The Bad Mother

A gripping and twisty new psychological thriller about every mother’s worst nightmare. Perfect for fans of Sue Watson, S.E. Lynes and Freida McFadden.

Natasha was plunged into every parent’s ultimate nightmare when her son was taken from hospital shortly after his birth. Worse still, in the vital twenty-four hours after Baby Justin went missing, the police focused on the wrong suspect. TV producer Chloe, greedy for a quick headline, broke the rules by revealing the suspect's identity. The mistake derailed the case, and her career.

Now Chloe has a chance at redemption. New evidence surrounding Justin’s abduction has come to light.

But for both Natasha and Chloe, revisiting the past means facing up to their own decisions. And unspeakable secrets…

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Praise for C.J. Parsons

‘I was gripped’ Louise Jensen

'This book really had me guessing and on the edge of my seat' Reader review

‘Scarily real: a great read' Catherine Cooper

'Most spellbinding psychological thriller of the year! I swear I forgot to breathe in parts!' Reader review

‘Compulsive… and breathtakingly original’ Dreda Say Mitchell

Reviews

Praise for CJ Parsons

‘A dark tale of celebrity life where fame and fortune cost the ultimate price. I was gripped.’ Louise Jensen, author of The Intruders

'A chilling take on the world of social media influencers which feels scarily real: a great read.' Catherine Cooper, author of The Island

'A unique thriller that sucks you in from the first page and doesn't let up. A riveting, brilliantly written book.' Diana Wilkinson, author of The Girl in Seat 2A

'Highly original and totally addictive.' Lorna Dounaeva, author of The Wife’s Mistake

'A timely and terrifying insight into the price of fame and what it means to be an influencer in the glittering, dangerous setting Parsons has created. So absorbing I read it in one day!' Sian Gilbert, author of She Started It

'An engaging, original and incredibly timely novel about the dark side of fame. A total thrill ride from start to finish.' Rhiannon Barnsley, author of The Clique

'A twisty, addictive page-turner that pulls you into a glitzy, glamorous world where nothing is as it seems and no-one can be trusted.' Dreda Say Mitchell, author of Geezer Girls

'Plenty of tension' The Morning Star

'Gripping' The Peterborough Telegraph

About the author

CJ Parsons was born in Britain and grew up in Canada. She graduated from Montreal's McGill University with a degree in psychology and went on to earn a graduate degree in journalism. She worked as a newspaper reporter at Canada's Globe and Mail before moving to Hong Kong, where she became a columnist at the South China Morning Post.

After returning to Britain, she moved into television news, working as a broadcast journalist for both the BBC and CNN International. She also spent two years covering crime, seeing first-hand the disturbing forces that drive people to kill, something that inspired her first novel, The Good Samaritan, published by Headline in November 2020.

CJ is now deputy executive producer at CGTN. She lives in north London with her fourteen-year-old.