Book Review: Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight

Like Mother, Like Daughter Synopsis

When Cleo, a student at NYU, arrives tardy for dinner at her childhood home in Brooklyn, she discovers food burning in the oven and her mother, Kat, missing. The sight of Kat’s bloody shoe under the sofa suggests something dreadful has occurred.

However, what exactly? Cleo, whose volatile emotions and reckless behavior have driven a wedge between her and her mother, views Kat as the epitome of perfection in Park Slope: a contentedly married, successful corporate attorney. Yet, Kat harbors a secret identity as her firm’s fixer, honed from her tumultuous upbringing in a hazardous group home. She’s adept at thinking on her feet, remaining composed under duress, and discerning genuine threats. In the days leading up to her disappearance, Kat has encountered multiple dangers: extortion demands from her unfaithful soon-to-be ex-husband, evidence of Cleo’s involvement in a perilous relationship unbeknownst to her, and menacing anonymous messages from her past—all concealed from Cleo.

“Like Mother, Like Daughter” is a gripping tale of emotional tension that probes into the damaging illusions we uphold and the harsh truths we evade. Primarily, it’s a narrative of love between a mother and daughter, each determined to rescue the other before it’s too late.

***Like Mother, Like Daughter SPOILERS BELOW***

Like Mother, Like Daughter Review

What a cool book to get early from Netgalley! I adored The Good Marriage back in 2020, so I was super excited to get my hands on this early. For me, this didn’t deliver the same shock factor that I loved so much in The Good Marriage, but it still had a pretty good story and twist. To be honest, I didn’t see any of the twists coming, at all.

This book was full of twists. To name a few, we find out by the end that Reed didn’t die back when Kat stabbed him. Instead, Reed changed his name to Aidan, the same man who has been sleeping with Cleo. This was a nice twist that tied back to the book title. I did not suspect Kat to be hiding out at George’s. It makes the most sense, and it went right over my head. The one twist I admit to being suspicious about from the start, was the father’s affair. Something about the cliche secretary story didn’t sit right with me from the beginning.

Overall, I’d totally recommend this book to thriller fans, and especially, fans of Kimberly McCreight. One of my favorite things about her books is how they take place in New York City, and real places are mentioned.