From the Walkley Award winning journalist, social commentator and author comes a gripping domestic thriller with a moral dilemma at its core.
Just like the garden, the fuse box, the bills, bin night and blown light bulbs, this was just something else she'd now have to take care of herself.
In response to escalating and almost daily media reports of incidents of horrifying family violence, feminist icon and fearless commentator Jane Caro has written a stunning novel that asks what any of us might do when faced with a threat to the people we hold most dear.
Miriam Duffy is a respectable North Shore widow, real estate agent and devoted mother and grandmother. She was thrilled when her younger daughter, Ally, married her true love, but as time goes by Miriam watches in disbelief and growing fear as Ally's perfect husband starts controlling her and their children, and cutting them off from the rest of the world. As the situation escalates and the law proves incapable of protecting them, Miriam is faced with an unthinkable decision. But she will do anything for the people she loves most in the world. Wouldn't you?
Jane Caro: 'The idea for this novel came to me fully formed. I was haunted by the image of a bereft older woman, head in her hands, after I saw her in a photo with her family who had become the victims of a horrendous domestic homicide. It was this image that gave me the idea for a book about a mother's revenge...
'I am the grandmother of two small children aged two and four. I love them intensely and feel extremely protective towards them. As I looked at the photo I began to imagine how I would feel if my daughter and grandchildren were living in abject fear of the husband and father who claimed to love them. What would I do?'
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Miriam watches from the outside as her daughter's fairytale marriage starts to descend into violence and control, and with police unwilling to intervene, she decides to take matters into her own hands
Jane Caro weaves a dark but deeply important narative touching on themes of domestic abuse, feminism, and familial duty that asks readers the question: how far would you go to protect your family? - Caitlin (QBD)
Guest, 10/03/2022
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Gripping and powerful. A novel about desperation and how far a Mother and Grandmother will go to protect her family. Addictive and beautifully written. - Tricia (QBD)
Guest, 05/03/2022
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"She had always been a bad mother to this fragile daughter of hers.She always had been. Then she caught herself. Once again she was turning the focus onto herself"
What a compelling, confronting and uneasy look at domestic violence. Things don't always look the way they seem.
Miriam wants to protect her daughter but how far will she go to ensure Ally's safety.
What would you do? - David (QBD)
Guest, 04/03/2022
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Jane Caro's debut fiction goes right for the heart.
A riveting domestic thriller featuring one of most difficult
moral dilemmas - save her daughter or save a life
and keep her conscience and her hands clean? - Stephanie (QBD)
Guest, 04/03/2022
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The Mother is a riveting read, following a north shore mother, recently widowed whose doubts about her daughter's supposedly idyllic marriage are becoming worse.
When she finally sees the proof with her own eyes can she bring herself to sacrifice her future for her family? - Vanessa (QBD)
Guest, 03/03/2022
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A confronting look into domestic violence and the ineffectiveness of the law through the eyes of a grieving mother. Jane Caro's 'The Mother' is enticing and dark, challenging morality and revealing the hard decisions we have to make for those we love. How far would you go?
- Alannah - Alannah (QBD)
Guest, 03/03/2022
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Miriam is recently widowed, and neglecting her own grief in favour of focusing on her daughters. When her youngest's marriage starts to deteriorate she is confronted with what she would do to keep her family safe.
The mother is a confronting book about family violence and love. It is a chilling, compulsive and neccessary book. - Jessica (QBD)
Guest, 02/03/2022
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Acclaimed writer Jane Caro brings us an intense and evocative novel in her debut The Mother. Through Miriam, who worries for her daughter Ally, we see the impact of fear and violence inflicted on women in a domestic setting. Both chilling and unbearably familiar, Caro's depication of these confronting realities, paired with her mastery of writing, is an eye-opening novel sure to impress readers! - Kiara (QBD)
Guest, 02/03/2022
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"The Mother" by Jane Caro is a fantastic read for fans of dark, chilling psychological thrillers. As an avid reader of Colleen Hoover, Lynda La Plante and Karen Slaughter, I found this months best selling book to be a realistcally frightening and enticing read with unexpecxted twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. - Tani (QBD)
Guest, 02/03/2022
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What would you do to protect your children? You'd do ANYTHING, right? In this domestic thriller, Jane Caro explores family violence, and what a mother would do for her child when in a precarious position. I don't know if I would do the same thing, but I do know this is a great book. - Karina (QBD)
Guest, 02/03/2022
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Caro is a whipsmart social commentator and her first adult fiction does not disappoint. Domestic abuse is everywhere and takes many forms. How far would you go to save your beloved child from the hands of her coercive controller? Jane has nailed the topic and a mother's worst fear, looking on helplessly as your child is in danger. If you like Jodi Picoult, you'll love this gripping social drama. - Lucy (QBD)
Guest, 01/03/2022
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A mother, ready to do what it takes to protect her children from disaster. A gripping read and thoroughly enjoyable. The urge to protect is something a mother will never give up and this story opens old wounds like a cereal box wondering if there is a surprise at the bottom. - Jacqueline (QBD)
Guest, 01/03/2022
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I LOOOOOOOOVED THIS BOOK!
Jane Caros' way of just slowly building tension is incredible, like the clam before the storm the book opens innoculously enough. Then with a crack you're right into it. Seeing the devestation that a mother scorned can bring.
Jack Reacher can sit down- I wasnt Miriam Duffy fighting for me! - Kale (QBD)
Guest, 28/02/2022
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Jane Caro's The Mother is a thrillingly engaging story both craftily written and deeply compelling. A stark depiction on how looks can be deceiving and the terrifying reality of watching a loved one be manipulated in their own marriage. Greatly paced, I was never bored of Jane Caro's amazing new novel. - Jenna-Lee (QBD)
Guest, 28/02/2022
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The kind of book that keeps you at the edge of your seat, The Mother by Jane Caro demonstrates the authentic love displayed by a mother and the lengths she will go to ensure the people she cares about are living the life they deserve.
With an intense plot that leaves no room for breaks, and realistic challenges that exhibit experiences to overcome them, it's a book you won't be able to put down. - Fatima (QBD)
Guest, 27/02/2022
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A fast-paced, thrilling novel that follows a mother who is willing to do anything to save her daughter from an abusive relationship. Set in an Australian landscape that many readers will find familiar, Caro explores the intricacies of human emotion, relationships and morals.A must read for fans of Gillian Flynn. - Jamisyn (QBD)
Guest, 27/02/2022
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For fans of Liane Moriarty, The Mother is a domestic crime story about a mother who has to decide whether to take the law into her own hands when she suspects not is all okay with her daughter's marriage. Chilling, compelling, and an eye-opener of just how horrible laws against victims of domestic violence are, this story will keep you up late into the night. - Alicia (QBD)
Guest, 27/02/2022
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A confronting and tense novel, 'The Mother' delves into the effects of domestic violence, and how things are not always as they seem. Jane Caro's writing reels you in and really connects you with her characters on an emotional and psychological level. What would you do in the shoes of a mother watching her daughter slowly fade away into the arms of an abuser? How far would you go? - Mars (QBD)
Guest, 26/02/2022
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Caro's portrayal of domestic violence highlights the coercive nature of domestic violence that makes this novel extremely terrifying. The realistic setting is extremely real and eye opening for the reader. In order to reconnect with her daughter Miriam eventually puts the pieces together and realises something tragic, in order to save her daughter from abuse she is met with obstacles and hardship - Diana (QBD)
Guest, 26/02/2022
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“The Mother” by Jane Carro follows devoted family woman Miriam Duffy as she navigates a harrowing situation her daughter and her grandchildren are placed in. Full of confronting truths about domestic violence, Caro creates a dark and suspense filled book about a young family. - Ivanna (QBD)
Guest, 26/02/2022
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What drives a person to the edge? What pushes them over? With an opening chapter like this book has, it's a question that will leave every reader hanging and wanting answers. Jane Caro is a formidable journalist and social commentator, and her first foray into adult fiction is sure to captivate new and old fans alike. - Erin (QBD)
Guest, 26/02/2022
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The Mother captured my attention from chapter one. With a building tension that keeps me intrigued, it evokes emotion whether you aree with the main character or sympathising with her. If you enjoyed books like Wild Place, you'll enjoy this! - Jessica (QBD)
Guest, 26/02/2022
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A must read psychological thriller for fans of Australian crime fiction. Mother Miriam attempts to save her daughter from an increasingly dangerous situation and in doing so does things she never thought she was capable of. Gripping and tense, this novel expertly handles dark material to create a compelling and emotional story. Not one to miss. - Sarah (QBD)
Guest, 26/02/2022
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Caro presents a compelling novel centred around the horrors of domestic violence. When Miriam's youngest daughter moves to the country with her new husband and gradually withdraws from her mother, Miriam is faced with a moral dilemma... How far will she go to protect her daughter from the man she thought she loved? - Elijah (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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Jane Caro has written a really powerful debut novel. A confronting story about domestic violence and how the law often can't protect those it should. Miriam (the Mother) struggles with how to help her family when the law doesn't. The author's depiction of the fear, manipulation and intimidation by the perpetrator is heart wrenchingly real. An emotional, thought provoking read. A must read. - Tracey (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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Just how far will a Mother go to protect her loved ones?
This compelling story tackles dark subject matter about a family being broken apart by domestic violence.
I definitely recommend this gripping, well written novel by award winning journalist/author Jane Caro. - Belinda (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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What a gripping, yet unsettling domestic Thriller, that as a mother myself, has left me thinking..
The story from the begining captures your attention about a family shattered by violence & loss. It shows how things are not always as they seem. How far would you go to protect the ones you love?
Jane Caro's debut Fiction story is powerful & engaging.
One not to miss!
_Roxanne - Roxanne (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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Jane Caro, award winning journalist, brings us an enthralling debut novel, The Mother.
Follow along the gripping story of Miriam, a widow, alongside her grieving daughters. Miriam is forced to watch as her newly wed daughter pulls away and becomes unexpectedly more vulnerable in the face of her new reality. How far will this mother go?
A chilling and complusive story on domestic violence. - Sophia (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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Miriam Duffy's girls have grown up and flown the coop. Youngest daughter Ally becomes withdrawn, a shadow of her former vibrant self at the hands of her husband's coercive control. How far would you go to protect the ones she loves?
At times confronting, it highlights you never really know what someone is going through behind closed doors.
This story will stay with you long after the last page. - Alison (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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Thrillingly engaging story with characters you truly come to care about. The author writes skilfully, drawing out the suspense but never boring the reader. Caro's story depicts a mother's struggle to connect with her daughter which in turn becomes her struggle to save her. While at times heavy handed, this portrayal of domestic violence and coercive control is undeniably terrifying. - Daniel (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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A compelling and intriguing tale of a mother-daughter relationship in jeopardy as a loving parent must look past the venues of her child's perfect life to protect her from the unthinkable when no-one else can. This vivid and thrilling tale will have you transfixed and unable to stop reading until the very last page. - Julia (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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How do you help a loved one trapped in an abusive marriage? Miriam Duffy finds herself in this dire situation as she watches her daughter become more and more tangled in the dark psychological control of husband. A grimly fascinating book about a mother's desperation to save her child, Jane Caro explores the confronting realities of domestic violence and abuse, each page devastatingly addictive. - Tiana (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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The Mother is the compelling debut novel written by Jane Caro that dives into the scary reality of domestic violence and the lengths people will go to to protect their family. The story follows newly widowed Mirriam who is witnessing her daughter suffer through a psychologically abusive marriage. A fast paced and engaging story that will make you question what you would do if in their shoes. - Sonia (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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Hooking you from the first line, debut novel, The Mother, is an eye opening, powerful story of a family splintered by loss and violence, that will make you feel all the emotions. If you are looking for a book with fast pacing, riveting characters, and an engaging plot, this crime novel is definitely for you! - Olivia (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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The Mother by Jane Caro will make you feel and it will make you think. This book is a confronting look at domestic violence and how things can turn deadly very quickly. It's a story about family, grief, and the lengths that a mother would do for her children. With captipvating writing and a heart-wrenching plot, The Mother will make you want to keep on reading. v - Angelique (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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As Miriam's daughter begins to withdraw, and the signs point to her marriage turning dangerous, Miriam is left with an impossible choice. Still grieving the loss of her own husband, Miriam must test the bounds of a mother's love. After all, if the law won't protect her daughter, who will? Jane Caro's 'The Mother' is a poignant and timely insight into domestic violence, loss, family and love. - Melanie (QBD)
Guest, 25/02/2022
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Miriam Duffy is at the heart of this electrifying debut novel from Australia's Jane Caro. She is the titular Mother in this New South Wales set, close to home domestic thriller in which she finds herself in a struggle to save her daughter from a situation that is all too familiar and real, her husband. This is compulsive, confronting and chilling. The Mother will leave you grasping for air. - Sean (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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The Mother by Jane Caro opens with two very different atmospheres, one being very dark and uncertain, a precursor to what the family goes through perhaps and the other being very light
and happy, an indication of where the family is starting their journey. - Shahni (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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The Mother is a comprehensive and emotional insight into the devious nature of domestic violence, through the perspective of an emotional mother. The novel shows in detail how someone's view of others and of the law changes as new dangers present themselves. - Chloe (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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The joy felt about her daughters marriage is soured when the true insidious nature of the relationship comes to light. What lengths is Miriam willing to go to when the law won't protect her daughter?
Jane Caro's heart-wrenching novel show cases the horrors of abusive relationships, but it is worth the heart ache for its depiction of the terrifying nature of domestic violence. - Gabrielle (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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Jane Caro's debut book The Mother is an evocative and confronting look at a mother dealing with an impossibly difficult situation as her daughter becomes further and further isolated from he. Miriam is excited when her younger daughter Ally is married to her dream man and moves off to the country. Though Miriam's excitement soon turns to concern as she hears less and less from Ally. - Roy (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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Jane Caro's 'The Mother' showcases an intimate look at the moral dilemma a mother might face when confronted with the horrific knowledge of her loved ones suffering at the hands of domestic violence.
A confronting but necessary read written in remarkable fashion by a Walkley Award winning journalist. - Jessica (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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Miriam is the quintessential wife, mother, and successful businesswoman - but after a tragedy strikes the family she is forced to examine the drifting relationship between herself and her daughter. Is it a longing for a quiet country life with her new husband that has driven Ally away or something more sinister? And how far is Miriam willing to go to protect her daughter? - Caitlin (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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A roller coaster ride through the dark side of marital bliss, The Mother” explores the insidious snares of control and abuse that creep into Miriam's daughter, Ally's life.
At first charmed by Nick, Miriam begins to see the destructive and abusive behaviours towards her daughter. Hamstrung by the law, things worsening, she may be forced to act outside the law to protect her loved ones. - Marc (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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An enthralling, visceral read, we are introduced to Miriam, a mother still grieving the death of her own husband. Her newly married daughter is living in apparent wedding bliss - but it soon seem not all is as rosy as it appears. Her son-in-law isn't the man she thought he was. She is then left to do things on her own without the law. - Stefana (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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What happens when PUSH becomes SHOVE and how far could a Mother go to protect her daughter and young family from an abusive and controlling husband and father.
When Mirian finds that the law is incapable of protecting them she steels herself to do the only thing she knows to absolutely stop the fear and anguish they are all living under.
A gripping and vivid tale of a very relevant current topic - Gina (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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Exploring grief, a suspicious new husband, domestic violence and a mother's love for her daughter. This Australian debut fiction novel will keep you on the edge of your seat, constantly questioning if Miriam is paranoid about her daughter's welfare, or if she is rightfully protective.
With a strong prologue and the relatable Australian setting, this book will definitely capture your attention. - Sarah (QBD)
Guest, 24/02/2022
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A mothers joy at her daughters marriage sours quickly as the insidious nature of their relationship slowly becomes apparent.
With the law not on their side, what will a mother do when her love proves to not be enough?
A challenging read with domestic violence and abuse at the core of the story, but one worth the discomfort as it confronts the terrifying reality of abusive relationships. - Madeleine (QBD)
Guest, 23/02/2022
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A Wife in mourning, a concerned Mother, a Grandmother desperate for her family- Miriam is all these things and more. Follow along in this intense story that will have you angry, sad, utterly lost for words as you struggle to put it down. Jane Caro's debut novel is as relatable as it is distrubing. - Eden (QBD)
Guest, 23/02/2022
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After the death of her beloved husband, Miriam tries hard to fill that gap with her newly married daughter Ally. With more time on her hands, Miriam soon finds herself questioning the "outwardly" happy lives of her daughter and husband. Is this new man's character all for show? or is there a tense, unease lurking beneath? As Miriam slowly unravels the truth, she must decide how far she will go... - Kirsty (QBD)
Guest, 23/02/2022
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“MOTTHERRRR!!” - Danzig
An unlikely protagonist + domestic violence = The Mother by Jane Caro.
When Miriam can not get in touch with her recently married daughter she suspects that trouble is a foot. What will she do? Where will she go? Who will be she become in her search for the truth. This ripping yarn of a novel asks the age old question...whats a mother to do? - Michael (QBD)
Guest, 23/02/2022
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Ally and new husband Nick are living in 'wedded bliss' but the cracks begin to show. Soon her mother is concerned for her daughter's safety. With police powerless to help, Miriam takes matters into her own hands. How far will a mother go to protect her children? The Mother is a powerful thought provoking novel, which takes us on a chilling yet compelling journey into the world of domestic violence - Karen (QBD)
Guest, 22/02/2022
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What would you do to protect the ones you love?
How far would you be willing to go?
These are the questions that Miriam is faced with in this gripping novel by author Jane Caro.
The opening will have you hooked and wondering what would drive someone to questions whether they are the prey or the hunter? - Kylie (QBD)
Guest, 22/02/2022
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No-one can doubt that mothers love their children and would do almost anything to keep them safe. That is the premise for this great Aussie family crime drama. Miriam is in this situation when she learns that her daughter is in an abusive marriage. But just how far will she go to fix the situation?
If you love reading Liane Moriarty, then you will enjoy reading award winning Jane Caro's new novel - Peter (QBD)
Guest, 22/02/2022
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The sensitive subject of domestic violence is brought firmly to the forefront in Jane Caro's new thriller, 'The Mother”. Intense and gripping, the author takes you into a world unfamiliar to most, but all too familiar for some. Miriam Duffy is thrilled when her daughter marries her true love, but soon finds herself fighting for the ones she loves. - Trevor (QBD)
Guest, 21/02/2022
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An interesting perspective on domestic violence, it focuses on the story of Miriam, grieving the loss of her husband she reaches out for her daughters and finds one of them starts to pull away and when things get worse Miriam starts to realise maybe something more sinister is happening. What does she really know about her daughters new husband? And what is really happening behind closed doors? - Maddison (QBD)
Guest, 21/02/2022
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The Mother by Jane Caro is a well crafted psychological thriller that delves into the world of family and what lengths you would go to protect yours. With themes of domestic violence and physiological abuse it shows that not everything is as it seems when you observe from afar. Its a mother's duty to protect her young but just how far will Miriam go, especially when the law is failing them. - Ruby (QBD)
Guest, 21/02/2022
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Miriam was thrilled when her daughter Ally settled down to start a family with her new husband. But Miriam soon realises that there is a darkness hidden behind this apparently happy family. Her daughter and grandchildren are in danger. And when the law can't do anything to help, Miriam is left to do what any good mother would. Protect her child. At all costs. - Katrina (QBD)
Guest, 21/02/2022
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As a journalist, Jane Caro uses her strong writing experience and excellent pace to cast our interest towards a compelling story about a family shattered by violence and loss.
She makes us consider the most important question of all - when confronting domestic violence how far will you go to help the people you love most. Especially when you must overcome fear, manipulation and intimidation. - Deanne (QBD)
Guest, 20/02/2022
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The Mother is a brilliantly written book about the loss and changes lives can go through in times of grief.
The novel tackles difficult situations and the strength of those involved and their ability to cope. We see challenges from a new relationship that seemed perfect but quickly became a nightmare, and how a mothers love knows no bounds. - Ella (QBD)
Guest, 20/02/2022
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The Mother will face you with questions that one day you may just have to face. How far will you go to protect a friend, family member or a colleague? A thrilling and engaging story that compels you to care about the characters. Jane Caro's writing is exquisite, intelligent and confronting. It has great pace, characters you can relate to and a scary reality that keep you on the edge of your seat. - Brittni (QBD)
Guest, 20/02/2022
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The Mother is a brilliant display of the trials and tribulations of familial grief, loss and the repercussions of family trauma and domestic abuse.
It tackles many hard topics, including the insidious nature of coercive control and portrays a mother's struggle to save her daughter when the limits of the law fail to protect her.
Gripping and tragic, I could'nt put it down. - Kaylei (QBD)
Guest, 20/02/2022
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Walkley Award winning author Jane Caro delivers a strongly written tale of a family shattered by violence and loss. The Mother captures the reader's, with an engaging and all too familiar story about a mother's struggle to connect with her daughter that becomes a struggle to save her. As tension builds the reader is confronted with the question of just how far they would go to protect a loved one. - Darren (QBD)
Guest, 19/02/2022
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What would you do for the ones you love? Miriam is faced with this decision as she realises not all is as it seems with her daughter's new husband and fears for her family's safety. When the law fails to protect her child this mother is prepared to do the unthinkable. Jane Caro's The Mother is an excellent narrative on the harsh reality of domestic violence and the ferocity of a mother's love. - Sarah (QBD)
Guest, 19/02/2022
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I found The Mother be a challenging topic which raises many questions. How far would you go to protect a loved one? How would you deal with the aftermath? How much responsibility do you take for your actions, especially when the cause for your actions is dead and can't speak for themselves? Jane Caro's characters are entirely relatable and seem just like the folks next door. How can you tell if your neighbours are in trouble? I appreciated the openness of the main character, who didn't shy away from the consequences of her actions and the way the novel highlights how easy it is for those who need the system the most to feel it failed them was eye-opening. - Rebecca (QBD)
Guest, 19/02/2022
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During a hard time for the family, Ally meets Nick and falls in love quickly. Miriam doesn't get to see her daughter or grandchild very much despite living 2hrs away and begins to have suspicions that things aren't right and Ally is being abused. Will she be able to do what she must to protect her family? What will happen if she does?? - Steven (QBD)
Guest, 19/02/2022
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Mother's will do anything for their children, but would they kill for them? Miriam has always been happy that Ally found the one. But after she becomes distant, Miriam starts to worry. Is Ally's life as picture perfect as she once thought, or is Ally in Danger? And if the law can't save Ally.. can Miriam? A gripping read by award winning journalist Jane Caro. You must read this book! - Emily (QBD)
Guest, 15/02/2022
