Just What Kind of Mother Are You? Paperback - 2013

Media reviews

“[A] taut page-turner…. Daly has a gift for realistic, snappy dialogue. She shifts the action between a series of well-drawn female protagonists and moves the narrative from first-person to third-person to keep the reader slightly off balance.”
—Maclean’s

“A truly promising debut.... [Daly] writes with a singular voice and a fierce passion that roars off the page, while also displaying a visceral understanding of the betrayals and humiliations of domestic life.... With a sharp, double-twist ending, it announces Daly as a potential star, and one with the courage to take risks.”
—Daily Mail (UK)

“[A] strong debut. . . . The result is fiendishly addictive as well as perceptive about guilt and social class.”
—The Guardian

“Captivating and insightful, this bone-chilling account of a mother’s descent into hell explores the parameters of love and family, desire and tragedy. Debut novelist Paula Daly’s brilliant narrative will leave readers scrambling to flip pages faster, yet wanting to savour every detail. By luring readers into a world in which the normal rhythm of everyday life collides with unthinkable acts of violence and betrayal, Daly shatters the illusion of an idyllic home life and rebuilds in its place a compelling commentary on the perils and pressures of motherhood. A thrilling read.”
—Chatelaine

“Here’s reason for celebration: a first novel that lives up to the billing, with italics and an asterisk, page-turner! . . . Daly describes the crimes and the characters with prose that never pauses for breath and leads us through stunning mini-climaxes until we reach the big whammo.”
—Toronto Star

“Daly has a nice writing style: It’s casual, readable and full of natural-sounding dialogue. Readers will like Lisa, the protagonist. . . . The storytelling and Daly’s voice are top-drawer.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“One of the Top 10 Books for Fall. . . .A distinctive voice, masterful plotting, and pitch-perfect characterizations mark British author Daly’s superb debut…. Daly’s detailed, richly imagined world and surprising plot twists bring fresh life to the familiar theme of child abduction. In the end, the novel is not just an intriguing puzzle but also a nuanced exploration of friendship, motherhood, fallibility, and the mystery of human relationships”
—Publishers Weekly

“One of the most hypnotically gripping books I've read in a long, long time. Masterfully written and utterly unputdownable, this thriller will surprise and astound you with every ingenious twist and turn.”
—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times-bestselling author of Last to Die
 
“Paula Daly's finely wrought debut thriller deals with overburdened working women who are doing their best but are in danger of being swamped by the conflicting demands being placed upon them. Daly's characters are well-drawn, complex individuals who oftentimes are not what they seem to be, and her small-town settings seethe with twisted dynamics lurking just below the bucolic surfaces.”
—Lisa Brackmann, author of Rock Paper Tiger

“I read the book in just a few hours, gripped by the believable characters and switchbacks of the plot. Everyone will recognise the dilemmas in this book and hold their breath for the finale.”
—Claire McGowan, author of The Fall and Director of the CWA
 
“An assured and nail-biting debut which gives an authentic portrayal of modern family life and the pressures of being a working mother.  Daly writes eloquently about an ordinary family plunged into a nightmare and sets her story in the wintry landscape of the English Lakes.  A tense and satisfying read.”
—Cath Staincliffe, author of Split Second and Dead to Me

“A terrifying story that strips away all our preconceptions about love, loyalty, and friendship. Paula Daly writes so compellingly and convincingly about one mother’s descent into the darkest of places, that we can’t help but be dragged along with her. A fantastic debut.”
—Carla Buckley, author of Invisible

“This is a superb debut novel, which engages the reader from the first page and doesn't let up until the final twist at the very end. Set in an unrelenting Cumbrian winter, Paul Daly's story of a busy mother whose momentary lapse contributes to the abduction of a friend's child is an unsettling portrayal of just how easily lives can unravel amid the pressures of modern life. Close the curtains, stoke up the fire and prepare for an excellent read.”
—Diane Janes, author of Why Didn’t You Come for Me?

“A crackling good read, Just What Kind of Mother Are You? is a remarkable domestic thriller debut. Fueled by every parent's worst nightmare, Paula Daly takes you for an intense, gritty and heartbreaking roller-coaster ride.  A writer to watch.”
—Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of One Was A Soldier  
 
“Just What Kind of Mother Are You? is an intricate, absolutely absorbing account of  a series of chilling events that once unleashed will keep the reader riveted to the pages. A grave reminder of the heavy responsibility of being a mother, a wife, a friend. Hypnotic and harrowing right up to the pulse-pounding end. Unforgettable.”
—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden
 
“A terrifically assured debut—a compelling read with a wholly appealing protagonist and great doses of humor along with the suspense.”
—Kathleen George, author of Simple and The Odds

‘Just What Kind of Mother Are You? is the very definition of a page-turner – the sort of book that causes you to lose half a day without even noticing. Savour every page, because this will probably be your book of the year. With characters so real they can’t possibly be made up, it’s a brilliant, thrilling story of friendship, families and the sort of terrifying betrayal that can only happen to those closest to us.’
—Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner

"Riveting! Daly plunges straight into the heart of every parent's worst nightmare with page-turning results. You know this family. You may even be one of these moms. And you will fly through this novel, as their pain, bewilderment, and ultimately determination becomes your own."
—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Touch & Go and Catch Me