I read this one on holiday and I couldn’t put it down so much so my family wondered if I’d ever talk to them. It throws you straight into the storyline and moves at a steady pace throughout. It’s such a whirlwind of a read you have no idea where it’s going. There is a lot going on but with no clear picture of what is actually going on but in a good way 😊. Likeable enough characters but sometimes Emma irritated me a little and I wanted to shake her. Due to the cleverly written plot you’re so suspicious of everyone. It’s an entertaining, well paced, twisty thriller that will give you a few “I didn’t see that coming” moments that are sure to keep you turning the pages. A must read…

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #TheBigamist

Can someone pick up the phone and tell me what I just read?! I mean HOLY FROGS! It was AMAZING!

Twists and turns at every avenue and revelations and deception I did not see coming and I was completely played like a fiddle by Emma, Faith, and everyone else but mainly Rona!!

I LOVED this book! It was absolutely crazy and twisty and it kept you on your toes! I listened to the audiobook as it's my favourite way to devour a book at the moment and the narrator did a great job of keeping me intrigued and begging her to get to the juicy bits!

This is not what I was expecting, none of it! I had no idea, to say the least how it would all pan out and if you asked me, this is not the way I would have said. That makes it that much more blinding! I was hooked, enthralled, and utterly gobsmacked into silence. Although one bit I was like no frigging way!!! It was superb!

I loved how the different parts were focusing on different characters. We got to see different insights and who was playing whom. It made my head spin. I can't talk too much detail about the book as it will spoil it, hence it being very vague!!

Just a wicked and delicious book, with no characters, bar one, that have any redeeming qualities, and that final page, well I need more!! I couldn't even guess now if the characters are ok by the end!

Just read it!

"Hello." A woman's voice.

Emma frowned., puzzled, but she knew she'd got the right number. Sam must be busy and his client had answered his phone, which was definitely out of order. Her annoyance racheted up another notch, her voice strident, impatient.

"Hi, it's Emma. Sam's wife. Do you think I could speak to him please?"

Silence for a beat. "What are you talking about. I'm his wife."

The tone of her voice told Emma this wasn't a joke, and her mouth dropped open as the meaning of the words hit home. No, she must have misheard. His wife?

**************************************************************************

WARNING! This book is full of red flags! None of which our main character takes any notice!

So as a domestic-slash-psychological thriller expert like me, you may be fooled into thinking that you know exactly where this is going and how it's all going to end. Right? WRONG! Rona lulls you into a false sense of "easy-peasy" just another bloke who wants his cake and to eat it too, right? Wrong again! THE BIGAMIST throws you completely off course and unlike any other author has been able to hoodwink me completely and thoroughly! No mean feat, either. Hats off to you, Rona, for what it possibly one of your best thrillers to date (I still love "The Honeymoon" ).

Emma is grieving. Her whole world has been torn apart with loss after loss after loss. Her mother, her miscarriage, her husband's tragic accident. And so she finds herself at a bereavement group. There she meets quiet shy architect Sam and his sister Faith, a psychologist who organises the group. Their relationship quickly escalates and before long Sam is spending all his time at Emma's flat when he is not on site with clients. One day, he asks her if she could have any house she wanted, what would she like? And so together they play the fantasy of the perfect house for the three children she plans on having. So when he bursts in excitedly one morning with plans to show her, Emma is quickly swept up in his excitement. He has nailed it. Her perfect home. And together they decide if he can find the perfect location, he will build her her dream home.

Then Emma discovers she is pregnant. This has been her dream she has longed for and she is over the moon. She longs to be a mother and together with Sam it will be perfect. When she tells him, he proposes and they marry in a quiet affair. And when he finds the perfect location for her house, they pack up and move north and live in a secluded holiday rental while her dream home is being built. Sam works long hours for other clients whilst juggling their new build, and his work takes him all over the country trying to secure contracts to help build a better life (and home) for them.

But the weeks drag into months and there seems to be little progress. Sam assures her this is all normal bureaucratic red tape that comes with planning permissions and so forth. Says he's never failed to gain permission in the past and that this is just a blip. But this is her money she's investing. Money paid for compensation after her husband's tragic accident. And then when she's flicking through a magazine in the doctor's waiting room, she sees something which catches her eye. Her painting. On the wall of someone else's house. How could this be? That painting is a one off. It's personal to her. She doesn't understand. Until she sees the architect's name. Sam. It was an award winning design for him but that was her painting on a stranger's wall. Furious with him she calls him for a "pleas explain" and is instead greeted with a woman's voice telling her that she's his wife - not her! What the hell is going on??

One thing is for sure...Sam has been keeping secrets, but to what extent? And while he may have his secrets, so does Emma. But who has the biggest secret of all?

Wow! This was one wild ride that I did not want to stop as I read late into the night. It certainly kept me guessing right up till the end that I was completely blindsided. How did I not see that? Rona Halsall deftly creates illusion after illusion that is all smoke and mirrors, and I was gullible enough to fall right into the trap she laid.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller that was riddled with red flags - the fact that Emma failed to take heed of any should have been a red flag in itself! But she was in love. And she was pregnant. It was all she ever wanted. But so many secrets. And only a handful of characters. How is this going to turn out? And then just when I thought I knew it all, Halsall turned the tables with another twist that left me literally me speechless. The pace is fast, and those short snappy chapters keep it moving even quicker.

As I said, there are only a handful of characters and I can't say I warmed to any of them. They all seemed to be keep secrets. Yet they were each angered by the other keeping secrets. Pot...kettle...and all that. But oh, how it kept me thoroughly entertained. Definitely up there as one of her best to date!

Overall, THE BIGAMIST is a cleverly twisted tale where nothing is as it seems, that is fast paced, addictive and delivers a shocking big bang of an ending. 5 stars.

I would like to thank #RonaHalsall, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBigamist in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Well this book was certainly full of surprises - and quite dark at times. I did enjoy it for the most part but the main character Emma really annoyed me and I found some of the characters' actions really defied belief. As a domestic thriller it was something a bit different and it definitely kept my attention.

Many thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was good read but I found the pacing a bit off. Nothing really happened apart from a few minor revelations and then completely changed pace in the second half. I did like the twist in the middle but because I hadn't enjoyed the first half of the book and didn't like the main character, Emma, I wasn't sure I wanted to carry on. But I persevered!

I still have a few unanswered questions from the first half of the book - I think this was because so much was crammed into the second half and the story was lost.

I did like the story but I think the tag line on the cover is very misleading for anyone wanting to pick this up.

Now this was one hell of a page turner! It kept my interest from beginning to end and believe me when I say the ending did not disappoint... wow!

Emma recently lost her husband and has joined a bereavement support group. Not sure if its 'her thing' she gives it a try and is welcomed with open arms by Faith, the lead speaker who has brought along her brother Sam who recently lost his wife.

Connections are made and soon Emma and Sam are a couple, living together and building their own 'dream' home with the help of the insurance money Emma has from the loss of her husband.

When Emma falls pregnant they marry in a small ceremony but things aren't easy for Emma. She keeps forgetting things and small fires are started at home in the strangest places. Sam works away alot so Faith steps in to help.

When Emma calls Sam one day a woman answers his phone pertaining to be his wife... what is really going on when Sam is working away? What is Sam hiding and is he the only one with secrets?

This is a truly captivating read that has an amazing unexpected twisty ending.

I don't want to give anything away so apologies for the 'bitty' review but just read the damn book people.... you'll regret it otherwise!

Huge praise for Rona Halsall and huge thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Rona Halsall is always a great read!!! This one was no exception!!! An unputdownable page turning thriller with twists you will NOT see coming!!!

Omg!! I have no words for this read. It kept my interest the whole time & the ending was unbelievable! This was a well rounded read full of a hint of spice and kept me guessing the whole time

Emma, 34, works as a virtual PA. She recently lost her husband and has joined a bereavement group. There she is welcomed by Faith who is a speaker at the group. She chats with Emma telling her that her brother, Sam, has recently lost his wife and is attending the group as well. Emma and Sam soon become friends and have grown close.

Sam is an architect and when Emma explains that she would like a home built, he jumps at helping her choose a plot and a design for the home. When she discovers she is pregnant, she is so happy. Sam proposes to her and they get married in a small wedding. But things are difficult for Emma as her pregnancy is not easy and Sam is away from home part of each week working on his projects. She becomes frustrated that her own home has not been started. Plus, there are some frightening things that happen when Sam is gone and she wonders about her own sanity. When she calls him one day and a woman answers saying she is Sam’s wife, Emma freaks. But Sam says it’s a mentally challenged woman he is trying to build a home for and she had gotten his phone. But, is he telling her the truth?

Well, this one caught me by surprise. Very twisty and scary. I’ve read many of this author’s books and she certainly never fails to entertain. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen!!! This is another home run from Rona Halsall.
Emma is at a bereavement group and meets Sam and his sister, Faith. They are both grieving and find solace in each others arms. What follows is a page turner that I read in one sitting.
I can’t wait for Roma’s next book! Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheBigamist #RonaHalstall #NetGalley #Bookouture #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

Halsall captivates from the very first page, drawing us into the lives of Sam and Emma, their happy marriage, the news of a baby on the way...and then...

You've found out your husband is leading a double life, but you're hiding a whopper of a secret too aren't you Emma?

I've enjoyed several of Halsall's thrillers now and The Bigamist didn't disappoint. It's a slow burner that hots up the further into the plot we go. There are plenty of twists to whet the appetite and the tension throughout is palpable.

I didn't like any of the characters, they were all decidedly shifty, all harbouring secrets and lies. They did make for a fab read though.

The Bigamist is well plotted, compelling and definitely worth the read.

The Bigamist…

I have no words and that’s saying a lot being as though I have had the nickname “motor mouth” since I was a kid.

Bookouture, has released some of my favorite thrillers this year and The Bigamist, falls into the number one slot in this category .

Rona Halsall, you speak my love language and I will forever be a huge fan of yours.

I’ve read every thriller imaginable. The cheating husband, the evil children, the woman plagued with amnesia……..but nothing and I tell you nothing has ever been written like The Bigamist, to date .

The Bigamist, is completely original to anything I have ever read and has left me transfixed on what this book just put me through. I might just have to read it again to make sure I did not miss anything .

I’m left with a massive book hangover and can not stop thinking about this book!!!

This is a book of the year and I can not wait to watch this one break the internet . Rona Halsall, is in the big leagues when it comes to skill and execution of the perfect book. After concluding The Bigamist, I instantly went into stalker mode and found every book published by this author to date and purchased them all.

If you are looking for a book to blow your mind and satisfy your every bookish need, look no further, The Bigamist, delivers!

Teaser :

‘I’m sorry, Sam’s not available,’ says the woman who answers my husband’s phone. I can’t place her voice, so I politely ask who she is. Her answer sends my world spinning out of control: ‘I’m his wife.’

I know I want to marry Sam the moment I meet him. After I lost my beloved mother so suddenly, this charming, softly spoken architect with his deep-brown eyes is just the fresh start I’ve been searching for.

I’m delighted to be expecting our first child before we’ve even had a chance to plan a honeymoon. I want our family to work so I try to ignore his long work trips. I turn a blind eye to the private calls he takes and I listen to his excuses about why the money keeps disappearing from my bank account. After all, he has no idea what I’ve been doing in our house whilst he’s away or how I really made that money.

Then I find out Sam’s got more to hide than I ever imagined was possible. Because my husband is leading a double life. He’s already married to someone else.

But what Sam doesn’t know is that he’s not the only person keeping secrets.

And he has no idea how far I’ll go to protect myself…

Brilliant.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the superb Sarah Durham.
I was gripped from the start- the narrator had a lovely engaging voice and perfectly added to the drama and tension when she needed to.
There are lots of twists (one made me gasp, very clever!) and the drama never lets up until the book is finished.
Highly recommended and would love to listen to more books narrated by Durham.
This is probably my new favourite Halsall book!

This book will seriously take you on a ride! Every time I thought I had the plot figured out some shocking new twist would surprise me.

Mourning after a loss, Emma meets who she thinks is the perfect man. Sam, a charming architect who also recently lost someone, is there to help Emma pick up all the pieces of her life. As a quick romance begins to evolve between Emma and Sam, Emma find that they are pregnant and excited to begin this part of her life. That is until she learns Sam may be keeping some secrets, maybe even another wife. But is Sam the only one keeping secrets?

This was definitely a thrilling book, the plot moved fast and kept me guessing what would happen next. I definitely didn’t trust any of the characters, there was just enough information about each character to make you suspiciously doubt their actions. The setting of the book was detailed enough that I could picture the setting. Overall the writing was fast paced and enjoyable.

I feel slightly disappointed by this book. I expected a twisty story with a lot of shocks, but it was very lack lustre. I feel very underwhelmed by this story, It gives the impression that a poor wife finds out that her husband has a second wife (or that she is the second wife), but by midway, this storyline has ended, and we learn that she is the one hiding secrets. It was difficult to know the POV of the chapter, as it bounced often (in different parts), and has some chapters in the past. I finished it, but I did find myself reading it rather quickly just to get to the end. I expected more, and I have read more thrilling and gripping books.

This book! I’m an old cynic who’s read a ton and is hardly surprised by anything. This one sewed up all of my guesses by the halfway mark. I love that for me! Ha.

Check this psychological thriller out if you want something that reads like a movie with some characters that make you 👀

What I liked: really readable, high octane, actual surprising

What I didn’t like: the ending could have 💥 more, but it was still okay

Thanks for the review copy @netgalley

Well a hell of a lot happened in this book that I have serious whiplash! I don’t even know where to start as so much happened. It was an intense read and I just couldn’t stop reading! All of the characters were unlikeable but I think it’s what made the book better! Would recommend!

The Bigamist knocked me flat. I thought it would be about a woman who discovered she was married to a cheat, but it turned out to be so much more!
One character is the biggest liar of all and delusional to boot. This character’s manipulations, lies, betrayals, and actions are truly inconceivable.
Halsall had me suckered and the surprises kept arriving.
A great thrill read!

Rona Halsall's latest domestic suspense thriller, THE BIGAMIST, is a wicked twisty game of cat and mouse. Unreliable narrators, no likable characters, and EVERYONE is keeping dark SECRETS! 3.5 Stars

Who is the bigamist? Emma or Sam? Who is keeping the bigger secret?

The Prologue: Emma is eight months pregnant and looking through home magazines in the doctor's waiting room. She and her architect husband, Sam, are building a large home. She notices a painting in a photograph that is hers. Her artwork belonged to her and was in a storage unit in Manchester, where she left them before they moved to Appleby in Cumbria. How did it wind up on a stranger's wall? Then a strange phone call. Someone claims to be Sam's wife.

Part One: We jump to where Emma and Sam met at a bereavement group fourteen months earlier.

Emma's mum died of breast cancer three years earlier. Then she had a miscarriage. Her husband had a terrible accident, and two months earlier, her mother-in-law had a heart attack when she heard about Zach's accident.

Then she meets Faith and her brother, Sam. She and Faith become friends, and Sam and Emma begin dating. Alice, his wife, died.

Soon she is pregnant. They move into a temporary cottage, and Sam talks her into allowing him to build them a house. They get married. He seems to be spending a lot of her money. Everything is moving too quickly for Emma. Can she trust him?

Part Two Now: Then it appears she is misplacing things. Is someone gaslighting her? Then Emma reads about Sam's past, which is disturbing. Sam is spending much time away from home, traveling with his business. Then there is a fire.

The picture on the stranger's wall is still bugging Emma and the mystery. Who sold her paintings? This relationship is moving too fast, and the couple barely knows one another or knows anything about their past.

Part Three is when we learn about Zach, Emma's previous husband.

Part Four: When you think you know where the author is headed, there is a 180 turn, and then we find out Emma is also keeping BIG secrets, as well as Faith and Sam.

Part Five: Who's zooming who? Who is the cat, and who is the mouse? Prey or predator? All the players come together in this web of deceit, lies, and manipulation, and then five months later.

Greed, money, jealousy, ulterior motives, manipulation, MURDER! Life was dangerous. Accident happens. Everyone has their agenda. How far will one go to protect their family? Why does someone become a bigamist?

MY THOUGHTS: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Sarah Durham for an entertaining performance. However, I thought it was drawn out and repetitive in the middle, and I became bored and ready for it to end. No likable characters, so I was not invested in any of the characters. There was too much drama for me, and the ending felt rushed. This is more of a popcorn thriller and not a complex psychological thriller, in my opinion. I was not blown away. My first book by the author, and I look forward to possibly reading more.

Thanks to Bookouture and Hachette UK for a gifted ALC and an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pub Date: July 5, 2023
July 2023 Must-Read Books

Emma meets Sam at a bereavement group, having both lost loved ones, and they immediately hit it off, they start off as friends but it quickly becomes more and before they know it they have decided to move in together, get married and Emma is pregnant, everything she has always wanted. Then she starts having doubts, with Sam spending much of his week away and money disappearing from her account, and it all comes to a head when she discovers he already has a wife, she decides to find out what else he's hiding, but Sam isn't the only one keeping secrets in this marriage!

The Bigamist is the latest thriller by Halsall and boy does she know how to weave a web of deceit. This story has everything and then some, the plot is fast paced and well written, the characters are all unreliable with secrets aplenty and just when I thought I'd figured out where the story was heading she throws in a twist that sends it heading in a whole new direction. This book had me hooked from the prologue and didn't let go till the turn of the very last page. If you like a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and second guessing throughout then The Bigamist is one for you!

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.