Features The Big Thrill Recommends: IF I LOSE HER with Brianne Sommerville

The Big Thrill Recommends: IF I LOSE HER with Brianne Sommerville

Recommended by Jody Gerbig

Capitalizing on a postpartum psychological thriller trend, mother of three Brianne Sommerville delivers a smart and entertaining debut, IF I LOSE HER, about a first-time mother, Jo, whose baby blues threaten to become deadly.

Jo has always leaned on her two older sisters, Amy and Meg, especially since their emotionally abusive mother died tragically while Jo was still in high school. Ten years later, on the eve of their mother’s death, nothing has changed. Struggling with postpartum insomnia and a physically and emotionally distant husband, Jo relies on the women in her life for support. When Jo begins losing time and making mistakes that force Child Services to get involved, her sisters step in to help piece together strange events happening in her house, hoping to convince others that Jo is a capable mother worthy of raising her five-month-old daughter. But, as Sommerville unravels the family’s dark past, readers might wonder if Jo’s sisters are doing more harm than good.

A fast-paced, timely page-turner with moments of insight and laugh-out-loud humor, IF I LOSE HER is a must-read story suited to any thriller fan, parent or not. Evolving from its counterparts, this postpartum thriller does not rehash the new-mother-isolated-with-monster-child trope; rather, Sommerville explores how parenting as a village can be monstrous itself.

The Big Thrill Recommends: IF I LOSE HER with Brianne Sommerville