"[A] well-written and powerfully effective story whose protagonists (and readers) end up getting much more than they bargained for." — Wall Street Journal , Best Books of 2021
“Joshilyn Jackson’s latest riveting thriller starts with a bang and doesn’t let up, asking how well you truly know the people around you—and how far you’re willing to go for the ones you love. A true page-turner that will stick with me for a long time.” — Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl from Widow Hills , on Mother May I
"Longtime readers of Jackson’s who embraced her genre switch from Southern fiction to domestic thriller with Never Have I Ever will be glad to see she’s taken things a step grittier and darker with Mother May I. Fast-paced and twisty, there’s also redemption and a bit of grace down that debris-filled, winding road." — Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Joshilyn Jackson does it again with this explosive, white-knuckle read about a mother who will stop at nothing to protect her family. Terrifying, timely and thought-provoking, I couldn't tear my eyes away from Mother May I ." — Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Mrs.
"Gripping . . . The dark secret at the novel's heart rings all too true. Jackson knows how to ratchet up the suspense." — Publishers Weekly on Mother May I
“All the things we love about Joshilyn Jackson come together with panache in Mother May I : subtle yet scalding insights on the nature of privilege, compelling, vibrant characters, and the wily plot and breakneck pace of a thriller. Mother May I sets a new standard for the genre: it’s razor-sharp, merciless, and masterful.” — Rose Carlyle, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Girl in the Mirror , on Mother May I
"If Joshilyn Jackson has not yet been deemed the Queen of the Twist, I would like to award her that title. I picked up Mother May I before bed, wholly unprepared for how immediately drawn in I would be. I stayed up way too late and then did not put it down the entire next day. Rarely do I say something is “unputdownable,” but I have no reservations about saying so in this case. Such a fantastic psychological mystery — I was enthralled until the very end!” — Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books for Buzzfeed News, on Mother May I
"One writer who never fails to amuse is Atlanta author Joshilyn Jackson. She brings humor to all her work as well as a relatable yet quirky voice. Both of those strengths are evident in Mother May I . . . The stakes are higher than they have ever been. What is more important than protecting your own child? Bree is one of Jackson’s most relatable characters, and readers will root for her as she tries to negotiate a nightmarish game of revenge and deceit." — The Augusta Chronicle (Atlanta) on Mother May I
"Fan favorite Joshilyn Jackson is back with the suspenseful (seriously!) story of Bree, who grew up poor but defiantly hopeful. After marrying into money, Bree now has everything she could've dreamed of. Until the day she sees an old, gray-haired woman—a witch?—haunting her. Then her baby boy vanishes in the blink of an eye, leading Bree down a tangled path with devastating consequences. After all, what wouldn't a mother do for her child?" — Country Living on Mother May I
"An addictive domestic suspense, Jackson’s latest asks how far a mother will go to protect her child." — Parade on Mother May I
"The New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Never Have I Ever builds on her success with this addictive novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves—a chilling and thoughtful tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways." — The Nerd Daily on Mother May I
"The tension is skillfully built . . . a thriller with a sharp #MeToo edge." — Kirkus Reviews on Mother May I
“Suspense readers will enjoy plot twists and motivations that hit close to home . . . The novel’s depth lies in exploring the role of a mother to protect and teach her children . . . Fans of Mary Kubica . . . will appreciate the mixture of suspense with complex characters.” — Booklist on Mother May I
"Mother May I is perfectly balanced between its plot and characters. It lends itself to quick reading—there is no good place to stop—yet one is sorry when it ends. Readers who are new to Jackson’s talent will want to acquire her significant backlist as they wait for her next book, while those who are already familiar with her catalog will find their patience rewarded.” — Book Reporter on Mother May I
Joshilyn Jackson’s latest riveting thriller starts with a bang and doesn’t let up, asking how well you truly know the people around you—and how far you’re willing to go for the ones you love. A true page-turner that will stick with me for a long time.
"[A] well-written and powerfully effective story whose protagonists (and readers) end up getting much more than they bargained for."
"Joshilyn Jackson does it again with this explosive, white-knuckle read about a mother who will stop at nothing to protect her family. Terrifying, timely and thought-provoking, I couldn't tear my eyes away from Mother May I ."
All the things we love about Joshilyn Jackson come together with panache in Mother May I : subtle yet scalding insights on the nature of privilege, compelling, vibrant characters, and the wily plot and breakneck pace of a thriller. Mother May I sets a new standard for the genre: it’s razor-sharp, merciless, and masterful.
"An addictive domestic suspense, Jackson’s latest asks how far a mother will go to protect her child."
"Longtime readers of Jackson’s who embraced her genre switch from Southern fiction to domestic thriller with Never Have I Ever will be glad to see she’s taken things a step grittier and darker with Mother May I. Fast-paced and twisty, there’s also redemption and a bit of grace down that debris-filled, winding road."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Fan favorite Joshilyn Jackson is back with the suspenseful (seriously!) story of Bree, who grew up poor but defiantly hopeful. After marrying into money, Bree now has everything she could've dreamed of. Until the day she sees an old, gray-haired woman—a witch?—haunting her. Then her baby boy vanishes in the blink of an eye, leading Bree down a tangled path with devastating consequences. After all, what wouldn't a mother do for her child?"
Country Living on Mother May I
"If Joshilyn Jackson has not yet been deemed the Queen of the Twist, I would like to award her that title. I picked up Mother May I before bed, wholly unprepared for how immediately drawn in I would be. I stayed up way too late and then did not put it down the entire next day. Rarely do I say something is “unputdownable,” but I have no reservations about saying so in this case. Such a fantastic psychological mystery — I was enthralled until the very end!
Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books for Buzzfeed News
"One writer who never fails to amuse is Atlanta author Joshilyn Jackson. She brings humor to all her work as well as a relatable yet quirky voice. Both of those strengths are evident in Mother May I . . . The stakes are higher than they have ever been. What is more important than protecting your own child? Bree is one of Jackson’s most relatable characters, and readers will root for her as she tries to negotiate a nightmarish game of revenge and deceit."
The Augusta Chronicle (Atlanta) on Mother May I
"Mother May I is perfectly balanced between its plot and characters. It lends itself to quick reading—there is no good place to stop—yet one is sorry when it ends. Readers who are new to Jackson’s talent will want to acquire her significant backlist as they wait for her next book, while those who are already familiar with her catalog will find their patience rewarded.
Book Reporter on Mother May I
"The New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Never Have I Ever builds on her success with this addictive novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves—a chilling and thoughtful tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways."
The Nerd Daily on Mother May I
Suspense readers will enjoy plot twists and motivations that hit close to home . . . The novel’s depth lies in exploring the role of a mother to protect and teach her children . . . Fans of Mary Kubica . . . will appreciate the mixture of suspense with complex characters.
"Longtime readers of Jackson’s who embraced her genre switch from Southern fiction to domestic thriller with Never Have I Ever will be glad to see she’s taken things a step grittier and darker with Mother May I. Fast-paced and twisty, there’s also redemption and a bit of grace down that debris-filled, winding road."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Jackson crafts a finely paced, shrewdly observed, multi-tiered story which moves with ease between past and present. Older events that prompt current actions are uncovered; pressing issues of class, race and sexual abuse are viscerally dramatized. Mother May I is a thinking (and feeling) reader’s thriller, a literary beach read."
"Longtime readers of Jackson’s who embraced her genre switch from Southern fiction to domestic thriller with Never Have I Ever will be glad to see she’s taken things a step grittier and darker with Mother May I. Fast-paced and twisty, there’s also redemption and a bit of grace down that debris-filled, winding road."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Mother May I
"Jackson crafts a finely paced, shrewdly observed, multi-tiered story which moves with ease between past and present. Older events that prompt current actions are uncovered; pressing issues of class, race and sexual abuse are viscerally dramatized. Mother May I is a thinking (and feeling) reader’s thriller, a literary beach read."
Wall Street Journal on Mother May I
When Bree glimpses someone she can only describe as a witch peeping through her window, her status as a wealthy, secure stay-at-home mom goes to war with her childhood self. She grew up poor and was continually warned about the world’s dangers. Joshilyn Jackson’s passionate narration highlights her superb story of child abduction. She catapults listeners into Bree’s perspective when she is given the impossible task of following the instructions of her child’s kidnapper while ensuring the rest of her family’s safety. Jackson fully delivers Bree’s frantic state of mind, especially as she repeats directions she’s given by phone in garbled tones. Switching between the voices of the shrill-voiced Bree and the creepy, shushing abductor, Jackson captures the all the terror of a mother trying to save her child. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
When Bree glimpses someone she can only describe as a witch peeping through her window, her status as a wealthy, secure stay-at-home mom goes to war with her childhood self. She grew up poor and was continually warned about the world’s dangers. Joshilyn Jackson’s passionate narration highlights her superb story of child abduction. She catapults listeners into Bree’s perspective when she is given the impossible task of following the instructions of her child’s kidnapper while ensuring the rest of her family’s safety. Jackson fully delivers Bree’s frantic state of mind, especially as she repeats directions she’s given by phone in garbled tones. Switching between the voices of the shrill-voiced Bree and the creepy, shushing abductor, Jackson captures the all the terror of a mother trying to save her child. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
2021-02-10 A woman is compelled to commit murder in order to save her kidnapped baby.
Bree may not have planned every detail of her life—such as, surprise! her infant son, Robert—but she’s pretty content with what she has: two older daughters who dote on the baby; a loving husband, Trey, with a profitable, stable job; all the trappings of an upper-class life. Having grown up without much money or stability, she knows all too well how one cannot take such gifts for granted. When she’s haunted one day by several sightings of a creepy old lady, she writes it off as anxiety due to lack of sleep. Later, safe behind the walls of her daughters’ private school, she is horrified to turn around and find Robert missing. A note makes it clear that he has been taken by this same old woman. The woman’s motivation is murky at first, but her request is clear: Bree must help her take revenge on one of Trey’s colleagues, a notorious womanizer, by slipping him some drugged alcohol—or her baby will die. Caught in this devil’s bargain, Bree does as she asks, and the man dies a terrible death. Soon, it becomes apparent that he is not the only one in the old woman’s sights: She wants to punish those responsible for hurting her own daughter many years ago, and she has evidence that Trey was involved. Bree must do everything she can to save her baby while also, with the help of a handsome neighbor, investigating her husband’s past, knowing that time is ticking away for Robert and for the truth about what happened one night, long ago, between two fraternity boys, a girl, and the third boy who witnessed the crime. Despite the rather melodramatic, hard-to-believe premise, the tension is skillfully built.
A thriller with a sharp #MeToo edge that examines how “one wild night” can have terrible consequences.