Loved this action packed story of a girl on the run and the man who loves her hunting for the truth and the future.

The Wife You Know by Chad Zunker

What would you do for love? Luke Driskell has some hard decisions to make as he travels state to state hoping to learn something that will lead him to Ashely and his stepdaughter. They have only been married a few months, but he knows he needs to find the people he has grown to love so dearly.

What I liked:
* Luke Driskell: tech guru, wealthy, widowed a year before meeting Ashley, orphaned when young, raised by his grandfather, tenacious, intelligent, deeply in love
* Ashley Driskell: loving single parent, artist, raised in foster care, has secrets, seems fearful at times, will do anything for her daughter, religious, caring, kind Luke
* Joy: three years old, happy, loves her mother and Luke, has never known her birth father
* Nick Cantley: ex-CIA agent, works as an independent operator and consultant, good friend, plays a big part in this story
* The plot, pacing, and writing
* The way the hints were found slowly and how they gave depth to Ashley’s backstory
* The ending – although I would have liked to have had an epilogue

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how expendable others can be to those with political, financial, or other power

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Luke investigates the disappearance of his wife Ashley, and her daughter Joy. Overnight, Ashley goes viral for rescuing kids from a burning daycare facility. Once she sees that she went viral, she panics and disappears. Luke is on the hunt to find her. How well did he really know Ashley?

This was my first book by this author, and I truly enjoyed it! What a great read! This story was fast paced and full of drama. I was hooked from the very beginning, and stayed that way until the very end. Ashley disappearing without a trace is our first clue that she must be hiding something. This was nail biting. The whole time, I felt I ws on the journey with Luke, curious about what "we" would discover.

The plot was fleshed out well. We also get great character development with flashbacks to how the couple met mixed in with present day. The present day scenes were fast paced and full of tons of action. The ending was such a perfect wrap up for me! I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I say I couldn’t put this book down! Unbelievably engaging and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Chad Zunker for providing a digital ARC of this novel through NetGalley!

A fast-paced thriller will always be at the top of my list for favorite reads. This one definitely held up to that expectation. I love the short chapters and the story line about a mysterious past and creating a new life for our main character and her daughter. The development into a search for her after she disappears is fully engaging and I was satisfied with the ending.
Overall, this was an awesome quick read for me and I am grateful to have the opportunity to read it!
#netgalley #thewifeyouknow

The Wife You Know: A Mixed Bag of Suspense

"The Wife You Know" took me on a journey that felt both familiar and fresh. Drawing parallels to "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laura Dave, this novel, narrated from a male perspective, offered a unique twist to a familiar storyline. However, while the premise held promise, I couldn't help but feel that the narrative would have benefited from a more varied perspective, perhaps incorporating Ashley's point of view or delving into flashbacks from before her disappearance.

The story follows widower Luke Driscoll, who finds unexpected love and remarriage with Ashley, a woman who becomes a social media sensation after a heroic act. However, when Ashley and her daughter disappear without a trace, Luke embarks on a frantic search for answers. While the premise is gripping, I found myself questioning Luke's decision not to enlist the help of a private investigator, given his resources and the gravity of the situation.

Throughout the book, I found myself concocting various theories about Ashley's disappearance, none of which matched the surprising revelation provided by the author. While the unexpected twist was intriguing, I wished for more depth and exploration, particularly through flashback sequences.

Zunker's writing style, though simplistic at times, serves the story adequately. However, certain plot holes, such as the plausibility of Ashley's swift departure from the hospital despite severe injuries, tested my suspension of disbelief. Nevertheless, "The Wife You Know" offers a fun, albeit flawed, reading experience that could translate well onto the big screen.

The pacing of the novel fluctuates, with the opening and closing thirds gripping my attention, while the middle section, focusing on Luke's solo investigation, felt sluggish and repetitive. Additionally, the ending left me feeling unsatisfied, lacking the resolution and closure I craved after investing in the characters' journeys.

In conclusion, "The Wife You Know" presents a compelling premise with elements of suspense and mystery, but falls short in execution due to pacing issues and a lackluster resolution. While it may not reach its full potential, fans of the genre may still find enjoyment in this imperfect yet entertaining read.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and Chad Zunker for the opportunity to explore this novel ahead of its release. Your support of readers and reviewers is truly appreciated

I loved this book! I never saw the twists coming. I liked all of the characters. I’ve never read from this author before but I will definitely be again!

I was a real fan of the author, especially his Sam.Callahan series. The plot was intriguing but the characters could have been cleaned out a bit more. On the other hand, the story kept me hooked and I finished it in a day. Fun read for your next vacation

At the time, I was interested in mystery/thriller books; however currently I am no longer interested in reading the book.

I love the premise of this book. Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. I never really connected with the characters, so I didn't care about what happened to them. I think getting Ashley's point of view would have helped connect with her. I did like the short chapters and it was a fast read. I look forward to trying something else from the author in the future.


Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Mercer for the digital arc.

This was a super quick read for me! I read it in less than 24 hours. I found myself needing to pick it back up to find out what happened next anytime I tried to put it down. Such a good book that kept me needing to know what was gonna happen next.

I read Chad Zunker's Family Money and enjoyed the storyline but found the twists too expected and predictable. This is one is much better. It's a very quick and easy read at 205 pages with no major twists but still definitely kept my interest. Software entrepreneur Luke Driskell's wife Ashley appears on national television and all over social media as a hero for saving preschool children from a burning day care center building and then disappears the next day with her three year-old daughter Joy. Luke's investigation into their disappearance uncovers Ashley's hidden past including fake IDs with different names, cities, and hair cuts and colors. Luke sets off across the country to find the truth, but he has no idea the kind of danger he's about to enter into. Thanks to #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel really kept me in suspsense. With plot twists along the way. I felt some parts weren’t that realistic and it could have had more details

What seems like a wonderful relationship in the beginning quickly changes. This book was extremely hard to put down. There are lots of twists and turns and this is a great mystery. I highly recommend this book. It’s fast paced and an easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chad Zunker and
Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book.

Overall, it was enjoyable. Easy to read, short chapters, and somewhat adventurous. I would rate it at 3.5 star⭐️ rounded up to 4.

I received a complimentary from Thomas Mercer and all opinions expressed are entirely mine.

How far will one go to find their loved ones? The book follows Luke who is madly in love with Ashley and his stepdaughter Joy. One day he gets off a flight to news his wife is a hero and wakes up to her having disappeared with their stepdaughter Joy. It's quite an interesting read on the power of love and how far someone will go to protect their own. Started pretty strong and along the way it became mildly strong. But it's a good thriller and definitely will keep you engrossed.

Rating:3.75/5

Wow!! Thank you Netgalley, Chad Zunker, and Thomas and Mercer for this amazing read!! If I didn't have 2 babies and an entire family to take care of I would have finished in a day! So well written. Had me hooked wanting to figure everything out with crazy revelations at each chapter!

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer & Chad Zunker for the ARC of this book

This is my first by this author and it won't be my last. It was fast paced, full of secrets to unravel and twists along the way.

I was thoroughly gripped throughout and invested in the outcome for the protagonists. This is an easy book to binge in one sitting because the plot was so addictive. I love when our characters discover that someone they love holds secrets and their job is to solve the mystery and find the real truth.

The ending was unexpected and overall the book was an addictive, fast paced and highly entertaining read!

3.5/5

One minute, you're visiting your wife in the hospital and she's a hero after saving kids from a day care fire, the next, you're desperately searching for her after she disappears into thin air, apparently voluntarily, taking her daughter/your stepdaughter with her, and you have no idea why. Worse yet, you soon realize you never really knew her. This fast-paced, easy to read & hard to put down thriller is told from the perspective of the husband, Luke Driskell. Money is no object as he tries to track down his mysterious wife's past, hoping it will lead him to her in the present.

I have read a few books by Chad Zunker and I haven't been disappointed yet. This was fast paced and I was hooked from the first page. I really enjoyed the short chapters as well. If you want a fast paced thriller that will keep you entertained then I would recommend this book. I hope you enjoy it if you read it.


Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.