The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy

This topic has always intrigued me and probably always will. I just don’t understand how mothers can do this to their children. I know it is a psychological type illness on the part of the mother, but it still shocks me that it happens more often than I realized. I’m glad there are people out there like Andrea and Mike who are doing what they can to fight it.

Great author. Love all her books!

The Mother Next Door by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber dives into real cases where mothers faked or even caused their children’s illnesses for attention.Andrea Dunlop teams up with detective Mike Weber to break down three jaw-dropping stories of deception, medical manipulation, and heartbreak. It’s not just gripping, it's infuriating! Heads up: it’s heavy stuff. But it’s also a wake-up call about how easily systems can be fooled and kids can fall through the cracks.

This book was absolutely fascinating—and disturbing in all the right ways. The Mother Next Door is a deep dive into a real-life medical mystery involving deception, manipulation, and the heartbreaking reality of Munchausen by Proxy. It’s one of those stories that sticks with you long after you’ve finished it.This true crime story follows the shocking case of mothers who appear to be devoted and loving, but behind the scenes, something much darker is going on. Through the lens of medicine, parenting, and trust, the book explores how they manipulated doctors, family, and even their own children in a complex web of lies. The authors, Andrea Dunlop and detective Mike Weber, give both the emotional , technical and clinical sides of the story, which adds a whole new level of insight.What I appreciated most was how readable it was. Even though it covers medical and psychological topics, it never felt too technical or hard to follow. It pulled me in like a thriller would, but I found myself saying, "Wow...this really happened". The emotional impact is heavy, but the authors do a good job of being respectful and informative.The pacing was off at parts, but still, the story is so compelling that it’s easy to look past that. If you're into true crime with a psychological edge or stories about complex family dynamics, read this! Haunting, thought-provoking, and impossible to forget.

Entertaining book about difficult topic. Realistic portrayal.

Comprehensively documented cases and well-researched. Terms are defined well and the nuances of this topic are explored in depth.

The stories told in "The Mother Next Door" are gut-wrenching and shocking! Andrea Dunlop is a good storyteller and does a stellar job voicing her work. I suggest this book to anyone who works with children or vulnerable adults (even though I hate the word, vulnerable). Medical child abuse, more commonly known as Munchausen by proxy, is a severely underreported crime in this country.

The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy is a fascinating tale of three cases of medical child abuse, also known as Munchausen by Proxy (MBP). As told by Andrea Dunlop, who herself has a case of MBP in her family, and Mike Weber, a detective who investigated the three cases, this book gives a vivid portrait of the often devastating impact of MBP on children by the hands of the mothers and the fallout it can create in families.Dunlop narrates this audiobook in what feels like a fast-paced podcast deep dive. Thoroughly researched and highly compelling, the cases of Hope Ybarra, Brittany Phillips, and Mary Welch are discussed, with inside knowledge provided by detective Mike Weber. The stories are told in such a way where it is easy to imagine scenes playing out between mother, medical providers, and child. For the majority of these cases, providers are unaware of the harm being done to the children and the mothers are instead seen as champions for their children. I think this is an important topic to shed light on, as it seems to be much more common than previously thought and is a difficult form of child abuse to prosecute.As a mother, I find this topic highly fascinating and highly disturbing. I had not previously heard of the three cases mentioned, but as a psychotherapist, I am privy to the diagnosis of factitious disorder imposed on another. Although this is not something I have worked with professionally, it is one of those disorders that pique my interest. Looking at the cover you would assume this is a work of fiction, but it is not. It also reads like fiction, which makes it all the more frustrating to hear how cases are handled and how there really aren’t many resources for families struggling with suspected MBP. I found it especially interesting to hear how providers are not reporting these cases to Child Protective Services, but simply charting the suspicion in their notes and moving on.Although I have not listened to the author’s podcast Nobody Should Believe Me, or read the fictionalized book based on her own experiences titled We Came Here to Forget, I am definitely planning to check these out! I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in true crime-esque books and podcasts!

My evil sister to a T. She killed one baby and had another removed due to MBP, and wreaked havoc on my life, as well. As long as she gets all the attention for "loving so much", as she clutches her breast and convincingly lies without remorse...An important topic that is more common than realized.

Great read, Very informative, Every doctor, nurse, teacher and parent should read.

The Mother Next Door is difficult to read as it’s nonfiction about Munchausen By Proxy (MBP) - mothers who knowingly and purposefully inflict medical abuse on their young children. The authors have very personal connections to this horrific subject; author Andrea Dunlop suspects her sister of MBP and Mike Weber is a respected law enforcement MBP expert. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ms. Dunlop.While the subject is appalling, this book is compelling. The majority of its content are detailed reviews of three specific and egregious cases of MBP in which Mike Weber was an investigator. I was shocked by the behaviors of these mothers, the blind faith of medical professionals who accepted their lies as facts which extended the medical abuse of vulnerable children, and the barriers faced by attorneys, law enforcement, and others when attempting to intervene.I hope The Mother Next Door will educate more people about the warning signs of MBP and the importance of taking action on suspicions. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for early access to the audiobook; all opinions are my own.

The Author: "It's easy to forget in this political climate that not everything ought to be political"Also The Author: Perpetuates political climate by peppering leftist politics throughout book.

This is the exact kind of book I love. Dark, true, and fast paced. I didn’t want to set it down. Highly recommended.

Wow this book was shocking and had my jaw on the floor multiple times!This book takes a deep dive into Munchausen by proxy (MBP). It was written by a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it and a Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation. In this book, three high-stakes MBP investigations are discussed and through reporting and shocking stories from the family members, friends and doctors caught in the cross fires of these unthinkable acts, a twisted portrait of motherhood and deceit is revealed.I was initially interested in this book because I am a healthcare provider, and I thought to myself how could these doctors participate and aid in such heinous acts. But after listening to this book on audio, I have a better understanding of how at times it could be possible that this could happen because with children you go off of the story from the parent, usually the mother (as most kids are brought to the doctor by their mothers). While I do feel there were some instances of malpractice and negligence on the doctors part, the fact that a mother could put her child through these unspeakable things just blows my mind. There were multiple times my jaw was on the floor and I audibly gasped from shock.This was an eye opening book and it shocked me how hard it is to prosecute these cases. All the legal barriers for these cases and how the perpetrators are charming and can dupe so many people. You would think that the end goal for everyone would be protect the child at all costs, but that is not always the case with these cases. Keeping the family together, appears to be more important, which I don't agree with when the family member is causing the harm to the child.This is a bingeable story and definitely sheds light on a crime that is not well known, but has grave consequences.Read if you like:-legal aspects of criminal cases-have a heart for injustices against children-can stomach reading unspeakable things done to children-medical professional-true crime loverI highly recommend the audio version as it is read by Andrea Dunlop.

This was an interesting book. Strangely, the primary author assumes readers have either all listened to her podcast or read her fiction book detailing the MBP in her own family (perpetrated by her sister I guess). She drops hints of it, but never tells the whole story which is a bit frustrating. Guess she wants people to listen to the podcast.

I thought this was an interesting book.However the very first part of the book veers into the political feelings of the author and it’s an immediate turnoff. Felt gratuitously inserted for no inherent purpose.Once I got past that I found the stories to be sad & interesting.

I’ve long been morbidly fascinated by Munchausen by Proxy (MBP). As a mother myself, the idea that a person (almost always the mother) could inflict this type of medical child abuse is unfathomable to me. The Mother Next Door presents three cases of MBP, diving deep on how the abuse transpired, how long it took for someone to notice, and how hard it is to prosecute these cases. Although the cover looks like it will fit in right next to your thrillers, the atrocities here really happened.Although not addressed in the book, author Andrea Dunlop has some personal experience with MBP, and you can tell through her written word and narration how passionately she feels about the topic. Thanks to her podcast experience, she’s an excellent narrator on top of being a highly skilled writer. Her co-author, Mike Weber, is a Texas detective and one of the nation’s foremost experts on medical child abuse. The narrative is clear and compelling as it explores the investigations of Hope Ybarra, Brittany Phelps, and Mary Welch, whose children all suffered needless medical interventions (including feeding tubes and brain stents!) due to their mother’s deception. This book is mainly focused on these specific cases and the justice system, so although I would have loved to read more about MBP in general and what drives women to engage in these destructive, abusive behaviors, it’s outside the scope of what’s presented here.The book is extremely well written and it had me deep in my feelings while I read and listened. It’s horrifying to me how the families of some of these women refused to see what was happening or even outright defended them. Worse still, I found out it’s incredibly difficult to prosecute these cases, and even though two of the three cases in this book end with justice, all too often the perpetrators go free. Despite all the sadness, anger, and horror, there are bright moments of hope as you see the public servants and healthcare workers who tirelessly work to protect vulnerable children, as well as the resilience of the children themselves after their nightmare situations are over.

As a mother, you’ll do anything to protect your child. Even as an adult, I know my mom is only a phone call away if I need her. It’s a sacred bond, an unshakable connection we instinctively trust. We’re conditioned to see the mother-child relationship as one of love and protection, especially when a child is sick. But what happens when the mother is the reason the child is sick?In The Mother Next Door, authors Andrea Dunlop and Mike Webber delve into the disturbing reality of Munchausen by proxy (MBP), exposing its devastating impact on families and the extraordinary lengths required to bring justice. Through their gripping investigations, they shed light on a crime that thrives in secrecy, challenging our perceptions of maternal devotion and the systems meant to safeguard children.Dunlop and Webber bring deeply personal and professional perspectives to The Mother Next Door. Dunlop’s own family was shattered by MBP, leaving lasting wounds that continue to haunt her. At the same time, Webber has dedicated his career to investigating medical child abuse, handling more cases than any other detective in the nation. Together, they unravel the harrowing experiences of three families impacted by MBP, weaving firsthand accounts from loved ones, medical professionals, and government officials. Their reporting exposes the shocking depths of these crimes and the nearly insurmountable challenges of seeking justice for the children caught in the web of deception.I went into The Mother Next Door with little understanding of MBP and was completely unprepared for just how shocking and devastating its impact can be. It’s almost impossible to fathom what would drive someone to deliberately harm a person they claim to love—let alone their own child.Dunlop and Webber pull readers deep into these real-life cases, shedding light on how these crimes unfold, the lasting trauma they inflict on families, and the immense challenges in holding perpetrators accountable. As Webber explains, juries and judges often struggle to accept that a mother could commit such acts, making them more likely to side with the accused rather than the overwhelming evidence against them. It defies everything we instinctively believe about motherhood, which makes these stories even more unsettling.I received an audiobook copy from the publisher, and it played out like a gripping true-crime podcast—immersive, engaging, and utterly disturbing. While the subject matter is undeniably difficult, The Mother Next Door is an essential and powerful read that exposes a hidden crisis more people need to be aware of.

I have so many thoughts and so many questions!! I've typed out my review and deleted it many times since finishing. I requested this book on Netgalley, truly wanting to keep an open mind towards Andrea and knowing I could form my own opinion about MBP (Munchausen by Proxy) and the perpetrators. I don't feel every single case is going to automatically mean a child is being abused, or that a mother needs to be put through the ringer over trying to care for her child, BUT I do know women are fully capable of hurting/killing their children. It's a very sad reality that we live in. I do not know what needs to happen in regards to MBP, nor do I know where to even begin to get tougher laws passed for both mothers and providers, but something needs to give before another child suffers at the hands of the one person who should love and cherish them.I have 20 years of experience working in the medical field. It absolutely baffles me that a provider would 1) not do their own testing to confirm a diagnosis and 2) review other providers' records before making a plan to do any invasive procedures or surgeries. I realize that insurance isn't going to cover testing every single time a child goes to a new doctor, but there must be a way to prevent MBP from going on so long without being caught. I'm heartbroken that mothers and providers are getting away with it. Yes, I absolutely believe providers should be held accountable for not taking the time to properly treat a patient or, in the three cases mentioned in this book, not treat a patient for unnecessary reasons.I don't have the answers, but my gosh, does my heart hurt for these innocent children being mistreated by anyone who is supposed to love and care for them.Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Highly recommended!Vitally important and compulsively readable.The writing comes from a skilled novelist, the sensitivity and emotional depth from someone with personal experience, and the insider perspective from someone who has investigated and prosecuted this unique and devastating form of abuse more than anyone alive.Extensively researched and impossible to put down, it makes complex psychological and investigative aspects of MBP accessible without sensationalizing them. The authors shed light on a hidden world that demands our attention.For anyone interested in true crime, psychology, child protection, or compelling storytelling, this book is for you.