A dark and disturbing novel, this deals with one of society's great taboos - matricide. Children are not supposed to hate the person who gave birth to them, let alone kill them. But what happens when a mother is manipulative, possessive, and downright cruel? When she has ruined an entire childhood and continues to infect her child's adult life? And does the fact that she is mentally ill mitigate this in any way?

I can't say I enjoyed reading this uncomfortable and unnerving tale but I admired the way it addressed these issues without coming to any definite, trite conclusions, thereby compelling the reader to explore their own feelings and reactions. Very similar in tone and topic to Lionel Shriver's 'We need to talk about Kevin', it is a compelling tale that makes you carry on to the end whether or not you actually want to. I am going to make it my annual Halloween release - while not a conventional horror story it is darker than much of the horror fiction I have read.

Left on the comfy seats outside the loos. If you find this book, please spare a moment to make a journal entry here so I can track its travels, then read and/or release it!