Debut Novel · Now Available
In the Name
of the Mother
by Jane Hudson
A gripping psychological thriller about identity, family, and the haunting secrets we inherit — written by a Cape Town psychologist with 27 years of clinical experience.
THE NOVEL
A story only a psychologist could truly write
Psychological Thriller · Family Drama · Published December 2025 · Olympia Publishers, London · ISBN 9781835437216
Alice is determined to uncover the truth about her family's past. Her search leads her to the Khan household, where she believes Saafia holds the key to a long-buried secret. But Saafia doesn't want the past disturbed — because some of those secrets belong to her too.
Meanwhile, Kali Khan is spiralling. With a tragic accident, legal woes, and a family pulled apart at the seams, she is desperate for an escape. Her son Jordan is caught between loyalty and the truth — and the choices he makes will change everything.
In the Name of the Mother is a gripping story of identity, family, and the haunting power of the past. Because some secrets refuse to stay buried.
"A psychological thriller packed with family secrets, tension and complex characters."
What sets this novel apart is not just the plot — it's the extraordinary psychological precision with which the characters' inner worlds are drawn. Jane Hudson spent 27 years in the consulting room before she ever sat down to write fiction. Every emotion rings true because it was lived, heard, and deeply understood first.
GET YOUR COPY
Where to Buy
Bipolar Disorder | Family Secrets | Identity | Multi-generational | Cape Town
Direct from the Author - Get your signed copy direct from Jane, based in Cape Town. | info@janehudsonbooks.com
or at these online stores worldwide.
Buy on Kindle
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
The story that stays with you
★★★★★
"A brilliant read delving into the minds of the characters. I would recommend this excellent book to any reader interested in getting lost in a story with complex, deeply human people."
Amazon.co.za · Verified Reader
★★★★★
"Jane Hudson makes a striking literary debut. This novel delves into the complexities of family, identity and the lingering shadows of the past with remarkable psychological insight."
Cape Town Etc · March 2026
★★★★★
"A gripping psychological drama — the kind of book you think about long after you've closed it. Only someone who truly understands human psychology could write these characters."
Foyles, London · Verified Reader
4.6
★★★★★
Amazon.co.za
4.53
★★★★½
Goodreads
5.0
★★★★★
Foyles, London
5.0
★★★★★
Amazon UK
5.0
★★★★★
Waterstones
THE AUTHOR
Psychologist. Storyteller. Now, Author
"I spent 27 years listening to people's deepest truths. One day, I realised those truths had a story — and I was the only one who could tell it."
Jane Hudson is a health and counselling psychologist who has practised in Cape Town for more than 27 years. Born in England and long based in South Africa, she now lives on the Atlantic Seaboard with her husband. A mother of two and grandmother of four who, after decades in the consulting room, chose to do something nobody expected: write a novel.
Drawing on her clinical experience treating patients with bipolar disorder, family trauma, and identity crises, Jane has written a psychological thriller of rare authenticity. This is not a textbook dressed up in fiction. It is a novel that reaches places only a psychologist's empathy can access — and only a novelist's craft can hold.
She started her writing journey two years ago, and In the Name of the Mother is the first of three novels in a trilogy. The second is currently with her publisher. The third is underway.
When she is not writing, Jane practises as a counselling psychologist in Granger Bay, Cape Town, and embraces an active, outdoors-focused life along the Atlantic coast.
GALLERY
Events and Moments
From the Exclusive Books bestseller shelf to book launches and signings across Cape Town
IN THE MEDIA
What the press is saying
The Citizen
27 Mar 2026
"Jane Hudson published her first novel at 76 — and it's thrilling"
IOL
16 Mar 2026
"Jane Hudson explores bipolar disorder and family dynamics in her debut novel"
Women on Top
5 Mar 2026
"Q&A with Jane: Courage, Reinvention and Pursuing Dreams"
MyPressPortal
5 Mar 2026
"Psychologist-Turned-Novelist Jane Hudson brings 'In the Name of Mother' to South African Readers"
Int'l Women's Club
April 2026
"Jane Hudson — General Meeting Speaker: In the Name of the Mother"
Cape Town Etc
28 Mar 2026
"In the Name of the Mother: A gripping psychological thriller by Jane Hudson"
Cape Times
April 2026
"In the Name of the Mother" combines psychological insight with a suspenseful narative centered on a homocide that drives both medical and legal tension.
Cape Town Etc
28 Mar 2026
"In the Name of the Mother: A gripping psychological thriller by Jane Hudson"
FOR BOOK CLUBS
Your book club's next unmissable read
In the Name of the Mother was made for book club conversation — complex characters, psychological depth, and questions that don't have easy answers.
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Contact Jane: info@janehudsonbooks.com