Review: Stone Mothers by Erin Kelly

Marianne and Jesse have a history that goes back to their childhood; united by shared poverty and dark secrets, with Nazareth Hospital always at the centre. The hospital was once the backbone and monetary vein of Nusstead, but when it was closed and left to rot, the town stagnated with it. Despite Marianne’s escape from Nusstead, when her mother falls ill she is forced to return to the town and to Jesse.

When Marianne left Nusstead and Jesse three decades ago, she broke his heart. Despite this, their actions as teenagers bound them together; to bring the past to light would be detrimental for both of them. However, Jesse’s resentment and Marianne’s new life as a wealthy wife may just be the kindling that sparks her downfall.

Stone Mothers is an emotional thriller, playing on the feelings of reader and protagonist alike. With manipulation and tangled alliances fueling the narrative, this story is an emotional battering ram that will make any reader swear off the kinds of promises that could later lay foundations for mistrust. The stealthily veiled past that forms the nervous centre of the narrative is cleverly and slowly revealed, adding a palpable tension that prevents the reader putting the book down. As we slowly move closer to the truth and deeper into the past, we realise that while Nazareth was the heart of the story, it was also the toxin that poisoned everything.

Stone Mothers is not your typical fast-paced, horror-filled gasp-athon. It is much more subtle, and ultimately more satisfying. A well-plotted story full of twists, with an ever-building tension make this story the kind of literary spiral you want to fall into. Polished, clever and gripping, Stone Mothers is a great treat for anyone who is willing to go on an adventure.

Stone Mothers by Erin Kelly is published by Hodder & Stoughton, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.