Claire Hughes had a really tough experience three years ago. She has risen above it and now gets a chance to have a very good life with husband Matt and baby daughter Olivia. Claire and Matt have moved into a new home and are blessed with a warm, affectionate marriage.

However, Claire really is not doing well. For starters, they are living in Matt's grandmother's home and his mother will not allow Claire to make it her own. What is worse is that Claire feels very inadequate as a mother, and has a difficult time bonding with Olivia. Things in the home seem unsettled, off at times. Then, when a note comes through her letterbox, saying that she doesn't deserve Olivia, Claire nearly falls apart.

Throughout the entire story, we have two viewpoints, that of Claire, and that of an nnamed narrator. At least one of the woman has completely fallen apart, and has experienced unspeakable angst. It is rather tragic to read.

This was a compelling read that I devoured from cover-to-cover in one sitting. I am a grandmother of several, with a newborn grandson the age of Olivia, so with some of the things that Claire was experiencing, I kept relating to young mothers. I think for none other reason that I am a very sensitive person, and thus, a sensitive reader. I do appreciate very much that the author included real feelings of insecurity where a new mother is concerned.

It became quite apparent early on that Claire had a stalker, and that certainly did not make her life any easier. As the pages passed by, I figured out who it was, but clearly understood how Claire could be fooled. What didn't help matters much was just how awful Matt's mother was. Matt did try as a husband and new father, but he gave me cause for concern at times.

I loved this book! A Mother's Mistake was a great debut novel for Ruth Heald. I do look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

One of my favorite features in books is the acknowledgements or letters from the author, and this book contained a letter. It provides great insight as to why Ms. Heald wrote the book and I think brought great awareness to post-natal depression.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

Who can you trust?
This was an enjoyable psychological thriller that managed to make me suspicious of nearly every character in the book. The twists were believable and overall I really enjoyed this audiobook version.

But there were times when the main character really annoyed me. I felt for her, getting so little sleep, but then, instead of sleeping, she made sure her husband had supper on the table when he got home. "Tell him to buy a take-away," I was shouting.
Another irritation was that all the female characters we so lacking in power, their most frequently used words were blame, guilt and shame, and I'm not even particularly a feminist.
I think I'd have liked to edit this book, make it a little shorter and give the women a bit more self confidence. Having said that, I was never tempted to abandon ship and I still gave it 4*, so they were minor gripes in the overall scheme of things.

Claire, Matt and their new baby, Olivia, have decamped from London to the peace and quiet of a rural cottage, recently vacated due to the death of Matt's grandmother. His mother and father live within walking distance and all appears to be magical. Of course, initial appearances prove to be deceptive and Claire finds it increasingly difficult to settle into the cottage. Strange things keep happening and she feels as if she is being watched, but is it just confusion caused by extreme tiredness or is someone really out to get her?
Great characters, in fact one of the strengths of the book lay in its wonderful, varied characters. Its other strengths were the twists and turns and the gradual reveal before we finally understood the whole backstory and everything fell into place.

I enjoyed the excellent narration by Tamsin Kennard, although I would have liked a little more differentiation between the voices of Claire and the unnamed 'other' person who we switch back to from time to time.
Overall, an excellent read. ( )