• Mother's Day

  • By: Dennis McDougal
  • Narrated by: Tara Ochs
  • Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (334 ratings)

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Mother's Day  By  cover art

Mother's Day

By: Dennis McDougal
Narrated by: Tara Ochs
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Publisher's summary

In June of I985, while her teenage sons held their half sister down, Theresa Cross beat her I9-year-old daughter Sheila unconscious and then stuffed her into a 2' x 2' storage locker. After three days the knocking, kicking, and cries stopped. Theresa and her sons dumped the girl's body in the desolate High Sierras....

The summer before, Theresa had dug a bullet out of her daughter Suesan's chest with a paring knife. When Suesan failed to recover (without benefit of doctors or hospital), Theresa and her two sons drove the delirious girl to the mountains, doused her with gasoline, and set her on fire....

For nearly nine years, Theresa Cross Knorr got away with murder, until her youngest daughter, Terry Knorr Graves, finally found a cop who believed the incredible story of her two murdered sisters. That story is all here, the shocking life of a woman whose violence, jealousy, rage, and domination led to a brutally heinous crime of ruthless ferocity.

©1998 Dennis McDougal; Distributed in 2015 by Open Road Distribution (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Mother's Day

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    164
  • 4 Stars
    91
  • 3 Stars
    54
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    8
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    153
  • 4 Stars
    79
  • 3 Stars
    51
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    9
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    165
  • 4 Stars
    76
  • 3 Stars
    47
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    10

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shocking true story

This story was told in a way that helps you to understand how Teresa Cross had killed her own daughters. It took you back not only when Teresa was a child but also what her parents were like. It was also interesting the way that the different perspectives saw the story. There were different voices for different types of people in her life or the investigators. Very well done.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good, but tragic.

Unbelievable what this horrible "mother" did to her children! It's also sad what happens to her remaining children since they were so young when it all happened. As far as the beast of a woman, she deserved more than what she got. This made me rethink my stance on death penalty.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bob @ Platypire Reviews

So, I can't exactly say that I LIKED this story, but more that it was well written and well read. The story of these people's lives deserved as much information to fully understand their actions as possible, and I feel like this did that. It was hard to hear some of the things that happened to those poor children, especially the girls, and I found myself in tears more than once. So, you know, trigger warning.

The only drawback I had to the story was that weight was brought up a LOT. I understood that part of it attributed to what was going on, but sometimes it was just people talking about the females, and it felt....wrong, I guess. Other than that, I had zero issues with the way it was told. 4 platypires for story.

At first I thought the narrator sounded almost robotic, and put it down to the genre. And I'm so glad it was that way. During some of the rough parts of the story, the parts that broke my heart and had me sobbing, I'm not even sure just how much worse it would have been had she used much emotion in the reading! She spoke clearly, steadily, and has a pleasant voice. She did a really good job! 5 platypires for her.

Over all, I'll give it 4.5 platypires and a prayer for that family!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unspeakable Tragedy

This is an awesome book and a tragic story of abuse. All of the children from this story carried an unspeakable burden heaped upon them by their mother.

As the story unfolded, I found myself wondering what was wrong with the mother. Was she suffering from psychosis or delusions. In the end, there were varied opinions on her diagnosis. As such, I found myself wanting to know more.

Very interesting tale and well written/performed book.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worth a credit

Would you try another book from Dennis McDougal and/or Tara Ochs?

Possibly, the author did a well job giving great detailed background information. Book flowed nicely, the ending was wrapped up rather quickly which was disappointing since the rest was so well explained.

What other book might you compare Mother's Day to and why?

Any book of a parent that would kill their children.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator was good but she should not have tried to do the men voices. It really took away quality from the book and was annoying.

Was Mother's Day worth the listening time?

Yes

Any additional comments?

It's worth the credit.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Review

I think the only problem this book is that it has too much description and background information in the first few chapters. Other than that I think it was a great story and the person who read it did a great job.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a shocking and unimaginable story!

Would you listen to Mother's Day again? Why?

Yes, probably. It was such an unbelievable story. Even though I knew the ultimate outcome, I kept hoping someone would jump in and help these girls.

What other book might you compare Mother's Day to and why?

Possibly Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule... Another story that was so hard to believe in which a mother wanted to kill her own children. However, this mother was even more horrendous in that she actually tortured her children over long periods of time.

Have you listened to any of Tara Ochs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

She's not a Mother, She's a Monster

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

too much unnecessary detail

Is there anything you would change about this book?

there was so much detail that really wasn't needed to tell the story. That could have been summed up.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Sounded almost like a computer voice

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

it wasnt great. Returned it after 3rd Chapter.

STORY was boring and far too long in learning history about the mother's towns ect... just tedious

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Disturbing True Story

having known some of the people in the story, I must admit I was curious to read the part of the truth they didn't know. it was hard to listen to some of the specifics. My heart breaks for this family. I pray the "mother" burns in hell for what she did.

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2 people found this helpful