Kathleen M. Willett Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Kathleen M. Willet is an American author of thriller books best known for her 2022 novel Mother of All Secrets. She was born and raised in New Jersey and spent some time growing up in London.

Kathleen is a graduate of Columbia University and boasts a Bachelor of Arts degree in English as well as M.A in English Education. She is a resident of the Upper Westside of Manhattan, where she lives with her beloved husband, their two daughters, and a cat. She enjoys reading books, running, and watching television when not writing.

According to an interview published online, Kathleen confessed that the book is mostly informed by her own experience being a mother on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

However, even though the plot is partly based on her mommy’s experiences, the story is fictional. Still, it’s a story that every woman can relate to, especially the characters. For example, the ill-advised shortcomings on parenting Facebook groups, comparing yourself with other moms, the feeling that everyone else is doing better than you, and missing your pre-kid life despite the joy that comes with a new baby.

Mother of All Secrets is a book that will highly resonate with 21st-century moms and other readers alike.

Mother of All Secrets

Kathleen M. Willet’s debut book can broadly be classified as a psychological thriller novel. Generally, psychological thriller books are often twist-filled stories that make the reader unsure of who to trust. The most prevalent agendas in such books lie within the characters, which could mean unreliable narrators in the present or secret past.

But specifically, Mother of All Lies can be truly classified as a domestic psychological thriller which is a sub-genre of psychological thrillers. Domestic psychological thrillers occur in extended families, marriages, and friend groups and can even occur between neighbors. Even though murder agendas are, in most cases, always involved, the story is mostly focused on finding the truth of what happened and does not focus much on the acts themselves. Along the way, the reader is expected to cross paths with a suspense-filled plot and never-ending twists.

Kathleen M. Willet introduces us to her protagonist, Jenn, a woman struggling to adjust to her new life as a mother of a three months old baby girl. She is married, but right from the start, the reader can evidently see that her husband is more of a hindrance than of help to her. Jenn is a woman who hardly recognizes thoughts, and worse, herself, and her exhaustion from the sleepless nights she’s had for the past few months is slowly piling up, sending her world spiraling.

Despite the demands of her spiraling life, the only things that light up her world are the occasional glass of wine and the mom’s meeting she attends weekly.

The moms in her group have been so welcoming to her ever since she joined them. But even though some of the new moms seem to have mastered returning to work effortlessly and their nighttime routines, Jenn is only comforted by their shared experiences with their irritating spouses and their relatable feelings of inadequacy. However, things take a twisted turn when one of the moms does not show up for the group meeting. At first, this doesn’t call for concern, but things change when Jenn and some of her few friends start to dig deeper into the missing woman’s whereabouts, and it becomes clear how little Jenn knows about the missing woman and the rest of the group. As concerns for the missing woman build, Jenn is not so sure who she can trust- and worse, she isn’t sure whether she can trust herself as well.
Kathleen’s debut novel, Mother of All Secrets, is an intense thriller that every avid thriller reader should be talking about. the first section of the story is quite relatable, as the new mothers in the Uppers West Side of Manhattan share their ups and downs about parenthood with newborns and their frustrations with their spouses. The author doesn’t forget to show the reader about the darker and lonely aspects of being a mother, as these themes are well described in the book as well.

The first half of the novel is truly conversational, and you could easily assume you know how things will turn out, but Kathleen turns out to be a master of plot twists and turns that will keep you hooked as you watch the unfolding twist of events.

The author ingeniously crafts the remaining parts of this domestic psychological thriller with surprises that truly qualifies for movie production.

Underneath this page-turning debut, Kathleen constantly reminds her readers that you never know what is happening with someone personally, regardless of how close you think you are to the person or how similar your experiences may be. The author, however, emphasizes on the importance of creating true bonds that can shine bright during our darker days.

At the heart of this story, Willett discusses several themes. One of the main themes is motherhood and the challenges that it brings. It’s a topic that most authors and everyone else in the society seem to neglect- something that the public shies away from. The exploration of mothers, especially through Jenn’s state of postpartum depression and mental health, is something that you, as a reader, will find informative to read about. Additionally, the bonds formed between the women in the story as it progresses are truly awesome.

You will love the perspective this novel brings out. Jenn, a new mother, shares her true struggles caring for a baby while at the same time mourning her mother, who recently passed away and married to a husband who works all day. If you’re looking for a novel to keep you on the edge of your seat as well as on your toes with the thrill and plenty of plot twists, then Mother of All Secrets is one for you. Additionally, if you’re looking for a book that illustrates the struggles of motherhood, then look no further than Kathleen Willett’s debut novel.