Mother Dearest is the fantastically unsettling upmarket thriller from debut author Clare Bird. Perfect for fans of StrangeSally Diamond, A Slow Fire Burning and The Push.

Imogene Billings has lived her entire 26 years under her mother’s exceptionally strict rule–it’s all she’s ever known, and she lives to make her mother proud. But when her mother banishes her from their house, Imogene flees to her aunt’s house, which is one of the only other places she’s ever visited. Imogene takes to writing letters to her mother, detailing her days exploring the world and asking how she can earn her mother’s forgiveness.
 
When Imogene runs into a man at a coffee shop that her mother previously deemed “perfect,” she knows exactly what she needs to do to win back her mother’s affection: marry him. There’s only one small problem…he already has a wife and daughter. As Imogene inserts herself into this man’s family with the intent to tear it apart, she’s certain her mother will finally recognize her efforts and allow her to come back home. So why isn’t her mother responding to any of her letters? How far will Imogene go to please her mother dearest?