In My Mother's Name by Laura Elliot

"A swallow in an attic. A butterfly in a jungle. Random events. Heartbreaking decisions."

Adele Foyle, a 24-year-old documentary writer for Voice Dox, returns to Crannock to bury her grandmother. While there, cleaning out the house they shared once upon a time, Adele finds a backpack containing a diary written by her mother -- a 15-year-old who died when Adele was born. Her grandmother, Noreen, had always refused to tell Adele anything about her mother's pregnancy or the circumstances surrounding her birth, so Adele eagerly devours the diary. What she discovers is shocking and heartbreaking. Her mother, Marianne, had been sent to a home for others like her in Reedstown to wait out her confinement and it was run like a religious cult and known as the Sodality of Thorns and Atonement. When Marianne dies, Adele and Noreen leave Reedstown and hide away in Crannock where they lived until Adele moved to London for work, met and became engaged to Daniel. Because the information in the diary is so inflammatory, Adele feels compelled to go to Reedstown and discover if it contains the truth and to obtain justice for her long-dead mother. NO SPOILERS.

Well, the twists and turns just kept on coming so once I started this I could not put it down so read in one sitting. And what a beautiful but sad story it was. The events that ruined Marianne were tough to read and those responsible definitely needed just punishment. I liked the way the author told the story from different points of view and how the diary entries were shared. It never ceases to amaze me what some won't do to cover up their dirty little secrets, lies and crimes. I really liked the characters of Adele and Rachel, a Garda in Reedstown. Some of the others were also well-drawn and their reactions to the release of Marianne's diary were described in great detail. I can't honestly quite figure exactly what niche or sub-genre this book fits into but it does have themes of violent rape, imprisonment, mistreatment and psychological manipulation. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - suspense, mystery, themes of rape and psychological manipulation