as safe as you think, and how the perfect, sanitized version of life that people often show is far from the truth. Gripping stories with shocking twists just a click away.
His Thoughts:
Keep your friends close and your enemy closer. Sometimes the two are difficult to differentiate. Jo Crow has written a story reminiscent of Town Without Pity. The town, Hickory Hills, North Carolina, seems to fit the title of a town without pity. Everywhere the protagonist Clair McNair goes she is met with anger and hatred. I found it difficult to understand why a town would be so aggressive towards a young mother.
Clair has a young son with a rare disease that can only be treated with an experimental drug. The cost is very expensive and the only way to get enough money to afford the treatment is by doing a documentary about the death of her parents. Returning to Hickory Hills after ten years, the disgust for her is palatable. She has a high school friend named Amanda who stands by her and helps watch her son while she assists in filming the documentary that will provide funds for the treatment.
The local detective Elkins has concluded that she is the killer of her parents and his job is to prove it. He is vitriolic and has no compassion for a young woman who he “knows” has killed her parents. The killing was done in a particularly brutal manner. Remarkably, some of the bones show up behind a shed on her father’s property after she returns to town. It would seem the detective should have questioned this as the place the bones were found was thoroughly searched ten years ago.
Questioning the investigative procedures of Detective Elkins and his blatant disregard for proper forensics rankled me. I confess I took an immediate dislike for this character and his methodology. Events continue to happen to Claire through the entire book that surely would have made a good detective question why. However, this author skillfully avoided the issue and let the detective doggedly pursue his pre-ascertained verdict.
Twists and turns build suspense throughout this tale. Jo Crow masterfully exposes a surprising end plot. Who was causing all of the turmoil and danger for Claire? Meanwhile, her son is getting sicker every day and she needs to rely upon her few friends to allow her to make the documentary. 
A twist at the end is a classic maneuver totally unexpected! Read this well-crafted novel and discover the duplicity at the climax. The book builds tension and will not disappoint! C.E. Williams Free from Bookbub
Book Details:
Genre: Vigilante Justice Thrillers, Suspense Action Fiction, Women’s Crime Fiction
- ISBN-10:1979295425
- ISBN-13:978-1979295420
- ASIN: B077VVN43Z
Print Length: 442 pages
Publication Date: December 1, 2017
Source: BookBub
Title Link: A Mother’s Lie [Amazon]
Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars 
The Author: Jo Crow gave ten years of her life to the corporate world of finance, rising to be one of the youngest VPs around. She carved writing time into her commute to the city, but never shared her stories, assuming they were too dark for any publishing house. But when a nosy publishing exec read the initial pages of her latest story over her shoulder, his albeit unsolicited advice made her think twice.
A month later, she took the leap, quit her job, and sat down for weeks with pen to paper. The words for her first manuscript just flew from her. Now she spends her days reading and writing, dreaming up new ideas for domestic noir fans, and drawing from her own experiences in the cut-throat commercial sector.
Not one to look back, Jo is all in, and can’t wait for her next book to begin.
Visit http://www.JoCrow.com to join her mailing list.
©2020 CE Williams – V Williams 
Rosepoint Publishing 