The chilling horror debut from a #1 international bestselling author—an art conservator’s obsession with a mysterious painting spirals into a nightmarish descent, where the line between reality and the supernatural shatters, threatening both her sanity and her lifeMathilde "Tilly" Crewson, a thirty-nine-year-old mother and art conservator, is tasked with restoring
The Mother. The painting, believed to be the work of a female surgeon-turned-artist after a personal tragedy, is the rumored fourth piece in a collection of only three known works. But this newly discovered painting, scarred by fire, holds more than meets the eye.
Soon after receiving the painting, Tilly discovers she’s unexpectedly pregnant, and strange, inexplicable occurrences begin: terrifying insect swarms, eerie visits from her long-deceased mother, and sinister whispers that invade her mind. As these malevolent forces intensify, Tilly comes to a harrowing realization: the only way to sever the perilous bond she shares with the painting is to destroy it. But
The Mother has plans of her own—and they’re darker than Tilly could ever imagine. . . .
Mother is always watching...
From the #1 international bestselling author of Recipe For A Perfect Wife comes a chilling horror debut: When a pregnant art conservator’s obsession with a mysterious painting spirals into a nightmarish descent, the line between reality and the supernatural shatters threatening both her sanity and her life.
In a world shaped by climate crisis and population decline, motherhood has become both prized and quietly monitored. For thirty-nine-year-old art conservator Mathilde "Tilly" Crewson that has meant years spent struggling to conceive, while navigating the growing social pressure surrounding women's bodies and reproduction.
When Tilly is tasked with restoring The Mother, a fire-damaged painting believed to be the final work of a grieving surgeon-turned artist, she becomes consumed by its disturbing history. Soon after, Tilly discovers she's unexpectedly pregnant and it isn't long before the horrors begin: swarms of insects, whispers in the dark, visits from her dead mother, and an increasingly terrifying bond with the painting itself.
As the malevolence intensifies, Tilly fears the forces surrounding The Mother are not only feeding on her, but on the life growing inside her. To save herself and her family, she may have to destroy the painting once and for all.
But The Mother has plans of its own.
Perfect for fans of Nightbitch and The School for Good Mothers, this unsettling novel explores the intersection between motherhood, art and ambition, and the terror of losing control over one's body and mind.
