What Mother Knows
When twenty-six-year-old Denver lawyer Josh King returns to Austin, it isn't for a family reunion. His estranged mother—the city's powerful mayor, Lauren Snow—stands accused of murdering his wealthy stepfather. Though Josh only returns to support his fragile younger sister, Kinsey, he is quickly pressured into taking on his mother's legal defense.
Lauren swears she is innocent. She may be a ruthless politician, but she isn't reckless enough to kill the man bankrolling her ambitions. However, Josh knows his mother built her empire on smoke and mirrors. Watching her perform the role of the tragic widow with camera-ready perfection, he realizes he has no idea what she is truly capable of.
As Josh digs deeper, he unravels a dark web of conspiracies and buried family secrets. With the truth finally in his grasp, Josh must decide where his ultimate loyalty lies: with the blind scales of justice, or with the family he's trying to save.
- Josh King - Lawyer, 26
- Lauren - Austin Mayor, Josh’s mother
- Tower Snow - Josh’s step-father, deceased
- Kinsey - Josh’s sister, 19
- Lewis - Josh and Kinsey’s father
- Edward - Tower’s son, 27
- Stephen - Tower’s son, 25
- Claire - Part of Lauren’s public relations team
- Sophie Bertram - Lawyer, Josh’s former girlfriend
- Anna - Manages Tower and Lauren’s household
- Jack - Owner of Expedite Holdings
- Carrie - Kinsey’s friend, recently died by suicide
- Tom - Previous intern for Lauren
- Cliff - Former Waldorf trucking mechanic
- Palmer - Friend of Edward
- Martin - Silver-haired man, Lauren’s brother
- Josh has been estranged from Lauren since she married Tower and sent him to boarding school at sixteen.
- Lewis died when Josh was a teenager after a trucking accident caused by faulty brakes.
- Kinsey is pregnant and trying to stay sober for the baby.
- Kinsey tells Josh that Tower was killed, so he flies home to Austin.
- Lauren gets arrested for Tower’s murder.
- Josh sees a silver-haired man following him around town.
- Josh reluctantly agrees to represent Lauren in court.
- Lauren gets out on bail.
- The silver-haired man sends Josh photos of a young man entering and leaving Tower’s house the day of his murder.
- Josh shows the pictures to Lauren, who identifies the man as Tom, a former intern who later went to work for her main competitor in the governor’s race.
- Josh finds old photos Lewis had of Lauren and Tower kissing one week before Lewis died.
- Josh discovers Cliff received a $50,000 payment from CamCart LLC the day Lewis died.
- Cliff was shot outside a bar days after Lewis’s death.
- Josh sees a photo of Cliff from the night he was killed with the silver-haired man in the background.
- A man assaults Josh and warns him to stop digging.
- Josh identifies the man as Palmer.
- Josh sees the silver-haired man again, follows him, and watches him get into a car with Lauren.
- Josh identifies the silver-haired man as Martin, Lauren’s brother, whose existence he was unaware of.
- Claire tells Josh that Lauren and Tower recruited Tom to work for Lauren’s political rival as a spy.
- Josh finds Tom dead in his car from a gunshot wound, staged as a suicide.
- Police find a suicide text confessing to Tower’s murder.
- All charges against Lauren are dropped.
- Kinsey admits to Josh that she shot Tower.
- After Carrie’s suicide, Kinsey finds a note stating Tower drugged and raped her.
- Tower also drugged and raped Kinsey and is the father of her baby.
- Lauren knew about both rapes and did nothing.
- Josh’s contact traces CamCart LLC back to Tower, its owner.
- Josh confronts Lauren and asks if Martin killed Cliff and Tom, and she does not deny it.
- Josh tells Lauren she will never hear from him or Kinsey again.
- Palmer admits Edward asked him to attack Josh because Edward was stealing money from Tower’s company and feared Josh would expose him.
- Josh flies home with Kinsey.
- Six months later: Kinsey has a baby girl she names Carrie.
- Kinsey is living with Josh and attending college.
- Lauren drops out of the governor’s race after it is leaked to the media that she has been blackmailing Jack.
What Mother Knows opens with a sharp focus on character development, laying out the complicated family dynamics that drive the narrative. I found myself quickly rooting for the main character, Josh, as he navigates the constant struggle between fiercely looking out for his sister, Kinsey, and his deep reluctance to have anything to do with their mother.
The short chapters give the medium pacing a steady momentum. Despite the large cast of characters and deep web of connections, the author's clear writing makes it easy to keep track of who is who. A story with this many threads can quickly get tangled, but the execution here is beautiful, making the story flow seamlessly. I loved how every piece of the puzzle fit together perfectly by the final page. If you love a good mystery with lots of moving pieces and wonderful writing, you must pick up this book.
- Tower - Dead - Shot in the chest by Kinsey
- Lewis - Dead - Trucking accident orchestrated by Tower
- Cliff - Dead - Stabbed by Martin
- Tom - Dead - Shot in the head by Martin
- Carrie - Dead - Died by suicide
- Lauren - Alive - Lost her chance at being governor and having a relationship with her children
- Kinsey - Alive - Happy living with Josh and attending college
- Josh - Alive - Happy living with Kinsey and Carrie
- Domestic abuse
- Infidelity
- Blackmail
- Suicide
- Rape of an adolescent
- Stalking
- Gun violence
ISBN: 9781662529924
Publication Date: November 3, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
