The Mother's Mistake

'OMG... LITERALLY BLEW MY MIND AWAY!!... Whew... Ruth's writing had me enslaved to my Kindle, tapping away at the pages.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars



Everyone makes mistakes. But does everyone deserve to be forgiven?



She runs past the tinkling of children’s laughter that fills the park. Heart hammering, feet stinging, she reaches the riverbank, her breath catching in her throat. And then she sees…


Three years later.



Claire has everything she’s always wanted. A new-born baby. A doting husband by her side. A picturesque home in the countryside.


But behind closed doors, Claire’s life is falling apart. Her husband is barely ever home, she’s struggling to bond with her baby girl, and she swears that she is being watched in the remote, lonely cottage.


And when a threatening note is posted through her letterbox, saying she doesn’t deserve her daughter, it’s clear that someone knows about the terrible mistake that Claire made – someone won’t let her forget it. Three years ago, she would have known who to turn to. But now she no longer recognises those closest to her, or the person she’s become. Who can she trust?


An atmospheric, chilling and absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller about a mother’s worst nightmare. Fans of KL Slater, Shalini Boland and The Girl on the Train will love the twists, turns and gasp-worthy shocks of this stunning debut from Ruth Heald.



Readers absolutely love The Mother’s Mistake:


‘Wow, what a story… Utterly hooked from page one, so glad it was a weekend and I could binge read!... An absolute must-read!! 5 huge stars from me.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


'I honestly don't know where to begin with this review, the book blew me away that much. In a word – WOW!... Not many books leave me with such an impression as this one did... In such a way that I pity the next one I open for fear it will simply fall into the shadow of this one. Not many books leave me feeling the next one could never compare. But this one did... Brilliant!' Confessions of a Bookaholic, 5 stars


‘Wow… I absolutely loved it… Kept me guessing until the end… The best book I have read in ages.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars


‘Wow! What an amazing read! Tons of twists and turns and full of suspense… Can't wait for more from this amazing author!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘WOW. I absolutely loved this story… I had knots in my stomach throughout wondering what was going to happen next. Brilliant… One of my top reads this year.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘5 big shiny fat stars… This blew me out of the water.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘Absolutely incredible… I was hooked, I just really couldn’t put it down.’ Life & Tea, 5 stars


‘A wonderful read!... Let me say that all is not as it seems and MORE!!!... This is another of the best books I have read this year! A fast-moving thriller that constantly has the reader in suspense!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘All I can say is WOW.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘I loved this book!... It was one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.’ Goodreads Reviewer


‘Wow! What a brilliant psychological thriller! The Mother’s Mistake is thought-provoking and chilling with a suspenseful plot and amazing characters.’ Goodreads Reviewer



‘What an amazing thriller!... Stayed up way past my bedtime to find out what was going to happen next.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘I really loved this book! Read it in one day, couldn't put it down!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘A must-read… Has it all: twisty, addictive, pulls you in from page one.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘Perfect… gripped me from start to finish… An amazing, totally unexpected twist… Wonderful.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars



‘I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.’ Books & Sunny


‘What a fantastic book, I loved every word on every page… A brilliantly addictive psychological thriller, full of twists and turns and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars 


‘Fabulous… An absolute page-turner!... It had me guessing until the end… Kept me turning the pages late into the night.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars


‘Ruth Heald hit it out of the park!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars