The Good Mother

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'Past and present collide on and off the page in this explosive debut' Sunday Telegraph

'This story wouldn't let me go' Michael Robotham

Shortlisted for the 2021 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction

She's protected them from the truth. Can she save them from her past

Sarah Calhoun is a regular Sydney soccer mum, but she's keeping terrifying secrets from everyone she loves . . . and her past is about to catch up with her.

When two men from Northern Ireland hunt her down, she's forced to return to Belfast to testify at a murder trial. Caught in the crossfire of an obsessive policeman driven by a disturbing past, and a brutal IRA executioner, Sarah faces an impossible choice: lie and allow a killer to walk free, or tell the truth and place her children in the line of fire.

With her family and innocent people at risk, Sarah must find the courage to fight for the truth. But righting the wrongs of the past just might cost her everything . . .

This fast-paced, explosive thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat to its gripping finale.

'Show me a soldier who would fight harder than a mother to save her son.'

PRAISE

'Fierce, action-packed ... A wild, original ride from start to finish' Sarah Bailey

'This taut, propulsive debut celebrates female strength and speaks to the extraordinary courage and resilience of mothers everywhere ... Brilliant' Anna Downes

'Riveting and revealing about "The Troubles" impacting an ordinary Aussie woman and her family, this was the perfect escapist thriller to hook into and could easily see this being turned into a film.' Bolinda Audio

'This page-turning thriller packs a powerful punch. A rock-solid five-star read' Sara Foster

'Fans of Dervla McTiernan will love this rollercoaster ride of a crime novel where a violent past returns to threaten an uneasy peace. I inhaled it.' Aoife Clifford

'Surprising, moving and utterly heart-stopping. A stunning, thought-provoking debut' Kathryn Heyman

'A gripping page-turner. I was hooked from the first page until the final twist' Tim Ayliffe

'Cleverly wrought and beautifully written, the characters will get under your skin, the plot will drive you deep into the night, and the fear will follow you home.' Loraine Peck

Author Bio

Rae Cairns writes crime with heart: thrillers featuring everyday people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her debut novel The Good Mother was shortlisted for Best Debut Crime Fiction in the 2021 Ned Kelly Awards and longlisted for the 2021 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards, and draws on her background as a youth worker in Northern Ireland during the final years of 'The Troubles'. Rae's second novel, Dying to Know, is a standalone Sydney based thriller and centres around a woman's determination to uncover what happened to her missing sister. Rae has also co-managed a crisis refuge for street children, worked as Program Director for the Sydney Olympic Youth Camp and holds a degree in Performing Arts. She is currently busy writing her third novel. Rae lives in Sydney with her husband, two children and her dog, Alfie, who snores at her feet when she writes. www.raecairns.com