My Darling Girl - by Jennifer McMahon

About the Book

"Alison has never been a fan of Christmas. But with it right around the corner and her husband busily decorating their cozy Vermont home, she has no choice but to face it. Then she gets the call. Mavis, Alison's estranged mother, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only weeks to live. She wants to spend her remaining days with her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. But Alison grew up with her mother's alcoholism and violent abuse and is reluctant to unearth these traumatic memories. Still, she eventually agrees to take in Mavis, hoping that she and her mother could finally heal and have the relationship she's always dreamed of. But when mysterious and otherworldly things start happening upon Mavis's arrival, Alison begins to suspect her mother is not quite who she seems"--

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Children on the Hill, a psychological thriller "that delivers both chilling scares and genuine emotion" (Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author) about a woman who, after taking in her dying, alcoholic mother, begins to suspect demonic possession is haunting her family.

Alison has never been a fan of Christmas. But with it right around the corner and her husband busily decorating their cozy Vermont home, she has no choice but to face it. Then she gets the call.

Mavis, Alison's estranged mother, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only weeks to live. She wants to spend her remaining days with her daughter's family. But Alison grew up with her mother's alcoholism and violent abuse and is reluctant to unearth these traumatic memories. Still, she eventually agrees to take in Mavis, hoping that she and her mother could finally heal and have the relationship she's always dreamed of.

But when mysterious and otherworldly things start happening upon Mavis's arrival, Alison begins to suspect her mother is not quite who she seems. And as the holiday festivities turn into a nightmare, she must confront just how far she is willing to go to protect her family in this "twisty, propulsive, character-driven, and hair-raisingly scary" (Nick Cutter, author of The Troop) novel.

Review Quotes

"Jennifer McMahon's storytelling skills are on full display . . . This novel feels like what you'd get if you injected The Exorcist into a Hallmark Christmas movie. And that's a good thing." - New York Times Book Review--New York Times Book Review "New York Times"

"[McMahon calls on] her talent for crafting deliciously creepy atmosphere and a deepening sense of dread. . . . her books rely on ominous, emotional suspense over jump scares. . . [She] takes an all-too-relatable idea--who hasn't been driven a bit mad by their mother?--and deftly twists it into a tale of supernatural suspense and psychological thrills perfect for spooky season." -Chandler Baker, author of Cutting Teeth

"When your estranged, abusive, and dying mother comes to spend her final days at your house and that's only the start of your problems ... My Darling Girl is a thrilling, heady mix of family dynamics and one hell of a clever and page-turning possession story. And scary. Like I couldn't read it before going to bed scary. Good luck, reader."

--Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts

"Twisty, propulsive, character-driven, and hair-raisingly scary novels are true rarities, but Jennifer McMahon manages this singular feat with My Darling Girl."

--Nick Cutter, bestselling author of The Troop

"Jennifer McMahon takes an all-too-relatable idea--who hasn't been driven a bit mad by their mother?--and deftly twists it into a tale of supernatural suspense and psychological thrills. My Darling Girl is the rare book that delivers both chilling scares and genuine emotion--I got goosebumps from both."

--Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network and Cutting Teeth

About the Author

Jennifer McMahon is the author of twelve novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Children on the Hill, Promise Not to Tell, and The Winter People. She lives in Florida with her partner, Drea. Visit her at Jennifer-McMahon.com or connect with her on Instagram @JenniferMcMahonWrites and Facebook @JenniferMcMahonBooks.