The Guilty Mother by Diane Jeffrey Blog Tour

This seems to be the year of the thrillers. So many great novels written by some amazingly, clever authors and we're only just over half way through the year. It is a genre that is fast becoming my favourite so when I was given the chance to join the blog tour for Diane Jeffrey's latest novel, The Guilty Mother, I became more than a little excited.

2013

Melissa Slade had it all: beauty, money, a successful husband and beautiful twin babies. But, in the blink of an eye, her perfect life became a nightmare – when she found herself on trial for the murder of her little girls. 

PRESENT DAY

Jonathan Hunt covered the original Slade Babies' case for the local newspaper. Now that new evidence has come to light, Jon's boss wants him back on the story to uncover the truth.

With Melissa's appeal date looming, time is running out. And, as Jon gets drawn deeper into a case he’d wanted to forget, he starts to question Melissa's guilt.

Is Melissa manipulating Jon or telling him the truth? Is she a murderer, or the victim of a miscarriage of justice?

And if Melissa Slade is innocent, what really happened to Ellie and Amber Slade?

The story is told from differing points of view. 

First we have Melissa (known to friends as Lissa), she is mother of three children, two of which - twins - tragically died literally weeks apart. The first twin, Amber, passed away from cot death but the second twin Ellie, although on first appearances seemed to suffer the same fate, questions were soon raised. 

Now in prison, Melissa is about to appeal her case. Determined to get home to her son, could she really be innocent of the crime she's been accused of?

Then we have Jon. A dad to two boys, a husband to a sadly deceased wife. He has been given the task of writing an article about Melissa's upcoming appeal. A simple task some might think, but how can you write such a piece when you don't quite believe in the subjects innocence.

"Melissa lost one baby, not her fault

I believed her

Melissa lost another baby, again not her fault

I didn't believe her"

Add into the mix Kelly, junior reporter and a colleague of Jon's who is actually closer than she thinks to this case, she just doesn't know it yet.

Each point of view offers a detailed perspective of both the case and the characters involved. I found myself whole heartedly invested, I really wanted Melissa to be innocent but I'll be honest I could have never guessed the outcome.

What Diane manages to convey is that not everything is black and white, nothing can be cut and dry, there is more than meets the eye in any situation.

So many questions and not enough answers. Miscarriage of justice or a complicated manipulation? Will we ever really find out the truth?

Do you believe her?

Alternating timelines and new clues with each turn of the page, the tale filled and abundance of secrets and lies. This books is filled to the brim with tension and fraught with emotion. 

The Guilty Mother is a gripping psychological thriller. It's no exaggeration when I say that I was on the edge of my seat when reading this story. What could have been a complicated storyline was executed in a way that provoked more intrigue and excitement.

Highly recommended!

Do join the rest of the blog tour for more reviews etc. See the banner below for where to head next.