
The Good Mistress
The Top Ten bestseller
Anne Tiernan(Author)
Headline Review (Publisher)
Published on 5. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-4722-9990-1 (ISBN)
Description
The new top ten bestseller from Anne Tiernan is a powerful story about family, betrayal, and love.
WIFE. WIDOW. MISTRESS. Three women collide at Rory's funeral, a man to whom they were all connected in different ways . . .
Juliet never planned to be the other woman, but Rory was the only man she ever loved. Of course, he would go and die on her. Now, at his funeral, she hides at the back with the nobodies, while his wife and their son rightfully grieve up front.
Maeve, a celebrated novelist, appears to have it all - except time for herself. Between her passive aggressive husband, two teenage sons, and caring for her ailing mother, Maeve's success feels hollow. And when she learns a disturbing secret, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel.
Erica, Rory's widow, was the perfect wife - but Rory knew things about her that no one else can ever know. And now she's left with a question she doesn't want the answer to: had she lost Rory long before he died? In the wake of his death, she forms an unlikely connection with the last person she expected - Juliet, his gorgeous high-school girlfriend.
As three women's lives collide, they must reconcile the realities of love, betrayal, and the limits of forgiveness - because what does it truly mean to be 'good', anyway?
Your favourite authors and real readers love The Good Mistress:
'A tender, raw and moving story' - Sinead Moriarty
'A wonderfully balanced novel - funny and sad in equal measure, and about the very relatable and painful process of women losing and rediscovering themselves in midlife' - Edel Coffey
'A story that will make you think, laugh, and maybe even shed a tear' ? ? ? ? ? Real Reader Review
'I loved the story and the development of characters!' ? ? ? ? ? Real Reader Review
Real readers love Anne Tiernan's novels:
? ? ? ? ? 'Amazing'
? ? ? ? ? 'The story is beautifully told, and the author can play your heartstrings'
? ? ? ? ? 'Full of authenticity and hope'
? ? ? ? ? 'Deeply moving and gripping'
WIFE. WIDOW. MISTRESS. Three women collide at Rory's funeral, a man to whom they were all connected in different ways . . .
Juliet never planned to be the other woman, but Rory was the only man she ever loved. Of course, he would go and die on her. Now, at his funeral, she hides at the back with the nobodies, while his wife and their son rightfully grieve up front.
Maeve, a celebrated novelist, appears to have it all - except time for herself. Between her passive aggressive husband, two teenage sons, and caring for her ailing mother, Maeve's success feels hollow. And when she learns a disturbing secret, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel.
Erica, Rory's widow, was the perfect wife - but Rory knew things about her that no one else can ever know. And now she's left with a question she doesn't want the answer to: had she lost Rory long before he died? In the wake of his death, she forms an unlikely connection with the last person she expected - Juliet, his gorgeous high-school girlfriend.
As three women's lives collide, they must reconcile the realities of love, betrayal, and the limits of forgiveness - because what does it truly mean to be 'good', anyway?
Your favourite authors and real readers love The Good Mistress:
'A tender, raw and moving story' - Sinead Moriarty
'A wonderfully balanced novel - funny and sad in equal measure, and about the very relatable and painful process of women losing and rediscovering themselves in midlife' - Edel Coffey
'A story that will make you think, laugh, and maybe even shed a tear' ? ? ? ? ? Real Reader Review
'I loved the story and the development of characters!' ? ? ? ? ? Real Reader Review
Real readers love Anne Tiernan's novels:
? ? ? ? ? 'Amazing'
? ? ? ? ? 'The story is beautifully told, and the author can play your heartstrings'
? ? ? ? ? 'Full of authenticity and hope'
? ? ? ? ? 'Deeply moving and gripping'
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
294 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4722-9990-1 (9781472299901)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2025
Review
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Born in Zambia, Anne Tiernan grew up in Navan, County Meath. She studied English Literature and Psychology at Trinity College Dublin and spent seven years working in banking. Anne left Ireland with her husband in 2004 to travel the world, arriving in New Zealand in 2005 where they still live - now with three children together.
She is author of two novels: The Last Days of Joy, which was shortlisted for the Kate O'Brien Award 2023, and The Good Mistress.
She is author of two novels: The Last Days of Joy, which was shortlisted for the Kate O'Brien Award 2023, and The Good Mistress.