It seems like I was just writing about some of the trends in mainstream thrillers that I'm starting to grow tired of. I recently read Ruth Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 and was feeling a bit bored with the similarities most of these books share. A friend from work recommended I read The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, so I quickly picked up a copy. As I started reading, I was seeing many of these conventions and fearing the worst. I trusted my friend's taste, so I persevered and kept reading.
The book starts with the all too familiar setup. There was the female protagonist who drinks too much, struggles to keep a job, and has a history of mental illness. A traumatic event, in this case, a divorce, pushes that main character to the brink of a breakdown. Then some event leads that person to follow a lingering obsession that forces them to overcome their personal troubles for some kind of singular goal. It is a simple premise that has led to numerous bestsellers in the genre, so I wasn't surprised to see The Wife Between Us follow a similar plot. It is what happened next, however, that completely threw me for a loop.
The titular wife in this novel is Vanessa. As you probably guessed, she's been down on her luck since her divorce with Richard. Richard is the polished business type who provided Vanessa with a life of comfort and luxury. They seemed like the couple who had it all until they didn't. Now Vanessa lives with her elderly aunt, works a low-paying retail job, and drinks to cover up her misery. Richard has wasted no time moving on. He is now engaged to the beautiful young Nellie. Vanessa is determined to break the new couple up. Is she the spurned wife driven by jealousy, or perhaps an unlikely hero driven to protect Nellie from something much more malicious?
The Wife Between Us went from what I thought would be another run of the mill thriller to one of the smartest, twistiest novels I've read this year. Co-authors Hendricks and Pekkanen smartly lure the reader into their story by using the common conventions of the genre. They seem to say, "you've seen this before, so there's nothing to fear." Just when I thought I had this one all figured out, they threw in a curveball that completely turned the conventions upside down. Woven into this smart thriller are character moments that stuck with me beyond the mystery. The Wife Between Us completely lives up to its hype and has me eagerly anticipating Hendricks and Pekkanen's next novel.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2019, 12)
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
OK, I have this somewhere and will dig it out. You've made me curious!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is worth a pull of the old TBR shelf!
DeleteI've only read a couple domestic thrillers so I'm not in a place to be bored by them, but that twist you mention sounds great. :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that me reading so much of the genre makes me a tougher critic!
DeleteI'm not too int domestic thrillers, but a book that gives you a little something different that you expect is always good!
ReplyDeleteI love when authors can play with my expectations and completely surprise me!
DeleteI keep passing by this in the library over and over, and have been on the fence about grabbing it. I'm into suspense and books that surprise me, so I'll definitely be picking this one up now, and thanks so much for an awesome review! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteGo ahead and pick it up. You won't be disappointed!
DeleteGreat review! I definitely get what you mean about a lot of thrillers being the same lately. I've taken a break from them for a while. But this author duo is amazing!Their second book, An Anonymous Girl, is worth the read too!
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about An Anonymous Girl too. I can't wait to read it!
DeleteI really loved this one myself when I read it last year, it was def twisty! I just thought it was so interesting
ReplyDeleteI agree. I really loved both women.
DeleteI'm glad this ended up being more than you thought it would be. When you first mentioned the woman who drinks too much, history of mental illness... I thought, well, how many times has this been done before? So glad it was still able to surprise you!
ReplyDeleteI loved the way the authors played with my expectations!
DeleteOoh I'm so curious now. I like that you said it throws some curve balls and it's quite what you expect. Always good!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
This one definitely kept me on my toes!
DeleteI loved this book! It started a reading revolution at my work, too. I took my copy to work, passed it around to my friends, and now we have a little reading circle going. It's great!
ReplyDeleteI love when good books spread amongst good friends like that. The big question now is what do we read next?!
DeleteI guess you were rewarded for pushing through. I don't read a ton of thrillers, so I usually really enjoy them, but now that you mention it, there really are a lot of drunk women hanging on by their fingertips. Glad this one ended up surprising you.
ReplyDeleteI can't blame the authors for using a pattern that works, but I'm really glad these authors were able to do something a bit different. I think that's why this book, in particular, has gotten such glowing reviews.
DeleteGood to know that the book got good.
ReplyDeletehttp://henatayeb.blogspot.com
It was really great!
DeleteI am finding it hard to get through the beginning of this book to all the goodness so many reviews have been promising. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to grit my teeth and just buckle down and go for it because everyone is raving about this book!
ReplyDeleteI had a slow start to this one too. Like I mention in my review, the authors play with the stereotypes of the genre, but I thought it was just another formulaic plot when I started. Hang in there!
Delete