The Secret Wife is the type of psych thriller that leaves me thinking “what the heck did I just read?”
It is an uneven story, and some of the author’s choices do not ring true, but ultimately, I do recommend this book.
Here are some details to explain why. Let’s get the bad out of the way first.
The writing is simplistic. There are incidents that seemingly do not connect to each other. Character reactions are not realistic. Actions taken by Michael and Cara (the main characters) do not seem to be productive.
I have more than a few notes where I thought “no way would a person do that in this situation.” And I still don’t think there is a lot of depth to either of the characters. Some traits just appear in the story with no background.
In short, the author doesn’t seem to have focus, as plot points come and go and the story meanders.
But there are enough clues that hint at an undercurrent – something more is going on in this story than meets the eye.
And that is exactly why I recommend it.
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09LR7D7Y9
You will probably spend a large portion of it wondering what the heck is going on. This is especially true as Cara suddenly proves herself to be a completely unreliable narrator.
And suddenly, what seems like a simple kidnapping case (no spoiler, it’s literally in the blurb) takes on a more sinister turn.
What is Michael hiding? Why is he nervous about going away with his daughters? What is Cara’s real mindset? And who is the strange man she keeps seeing?
As the answers to these questions are revealed, the action picks up, and the last third of the book is totally gonzo.
I mean, some of it still isn’t plausible. And I am not sure the author did enough to drop clever hints that pointed toward the resolution.
But The Secret Wife does make up for the questions that popped up throughout the previous parts of the story. And the very end is satisfying, if not more than a little crazy.
But that’s what someone wants in a good psych thriller, right?
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Author Bio
Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author but first served her time as a banker and a teacher. After a lifetime of devouring stacks of thrillers, she decided to try her hand at writing them herself. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.
Emily writes psychological thrillers. The Secret Wife will be her first novel published with Inkubator Books.
