Published by: Bookouture (10th October 2018)



ISBN: 978-1786817075



Source: Netgalley



Rating: 5*



Synopsis:

Charley Willis was thirteen years old when her parents were killed in their family home and she was found hiding in a cupboard upstairs.

Fifteen years later, Charley is marrying Seth Chambers. It should be the happiest day of their lives, a chance for Charley to put her past behind her, but just hours after the ceremony, she is missing.

No one saw her leave. No one knows where she is.

One thing is for certain…Seth is about to discover he doesn’t really know the woman he just married. And his nightmare is only just beginning.



Review:

Oh WOW! I've not read one of Kerry's books for a while and how I've missed them! This deftly woven tale of intrigue caught my attention from the get go and completely ensnared me. I wasn't prepared for what was to unfold as the dramatic plot shared its darkest secrets, told from the perspectives of both Charley's husband Seth, in the present day, and Charley herself, via flashbacks.



With more twists and turns than your average rollercoaster, The Wife's Secret will have you reading way past your bedtime and questioning every disappearance you will ever hear about again. It's full of suspense, familial tension and the author's brilliant attention to detail make this truly outstanding.

Thank you Bookouture for an early copy of the Wife's Secret. Very hard to get into, did not keep my interest until the last 4 chapters. Very good plot but toooooooo dragged out.

Actual rating 3.5.

This was a story with so much potential but for me it didn’t quite reach.

Don’t get me wrong, the story was intriguing. A wife goes missing on her wedding day, from her wedding reception, and no one has a clue about her whereabouts. The mystery side of the story got me thinking so much, there were so many theories going round in my head. Unfortunately when the answer was revealed it didn’t quite tally with the rest of the story. The ending also left some things pretty much unresolved, and me a little disappointed.

The story was well written, the first part moved at a great pace but then became a bit lacking in something for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy. These are my opinions only, others will enjoy the read more than I did.

A psychological thriller by author Kerry Wilkinson that for me doesn't quite hit the high standard of the other one's I have read by him. That is not to say it isn't a decent read because it is but when you set the bar so high it makes it so much more difficult. I though it was very strong at the start and I was instantly caught up in the plot but as the book went on I became less and less enthralled.

The novel is about bride Charley Willis whose parents were killed in their family home when she was just thirteen years old and she was found hiding in a cupboard upstairs. Now fifteen years later, Charley is marrying Seth Chambers and what should be the happiest day of their lives and a chance for Charley to put her past behind her is turned into a nightmare when just hours after the ceremony, she is missing. No one saw her leave the reception and no one knows where she is. Seth is left alone with his new wife missing and he is about to discover he doesn’t really know the woman he just married.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader's copy of this book!
This had me hooked from the start, a very addicting read! Twists and turns at every flip of a page!!!

Wow! What a thrill ride! I've never read anything by this author but I'll definitely be checking out her other works.. Story was full of twist and turns. Surely didn't see the ending. Highly recommend!

OMG!!! This is an excellent intriguing, tension-filled mystery a truly gripping read.

I am sure I exceeded my previous reading speed to get to the climax. The story is told from both Seth and Charley’s point of view and covers present day and Charley’s history which added to the suspense.

I had not read anything by Kerry Wilkinson before and am very pleased to have a new author on my TBR list. Can’t wait to start reading all his books – I believe there are quite a number.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

Review will be published on my blog on publication date.

The Wife’s Secret is the second book I’ve read written by Kerry Wilkinson and I’m fast becoming a fan. The story begins at the reception of Seth’s and Charley’s wedding – only the bride is nowhere to be seen. Charley Willis has a past. Her parents were brutally killed when she was only 13 years old and she managed to save herself by hiding in a cupboard. Has the killer finally come back to correct his mistake? Everyone, including Seth, wonders if the Willis curse is true and if Charley is the next victim.
The story unfolds through differently timelines. In the present, Seth tries to figure out who his wife really is, and in the past, we get to know the Willis family, the super-successful star parents and their three children. I couldn’t literally put my Kindle down. Undoubtedly, one of the best thrillers I’ve read recently. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A gripping thriller, I found this one hard to put down!
It starts at Seth and Charley's wedding reception, Seth goes looking for his new wife so they can cut the cake, but Charley has disappeared, seemingly vanished into thin air, and nobody has seen her go. This starts Seth asking questions. Did she run off? Or was she taken?
It is soon revealed that Charley has a tragic past. Her parents were brutally murdered when she was 13 years old, with Charley hiding in a cupboard upstairs so the intruder couldn't find her. The murders were never solved. Does Charleys disappearance on her wedding night have something to do with her parents murder on that night 15 years before? As Seth fears the worst, he soon learns that not all is as it seems. Someone has secrets, and will go to great lengths to keep them hidden.
I was completely riveted by this book. Kerry Wilkinson weaves a tale of deception and intrigue, with a wow of an ending you wont see coming! I recommend this book to all lovers of psychological fiction and suspense.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What happened to Charley? Told in dual time line and from the viewpoints of Charley and her groom Seth, it untangles, finally a long standing mysterious tragedy in Charley's life. Her parents were murdered when she was a child- while she hid in a closet- and she was raised by her old sister. Seth - seriously- you never asked her about it? Well, he didn't and now she's walked out of their wedding reception. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Well done with some good twists.

Wow, I'm one of Kerry's biggest fans, and with this brilliant read, I'm thoroughly confirmed! This book was gripping from the beginning, and just as soon as I thought I have figured something out, then another plot twist happens. I did not see the ending coming, and really enjoyed this great read. Highly recommended.

A fantastic psychological thriller full of lies, betrayal, murder and so much more.

It all begins on Seth and Charley’s wedding day. The happiest day of their life’s until Charley vanished without a trace. Where did she go ? Was she abducted ? Is this the Willis curse ?

When Seth starts to look into where his wife may have gone and who with he starts to look into her past. Charley was 13 years old when her Mum and Dad were brutally murdered in their own home whilst Charley was hiding in the wardrobe in her room. The murdered has never been caught. Everyone knows what happened that night but Charley has never gone into detail with Seth and he has always respected that and left her to tell him in her own time. Was that the right thing to do ? Is her disappearance linked to the tragedy that happened all those years ago ?

This is a page turner that will keep you grubbed until the very last page. Some really brilliant characters, and some very evil characters too !! A brilliant psychological thriller and a definite must read if you love your mystery thrillers.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I just love reading books by Kerry Wilkinson. So when The Wife's Secret by Kerry Wilkinson popped up on Bookouture I just had to request it. So this new book did not disappoint. I loved it. It was full of twists and turns throughout.
I loved all the Characters and all had a brilliant parts in this wonderful book.

Charlotte Willis was only thirteen and had a very rough childhood, when her famous parents were murdered in their home. Charlotte was Hiding in the cupboard when this happened..................The Killer was never caught.

Fifteen years later Charlotte who has shortened her name to Charley is getting married to a lovely guy called Seth Chambers.
Until Charley goes missing at the wedding reception.

No one saw her leave.

No one knows where Charley is?

Has The Willis curse returned?

Seth will find out things about his new wife Charley he did not know and his nightmare is just about to begin for him...........

This book will take you back to when Charlotte was a young girl. You will read more about her famous parents, her home life, what it was like to have famous parents, her older sister Martha and older Brother Liam, and especially what part they all have in Charlotte's life.
To now in her present life when she is called Charley.

This book had a wicked ending........I would highly recommended this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this arc.

I enjoyed this stand-alone psychological thriller but it didn't tick all the boxes for me as in the author's crime series and this is why I am giving it 3*. I felt that the story dragged out a little and it left me feeling slightly disappointed even the though the concept was good it didn't seem that different from other books of this genre.

Another standalone by Kerry Wilkinson: The Wife's Secret.

From Description: Charley Willis was thirteen years old when her parents were killed in their family home and she was found hiding in a cupboard upstairs.

Fifteen years later, Charley is marrying Seth Chambers. It should be the happiest day of their lives, a chance for Charley to put her past behind her, but just hours after the ceremony, she is missing.

No one saw her leave. No one knows where she is.

One thing is for certain…Seth is about to discover he doesn’t really know the woman he just married. And his nightmare is only just beginning.

Seth is stunned and disbelieving, and the story moves back and forth in time--Seth's story in the present and Charlie's story in the past. To say that Charlie's family was dysfunctional is an understatement, but fortunately, Charlie's older sister Martha was a staunch support after the horrific event.

Although the truth did occur to me at times, I was never completely sure about what happened that night and there were other complications I didn't foresee.

NetGalley/Bookoutre
Mystery/Suspense. Oct. 10, 2018. Print length: 338 pages.

This was a another fun book by the author. It kept you guessing until the end. I will try to give no spoilers whilst reviewing. I love how Kerry takes an utter tragic event, and continuously build upon it, until it is truly at the level of a curse. The curse of family.n There were some twists, as per the authors style I have come to expect, but at least 2 had me flabbergasted. What truly happens in a home when kids are raised as objects, and not children is written out throughout this story. There are many places for some of the characters to redeem themselves. I like the chances they were given, even if some didn't take them time after time. I can see a lot of reality in this faux tale of celebrity. A for sure read for any mystery and suspense fan!

4.5 stars - This book got my attention from the very first chapter! A bride goes missing right after her wedding ceremony…

Afterwards, you find out who Charley really is…

Just those two aspects of the novel really made me want to learn more right away. This was a real page turner for me! There was a lot of action in this book, especially in the end. It kept me on the edge of my seat!

This novel kept going back and forth from the present to the past, we get to know more about Charley and her past. Why is she the way she is? The more I read about Charley’s past, the more I loved her character! I also loved Seth’s character and was really rooting for the couple. Additionally, I was shocked by the total 180 done to the story mid novel!

Even though, in the end, there wasn’t much of a surprise twist, it was still a great story and a great ending. Highly recommend!

I loved the book. Wife, Charley, disappeared one hour after the wedding ceremony, and Seth was left alone amidst the police investigation and media frenzy. This was not the first time that such a thing has happened to Charley, 15 years ago, her parents were brutally murdered at their family home, with Charley hidden inside the wardrobe.

The story was well written by Kerry Wilkinson, this was the first time when I hadn't minded the wavering timelines back and forth, multiple pasts and present. Most of the book revolved around snippets of the past and what Seth underwent in those days when the wife disappeared and then reappeared after 7 days with a black eye.

The plot was treated differently, the pictures of the past, real and artificial were vividly described. The entire book gave the vibe of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There was this glimmering transparent wall through which I could see the entire story as it occurred.

Landscapes changed, people changed, viewpoints changed, needs changed, but the greed remained constant. I could guess the plot when Charley returned back, the breadcrumbs were quite clear. That niggled me. If the plot could have been more twisted, it would have made my heart leap out.

Overall, I had a fab Sunday afternoon, reading this book. Quite a thriller!!

Charley and Seth just got married. He was a vet, she was a shop albeit a small one owner. It looked like a normal wedding. The usual jokes, the usual friends who got a bit too drunk, and the couple seemed very normal.

It wasnt though. Charley was a Willis. A member of the infamous family whose members got murdered one at a time. It started with Charley's parents. Famous and murdered. Then Martha the elder girl who protected and looked after Charley. Burnt to death, suicide verdict. Charley and Martha's husband knew otherwise. And then. Charley disappears on the day of her wedding. She disappears in her wedding dress, nothing taken. Is it an abduction, is she dead.

When Charley turns up one week later in the house where she and Seth live with a blackened eye and a convoluted tale, Seth really does not know what to make of her story. The police are close lipped about it and the media are wild for stories.

What unravels is the usual myths of what lies within a family, the secrets that are hidden and lie festering within children and the explosion that will inevitably happen. The infamous line no one knows what really happens within a marriage, or a family other than those members couldn't be truer.

OMG, what an excellent story. It made chills running down my spine throughout the whole book. There was constantly an atmosphere of suspense, secrecy and anticipation.

The author puts you on a time machine and zaps you frequently to and from the past. 

The story is heartbreaking and although I had figured it out towards the end, it did not reduce the reading pleasure in the least. 

Oh yes, speaking about the end ..., but I will leave that for you to discover when you devour the book and believe me, you will.

Thank you, Kerry Wilkinson, Bookouture and Netgalley. (the review will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and my blog on publication day)