👨‍👩‍👧 👨🏻‍⚕️🧬 Mother Knows Best 🧬👨🏻‍⚕️ 👨‍👩‍👧 (2019) - Book Review




MY REVIEW


Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (September 10, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1643850407
ISBN-13: 978-1643850405


A mother's worst nightmare, a chance at redemption, and a deadly secret that haunts a family across the generations.

There's only room for one mother in this family.

Claire Abrams's dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a maverick fertility doctor who works under the radar with Jillian Hendricks, a cunning young scientist bent on making her mark--and seducing her boss.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian work together to create the world's first baby with three genetic parents--an unprecedented feat that could eliminate inherited disease. But when word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

Ten years later, a spunky girl named Abigail begins to understand that all is not right with the reclusive man and woman she knows as her parents. But the family's problems are only beginning. Jillian, hardened by a decade of jealousy and loss, has returned--and nothing will stop her from reuniting with the man and daughter who should have been hers.

Past, present, and future converge in this mesmerizing psychological thriller from critically acclaimed author Kira Peikoff
.”

Thank you to the publisher and Bookish First for an ARC to review. All views are my own and in no way influenced by the author, publisher, or Bookish First. All words and thoughts are my own.

[Mother Knows Best sounded interesting, but ...]

“Mother Knows Best” is a medical suspense/thriller novel by Kira Piekoff.

It is has three points of view (POV) Claire, Abby (Claire’s daughter), and Jillian.

This unique book doesn’t have chapters per se (chapter 1,2,3, etc.) and reads more as a long novella told over four (4) parts with only the POV to transition between scenes, alternating between past and present during parts one (1) and two (2). After part three (3) it remains in the present.

The plot – Claire has lost her son (Colton) due to mitochondrial disease as a result of a genetic mutation she passed on. A few years after his death, her husband Ethan wants to have another child, as does Claire. But, Claire wants a healthy child as she fears this second child will also die like Colton did.

Dr. Robert Nash and Jillian Hendricks (a cunning young scientist) offer Claire Abrams a chance to achieve her goal – mixing DNA from three parents. However, their experiment is highly illegal and must be kept quiet.

But, Claire’s husband wants no part of it at all. His growing paranoia about his wife causes everything to come out and puts Claire, her unborn baby, Robert, and Jillian in peril.

Claire takes off as Robert and Jillian are arrested and later put on trial. Robert then has to care for Claire as a result of complications.

Jillian goes on trial and is eventually convicted leaving her life and work in ruin. Robert is found guilty in absentia.

10 years later, Abby is growing up believing Michael (Robert) and Lisa (Claire) Burke are her parents, and thinking they are married. As part of a school assignment, Abby participates in a DNA mapping program, learning an astonishing truth about her mother, or thinks she has. Abby shares a genetic match with another woman and is lead to believe “J” is her mother’s cousin. Abby arranges a “reunion” which opens the door for Jillian to exact her revenge. And exact her revenge “J” does.

Claire begins having hallucinations, Abby keeps digging for the truth, and “J” begins her final act of revenge with a final revelation.

The premise is interesting – however it was either the delivery or the writing style but this book just didn’t grab me. I continued reading it as I had agreed to review it. It was easy to read as the “chapters” were not long. 

The villain was clearly established in it and left no room for questions of it being anyone else. The motive was very clear, even right at the beginning. It was easy to discover who the players were and how they were connected. There was not much interaction with other people outside of the “family” unit.

The Players:

* Claire Abrams – I understood her fears. Wanting a child myself, I could understand her pain of losing a child; wanting another child, but not wanting to lose another child. I didn’t exactly like her, but she was the one I most understood.

* Ethan Abrams – I really despised him. His paranoia put everyone at risk. While his job was centered on bioethics, his lack of compassion for his wife was heart-wrenching, especially when it endangered her and “Abby”

* Robert Nash – A brilliant reproductive scientist who wants to do good by people like Claire by allowing them to have children free of health and/or physical abnormalities, like what Colton suffered with

* Jillian Hendricks – Obviously the villain. It’s almost established from the beginning. The way she connects with Abby and the MyDNAMap project. Her ambition is offensive. She wants to make her mark on the world and wants fame for her achievements while seducing her boss. She doesn’t care who she hurts or what the consequences are. Selfish, bitter, and vindictive.

* Abby Burke – The daughter of Claire, Robert, and Jillian; born extremely healthy due to Robert’s science.

* Riley – Abby’s best friend, helps her find out the truth

* Sydney – a mean girl who terrorizes Abby

I don’t know how to classify this one – it’s not necessarily a thriller or drama. It’s more like a “sci-fi; suspense” novel. Perhaps that is what the writer intended. It definitely wasn’t thrilling to me, not in the least. Also the end regarding Robert and Claire’s “fate” was a bit too clean. I won’t add any spoilers, but it was a bit “far-fetched” for my tastes.

If you’re a fan of the author, you might enjoy this read. If you’re on the fence, borrow it from the library first.

FYI: I don’t know what the braid on the cover has to do with the story. It could be that it belong to Jillian as she had red hair and was also Abby’s mother.


2 ⭐⭐/5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


ABOUT THE AUTHOR





Kira Peikoff is the author of Living Proof, No Time to Die, and Die Again Tomorrow.  She has a degree in journalism from New York University and a master’s in bioethics from Columbia University.  She is currently the editor-in-chief of leapsmag.com, a digital magazine about innovation and ethics in the life sciences. She has also contributed articles to the science section of The New York Times, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Nautilus, Slate, Cosmopolitan.com, and other mainstream media outlets. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and young son.

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