Nicole Trope has become one of my favorite psych thriller authors. I know that I’m going to get a solid story that will probably keep me guessing. His Other Wife is a great example of what she does so well.
I like it when a psych thriller starts out with a scene that actually occurs somewhere later in the story. It makes me actively read, looking for that scene, or for clues that might lead up to that scene.
It is an effective storytelling device because it builds tension, and this author uses it perfectly.
I could tell from the very beginning that there was more to Charlotte than meets the eye. She was too perfect. And anyone that “understanding” usually isn’t.
Sarah, on the other hand, is instantly a sympathetic character. Any mom will be able to relate to her instincts to protect her child at any cost. Coupled with grief, it is easy to see how that could wreak havoc on one’s mental health.
Frankly, I found Gideon to be an idiot and a catalyst for all that happens in the book. If he loved Sarah as much as he said he did (and this is not a spoiler) he wouldn’t have moved on so quickly or easily. Just sayin’.
And then there is Charlotte’s mother, Carol. I have mentioned before how I sometimes get flashed of other characters that I am reminded of, especially when they are vivid.
For me, every time Carol appeared in the book, I pictured the grandmother from Kindergarten Cop. You know, the bad guy’s mom who was constantly telling him what to do? Perfectly dressed, perfect hair, very proper…but a sociopath.
Yeah, got that vibe from Carol.
As for the plot, I did guess part of “psych” part of the psych thriller. I just “had a feeling.” But the author went deeper with it than I expected, so there were aspects that surprised me, which isn’t easy to do.
I particularly liked the endings. And yes, that’s plural, because even though it wraps up in a single epilogue, there are a few different endings to be found. It was actually one of the most satisfying epilogues in recent memory.
If you’re looking for a solid psych thriller for a beach read, pick up His Other Wife. Or, actually, any other Nicole Trope book, like The Stepchild.
Twitter: @nicoletrope
About the author
Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
