Mother

By: Tamara Thorne, Alistair Cross

Narrated by: George Kuch

Length: 18 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

A girl’s worst nightmare is her mother....

Priscilla Martin. She’s the diva of Morning Glory Circle, and a driving force in the quaint California town of Snapdragon. Overseer of garage sales and neighborhood Christmas decorations, she is widely admired. But few people know the real woman behind the perfectly coiffed hair and Opium perfume.

Family is forever. And ever and ever....

No one escapes Prissy’s watchful eye. No one, that is, except her son, who committed suicide many years ago, and her daughter, Claire, who left home more than a decade past and hasn’t spoken to her since. But now, Priscilla’s daughter and son-in-law have fallen on hard times. Expecting their first child, the couple is forced to move back.... And Prissy is there to welcome them home with open arms...and to reclaim her broken family.

The past isn’t always as bad as you remember. Sometimes it’s worse....

Claire has terrible memories of her mother, but now it seems Priscilla has mended her ways. When a cache of vile family secrets is uncovered, Claire struggles to determine fact from fiction, and her husband, Jason, begins to wonder who the monster really is. Lives are in danger - and Claire and Jason must face a horrifying truth...a truth that may destroy them...and will forever change their definition of Mother.

©2016 Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross (P)2021 Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross

Spectacular Performance 👏

What a spectacular story, wonderfully narrated by George Kuch. As the story began, I immediately found myself engulfed, not just in the storyline, but the well thought-out, realistic characters on Morning Glory.
The imagination the authors put into this page turner is outstanding, taking you on a roller coaster of emotions, sometimes making me stop and remember this is just make believe. Although, I kept feeling like the characters were real and everything in their lives were happening. I was sad, heartbroken, angry, and laughing out loud at times. I even shouted out loud, "kill her" a few times. But at the end, a smile emerged on my face, leaving me satisfied with how the authors ended this brilliant story. Bravo! 👏

A Deliciously Wicked Tale

"Mother," is a story of survival and surrender, beginnings and ends. It is a chilling reminder that it's not always wise (or safe) to "go home again." The deeply flawed lives we are thrust into are filled with terrible secrets and dark motives. As the tale unfolds, we are guided (sometimes pulled kicking and screaming) on a whirlwind tour of the houses, and all-too-human actions, unfolding on Morning Glory Circle. However, the scariest thing of all is how many times we catch brief glimpses of ourselves in the resident's faces and internal musings.

The narration is quite simply perfect. I've never had the pleasure of listening to George Kuch, but it will definitely NOT be the last. Each character, from vocal inflections, to personality traits, to native accents, are reflected perfectly. I cannot imagine anyone else narrating "Mother" and producing the audio masterpiece I believe it to be. Kudos to you, Mr Kuch!

Alistair Cross and Tamara Thorne, It's a disservice to the two of you that this is the first book I've ever "read" from either of your literary works. It is a disservice that I plan on rectifying immediately. Thank you for sharing your talents with the world, being such lovely people "in real life," and for your devotion to perfection concerning editing and story continuity. Bless you both!

Purchase/borrow/ beg this book/audiobook from your favorite store or reading pals without fear! You will not be disappointed, and will succeed in discovering TWO new authors to add to the very top of your Preferred Reading/Listening lists! Now, enough of my gushing and ramblings...GO! Enjoy!

Absolutely a must read!

I don't usually write reviews for the books I've listened to, but this book is a Must Read!! The characters are so well described I can picture them in my head. The plot so well thought out with its twists and turns, it keeps you on the edge waiting for the next chapter. The narrator was on spot and a pleasure to listen to. I will be looking for other books by the same author and narrator.. Excellent choice for Audible, I am truly impressed...

So good!!

Such a very, very good book! Gives me chills to think that anyone, much less a mother, could be that evil!! Excellent narration!! Highly recommended!

Amazing book

I loved this book... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the narration. The storyline was absolutely amazing. It kept me on the edge of my seat and held my interest throughout 18 hours of listening!

I am honestly going to start over and listen again. It was THAT good!

When I’m done listening again, I’ll look for more by these authors and definitely look for more with the same narrator.

Mother

Well... this book certainly has a bit of everything. The Mother is definitely a Psychopath. A little gross for my taste. (The punishments Mother doled out to her son, Timothy.) Priscilla Martin had 2 children and 2 husbands. The 1st husband died and she married his brother. The husbands had been twins. Priscilla had something on everyone on her cul-de-sac, she knew her everyone 's secrets and threatened to divulge them if people didn't do as she wanted. She terribly fixated on her son and did unspeakable things to him. The story is very convoluted and it is an interesting read, but not for everyone. 🤔🤔🐇🐇🐇

Sad and intriguing

Reading this novel reminds me of VC Andrews writing. I’m glad my mother is not like the mother in this novel. I feel so sad for both Tim and Clair growing up with their crazy mother. The woman have a serious controlling problem, not only she control her kids and husband, that control cover the neighborhood and the church. Unbelievable! I am glad she got what came at the end. I enjoyed the book, even though it was a bit disturbing for me. If you are a fan of VC Andrews you might want to check this novel out.

Oddly hilarious with great characters

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up my first Thorne & Cross read, and was pleasantly surprised to find a genre-bending mix of horror, satire, and straight-up humor. Immediately introduced to a cast of characters that could have come straight out of the original Desperate Housewives, Thorne & Cross take the listener through an unparalleled romp that focuses on the central mystery of WTF is up with Prissy, the titular "mother" who seems kinda grabby, pushy, and questionable initially, but not necessarily more than any other nosy neighbor.

Then it gets weird.

We learn a little more about Prissy's past treatment of her children, which is abhorrent, to say the least. The character building and tension is definitely the highlight of this book, and the narrator does a good job of keeping up with the tone as it slides between humor and horror. The reason I've only given the book four stars, however, has to do with the past abuse of the children -- I found it a TAD too unbelievable in that most children, when abused, tend to side a little more closely with their abuser and not recognize the abuse so starkly.

In fact, one of the most horrific things about abuse, the real horror, is the inability of the abused to recognize what's happening to them.

This nitpick doesn't detract from the fact this is an excellent book, it's more to point out an additional layer of deep horror that could have been explored, and wasn't.

Finally, the thing that impressed me the most about this book was its satirical slant. The authors do an exceptional job of playing with characters who are, in essence, tropes, and giving them real life, not an easy thing to do. This makes for an overall fantastic read.

Disturbing! Loved it!

Anything with a sick twisted mother is my kind of story! It’s worth the time!

The narrator 😩

Full disclosure I just started this book but the narrator just sounds like a sweet old grandpa. It’s very very hard to listen to/and imagine these characters