Date Published: March 26, 2026
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
New to the neighborhood and reeling from the traumatic birth of her second child, Marlowe Moore is barely holding it together. Battling postpartum depression and anxiety, she’s desperate for stability.
But when she learns that a woman who once lived in her family’s new home vanished without a trace, Marlowe becomes obsessed. As strange things happen and neighborly smiles feel like veiled threats, Marlowe can’t shake the feeling that someone is hiding something.
She spirals further into paranoia, fixated on the abandoned case and determined to seek justice. But how can a woman who feels lost find a missing person?
Juggling the demands of her beloved family and her harrowing mental illness, Marlowe doesn’t realize she is caught in a cat-and-mouse game that could cost her everything … including her life.
About the Author
Ashley Hanna-Morgan is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) certified inperinatal mental health (PMH-C). In addition to her work as a psychotherapist, she writes about mental health to advocate for change and inspire hope. In 2016, she wrote The Afterglow, a mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum that supports parents with postpartum depression and anxiety. In 2017, she published I Gave Birth to My Heart, a collection of poems about the secret anguishes and innumerable joys of reinventing oneself after postpartum depression.
When she isn’t counseling clients or volunteering with Postpartum Support International, Ashley loves to experiment in the kitchen and spend as much time outside as possible in San Diego, where she resides with her family. In Her Own Backyard is her first novel.
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My Review
When I received this book, I immediately thought it was the perfect choice for me, from the cover to the story and the way it was written. The mysterious shadows around the bedroom window with a mother and child on the cover were an effective way to entice me to read.
As a thriller enthusiast, I loved this book for its secrets and suspense, and it also thoughtfully explored themes of family, parenting, and mental health.
The story did not disappoint. As someone who reads many mysteries, this one was original and refreshing.
Overall, for a debut novel, this was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more from Ashley Hanna-Morgan in the future.
