A Mother Always Knows

This overstuffed supernatural suspense novel from Strohmeyer (We Love to Entertain) follows mild-mannered 30-year-old Stella O’Neill, who works as a library archivist in Cambridge, Mass. Twenty years ago, Stella witnessed the murder of her mother, Rose, while the two were members of a cult called the Diviners in rural Vermont; ever since, she’s attempted to keep a low profile. Those efforts get upended when, in 2023, a post about Rose’s death goes viral and exposes Stella’s current whereabouts. In recent years, the cult’s “enforcement arm” (who call themselves the Facilitators) have become “the bullies of the internet,” incessantly searching for slander against their leader, Radcliffe MacBeath, and tracking down former members who might be willing to spill their secrets. Knowing that either the Facilitators or Rose’s killer will soon come after her, Stella heads to Vermont to confront Radcliffe. Gradually, in chapters that alternate between Stella’s perspective and Rose’s, Strohmeyer reveals the details of the latter’s death. Despite the sturdy setup, Strohmeyer throws too much at the wall—a thread about paranormal powers is particularly goofy—and Rose’s chapters are far more involving than Stella’s. This disappoints. Agent: Hillary Jacobson, CAA. (July)