Book Review: Ghost Mother by Kelly Dwyer

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“Love was a tunnel; love was a feather bed; love was a shackle.”

📚

Aging former actress Lilly Bly struggles with out-of-control spending, devastating infertility, crippling trauma, and deteriorating mental health, and after her husband, Jack, moves them to Wisconsin, she immediately latches on to a dilapidated mansion. Though it’s a money pit, she’s convinced she’ll become a mother there and insists on buying it, only to learn that it was the scene of a grisly 1950s murder/suicide. And when she begins experiencing inexplicable phenomena, Lilly becomes obsessed with uncovering the sinister truth, even as she questions her own sanity and whether the house may be haunted. Is she delusional, or is something legitimate going on?

Ghost Mother is a captivating gothic horror novel that exudes tension and disquiet, building a wonderful sense of anticipation, suspense, and suspicion throughout. Lilly is a veritable trainwreck; everything she does is frustrating and stressful. She’s intensely unlikable and plagued by shame and self-loathing, as well as pathologically dishonest, obsessively distracted, incapable of communication, and constantly making mistakes, bad decisions, and empty promises. Her history is as harrowing as the mansion’s, the unsolved mysteries of which gradually unfold as the narrative progresses, producing an intricate and engrossing narrative riddled with information, clues, and enigmas that barrel toward a dramatic climax.

The past and present interplay is riveting, the couple’s strained marriage gripping and believable. Jack is a neglectful, enabling, gaslighting, patronizing husband, while Lilly’s incessant falsehoods, failures, and cascading issues are equal parts destructive and exasperating. Is Jack an enabler or protector? Is Lilly irresponsible or mentally unwell? Did they ever really know and love each other, and who (if anyone) is ultimately the villain?

Some of the most memorable moments are incredibly terrifying, both because of excellent writing and nagging wonder. Contradictions and uncertainties abound, including those surrounding Lilly’s motherhood fixation. Does she want to be a mother, or is she seeking her next (elusive) dopamine hit, searching for affection and comfort in all the wrong places?

The end is chilling and disturbing, capping off a haunting and unforgettable read that would make a fantastic book club selection. Thank you to Kelly Dwyer for sending an eARC of this forthcoming release for review consideration. Ghost Mother is currently slated for publication on August 6th via Union Square & Co. and is a compelling page-turner sure to delight fans of gothic/psychological/historical horror.

🖤Amanda

*Trigger warnings/difficult topics include (but may not be limited to) events surrounding pregnancy, motherhood, and child loss/death; suicide and suicidal ideation; obsession; murder; grief, trauma, and mental illness; marital strife; and financial troubles.

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