Book Review: ‘The Favorite Daughter: A Novel’ By Kaira Rouda Asks The Question What Happened To Mary?

It’s been a year since Jane’s oldest daughter Mary died. She’s been in a fog for all this time mourning her at the expense of her husband David and her other daughter Betsy (who’s about to graduate High School). But not she’s out of her funk and ready to live again.

She wants to get her marriage back on track and re-connect with her daughter. This is easier said than done. David doesn’t seem interested and Jane soon learns shocking facts about her husband. And things with Betsy are not that good. Jane is an over-bearing mother. She has put software on both her husband and daughter’s phones to track them and see what they are up to.

Then Jane gets mysterious notes about Mary’s death. They say to look at Betsy as she was the last one with Mary. Jane now suspects her daughter of murder. She is also planning revenge on David and Betsy for what she thinks she did. As a former actress Jane is playing her part good and has scripted her revenge. But not everything goes according to plan and then a shocking twist in the story flips the script.

This is a page-turning story with lots of twists and turns. A psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your sear right up to the last word. A great summer read.

You can pick it up in stores on Tuesday, May 21st from Graydon House.