Like Mother, Like Daughter A novel by Kimberly McCreight

 

Book Excerpt:

"When Cleo, a student at NYU, arrives late for dinner at her childhood home in Brooklyn, she finds food burning in the oven and no sign of her mother, Kat. Then Cleo discovers her mom's bloody shoe under the sofa. Something terrible has happened.

But what? The polar opposite of Cleo, whose "out of control" emotions and "unsafe" behavior have created a seemingly unbridgeable rift between mother and daughter, Kat is the essence of Park Slope perfection: a happily married, successful corporate lawyer. Or so Cleo thinks.

Kat has been lying. She's not just a lawyer; she's her firm's fixer. She's damn good at it, too. Growing up in a dangerous group home taught her to think fast, stay calm under pressure, and recognize a real threat when she sees one. In the days leading up to her disappearance, Kat has become aware of multiple threats: demands for money from her unfaithful soon-to-be ex-husband, evidence that Cleo has slipped back into a relationship that's far riskier than she understands, and menacing anonymous messages from her past—all of which she's kept hidden from Cleo . . . 

Like Mother, Like Daughter is a thrilling novel of emotional suspense that questions the damaging fiction we cling to and the hard truths we avoid. Above all, it's a love story between a mother and a daughter, each determined to save the other before it's too late."

Title:  Like Mother, Like Daughter

Author:  Kimberly McCreight

Publisher:  Knopf

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Four

Review:

'Like Mother, Light Daughter' by Kimberly McCreight

My Perception:  

This author gives the reader a unique thriller-mystery story about the family secrets of a complex mother-daughter relationship, which the story is told from an alternating first-person POV of the mother and daughter. Be ready for a captivating story from the beginning to the end. As the story starts, Cleo discovers that her mother, Katrina, is missing after she returns home from college at NYU; at home in Brooklyn, Cleo finds the dinner burning. Where is her mom? Cleo contacts the police, and an investigation will be conducted. There will be many suspects as Cleo tries to figure out what has happened to her mother.

We are given a tale involving mother-daughter relations, mystery, twists and turns, adultery, and murder as the story moves back and forth between several timelines. The excellent character development will continue as you keep turning the pages.  

To get the whole story, you must pick up a good read to see how well this author presents it to the reader. Questions like: 1. What is the nature of the threatening messages from Kat's past? How will Cleo navigate her challenges and dangers as she searches for her mother? 3. What will be the ultimate outcome of the mother-daughter relationship as they strive to save each other?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book and for leaving my review.

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