Sleep Well, Mommy
South Korea

Sleep Well, Mommy

by Mi-ae Seo

Summary

Sleep Well, Mommy, also published in English as The Only Child, is a psychological thriller that explores the disturbing connections between childhood, violence, and the origins of evil.

Seonkyeong, a criminal psychologist, receives an unexpected opportunity when Yi Byeongdo, a notorious serial killer who has refused to speak publicly, agrees to be interviewed by her. At the same time, her husband brings his eleven-year-old daughter, Hayeong, to live with them following the mysterious deaths of the grandparents who had been raising her. Seonkyeong initially tries to welcome the girl into their home, but Hayeong’s unsettling behaviour soon begins to trouble her.

As Seonkyeong investigates the pasts of both the killer and her stepdaughter, she discovers disturbing similarities between them. The more she learns, the more she questions what she thought she understood about Hayeong and the circumstances surrounding her family’s deaths.

Blending domestic suspense with criminal psychology, Seo’s novel examines the relationship between childhood trauma, family secrets, and the nature of evil.

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Mi-ae Seo
Mi-ae Seo

Mi-ae Seo (서미애) is a South Korean novelist and screenwriter, born in 1965, best known for her psychological thrillers and crime fiction. She has built a reputation for exploring the darker aspects of human behaviour through suspenseful plots and psychologically complex characters. Her novel Good Night Mother, originally published in Korean in 2010, gained international attention through translations, including the English edition published as The Only Child in 2020 and later as Sleep Well, Mommy. The story examines the relationship between childhood experiences, family dynamics, and the development of violent behaviour. Other notable works include The Night Your Star Disappeared and All Secrets Have Names. Seo’s fiction frequently explores the hidden motivations behind seemingly ordinary people, combining the conventions of detective fiction with questions about morality, trauma, and the origins of evil. She is recognised as an important voice in contemporary Korean crime and psychological thriller writing.

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Published
2020
Author
Mi-ae Seo