Stone Mothers- Erin Kelly

THE BARE BONES... (a brief overview)

From the opening pages Stone Mothers cradles you in a narrative, only to tip your certainty upside down. (I’m trying to give you an idea of the plot without writing spoilers which is really hard!) At the centre of the story is a mental asylum, which links the characters as you travel through different times in their history. Sam expects Marianne to be thrilled that he has purchased an apartment in the historical building of her hometown that used to be ‘Nazareth’ a Psychiatric Hospital. For the decades of their marriage Marianne has kept her association with ‘Nazareth’ a secret. The reader slips between the past and the present to discover what happened there and who was responsible.

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FLAVOURS OF... (other books like this one)

This book was much more satisfying than The Anatomy of a Scandal, but had the similar idea of the dangers of the secrets of history to those who hold power. The domestic suspense reminded me of Big Little Lies- Erin Kelly sympathetically portrays the perspective of multiple characters and the enormous complexity of motherhood.

5 out of 5 snags

SNAGS ON THE BARBIE (rating out of 5)

5 out of 5 snags. I enjoyed this book like a cattleman’s cutlet/scotch fillet on the bone medium rare. It was an exquisite read. I relished each bite and the expertise in how the mystery was crafted together. I hope that the cover of this book doesn’t deter other readers (I thought it looked drab and academic) because this is such a great book.

“People talk about apron strings as your child grows up but this image of a cotton ribbon doesn’t capture the visceral wrench of a child who talks and walks, inevitably away from you; when they go it’s more like they’re pulling out your veins through your wrists.”