Five books featuring (possibly) murderous children

Amber Garza has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Coffee and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they’re real people. She lives with her husband and two kids in Folsom, California, which is—no joke—home to another Amber Garza.

Garza's new novel is A Mother Would Know.

At CrimeReads she tagged five books in which "mothers must choose between protecting their children and protecting others from their children." One title on the list:

The Good Son by Jacquelyn Mitchard

This heart-wrenching story begins with Thea picking her son Stefan up from prison where he’s served the last three years for murdering his girlfriend. Although her son was only seventeen when his girlfriend was killed and doesn’t recall any of it because he was severely under the influence of mind-altering drugs, she still has a difficult time reconciling the monstrous act with the son she raised. She waffles between feelings of resentment, betrayal, guilt and shame. But underneath it all is disbelief. There is a primal need inside of Thea to disprove her son’s involvement and to clear his name. Mitchard did an exquisite job with Thea’s character, and I empathized with her journey so much.

Read about another entry on the list.

My Book, The Movie: The Good Son.

--Marshal Zeringue