Review
Right from the first page of Dear Mother, Rea Frey sets the tone – a newsletter article introduces the readers to a death of an infamous woman in the small town. Gail’s reputation and rumors precede her as the town remembers the dead teenagers who she fostered nearly two decades ago. Now that her biological daughter Isabelle has come back to take care of her mother’s remaining responsibilities, something seems to be calling out to her – something that doesn’t want to stay buried.
I’ve never read the author’s work before, but I know after this one that she is a formidable force when it comes to domestic thrillers. Misdirections? Check. Flashbacks? Check. Plot Twists? Double check.
The cruelty of getting flashbacks from the siblings’ POV knowing what happens to them was just cruel. But also a great storytelling device. The misleading of who to trust and who was super sus? The multiple twists towards the end are just that much more rewarding in Dear Mother. The characters are authentic and the suspense is suspensing. I highly recommend Dear Mother to anyone looking for their next thriller.
Rea Frey joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about her storytelling and characters. Keep an ear out for the episode and preorder Dear Mother, available April 28.
Book
In a tense thriller set deep amid the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a determined mother works to uncover the secrets of her family’s dark past, fearful of what their history may reveal.
After a childhood riddled with trauma and unanswered questions, Isabelle Archer vows to chase down the truth. So when her estranged mother dies, the investigative journalist returns to the one story that still haunts her.
Isabelle was thirteen when her three foster siblings died tragically in a fire. The blaze was ruled an accident, and despite the neglect, Isabelle never wanted to believe her mother was a killer. But twenty-five years later, the accusations linger.
Back in Cedarloch to settle the estate, Isabelle revisits her childhood home. A familiar dread permeates the surrounding woods. And when autopsy reports cast new suspicions, Isabelle unearths much more than just terrifying memories.
With help from her ex, Isabelle frantically digs for answers. What really happened the night of the fire? How did her mother die? And are the two somehow connected? What they find could poison long-held memories—and incinerate everything she thought to be true.
