It's hard to know where to start, the book is fantastic! Healy tells the story of an alleged suicide in such a way that kept me charged about finding out the truth, she is truly a talented writer. Sometimes people get caught up in their own lies and are eventually convinced they are truth. This is a compelling mystery, an emotional story of forgiveness, a message of what parents will do to protect their children.

The characters are endearing and the ending is perfect. I can't say enough good things about a book that keeps me guessing, totally loved this story!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Motherless by Erin Healy is the suspense filled mystery of the year! This book will engage the reader from start to finish as the interlocking characters twist their way through the pages.

Motherless by Erin Healy has earned the title "top favorite fiction read of the year" award on my list! This novel to be released tomorrow (November 1, 2014) will have the reader shaking their head with intrigue as they forge ahead in rapid page turning succession (or swiping for those E-readers out there:). As with her previous books, it is difficult to put Motherless down once you get started.

Now, before I continue, I must confess that I am admittedly an Erin Healy enthusiast. I jumped aboard the "fan" wagon with her publication of the books: Afloat and Stranger Things and I somewhat obsessively watch for her new releases to snatch them up. Why? Because Erin not only entertains the reader with her creative mind, but she also manages to simultaneously bring awareness to a culturally relevant subject matter. The themes within her books are usually hot topic buttons that our society has tried to gently brush under the rug or items that we feel somewhat uncomfortable talking about.

Motherless by Erin Healy manages to present the subject of mental illness through the life of one of the main characters with a respectful authenticity that is very believable. The obstacles that an individual suffering with a mental health illness have placed before them are infinite and immense. The responsibility that a family dealing with an afflicted loved one must bear is communicated throughout the book with inventiveness and truth. The layers of guilt, shame and regret for past mistakes in the handling of the afflicted individuals behavior are also scrolled throughout the character's hearts and minds.

As I began reading the first few chapters of the book, I quickly found myself (for my older readers out there) thinking of the movie, Ghost with Patrick Swayze. The way in which the main character, Garrett is able to see the earthly happenings of his family and minimally convey his presence, despite their inability to make the connection is quite similar to the 1990 film. As the book proceeds, there is a similarity to Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Story released in 1893, wherein Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself reviewing his life with ghosts from the past. In this classic, of course, Scrooge takes a tally of all of the negative choices he has made while he inhabited the earth and applies them upon his awakening.

Do not be confused by my comparisons, however, this is not a rewrite of a tried and true Christmas time classic. This book is written for today's readers swirling through a wild current of mental health issues as lived out in the lives of several of the family members. Motherless by Erin Healy will take the reader on a compelling, rousing, and soul stirring journey. The message of hope and the constant undercurrent that God's grace and mercy really are enough to cover our inequities is an undeniable communication throughout the book. This work is a mysterious and complicated thriller that you won't want to miss!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc for this review copy of Motherless by Erin Healy. The thoughts expressed within this review are strictly my own. I was not required to give a favorable review of this work; I was only required to read the book in it's entirety and render a transparent opinion. ( )