The Mother Next Door

Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy

By: Andrea Dunlop, Mike Weber

Narrated by: Andrea Dunlop

This program is read by the author.

A groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that investigates Munchausen by Proxy from the host and creator of the award-winning true crime podcast Nobody Should Believe Me.

"I devoured this chilling yet critically important book in 48 hours, unable to believe what I was reading. Dunlop and Weber have written a powerful, unflinching deep dive into our country’s systemic failure to protect children from medical abuse."—Stephanie Wrobel, bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold

No bond is more sacred than that between a mother and child. And no one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point?

Munchausen by proxy (MBP) has fascinated and horrified both professionals and the general public since this disturbing form of child abuse was first identified. But even as the public has been captivated by these tales of abuse and deception, there remains widespread misinformation and confusion about MBP. Are these mothers unfeeling psychopaths, or sick women who need help? And more important, how can we protect the children whose lives are at stake?

The Mother Next Door offers a groundbreaking look at MBP from an unlikely duo: a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation. Listeners ride along on three high-stakes MPB investigations; through riveting reporting and shocking stories from the family members, friends, and doctors caught in the blast zone of these unthinkable acts, a twisted portrait of motherhood and deceit is revealed.

With help from some of the top MBP experts in the world, Dunlop and Weber uncover the complex maze of psychological, systemic, and cultural issues that compound MBP and offer solutions for how we might find our way out.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2025 Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"I have been an admirer of Andrea Dunlop’s fiercely original work for years. Rarely is someone able to strike such a perfect balance of rigorous research, courageous fact-finding, and compelling narrative storytelling. I have no doubt that this book will be known as the canonical Munchausen by Proxy text."—Amanda Montell, New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Magical Overthinking and host of "Sounds Like a Cult"

"I was hooked from page one until the very end. A page-turning, jaw-dropping examination of MBP, our healthcare system, and the ways that perpetrators hide in plain sight."—Nora McInerny, bestselling author of Bad Vibes Only, and host of "Terrible, Thanks for Asking"

"A truly vital, groundbreaking, and riveting contribution to the literature on child abuse. This immensely readable book is the most important literary work since the MBP term was coined fifty years ago. The Mother Next Door shines like a beacon."—Marc D. Feldman, M.D., coauthor of Dying to be Ill: True Stories of Medical Deception

This is a must read.

This is a must read. This book gripped my attention and would not let it go. Very educational, and insightfully written.

Transformative Awareness

My jaw is on the floor. My heart in my throat! Hard to swallow, impossible to forget. I fell in admiration for this duo through listening to Andrea’s podcast and hearing Mike’s interview on the show. They spoke of how their lives had crossed paths on this unnerving intuitive fight to protect children from the unimaginable. They’ve come together masterfully to tell these stories in the purest forms of advocacy for the lives of children. I’ve learned so much from this book, and the facts of this parental illness are wrenching. As a special education teacher, I will insist this book onto my colleagues. I’m so impressed by the work of Mike Weber and Andrea Dunbar. Their combined experience and investigations are intertwined and retold in extraordinary narrative fashion. The compelling evidence shares the reality that we all need to face, and hold ourselves accountable to. Right now.

Great listen!

I've been listening to the podcast from the first season, so I had this audiobook on pre-order. It was a great read with the same tone as the pod (and the audiobook is read by the author.) Some parts are a bit repetitive if you've already listened to those seasons of the podcast, but there was still plenty of new material. The parts about the internal politics of the police department were a bit boring to me (felt a bit like the detective was using the book to settle some personal scores.) But overall a really interesting topic presented in a more responsible way than a lot of true crime.

Important Topic

Complicated material shared through actual accounts of real cases. Good introduction to system responses. Will hopefully lead to better outcomes.

Spreading the word

Thank you Andrea and Mike for helping spread the word about medical child abuse in this book as well as in your seminars, your podcast and anywhere people will listen. The more people who know, the more people who can see and hopefully intervene.

This book will save lives

Great book and an excellent introduction to the bizarre topic of medical child abuse. I hope this book spurs a national (maybe even international?) paradigm shift. The comparison of MCA to CSA is apt, and I hope the societal changes we’ve seen regarding CSA spread to MCA soon.

Heartbreaking but Necessary Listen

Andrea presents shocking information in an understandable way so that readers feel educated. This should be a mandatory reading requirement for all people who work with children. While these stories are heartbreaking they are sadly also very true. Thank you Andrea for shedding light on this disturbing topic.

Such great information!!!

Loads of information as to why so few cases are prosecuted or the perpetrators are found guilty! The amount of time and effort to save kids and then cases being dropped for political or personal reasons. So extremely sad! Appreciate hearing the backstory on some of the inner workings and more information than on the podcast. Hopefully this reaches more people!

That this is taking place and that our law-enforcement and court systems choose to ignore it

I purchased this book on a whim thoroughly, enjoyed it, and found the subject fascinating

Excellent

As a professional in the field of child abuse, MBP is rarely discussed. This was extremely eye opening and helpful.