Bad Mother by Mia Sheridan

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bad Mother by Mia Sheridan
Published by Montlake on 28 March 2023
ISBN: 9781662509766
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 344
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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From New York Times bestselling author Mia Sheridan comes the twisted story of one detective's pursuit of a serial killer who's taunting her...and the familiar connection between them that's haunting her.
When Sienna Walker is nearly fired from the NYPD, the last thing she expects is a second chance in the one place she vowed never to return to. But she can't afford to turn down the job offer, even if a painful familial past and a broken engagement hardly make Reno, Nevada, home sweet home.
It's made even less sweet by Sienna's first case--a serial killer with a curious fixation on her. Along with his victims, the killer leaves perplexing clues and chilling journal entries addressed to Sienna detailing the murders he claims his mother committed. The case continues to get personal when her ex-fiancé is called out by the killer as well. Whoever's behind the diabolical murders, Sienna can only be sure of one thing...it's someone close to home.
As the twisted truth forces Sienna to face her complicated feelings, she learns that no matter how far you run from your past, it always catches up to you in the end.

Bad Mother is a suspense thriller that reminded me a lot of Karen Rose’s work. I had enjoyed a lot of Mia Sheridan’s romance titles, so I was excited to see what she was capable of in the mystery genre. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t really care for the romance side of things as I just felt this second chance romance was a little bit implausible. I don’t think I’d hook up with someone that ditched me at the alter but there we go!

I didn’t read much about the synopsis before delving in, but the premise of a Bad Mother really intrigued me. This really helped me get lost in the story, without putting any pressure on it. Sometimes I find myself expecting something that never happens, so I gave the story room to breathe like a decent vintage. I was rewarded with an enjoyable reading experience. There’s emotion on every page and I just love a serial killer story.

A cat and mouse game – the bodies keep piling up and the killer seems to know new detective to the department – Sienna Walker. He seems to know about her connection to her ex, Gavin Decker, winner of the world series in Poker. Why is the first body posed with a deck of cards?

There was enough information about each character to determine what was going on regarding the plot. Reactions were genuine and I enjoyed the trajectory of the plot. The personalized notes from the killer also gave a unique take into the mind of a killer. It was messed up and it made me think about nature vs nurture.

Bad Mother is a gritty read. It spins a tale about childhood trauma, thriller and romance and flowed with a raw sense of intrigue.

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