Book Review
The Mother Next Door by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber
Nonfiction | True Crime | Memoir
No bond is more sacred than that between a mother and child. And no one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point?
Andrea Dunlop is a true-crime podcaster of Nobody Should Believe Me, an investigative podcast about Munchausen by proxy. In her newest release, The Mother Next Door, she’s teamed up with Detective Mike Weber on a true crime exploration of Weber’s experience investigating medical abuse cases.
This nonfiction read is a shocking and riveting look at unbelievable deception. While the book aims to educate about Munchausen by proxy in general, it does so by diving into the details of three specific cases: Hope Ybarra, Brittany Phillips, and Mary Welch. In each case, the details are disturbing and terrifying as they attempt to unravel the motivation behind these crimes. Yet, despite being a difficult read due to the subject matter, the writing was compelling and the book had a highly bingeable, podcast-reminiscent feel.
Much of the author’s interest in the subject stems from her own personal history and her sister’s struggle. This is touched upon in the introduction (as well as mentioned in numerous one-off comments throughout the narrative.) While I appreciated knowing the heart behind the book, this personal connection was never fully explained, and so the repeat obscure comments felt a little disjointed.
Still, it’s clear to see the author’s passion for this topic. Dunlop and Weber are clearly determined to explore the topic in an effort to raise awareness and correct the numerous shortcomings in the justice system surrounding medical abuse. It was a highly informative and well-researched true-crime read that highlights the devastation and trauma MBP inflicts on entire families and communities.
Recommended for:
True Crime Readers
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Finished copy of the book provided courtesy of the publisher, St. Martin’s Press. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the book:
(From the publisher): A groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that investigates Munchausen by Proxy from the host and creator of the award-winning true crime podcast Nobody Should Believe Me.
No bond is more sacred than that between a mother and child. And no one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point?
Munchausen by proxy (MBP) has fascinated and horrified both professionals and the general public since this disturbing form of child abuse was first identified. But even as the public has been captivated by these tales of abuse and deception, there remains widespread misinformation and confusion about MBP. Are these mothers unfeeling psychopaths, or sick women who need help? And more important, how can we protect the children whose lives are at stake?
The Mother Next Door offers a groundbreaking look at MBP from an unlikely duo: a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation. Listeners ride along on three high-stakes MPB investigations; through riveting reporting and shocking stories from the family members, friends, and doctors caught in the blast zone of these unthinkable acts, a twisted portrait of motherhood and deceit is revealed.
With help from some of the top MBP experts in the world, Dunlop and Weber uncover the complex maze of psychological, systemic, and cultural issues that compound MBP and offer solutions for how we might find our way out.