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.

I found this an easy read and did like the way the book was written from two views. I think it was a bit rushed in places and could have done with more detail at the end, however, I thought there were likeable characters and would probably read future books.

I've posted my review. (As an aside, I didn't get an email to say I had been selected so when it arrived without warning I wondered what the hell was going on!) I don't want to post spoilers but I was frustrated by the bit where Sally is crying and says "it's her dad that's what I couldn't tell you"... Then nobody follows that up? Apart from hat and another couple of bits that didn't hang together, I enjoyed it as a holiday read. The twists were a bit too obvious but I have read far worse.

I'm only up to chapter 8 but I'm enjoying it so far, need/want to find more time to finish it! Will post more when I'm finished.

Have now finished the book. I found it an easy read, nothing taxing which I think made it the page turner that I found it to be. Agree with previous posts, some of the story lines just didn't make sense/bit far fetched. Also disappointed with the ending ... Quite rushed and abrupt. But overall a good read and thoroughly enjoyable.
From the beginning mind, I never thought it to be Kate's fault the way that everyone else in the story (or RL) did. Sally had text her friend to say she was off school and sleepover would be off. In that situation, I don't think I (as the parent) would find it necessary to text/ring the other parent ..? I also (as the other parent) would text, at some point from school finish time to late tea time, to see if my daughter had arrived and was 'settled in' so to speak.

I did enjoy this and found it easy to read. However, the ending wasn't great.

I think as a quick page turner, it was a good read. Not sure why Lisa blamed herself so much, the sleepover was cancelled by the daughters in advance. I enjoyed the parts written by the perp, thought they were the strongest scenes. I found Lisa's family dynamic and worklife pretty realistic.

But there were too many coincidences - the perp going to Lisa for a dog for instance. And I really disliked how the perp was tracked down. Seemed a bloody great deus ex machina to me and let the whole thriller down.

On the whole I found it on a par with the likes of Gone Girl and Pple Tree Yard and I would read the writer again.

I really enjoyed this book (I have posted a full review on the reviews page). I thought it was well written and the pace was very good. It kept me turning the pages. I thought that the characters could have been a little less "typical" - I don't know how many thin, beautiful, perfect stay-at-home moms who aren't really I've seen books, but too many - but this didn't stop me reading and won't stop me recommending the book to others.

OK, so finally getting around to saying thank you for my free book, and to post my thoughts. It was a good read, not too taxing - it was perfect for me as I'd saved it up for a business trip and it was a good aeroplane read. I got quite exasperated with Lisa - I sympathised with her some of the way but she was over-inclined to blame everything on 'but I'm so busy!'

Her perception of the class divide was interesting, but I was disappointed in her for shagging the sister's husband in the bathroom - and also, who sees someone shagging their sister's husband in their cludgie and doesn't shout 'Oi! WTF is going on?' before they even have time to think?!

Overall, though, I'd read more of Paula Daly's novels. Definitely one I'll be passing onto my sisters and mum.

Great book ! Not too long, it makes a point. Great characterisation. The families are so real, they could be us !