Just Like Mother

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in.

For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything - and everyone - at a safe distance.

When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she's ever had. Soon she's spending more time at Andrea's remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn't even mind that her cousin's wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry - baby fever comes with the territory.

What worries Maeve is that the more she immerses herself in Andrea's world, the more her long-buried memories flood to the surface. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come...

Spine-chilling and sharp, Just Like Mother is a modern gothic from a fresh new voice in horror, perfect for fans of Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers, Emma Cline’s The Girls and Christina Dalcher’s Femlandia.

'Set to be one of the year's most talked about books. I tore through this urgent, timely, and deeply disturbing tale... And I'll think of it every time I field an uncomfortable question about my own childless status' - Andrea Bartz

'A fierce, frightening novel that examines autonomy, motherhood, and the dark side of feminine power with savage precision. A total thrill ride' - Rachel Harrison

'Lyrical and grotesque, Just Like Mother is written in gorgeous and shattering prose' - CrimeReads




Genre: Horror

"Heltzel's novel bursts onto the scene with all the power and gore of a home birth. With unforgettable characters and details that will haunt your dreams, Just Like Mother is set to be one of the year's most talked-about books. I tore through this urgent, timely, and deeply disturbing tale....and I'll think of it every time I field an uncomfortable question about my own childless status." - Andrea Bartz

"Tautly paced and sharp as a scalpel, Just Like Mother grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. This book offers a dark and searing look at the societal expectations placed on women and mothers, and the lengths some will go to meet them. I devoured this book." - Erin A Craig

"Totally addictive. Twisty, dark, impossible to put down ... a classic, down and dirty horror, ferrying a damaged, winningly prickly heroine ever further into the realms of her deepest fears. I was terrified and obsessed." - Anna Godbersen

"Twisted, elegantly macabre, and brilliantly subversive, Just Like Mother delivers a searing commentary on the damage done to women by putting motherhood on a pedestal and equating feminine identity with bearing children. It got under my skin in the very best way; I'll be thinking about it for weeks (especially at night)." - Lana Harper

"A fierce, frightening novel that examines autonomy, motherhood, and the dark side of feminine power with savage precision. Just Like Mother is a total thrill ride. Buckle up and be warned -- there's no calling for Mommy." - Rachel Harrison

"Full of dark secrets and even darker deeds, Just Like Mother grabbed me from the start. Heltzel has tapped into a deep-rooted and disturbing cultural nightmare." - Nicholas Kaufmann

"An astonishing, chilling meditation on the sharp-toothed joys of motherhood." - Livia Llewellyn

"A visceral and disturbing ride, Just Like Mother dives deep into the extremes of feminism and motherhood through the lens of true horror. Anne Heltzel is a master." - Amy Lukavics

"A chilling look at modern motherhood, friendship, and what it means to be a woman. I thought about it long after reading the last page." - Danielle Vega