You never know what's really going on off-screen. Popular Instagrammer Ciara has a perfect life - on social media. But her marriage is failing. She lacks patience with her two children. And she's feuding with a fellow mom and neighbor. And then Ciara is found dead in her home. As Disha Bose's Dirty Laundry takes readers back in time through the month leading up to Ciara's death, we learn that Ciara isn't the only mum in the Irish village with secrets.
Though it may seem like Ciara is the star of the show (and she certainly wants to be), there are other characters in this novel. Mishti is one of Ciara's neighbors. Originally from India, she came to Ireland through an arranged marriage, choosing a life of duty to her family over a life of love. Even though Ciara welcomed Mishti into the "cool mums" club, Mishti questions their friendship as secrets are revealed.
The other neighbor is Lauren, who is not one of the "cool mums". Lauren grew up in the village and was bullied by her classmates. As an adult, she's still treated as an outcast, especially by Ciara.
I enjoyed the novel and trying to piece together how Ciara died and who could have done it. The ending is probably not what you'll expect, but it would definitely contribute to a good book club discussion. There are a lot of themes in this novel: expectations, judgment, social media use, infidelity, mom cliques. The one thing I found hard about the novel was sympathizing with all the characters. Despite backstories that helped explain the main characters' motivations, not all of the characters are likeable. And some readers might find this aspect of the book difficult to swallow.
Dirty Laundry is published by Ballantine Books and will be available to purchase tomorrow! I received a free e-ARC.
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