The mother's secret

Love keeps us together

Sisters Kate and Georgie have always shared a close bond. While Kate enjoyed the freedoms of youth, Georgie remained at home. But now Georgie is grown up, it’s time she started exploring. 

Love can tear us apart

Their mother Jan loves her daughters with all her heart. So what if she kept them out of sight when they were young? She wanted to protect them.

What if your life was based on a lie?

Maybe there was another reason for Jan’s protective behaviour? If they ventured too far afield, it might destroy the facade of their childhood. This family is about to discover that while lies can cause pain, the truth could destroy them all.

About the author




Clare Swatman is a journalist for a number of weekly women's magazines. The Mother's Secret is her second novel. Clare was Features Editor for Bella and has written for Best, Woman's Own and Real People. When not working on her next novel, she also writes for her local magazine as well as the travel pages for Take a Break. Clare lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two boys.

My Review

An enjoyable read that whilst easy to read, explores more serious issues such as the loss of a child, bereavement, post-natal depression and child abduction. All these issues are sensitively dealt with and were far more interesting to me than the storyline itself. The story is well-told but to be honest it isn't that different from many other stories out there. I did like the ending and felt a kind of satisfaction that it wasn't the ending that the reader had been led to expect - a kind of non-twist that felt less contrived. I don't want to risk saying any more and risk spoiling it. Definitely worth a read.