The Midwife

By: Victoria Jenkins

Narrated by: Anne-Marie Piazza

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

My baby and I are in safe hands...aren’t we?

The bright yellow walls of the maternity ward are plastered with images of perfect families. Stroking my bump, I can’t stop tears from falling down my cheeks. I know I made the best choice for my baby girl, but surrounded by happy-looking couples, I’m desperately aware I’m about to give birth all alone. But when my midwife, Jackie, introduces herself, I relax. She holds my trembling hand and reassures me with her warmth. I know she’s here to help.

As I sit in my small, rented bedsit that evening, my phone rings, and I’m pleased to hear Jackie’s voice. I don’t recall giving her my number, but I’ve been forgetful of late. She’s inviting me to an antenatal group, and despite how nervous I am, I hesitantly agree. I know Jackie is looking out for me.

She promised me there would be a big group, so why is there only one other nervous-looking mother here? With every question the woman asks, I catch Jackie staring at me, intensely watching my reaction. I can’t shake the feeling that from the moment we met, Jackie already knew who I was....

As my due date approaches, Jackie insists I have my baby at home. She tells me to trust her because she’s delivered hundreds of newborns this way, so she knows what’s best.

There’s still that doubt in my mind. Because if Jackie knows who I really am, then I can’t trust her with anything, let alone my precious daughter....

For fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, and The Housemaid!

©2022 Victoria Jenkins (P)2022 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Compelling

Had me going trying to figure out who was the bad guy would recommend this book

"Visceral, provocative, and compulsive."

"Visceral, provocative, and compulsive. Slow-paced, and deeply unsettling, THE MIDWIFE explores the darkest reaches of motherhood."

Victoria Jenkins' latest novel —THE MIDWIFE, is full of secrets, unreliable characters, and a strong sense of darkness coming. When you trust someone with your baby, you are giving up a lot of control, making for a suspenseful and intense psychological drama.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Anne-Marie Piazza for an engaging and highly entertaining performance/listening experience. Highly recommend!

We meet Lauren, a single pregnant via IVF, soon to be a mom. She has chosen this route and looks forward to being a mom. We will learn more about her tough traumatic past toward the end of the book, and you will have sympathy for her.

She is highly protective of this baby, as she should be, and meets her midwife, Jackie. She is there to support her. However, Jackie is acting mysterious, and Lauren does not know if she can trust her. Mid-wives should be there to help you in every way.

Told from POVs Jackie and Lauren, we know that something is off. There are dark secrets on both sides and a mysterious man named Peter.

Lauren gets upset when a brick is thrown through her window with a note stating, "I know what you did!"

Throughout the book, you have no clue who is good or bad. Readers have to wait until the end of the book to get all the answers as to what happened to Lauren many years ago, the other people indirectly affected seeking revenge and the others with a plan to help or hurt her.

I cannot quite put my finger on it, but because of how it was written, it is hard to get invested in the characters or connect with them since you are not given the full story until the end.

The audiobook was well done; however, this one was more suspense, mystery, and psychological family drama versus a gripping thriller. Maybe that is what some of the reviewers are referring to. However, it was a pleasant listen, and look forward to reading more from this author.

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