A Book A Week

Earlier this year, Rachel Hawkin's thriller The Wife Upstairs capitalized on the idea of secrets between spouses. I mused then that no matter how long two people are together, there will always be things in each other's past that remain a mystery. In the world of literary thrillers, this conceit can be used to drive some pretty crazy stories. Author Peter Swanson is no stranger to that setup. In fact, his 2019 novel Before She Knew Him used secrets and lies between spouses to weave a tangled web of brilliant suspense and deceit. In his latest novel Every Vow You Break, Swanson hopes to once again use the unknowns between a married couple to thrill audiences anew. 

Abigail is living a dream. Her life has become something right out of a fairytale, a modern-day romance that she never saw coming. How could she, a normal girl, capture the attention of a handsome millionaire like Bruce? Her life seems destined to be perfect from here on out, and she's truly met the man of her dreams. Then, on her luxury bachelorette party weekend, Abigail risks everything. Too many drinks and an encounter with a stranger at the bar lead to a single night of lust. Abigail is overcome with regret in the morning, vowing never to speak of the night to anyone, especially not Bruce. 

Secrets have a way of coming back to haunt you. As Abigail celebrates her wedding with Bruce, she can't help but think about the man with no name who nearly brought her marriage to an end. She never dreamed her marriage would begin with a lie, but she also knows that Bruce values honestly and loyalty above all else. Her one night of infidelity could derail their entire life together. Even as the couple celebrates a magical wedding night, Abigail can't help but think of the other man. For a moment, she even thinks she can smell the cigarette that he smoked that night. But that is crazy. Her life is with Bruce now. She never has to think about that night again. Or does she?

As the happy couple arrives for their honeymoon, they are glowing with the kind of bliss that most newlyweds experience. Abigail was a bit hesitant about spending the next week at a luxury resort on a private island, but she's now confident that a week unplugged from everything is the perfect way to begin her marriage. All that goes awry when she spots him. At first, she's certain that she's dreaming. How could the stranger whom she had a one-night stand with be at the private resort that even she didn't know about until arriving? At second glance, though, Abigail knows that it is him. The secret with the potential to end her marriage before it even gets off the ground is here, and she will stop at nothing to keep it buried. 

Peter Swanson has become one of my go-to authors of standalone thrillers. Each year, he reliably releases his latest novel filled with an intriguing setup, quick pace, and plenty of twists and turns. Every Vow You Break continues that tradition but to more middling results. The story of a future wife's infidelity against her seemingly perfect husband and the subsequent effort to hide those actions provides a great setup for the thriller. That being said, I found it tricky to root for her, especially given that her troubles were mostly self-inflicted. Nevertheless, Swanson knows how to keep the pages moving through ever-tightening suspense and enough twists to keep you guessing. The ending of this one was pretty much sealed from the start. There are only so many ways this story could go, and the last few twists felt more forced for shock value than actually advancing the narrative. In the end, this won't be my favorite novel by Swanson, but it also won't be my last. I've already got my eye on his next effort Nine Lives that releases next spring. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 46)