Review of My Darling Girl

I am a bit of a scaredy-cat and don’t really read that much (any?) horror. But I have made exceptions to that rule and found some great horror books that aren’t TOO horrifying. I’d say this new Jennifer McMahon book falls into that category. Check out my Review of Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon and also my list of Best Christmas Mysteries to Read!

My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

To be published on October 3, 2023 by Gallery Books. Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy. I read My Darling Girl in September 2023.

Plot Summary for My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Alison has never been a fan of Christmas. But with the holidays around the corner and her husband 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.

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.

First off, what genre is My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon?

I can’t tell you exactly without spoilers. I think My Darling Girl goes past psychological suspense, which is what Goodreads says it is. I just checked the defintion of Horror Fiction online and I think YES this fits. But I’m hardly an expert horror reader, so read on to see if this book is for you.

Review of My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Again, I’m not a frequent horror reader and I don’t like gore or graphic descriptions in my books BUT I am up for something creepy and frightening, especially during the spooky season.

My Darling Girl makes a great read for the scaredy-cat who wants to be creeped out a little but not have nightmares for weeks. If you can handle a Buffy the Vampire Slayer level of scariness, you’ll be fine.

My Darling Girl such a clever set-up. Main character Alison had a tough childhood and a difficult relationship with her mother Mavis, whose behavior was pretty erratic. When her mother’s assistant calls and says that Mavis is terminally ill and wants to spend the holidays with Alison and her husband and two daughters, Alison reluctantly relents.

The fact that the book takes place around the holidays is a great touch. Alison is a bit of a Grinch, but gives in to her husband, who loves Christmas, and younger daughter Olivia, who is excited to have a role in the Nutcracker. Incorporating discussion of the Nutcracker, which is really a very trippy story about a young girl’s crazy dream, is another brilliant touch. And jokes about Hallmark movies, which are their own kind of cheerful weirdness.

I put this on my new list of Christmas Thrillers!

So, Mavis comes, and strange things start happening. Alison finally figures out what is going on with her mother. And then…

The end of My Darling Girl was so cool and genius that I might have laughed. Well done, Jennifer McMahon.

I enjoyed this thoroughly. Is there such a thing as fun horror? If so, this might be it.

Will You Like My Darling Girl? Answer My Three Questions!

Let me know in comments: Horror reader, yes or no? If yes, what’s your favorite title?