An addictive novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves-an unforgettable tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways.
Revenge doesn't wait for permission.
Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected that fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Having married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of.
Until the day she awakens and sees someone peering into her bedroom window--an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.
Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daughters' private school . . . just minutes before Bree's infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly--Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.
The mysterious woman makes contact, and Bree learns she, too, is a mother. Why would another mother do this? What does she want? And why has she targeted Bree? Of course Bree will pay anything, do anything. It's her child.
To get her baby back, Bree must complete one small-but critical-task. It seems harmless enough, but her action comes with a devastating price.
Bree will do whatever it takes to protect her family-but what if the cost tears their world apart?
Joshilyn Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including gods in Alabama and The Almost Sisters. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages. A former actor, Jackson is also an award-winning audiobook narrator. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband and their two children.
"Gripping . . . The dark secret at the novel's heart rings all too true. Jackson knows how to ratchet up the suspense." - Publishers Weekly
"The tension is skillfully built . . . a thriller with a sharp #MeToo edge." - Kirkus Reviews
"If Joshilyn Jackson has not yet been deemed the Queen of the Twist, I would like to award her that title. I picked up Mother May I before bed, wholly unprepared for how immediately drawn in I would be. I stayed up way too late and then did not put it down the entire next day. Rarely do I say something is "unputdownable," but I have no reservations about saying so in this case. Such a fantastic psychological mystery -- I was enthralled until the very end!" - Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books for Buzzfeed News
"One writer who never fails to amuse is Atlanta author Joshilyn Jackson. She brings humor to all her work as well as a relatable yet quirky voice. Both of those strengths are evident in Mother May I . . . The stakes are higher than they have ever been. What is more important than protecting your own child? Bree is one of Jackson's most relatable characters, and readers will root for her as she tries to negotiate a nightmarish game of revenge and deceit." - The Augusta Chronicle
"Jackson crafts a finely paced, shrewdly observed, multi-tiered story which moves with ease between past and present. Older events that prompt current actions are uncovered; pressing issues of class, race and sexual abuse are viscerally dramatized. Mother May I is a thinking (and feeling) reader's thriller, a literary beach read." - Wall Street Journal
"Mother May I is perfectly balanced between its plot and characters. It lends itself to quick reading--there is no good place to stop--yet one is sorry when it ends. Readers who are new to Jackson's talent will want to acquire her significant backlist as they wait for her next book, while those who are already familiar with her catalog will find their patience rewarded." - Book Reporter
