The Ex-Wives by Jenna Kernan is a tale of two halves of a psych thriller.
Let me try to explain.
Elana is an interesting character. It’s obvious she is desperate by nature, which causes her to make some bad decisions. But she really has no idea how bad her choices are.
Until one day, she does. And she makes a decision to extricate herself from a dangerous situation. What follows for the first half of the book is a cat-and-mouse game of Elana trying to leave and her husband foiling every plan.
Does he do so knowingly, or is it coincidence and he’s just that controlling? You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0B7C21JLYsocial
Audio Links:
UK: zpr.io/y7kCRYQMP8XW
US: zpr.io/u6rzYAH5GXuj
The second half of the book ramps up the tension and the pace. The reader feels Elana’s urgency as the danger she is facing becomes more constant. In more than a few places, it appears that Elana will never escape.
I don’t want to give anything away (I say that a lot, I know), but the author does create a satisfying narrative that will keep the reader turning the pages, especially in the second half of the book.
I am not bothered by most things – I can remove myself from a fictional book and read “from a distance.” However, it should be mentioned that this psych thriller is heavy on the psych. And that comes in the form of extreme psychological abuse. There are also themes of spousal and child abuse.
Fair warning.
Ultimately, The Ex-Wives is a story about resilience and finding strength in the face of looming danger when the people you love most are threatened. Jenna Kernan has crafted a discomfiting tale.
