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    Just What Kind of Mother Are You?
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    Just What Kind of Mother Are You?
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    Just What Kind of Mother Are You?
    Audiobook9 hours

    Just What Kind of Mother Are You?

    Written by Paula Daly

    Narrated by Laura Brattan

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    About this audiobook

    Lisa Kallisto is the not-so-perfect model of the modern woman. During an impossibly hectic week, Lisa takes her eye off the ball for a moment and her world descends into a living nightmare. Not only is her best friend's thirteen-year-old daughter missing, but it's Lisa’s fault. To make matters worse, Lucinda is the second teenage girl to disappear within the past two weeks. The first one turned up stripped bare and abandoned on the main street after a horrible ordeal. Wracked with guilt over her mistake, and after having been publicly blamed by Lucinda's family, Lisa sets out to right the wrong. As she begins digging under the surface, Lisa learns that everything is not quite what it first appears to be.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateSep 3, 2013
    ISBN9781629230856
    Author

    Paula Daly

    Paula Daly is the author of several novels including Just What Kind of Mother Are You?, Keep Your Friends Close, The Mistake I Made, and The Trophy Child. A freelance physiotherapist, she lives in North West England with her husband, three children, and whippet, Skippy.

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    Reviews for Just What Kind of Mother Are You?

    4/5

    157 ratings25 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Well if it tells you anything, I read the book in two days. There kept being unexpected twists which made me not want to put the book down. I was a little disappointed that the author ended the book so abruptly. I would have liked some of the loose ends to have been resolved, whether it was good or bad.

      Paula Daly's debut novel is entitled Just What Kind of Mother Are You. The book is British so some terms are not familiar to us who live across the pond. This is the intricate story of a harassed mum of three called Lisa. She works full-time at a kennel which re-homes surrendered and abandoned dogs. Her husband drives a taxi, her oldest two children are generally uncommunicative, as teenagers can often be, and her youngest, at seven, is growing up fast.

      Lisa has made some friends among the other school mums and is best friends with Kate, whose children are of a similar age.Still harassed and tired, Lisa apparently forgets about a prearranged sleepover for Kate’s daughter, Lucinda, with her own daughter Sally. The next day Lucinda is reported missing. Kate thought her daughter was at Lisa's house for the sleepover and now she has been missing, abducted and what else for over 24 hours.Lisa is devastated and feels entirely to blame.

      Determined to find out what has happened to Lucinda and to right a wrong, Lisa starts to do some investigating of her own, but time is running out; Lucinda is not the first girl in the community to go missing and when a third girl disappears everyone begins to fear for Lucinda’s life. The first and third girl that was abducted have shown back up very disoriented and scarred for life, but they are alive and back with family. Lucinda has not been as fortunate. As you read, you will make a lot os assumptions and speculations, but as it is with many situations, things are NOT what they seem to be.


    • 3/5
      I really like the character of Lisa. I could totally relate to her. I am also a busy mom who occasionally forgets what I need to buy for a class project or decides to buy store bought cupcakes for a bake sale instead of making myself because I am tired, burned out, and just trying to get through the day most days. Lisa was sooo much like me and I could totally relate. She was my favorite character in the book. I could totally see myself in her shoes and making a mistake like she made. A forgotten phone call during a busy day can happen so easily. The book has two other point of view characters who I didn't like as much. The first is a pedophile who has been scouting the area looking for teenage girls to abduct. For obvious reasons I found his point of view disgusting and disturbing.The other perspective is the policewoman investigating the disappearance. Her name is Joanne.  Her perspective was just okay. I didn't hate her but she was completely obsessed with her breasts. She wants reductive surgery and honestly I found that subplot annoying and unnecessary. I really enjoyed watching Lisa hunt for Lucinda and all her feelings of guilt. This book was actually a 4/5 star for me up until the end. Then came the twist. And, I hated it. I can't really say much more without spoiling the book but I did not think there was enough lead up to the ending. It felt like it came out of nowhere. I didn't think it was brilliant. I thought it was a huge let down. I was super disappointed. There were so many places the author could have gone but the path they chose totally infuriated me because it was stupid and I didn't like it one bit. I am not sure if others will hate the ending as well or if that is just a me thing. I can say this book was a fun read (minus the icky pedophile POV) up to the end reveal so maybe pick the book up and enjoy it but don't expect too much of the twist at the end. If you think it is brilliant than great. But, if you are like me and think it is dumb you will have been prepared. 
    • 4/5
      Lisa Kallisto lives in the Lake District with husband Joe and her three children. When one of her daughter's friend Lucinda goes missing Lisa feels it's all her fault, she was supposed to be in Lisa's care.I really enjoyed this book. From the start with the chatty narrative by Lisa I instantly fell into the story and the lives of the two families. This book features the Detective Joanne Aspinall who I have come across in other books. I do prefer to read books in order when they feature the same characters but I think in this case it really doesn't matter. I really enjoyed this story which focused on family life and the secrets that each family have. There is a crime to be solved with the missing girls which blends in nicely. There is no major guessing game with who the perp is but the story did have an unexpected twist. This book was an uncomplicated read, nice and easy, with enough suspense to keep my interest. The book didn't blow me away but was very entertaining.
    • 5/5
      As a mother this has to be one of the worse scenarios from either stand point.I thought the characters were all developed well and I could feel the pain on both sides but as a working mom, I could definitely relate to Lisa 100%. Excellent story line told expertly. Well done.Definite recommend.ETA: I loved that Lisa worked in an animal shelter, this always scores a few points when it comes time for me to rate a book.
    • 3/5
      "Where did I go to? I used to have time for people. Now I'm in a state of constant tired irritation"By sally tarbox on 19 May 2017Format: Kindle EditionAn undemanding and generally entertaining whodunnit/ bit of chick lit. Lead character and main narrator, Lisa, lives in the Lake District where she works at an animal shelter and has a generally happy but stressful life with her husband and children. When a 13 year old daughter of a friend - a yummy-mummy type, whose perfect life makes Lisa feel inferior - mysteriously disappears when she's meant to be having a sleepover at Lisa's, there's massive guilt and recriminations.The story is jumps between Lisa's perceptions and bits in the third person, focussing on a mystery man and others on the female detective leading the case.But does someone know more than they're letting on? Keeps the reader uncertain to the end.Not great literature but a good holiday read.
    • 3/5
      I couldn’t connect with the main character, which was difficult at times because she is the narrator and it became exasperating listening to her. She’s a bit of a martyr.

      As a random aside, this is the second book I’ve read by the author and I’ve noticed that in both books she sneaks in subtle jabs at Americans. Nothing offensive at all; I’ve just read two of her books back-to-back so it stuck out to me. In this novel it was the main character complaining against her children wanting to celebrate Halloween as they’ve seen children on American tv shows do, as well as an observation that Americans never cook at home. In the other book I read it was again a complaint from the main character towards her children wanting to have a lemonade stand like they’ve seen on American tv shows. Now I want to read her other books to see if this is a trend! It will be a fun little game to play.
    • 5/5
      Very good book full of suspense. keeps you on edge of your seat!
    • 4/5
      I had read good reviews about this novel, so when my turn came up at the library, I set aside everything else and read this. It's a simple plot and quick read about a missing young girl. The girl's family blames the mother's close friend and her daughter, for not alerting them to the fact that their daughter was not spending the night with her close friend as they thought, and now she's missing. The book moves at a good clip and keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next. An enjoyable read, I look forward to reading Paula Daly's next book.
    • 3/5
      Lisa Kallisto is a married mother of three young children who is very overwhelmed with work. To make things worse, her daughter's best friend Lucinda has gone missing on her watch and Lucinda's mom is Lisa's best friend. People are convinced that the person responsible for kidnapping Lucinda is also the culprit another kidnapping and assault of a different young girl. Before she knows it, Lisa is bearing the brunt of the blame from herself and others while dealing with skeletons from her closet that threaten to make matters even worse.

      The book's pace was alright, just a little slow at times.

      Lisa's endless devotion to Lucinda's mother is a bit annoying, but given the circumstances I guess it fits. However, you can tell that from her husband Joe's sentiments about the friendship that this is nothing new. It's weird because in the beginning, right before we find out that Lucinda is missing, Lisa downplays their relationship.

      Looking at Lisa's life from the day after Lucinda goes missing, I can't tell if it was actually her kids and job that were frustrating her before or if she was just depressed that her life wasn't better. Perhaps she was just being eaten up by her past mistakes? Of course once the kidnapping happened she has a reason to be out-of-sorts, but she seems to be holding it together fine to me. And as others stated, the kids are talked about but rarely present, which was odd.

      The ending felt like a made-for-tv movie ending, the way it just cut away from the climax so abruptly into a whole other cheesy scene. All in all, I liked this story but I wouldn't read it again.
    • 4/5
      Thirteen-year-old Lucinda Riverty was supposed to go to the home of her friend, Sally Kallisto, after school on Monday for a pre-arranged sleepover, but Sally became ill so the sleepover was cancelled. When Lucinda is discovered missing on Tuesday, Lisa Kallisto, Sally’s mother, experiences a great deal of guilt. Because she forgot to tell Kate, Lucinda’s mother, that their daughters would not be getting together on Monday, Lucinda’s absence from home is not noted until Tuesday. Where did Lucinda go after school on Monday when she should have returned home? Is she another victim like the other girl from the area who had been kidnapped and raped? Soon the police and the entire community are searching for the lost girl. The novel is very carefully plotted. As time passes with no sign of Lucinda, the tension is ratcheted up and Lisa’s guilt intensifies. Point of view is successfully used to create suspense. Besides Lisa’s first-person narration, the point of view of Joanne Aspinall, a detective, is given as is the interior monologue of a man who has an interest in young girls. There are twists and turns and red herrings as one would expect, but what I especially appreciated is that all the clues to the resolution are given throughout. The author plays fair; all that the reader has to do is put together the puzzle although he/she may find that a difficult task.The book has several interesting female characters. Lisa, the harried mother, is certainly one of them. She is a very realistic character; undoubtedly, working mothers will be able to identify with her struggles to maintain even a semblance of a work/home life balance. She has a husband and three children so her home and family require a great deal of her attention, but she also has to work outside the home because finances are tight. She is exhausted and stressed; she speaks about being “overwhelmed. That’s the only word I can use to describe myself. That’s what it will say on my headstone. Lisa Kallisto: she was just so overwhelmed.” And Lucinda’s disappearance makes her question her competence as a mother. It is not just the Kallisto household that comes into focus. The Riverty home also comes up for scrutiny. It soon becomes clear that not all is at it might initially seem. At the end, Lisa has to admit that, “I am starting to comprehend that what I think I know about a person and what is in fact true are poles apart.”The setting of the novel is the Lake District of England. Having visited it as a Canadian tourist, I enjoyed being given the perspective of a local. The region has its natural beauty which tourists appreciate, but residents of the villages have lives that continue outside tourist season. Many of the characters know each other; for example, Joanne’s aunt knows Lisa through her job in the animal shelter. Of course, that’s as it should be in a small town. This page-turner is well worth a read. It has a fast-paced plot, tons of suspense, and fully realized characters. The book may even have some readers trying to answer the title’s question about themselves.Note: I received an advance reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
    • 5/5
      This was a fast read, because I couldn't put it down! I liked it; sort of a "Gone Girl" type of book.
    • 4/5
      This is a crazy addictive thriller! I finished it in two days. The story moves along at a fast pace leaving you no time to breathe. The protagonist is a competent woman with a bit of bad luck. You can't help but root for her along the way. Warning: if you pick this book up you won't get anything else done for a few days.
    • 4/5
      Kate's daughter, Lucinda, goes missing when she should have been at a sleepover at Lisa's house. Lisa's daughter was ill and so she forgot all about the sleepover. Lisa therefore feels that Lucinda's disappearance is her fault. Two other local girls have also disappeared, but each was released quickly, whereas Lucinda does not return. This was a page turner, told both from the perspective of Lisa and by following the Joanne, the DC working on the case. Joanne was a believable and sympathetic character. I didn't warm to Lisa as much, although her relationship with her husband rang true. There was a satisfactory conclusion to the three disappearances, although perhaps slightly too much plot: suicide attempts, bigamy, dog-napping, unusual mental health issues, adultery, you name it...
    • 4/5
      A friend at work gave me the book to read, after she has read it herself in two days... Being a working mother, and definitely having felt pressed for time and therefore unsufficiently organised however very well-organised I were - I also gobbled the book up, sympathising all the way, especially with female characters... obviously. I enjoyed the fast pace and the turmoil of emotions and really felt how very real the situatons and the characters felt, and how easily any of this could have happened, and may even be happening somewhere, in a similar way. The pressure working mums have to live and cope with is manyfold and worth noting and I thought Paula Daly did a very good job.
    • 4/5
      This is a crazy addictive thriller! I finished it in two days. The story moves along at a fast pace leaving you no time to breathe. The protagonist is a competent woman with a bit of bad luck. You can't help but root for her along the way. Warning: if you pick this book up you won't get anything else done for a few days.
    • 3/5
      Lisa Kallisto has three children, a husband, several dogs, a household to take care of and a full-time job running an animal shelter. One can forgive a slip of memory every once in a while, right? But when that slip results in her best friend’s daughter being kidnapped no one seems able to forgive Lisa, least of all herself. She does everything she can to help the police, to try and console the girl’s mother and to keep her own life running. She constantly feels that she is nothing but the worst kind of wife and mother. But as the kidnapping investigation continues she begins to discover that maybe she has the best hold on reality of all of those involved.

      I liked this book almost from the first page. Lisa is such a typical “modern mom” playing beat-the-clock everyday trying to get everything done and take care of everyone. What woman cannot relate to that scenario? Throw in the stay-at-home-mom best friend with the perfect house, kids and husband and the pressure is really on. As the story progressed, not only was I drawn in to solving the kidnapping but was alternately feeling sorry for and then cheering on Lisa. Ms. Daly populated her book with interesting and somewhat quirky characters, each one complete with a unique personality and enough background to satisfy even me. This is a debut novel for Ms. Daly and I hope to read more from her. Well done.
    • 5/5
      I love this book. At first the title made me NOT want to read it because so many mothers are questioned about their 'mothering' skills. As I got into the reading, I could not put it down. Each character had a story and yet author Paula Daly was able to keep them separate when introducing them into the plot. I was never confused as to who was doing what. the ending was marvelous and so unexpected. The twists and turns are what makes a good book a great book for me, and this debut novel by Ms Daly is an excellent combination of suspense and psychology. My kind of book. I am looking forward to her next book..
    • 4/5
      In JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU, Lisa Kallisto is a pretty typical 21st century woman. She's sleep deprived and too hard on herself--worrying that despite her efforts to be the wife, mother, and employee that she feels others deserve, she's failing at everything. While fully entrenched in the hectic Christmas season, Lisa finds herself in a new version of hell: because of her neglect, she's responsible for the disappearance of her best friend's teenage daughter.Paula Daly's first novel is an excellent combination of suspense and psychology. The female characters are incredibly well drawn, and Daly does a fantastic job looking at their friendships and family relationships while drawing the reader into the her fast paced thriller. The suspense builds as young teenage girls go missing, and the occasional glimpse into the mind of the perpetrator of the crimes raises the creep-factor of the book.I really liked a lot of the characters in this book, but Detective Constable Joanne Aspinall was definitely my favorite, and I hope to see her return in future novels.Overall, this is a wonderful debut, and I look forward to more books by Paula Daly.*The publisher provided me a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
    • 4/5
      So many of us are over loaded, trying to get to our jobs, taking care of the house, husband, children and pets, just trying to make it through the day. It is so easy to identify with the character of Lisa, a woman trying to do it all and who occasionally slips up. In her case it causes a terrible incident, that she is blamed for not only by herself but by others in the town. I could really see this happening and so this novel seemed very realistic.There are a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. This was good, quickly paced suspense novel with an interesting plot and very fascinating characters.
    • 3/5
      As much as I was sucked in by this book, I feel like I was a bit duped as well. So my review is going to be a bit mixed, because I do believe the book has a bit of that unputdownable quality, but also it almost pushes the limit. So what do I mean by that? Take for example, the name: Just What Kind of Mother Are You? Immediately, I was biased against the main character, Lisa. I had the impression that she was a horrible person and, as a result, was surrounded by tragedy because of actions she took. But the reality that I quickly came to realize was that Lisa was just a mom who ran a business and had children of her own, yet somehow she had one of the most destructive, guilt-wracked types of personalities that seemed at odds with what the reality was surrounding her.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on July 19, 2013.
    • 4/5
      I just love reading suspense novels - you know, the ones that put ordinary people in extraordinary situations and keep you madly turning pages. Well, here's the first of this year's summer hammock reads - the done in a day, read in the sun ones.Just what kind of mother are you? is Paula Daly's debut novel. Lisa Kallisto is overwhelmed, overworked and overtired, but she tries really hard to do it all - work, wife and mother. But sometimes, things slip. Not enough time with her husband Joe, a forgotten item one of the kids had to have for school, picking up supper on the run, getting kids to where they're supposed to be and more. But this time, her distracted ways may have deadly results.....Her best friend Kate's daughter Lucinda was supposed to spend the night at Lisa's house with her daughter Sally. But Lisa forgot. And Kate thought she was safe with Lisa. And no one can find Lucinda.......We know there is a creep out there - the opening prologue is a chiller. And one young girl has already been abducted in the area. Could Lucinda be another of his victims? Or has she just done a runner? Daly intersperses this person's thoughts throughout the book. We know more than the characters and this just heightens the tension. Lisa is horrified at what's happened - she is determined to do anything she can to help. But with Lucinda's disappearance, resentments and secrets come bubbling to the surface. It seems that the quiet little Cumbrian village they all live in has many skeletons in the closets.The Detective Constable charged with the investigation was an excellent supporting character. I really liked her and her personal storyline. I am wondering if Daly will return to this character in the second book she has in the works - The Day Before You Came.I love British novels - the tone and the language of this one reminded me of Coronation Street - a British show we Canadians love.Daly's portrayal of a frazzled Lisa was excellent - I think we've all been there at one time. The author's note at the end shed light on Daly's inspiration for the book - a horrible case of a forgotten infant left to die in a hot car. And an encounter with "one of those women who'll subtly put you down, put your children down, too, given half a chance. Suddenly it struck me: what if you were to lose her child? What if you were so overwhelmed with work and life that you took your eye off the ball, and it was her child who went missing?"Daly's plotting was excellent - at one point I suspected each and every character, with no idea who was telling the truth. Daly keeps us wondering with each new twist she adds. Some discoveries and devices were a bit fortuitous, but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. And I really enjoyed it! Looking for a page turning summer thriller? Pick up Just what kind of mother are you?
    • 3/5
      The interesting thing about Just What Kind of Mother Are You? is that Lisa Kallisto’s lapse in attention doesn’t bring about tragedy for her own child, but instead for one of her friend’s children. Daly writes in an easy and straightforward manner, and throws in quite a few surprises as Lisa’s emotional state runs the gamut between guilt, shame and the desire to escape the spotlight and responsibility. I really liked the dynamics of the friendship Daly showed in the relationship between Lisa and Kate – the friction that can arise when women of different socioeconomic backgrounds attempt a friendship, Lisa’s relationship with her husband, and her dissatisfaction with their lives. I also enjoyed the looks into the investigating detective’s life. The novel is a portrait of life in this small town. My only nagging issue is the lack of tension I felt throughout most of the book, but I can’t quite out my finger on why that was. Still, and enjoyable mystery.
    • 5/5
      The words that no woman ever wants to hear. “Just what kind of mother are you?” Lisa Kallisto is sure people are asking that question of her. She has been asking that same question of herself ever since her 13 year old daughter’s friend, Lucinda, went missing. You see, Sally’s friend was supposed to be sleeping over Lisa’s house to work on a school project with Sally. When Sally got sick, the sleepover was cancelled but someone forgot to tell Lucinda or her mother Kate. No one even knows she’s gone until the next morning when Sally doesn’t see Lucinda at the bus stop and calls her to ask about the project. Lisa knows she doesn’t have it all together-not like Lucinda’s mother, Kate Riverton, anyway. Kate has always been more of a hands-on parent than Lisa could ever hope to be. Now their differences couldn’t be more glaring. One little misstep and a young girl is gone. Overwhelmed with guilt, Lisa promises Kate that she will find Lucinda. As family secrets are exposed and another girl is abducted, it becomes obvious how little everyone knows about their neighbors, friends, and even their own families. This was a fantastic story. If I didn’t have to break for sleep, I would have read it cover to cover. This debut novel has it all-great writing, setting, and story, and engaging characters, some of whom I would love to see again.
    • 5/5
      What would you do if you lost your best friends child due to your over- work and other responsibilities? How would you handle knowing that you most likely caused this child her life? That people hated you for your oversight. This book is loosely based on the true story of a mother who did almost the same thing. She forgot her own child (infant) in her car and the child subsequently died from the heat.This book is filled with secrets, red herrings, hate and tension…but it is also filled with love, acceptance and good old common sense.Lisa Kallisto has always just been doing what she had to help keep her family afloat. She is not one of the posh mothers who do not have to work. She has too, but she is lucky enough to love what she does. Moreover, life is working out until that fateful day. The synopsis already posted is perfect. I do not want to say too much more about the plot of this novel for fear that I’m going to give away something crucial. However, let us just say that the ending was almost a total shock to me.As a debut novel, this is right up there with the debut novel of Carla Buckley “The Things That Keep Us There” (one of my all time favorite novels. “Just What Kind of …” so held my attention, that I had to finish it in one sitting. I was not feeling up to reading something ‘heavy’ yesterday, but I knew that I needed to read this, and I was riveted almost from the very first chapter.The characters are deep, realistic well written and in turns both sympathetic and hateful. Everything was written so realistically and believable. The story is compelling, well written and gripping.The only problem I had with this book is that I had to try to translate so many of the Britishisms! Now I know what a Brit feels when they try to read an American author who uses a lot of American slang!
    • 5/5
      I loved this debut novel. It’s fresh in every way – instantly believable tormented characters, a distinctive snappy voice and some left-field twists towards the end. There are some books you start and you just know they’re going to be crackers – this one really follows through. It was gripping, unpredictable and exactly what you want from a psychological thriller. I was hooked. Magic, Paula. Roll on number 2!