If you’re craving a book that channels the delicious, edge-of-your-seat thrill of those iconic ’90s psychological dramas — think The Hand That Rocks the Cradle or Single White Female — look no further. Jennifer Van Der Kleut’s debut, The Better Mother, delivers.

It’s unhinged in the best way, deliciously chaotic, and anchored by a lead villain you’ll absolutely love to hate. Tense, twisty, and dripping with nostalgia, this one feels like a late-night thriller you can’t turn off — but in book form.

I was so thrilled to welcome Jennifer to Books Are Chic to chat about her road to this sensational suspense novel. We talked about our favorite thrillers, how Blair Waldorf inspired the story, her persistence on the path to publication, and the Reddit thread that sparked it all. Conversations like this are why I love what I do — getting to peek behind the curtain of a story this juicy.

I truly can’t wait to see what’s next for Jennifer, because The Better Mother is one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.