She’s protected them from the truth. Can she save them from her past?
Australian soccer mum Sarah Calhoun keeps the terrifying secrets of her time as an overseas aid worker from everyone she loves. Until two men from Northern Ireland hunt her down – one an obsessive policeman with demons of his own, the other a brutal IRA executioner, too closely connected to her past.
She is forced to return to Belfast to testify at a murder trial. But she faces an impossible choice – lie on the stand and allow a vindictive killer to run free or tell the truth and place her children in the line of fire.
With the lives of her family and thousands of innocent people at risk, Sarah must battle her fears, overcome betrayal and find the courage to fight for the truth. But righting the wrongs of the past just might cost her everything.
The Good Mother is the perfect read for people who enjoy fast-paced thrillers with tight, twisty plots – think Taken meets The Bourne Supremacy, with a mother as the hero.
2022 has been a great year for thriller readers. It’s only April and already we’ve reviewed some standout novels that remind me why I love this genre so much. Rae Cairns’ debut novel The Good Mother is one such book. Nominated for the 2021 Ned Kelly Debut of the Year, this is a suspenseful, gripping page-turner that centres on a mother trying to protect her family from the secrets that haunt her.
As far as protagonists go, Sarah Calhoun is excellent. Every mother’s worst nightmare is for something awful to happen to their kids, and Sarah is no different. Every decision she makes is fuelled by her determination to protect her children. With Sarah Calhoun, Cairns has crafted a strong, captivating female lead who also happens to be a mother.
The story switches between modern day Australia and 1990’s Belfast during The Troubles. I was fascinated by how Cairns portrayed Belfast during such a difficult period in Ireland’s history. She builds a tense atmosphere that brings readers into the heart of the conflict. The streets are riddled with danger and everything Sarah seems to do has severe consequences.
Fast-paced and unputdownable, The Good Mother is one cracking debut thriller – Cairns has knocked it out of the park.
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