All Her Fault is a kidnapping story. Busy working mom Marissa (Sarah Snook) arrives at an address she was given to pick up her 5 year old son from a play date. There are no children there. The woman of the house had no idea who any of the people Marissa expected to find there were.

All Her Fault never lets up from that opening to the final minutes of the 8th episode. Marissa, frantic, calls a number no longer working for the mom who was supposed to have organized the play date.

Marissa and her husband Peter (Jake Lacy) soon realize something has happened to their son Milo (Duke McCloud). They call the police. Det. Alcaras (Michael Peña) and Det. Greco (Johnny Carr) quickly learn Marissa thought she was setting up a play date with Jenny (Dakota Fanning), a mom from her son’s school. But the arrangement was a phony one.

Jenny’s nanny, Carrie Finch (Sophia Lillis), is the apparent kidnapper. Knowing who probably has the boy doesn’t help much, because Carrie is a phony name, just like the texts she used to get hold of Marissa. She can’t be found.

All Her Fault was written for television by Megan Gallagher based on the novel by Andrea Mara. This series feels like reading a novel – one you can’t put down. So many characters are involved, all of them developed well. Many have secrets that relate to the kidnapping and to family relationships. There are episodes about Milo’s family, about the police, about the kidnapper and her family. Every aspect of the story is examined at length and every twist and surprise is thoughtfully constructed. It was big, emotional and somewhat improbable, but compelling.

Peter’s brother Brian (Daniel Monks) lived in Peter’s guesthouse. Peter also paid for his sister Lia (Abby Elliott) expenses. The relationship between these siblings was dysfunctional and important to the final outcome of the story.

Marissa’s business partner Colin (Jay Ellis) was also around and helping look for Milo.

A variety of murders by a variety of murderers did occur as the story snapped together puzzle pieces involving the many key characters. The tagline on the poster, “All these nice people killing each other,” is ironic. The main characters were wealthy, but calling them “nice” is a stretch. However, Dakota Fanning’s character could be honestly labeled nice. She turned into a loyal friend for Marissa.

The main themes dealt with secrets and lies. There was a theme involving neurodivergence. A theme that resonated with me was how much dads expect working moms to handle on their own with no help from them. Even when the mothers asked specifically for help with the children and the household, men seldom gave it.

I found the series engrossing, fast paced, and a good watch for mystery lovers. The entire series is streaming on Peacock. All the episodes were directed by Kate Dennis or Minkie Spiro.

If you watch it, please share your reactions in the comments.