ISBN: 9781250130921
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 01/09/2018
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars + + +
Top Books of 2018 A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.
When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with her replacement. You will assume you are reading about a woman about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves. You will assume the first wife was a disaster and that the husband was well rid of her.
You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.
Assume nothing.
Discover the next blockbuster novel of suspense, and get ready for the read of your life.
My Review
OMG! THE WIFE BETWEEN US by creative, talented duo, Sarah Pekkanen, and Greer Hendricks is worthy of all the "hype" surrounding the most-anticipated psychological suspense thriller novel of 2018, and "then some."
From the stunning front cover, the first page—to the explosive, shocking conclusion. MIND-BENDING!
The authors cleverly unravel the characters' intimate secrets and deception, until the raw truth revealed. Divided into Prologue, Part One, Two, Three, and the Epilogue. Do not miss a thing. The summary is spot-on. Do not assume anything. Get ready for a wild roller-coaster ride.
The truth between the lies.
Between the wives, there is a man named Richard. A charming, good-looking, successful hedge fund manager. We soon realize this man is not as he seems. You suspect he is a controlling, abusive, narcissist and a psycho, through the eyes of one woman. This woman must be the angry ex-wife.
Vanessa was married to Richard.
We are not sure what happened to their marriage. She has lost all her material possessions and works as a sales associate at Saks on the designer-label third floor. She depends on commissions.
Richard got the house in Westchester and the Manhattan apartment. The cars, stocks, savings. She never put up a fight. She entered the marriage with nothing. She had not borne him children. She had been deceitful. She had not been a good wife.
She is thankful she has a few suitcases filled with more exceptional clothing from her former lifestyle since she needs to look the part. She resides with her aunt bohemian artist, Charlotte. Her husband died years before. She had accepted a small lump sum payment she would use to help her aunt.
Vanessa is hiding something from her past in Florida. (sounds like South Florida- Miami- important for us Floridians). A mysterious past which led her to New York.
"My husband kept me off-balance for years. He tried to erase me."
The mysterious bride and groom cake topper.
Currently, Vanessa is stalking a younger woman. Does this younger version of her former self-remind her of how her life began the downward spiral. The one, leaving her now single. Now her old friends, come into the store, and she waits on them. They pity her.
Richard had kicked her out of the Westchester house. However was she happy, or sad about this decision? Who had controlled the demise of this marriage? Was she relieved to escape this man? Fortunate to be alive?
She envisions him in the Mercedes with his new younger woman. The woman he left her for. It started before their divorce. She now drinks and takes pills to dull the pain.
The other woman is Nellie. Vanessa has to stop her before she marries Richard. When she discovered they were engaged, she almost flipped. However, there is more here than meets the eye.
Vanessa comes across as off balance; however, there are two sides to a coin. She and Richard were unsuccessful in their attempts to have a baby, even with fertility drugs.
Readers learn about another younger woman’s relationship and how she met Richard. A young preschool teacher on a flight. Richard the caring and charming man sweeps her off her feet. Richard wants children.
Vanessa wonders if the new bride has plans to quit work and devote herself to Richard as she had done. She is obsessed.
There is also Maureen, Richard’s older sister. After his parents died when he was a teen, Maureen raised him. Does she know how crazy her brother is?
“But as long as he is with her – the woman who blithely stepped up to become the new Mrs. Richard Thompson while I pretended to be oblivious – I will never have peace.”
Nellie loves her pre-school teaching job and works nights as a waitress with a fun-loving roommate Sam. She is unsure she wants to get married. Unsure she wants to leave the city life for the suburbs and a man who seems controlling, but he loves her, right?
Again, ASSUME nothing . . . Does Venessa want to protect her replacement from Richard, warn her, or is she just jealous? Don’t shoot the messenger.
Intense, twisty, mind-blowing suspense. THE WIFE BETWEEN US is like a game of cat-and-mouse. Which person is manipulating the other? A tug of war. However, no one has the real facts. The reveal is brilliant.
The fun part is trying to figure out this triangle. The secrets and motives from Florida and all the missing pieces – worth the wait! As twisty, riveting, spellbinding, and addictive as Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. I liked it better.
Sarah Pekkanen (one of my all-time favorite authors-have read all her books) and her talented editor for many years Greer Hendricks (impressive bio) — what a remarkable team!. Can only imagine the fun these two have writing together. No wonder TWBU has been picked up for the next blockbuster movie. I want a front row seat.
Plus, think of all the deliciously good books to come in the future. Hear they are busy working on their second book (not a sequel).
Firstly, when you view the cover and its title you think, “the wife between us.” Who could this person be? Could it be a husband and a soon to be bride with an ex-wife or a current wife between the couple? Or, could it be a wife- to- be, and an ex-wife #1 with the ex-wife #2 between them? Or all sorts of wild scenarios. Will there be a wife #3 and why don’t they all meet to compare notes?
Trust me; there is nothing predictable here. Cleverly crafted (the editor/author), highly creative minds have outsmarted the reader.
When you get to this point in the book, you will question: “What in the heck? What did I miss? Rewinding the pages. However, you did not miss anything. Hang on; the plot soon to be revealed. Do not put the book down. No way you can. Unputdownable.
The secrets and lies of dating, marriage, divorce. Don’t settle for sloppy seconds. For fans of B.A. Paris Behind Closed Doors. Another book I am looking forward to reading: The Woman in the Window, Readers are receiving the "best" of the literary world's experience.
A special thank you (a big huge & kiss), to Goodreads giveaway and St. Martin's Press for an advanced digital reading copy. I have pre-ordered the audiobook (this should be fantastic, performed by Julia Whelan (I adore), Listen to Clip (below) and pre-ordered the hardcover for my library!
What a way to start 2018! Have a feeling this is going to be a year for the thriller novels turned movie.
‘Girl on the Train’ Team Takes on ‘The Wife Between Us’ Hollywood Reporter
Looking forward to Sarah Pekkanen's The Ever After: A Novel Coming June 5, 2018, enthralling domestic drama, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Affair!
JDCMustReadBooks
BTW, I was wife #2, saved wife #1, and did I want to protect wife#3? Heck No. Figure it out on your own. Good riddance😊. I hear Wife #3 stays indoors with the blinds pulled and drugged out, to live with the psycho.
Review Links:
Amazon
By: Macmillan Audio. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, audiobook excerpt. Audio Narrated by Julia Whelan.
Co- authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen discuss the circumstances of how they met, their inspiration, and writing process. The Wife Between Us is on sale January 9, 2018 from St. Martin's Press.
Advance Praise
A 2018 Indie Next Pick
The 23 Best New Books of Winter Will Have You Hibernating Over the Holidays—PopSugar
“[A] jaw-dropping psychological thriller. This is not another eye-rolling story about the jealous ex-wife stalking her replacement...Unforgettable twists lead to shocking revelations all the way through the epilogue.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Readers who were enthralled by B.A. Paris’s Behind Closed Doors and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl will love the skewed psychology and shifting perspectives of this domestic thriller." ―Library Journal, starred review
"Fiendishly clever...in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. This one will keep you guessing." –Anita Shreve, New York Times bestselling author of The Stars are Fire
“A clever thriller with masterful twists.” – Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of The Kept Woman
"The Wife Between Us delivers a whip smart, twisty plot in a taut, pacy narrative. It's terrific and troubling. This is one scary love triangle where you won't know who to trust. I loved it." –Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew
"A twisty, mind-bending novel about marriage and betrayal. A gripping plot and fascinating characters; this book will keep you turning the pages and guessing until the very end. A must-read!" –Lauren Weisberger, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada
“This amazing story gallops along at breakneck speed, with an ending that smacks you between the eyes and takes your breath away. These authors are destined to become trail blazers in the field of psychological suspense books that explode in your hands!” ―Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault
“Like a house of mirrors, The Wife Between Us kept me guessing around every corner, delving into the complexities of marriage, friendship, and obsession.” ―Javier Ramirez, The Book Table
Photo by Bill Miles
About the Authors
Greer Hendricks spent over two decades as an editor. Her writing has been published in The New York Times and Publishers Weekly. The Wife Between Us is her first novel. Read More
Internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen's newest book is THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS. She is also the author of THINGS YOU WON'T SAY, CATCHING AIR, THE BEST OF US, THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, and THESE GIRLS. Sarah's linked free short estories, published by Simon &Schuster exclusively for ereaders, are titled "All is Bright," and "Love, Accidentally."
Sarah is currently working on her new book, to be released in 2018. Sarah has also co-authored a novel titled THE WIFE BETWEEN US along with her former editor Greer Hendricks, to be released by St. Martin's Press on January 9, 2018. Read More
Spotlight on Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Hendricks and Pekkanen developed such a great editor-author relationship that they decided to cowrite a gripping psychological thriller, 'The Wife Between Us' Publishers Weekly
