Mumsnet debut fiction club: Paula Daly and Just What Kind of Mother are You?

[RachelMumsnet]

Last month we launched Mumsnet Introduces... our new feature on debut authors. This week we're introducing Paula Daly and her debut Just What Kind of Mother Are you?

Paula's debut novel plays to your very worst fears as a mother - a friend's child going missing on your watch. Paula takes the reader on a psychological journey through the relationship of the two affected mothers and their circle of friends.

We ran a giveaway last year when the book first came out in hardback and most mumsnetters were gripped. As one mnetter said "Due to chronic sleep deprivation & limited time (2 yr old & 6 month old) I have struggled to read more than a magazine recently but I read this book in a couple of days". Another said "This should be called 'Mumsnet - The Novel', right down to the mention of Greggs, it's as if the author had read lots and lots of threads on MN and then incorporated them into story".

If you fancy giving it a go, apply for a free copy and come back to this thread and let us know what you think or post up a review. Next week we'll be linking to Paula Daly's debut author tips from this thread.

[DuchessofMalfi]

My copy arrived today. Thank you MN. Will be saving it for my holiday read next week :)

[RaisinGirls]

My copy arrived today, thank-you!! Really looking forward to settling down and reading it over the weekend. although had forgotten I had applied for the free copy and was rather perplexed when it arrived without a note and thought someone was trying to send a 9 month pregnant lady a message

[GoingToBedfordshire]

Thanks for my copy, just getting started now.

[SarahAndFuck]

I'm about 150 pages in and really enjoying it.

I was surprised at how far in I was so quickly because I only started it very late last night, but it's been a very good read so far and I haven't wanted to put it down.

[SuperScribbler]

My copy arrived yesterday. It will becread as soon as I've finished the Poisonwood Bible. Quite excited.

[500internalerror]

I think I'm going to enjoy this, because I need a gripping but easy read at the moment!

I wasn't impressed with the first few dozen pages, but its starting to pick up pace now :)

[SarahAndFuck]

I've finished the book and posted my review

I enjoyed the book and found it to be a very quick, easy read and I would like to read more with Joanne, the detective.

[RaisinGirls]

Just spent a lovely weekend doing pretty much nothing but reading this book. I enjoyed it, it kept me hooked all weekend and I didn't find any of the twists obvious either.

Like others have said, I found Joanne an interesting character and would like to read more novels with her in and see how her character progresses.

Thanks for the freebie - if the idea is to introduce us to new authors who will then buy other novels they have written, then its worked... as Im off to download her next novel on my kindle.

[500internalerror]

I'm half way now - the bit with bluey - and really enjoying it. It's easy to read. I can't really associate with any of the characters - I expected one to be something like me given that its a book about parents - but that's not a problem in this instance. I wouldn't say it's unputdownable , but its well written & at no point have I been bored :)

[SarahAndFuck]

Bluey and Hamish made me very stressed 500

I was cheering Mad Aunt Jackie on when she told the Hamish Lady off.

[DuchessofMalfi]

I was going to save it for my holiday next week but am now inbetween books and its sounding like it's a good read. I'm starting today

[claracluck1978]

Thanks for the novel & the introduction to Paula Daly. Really enjoyed the split narratives & even though I usually find myself looking for twists, I enjoyed being surprised for once. Like others have said, I found Joanne a really engaging character and, from what we have seen, I can imagine we will see her again - I certainly hope so. Thanks again mn.

[AlbertHerbertHawkins]

Arrrg! Only got my copy today. Will quickly finish my current book and try to catch up. Looks good!

[Jenni2legs]

Finished it, I really enjoyed the writing style but the end of the book was a bit disappointing. Not enough comeuppance for the guilty. I wanted to know a little more about the journey that got the 'criminal' to that point.

[500internalerror]

Finished. It's so hard to make the points I want to without psoiling it for others who haven't read! I enjoyed it - it wasn't a page turner but bit was nicely written & put together. Some elements of the story would have been good in more detail (but would this have detracted too much then?), & there were a few too many conincidences (but i suppose there always are in mystery & crime fiction!).

[DuchessofMalfi]

Coming up to half way through now. It's such an easy, engaging read.

Not a gripping thriller, but it is intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages. I like the characterisation - have met far too many people like Alexa over the years :o I like Lisa and Joe, but don't understand that seemingly out of character moment at the dinner party. Perhaps it will become clearer later on.

Have a few ideas about what's happened, can't wait to read on and see if I'm proved right or not.

[Sparklysilversequins]

It was ok. The outcome was sign posted a mile off though and I thought Lisa was a bit wet. Readable but not exceptional.

[Sparklysilversequins]

Agree Joanne was a great character, I liked her home set up with her aunt too.

[GoingToBedfordshire]

Finished this yesterday. As the blurb promised, it was definitely a page turner.

Spoilers below.







I liked Lisa initially, could identify with her situation of just being spread too thinly between work and family. I thought the dialogue throughout was well observed.

I found the premise of Lucinda's disappearance stretched my belief somewhat, but I went with it. I really thought Sally would have said something even if Lisa had forgotten. Ime, my kids go on and on when they have friends coming over and to have to postpone because they were ill would have definitely been commented upon.

There were other points in the book however that went beyond what I could believe: Lisa shagging Adam at the dinner party and Joe's calm acceptance of this when he eventually found out, Mervyn going to the local dog rescue, Lisa coming across Nico by chance. I felt the plot twists were getting more and more far fetched as the book went on, so wasn't that surprised when I found out what had actually happened to Lucinda (ludicrous!).

Overall though, I'd say it was well paced and despite the plot being unbelievable in the extreme by the end, I enjoyed the ride.

[Axlemaimi]

Just finished reading this on day 2 of my holiday. A very easy read, but not quite the page turner I had hoped. Story a bit unbelievable at times. As others have posted, another book or two with the character Joanne would be quite interesting. Thanks for the chance to read this for free though.

[MrsBartlet]

I have given up on it I am afraid. The writing was very basic and it didn't grip me at all. The characters were very sketchily drawn and just did not interest me. I don't like giving up on a book and don't like giving a bad review but it is really just not my sort of thing.

[jojack17]

I have to disagree with the last couple of reviews...I found this to be an exciting, engaging read. Yes, it is far fetched at times, but that never puts me off a good story! I loved the way we were kept guessing about who the culprit was. I kept changing my mind about who the guilty party party was, and of course, I was completely wrong every time! I do agree that the whole dinner party incident with Lisa and Adam was a bit strange and not really needed. It kind of put me off the character of Lisa a bit, and I had quite liked her up until this point. I liked the character of Joanne and her mad aunt Jackie...I think there's a lot of room for these characters to be developed in subsequent books. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and will be certain to read more by Paula Daly in future. An impressive debut.

[DuchessofMalfi]

Interesting plotline, I liked Lisa and Joe, Joanne and Jackie. Would have liked to have had a little bit more detail about the Police investigations - especially the arrest.

Just felt that the ending didn't quite sit right - the confrontation between Lisa and Kate. It let the story down a bit. But was just a minor point in an otherwise good read. I gave this 3/5 on Goodreads.

Will definitely want to read the next Paula Daly novel :) Thank you MN :)

[AlbertHerbertHawkins]

Well I really enjoyed it although I had some reservations at first. I wasn't entirely comfortable with it kind of being a cross between a novel/thriller and a police procedural but I got into it and I found it a compelling and easy read; not too demanding. The plot was weak at times but that did not stop me enjoying it! I found Lisa a little irritating but liked the police officer, what ever her name was, and liked the character of Joe.

I thought the book was perceptively written in terms of class/status anxiety and felt the whole book was a kind of revenge fantasy about the woman the author encountered in the supermarket while she writes about at the back of the book, which is probably quite telling about the author...

I will probably read another book by the same author. It's not high art but she's very readable!

[slev]

Thanks for my free copy!

Enjoyed it (mostly) - very easy reading and I got through it quite quickly on the train. Some of the characters annoyed me a bit - I really didn't need to keep hearing about Joanne's large breasts and Lisa needed a bit of a slap at times for being too pathetic (I'm a WOHM and even at my most manic, I do tend to know how many children should be in the house at any one time). And I found the end a bit too rushed - would rather have had a better build up and consquences, as it was it just seemed to come out of nowhere.

But because it was easy to read I found it kept my interest in a no effort kind of way - like chick lit, you know it's not highbrow but it's a nice distraction. I might get another book by the same author out of the library, but wouldn't buy one - it's not a re-read for me.

Have now passed my copy on to my mum so if I get any comments from here I'll come back and add them on!