Warning: this book will make you suspicious of everyone in your life. I'm literally giving my dog the side eye as I write this review? Who is she really?

This book is marketed as a psychological thriller. I found this book to be mind-numbing for the first thirty percent. Nothing really happens. The reader is lulled into numbness as we follow along with Alice's mundane existence: work, marriage, kids, repeat. But that's the whole point isn't it? This setup highlights how easy it is, how necessary it is, to simply trust in the choices you're making, trust in the people you're choosing to share your world. Wake up, exist, sleep. Don't question anything. Answers can hurt. Ignore the red flags because red is for bullfights, and who wants to be in a bullfight when they can instead be blissfully sitting atop a float during a holiday parade? Why be a fighter when you can be the princess? Your happiness is your own doing, so why rock the boat when you've got the honeymoon suite?

Similar to Sandie Jones's "The Other Woman", this book is a nothing-is-what-it-seems book. Is Alice's second husband having an affair? Was her first husband the saint she remembers him as? Is her best friend really her most worthy foe? Are her kids real or aliens? When you reach the last 30-40 pages of this book, you won't know what's real anymore.

It's really hard to review a book like this without dropping spoilers all over the place. So, without pulling off Santa's beard, here's what worked in the book:
1) Alice's desperate need to maintain a normal existence was very accurately portrayed. After going through hell once already, it made complete sense that she clung to whatever she could to make her feel whole again;
2) Alice's blissful ignorance - there were times when I personally understood her actions. Maybe others won't, but I completely got it. It's easier to trust someone. it's a lot harder to be suspicious.
3) Alice's kids provided the perfect motivation for Alice's storyline.
4) The multiple big reveals. As I read the book, I kept thinking "well, how the hell is this gonna be explained away?" But it all worked.
5) This book is definitely timely. We're bombarded with "Dirty John" stories and psychological terms like "gaslighting" and "narcissism" are the new normal in everyday vernacular, so this book fits right into today's culture.
6) The author's cute use of the film "The Other Woman", a favorite of mine. Oh, Sandie Jones, I see what you did there

What didn't work:
1) Alice not asking ANY questions whatsoever. Sure, I agree with a lot of her actions, reactions, and inaction, but there were certain things she did that drove me insane;
2) Alice not telling ANYBODY the big discovery she's made. Doubtful;
3) The pace was a little too slow.

As I read this book, I planned to give it a solid 3 stars. I liked it, and I wanted to know what happened, but it wasn't hitting me as hard as other psychological thrillers. But, after all the reveals, I gave it 4 stars, especially after I sat back and reflected on all the characters' motivations. This story is whacked, but... it actually is pretty realistic.

Thanks to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the opportunity of reading The First Mistake in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing. So many twists that you kind of had a feeling where it may go but then a few turns along the way you changed your mind or cast doubt on that feeling. I flew through this book with its written tales of lies and deceit. Sandie Jones sets up the beginning of the book in a way by introducing the characters of book that makes you want to read more. The author does a great job portraying the main character Alice's mental heath. She lost her first husband in an accident and that caused her to spiral down. Meeting her second husband helps her lift her life but she is still fragile....ten years later. That's when the doubts about her second husband start and her downward spiral seems to start again. Writing how Alice began to take charge of herself in order to save herself was a highlight for me.

Sandie Jones is an amazing author and will definitely be reading all her works.

THANK YOU, MINOTAUR BOOKS!!!

One of the year's best suspense books!

Alice has it all - a wonderful husband, two wonderful daughters, and a great career. She does miss her deceased first husband, Tom, at times, though. After all, he is the father of her oldest daughter. Alice does suffer from a bit of depression and perhaps agoraphobia - seemingly it is mostly under control. Beth, Alice's best friend, is great for her morale. Unfortunately, lately, so is alcohol.

This book develops and develops. - never disappointing. Sandie Jones consistently weaves a web of ingenious mystery and suspense.

MORE THAN a MUST READ!!!

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ability to read and review this gem.

i was not sure of this book when I started reading, seemed much too heavy hearted. . But, thank goodness, I have this quirk about reading a book till the end, I would have missed out on a great book otherwise. I may not have cared about them in the beginning but I sure did as I kept reading. This book creeps up on you, I remember thinking as I kept reading that I was so glad I'm a very fast reader, I would just bull my way through it and be done with it. By the last paragraph I was like, No, it can't be over, I want more of them. This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last.

This a book to read in one sitting. I couldn't put it down with all the twists and turns. Intriguing plotline and well-paced. It will keep you guessing.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is a fun, fast-paced book. The book is about betrayal--of friends and lovers--and relationships; also it's about loss and grief. I will say that I figured out the biggest "twist" very early on, but I was still motivated to keep reading and to find out how the pieces would come together.

If I had one complaint, it was that I felt the very end was a little rushed. I also wasn't crazy about how the epilogue was framed. However, those are minor complaints. Overall I found this to be a page turner and a great ride. I recommend to anyone looking for a domestic noir or a psychological thriller.

This is the firat time I have read anything by this author but I will definitely be looking for more. A very good book, well written and easy to read!!! I enjoyed the characters and the storyline was easy to follow!

There’s not a lot of books that I’ve read that stay with me throughout the day I think about it of and on during work and when I’m doing stuff around the house. This book really did that it stayed with me and I was constantly thinking of things that were happening in it and what I thought might happen next it just really kept me interested. The other books that she’s written do the same she’s a wonderful writer and I really recommend her books. I can’t wait to read more of them. I started this book on a Sunday afternoon and finished it Tuesday night. It was so good that I had to sit up in bed during the middle of the night to read the last chapter even though I had been reading for the past three hours. Wow. Definitely a must read.

This book was a 2 lunch hours and leave me alone I am reading kind of book. Fast, fun, and some DEFINITE twists.
Alice seems to have the perfect life finally after becoming a widow of a young child. Her second husband Nathan can seem to do no wrong...until cracks start to show. Are the cracks in Alice's mind? Is she still not over her deceased husband? Will her best friend be able to help her figure it all out?
I liked the use of the dual narrator and that it was not the whole book. Alice is the primary narrator. Beth is the secondary and it helps you see why or does it?
Such a fun read. I really like the fast fun reads that make lunch hours fly by!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!!!!

Great story. Sandie Jones has done it again. The Other Woman was really good and The First Mistake is equally good. Compulsive read that leads you one way and then another. Don't assume you know what is happening or where it is going, but you will want to get there in a hurry.

Alice, Beth, the two main characters, are good friends and so are their daughters. Nathan is Alice's second hubby, but is he more than he seems? It was very hard to put this book down watching the twists and turns. Really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Initially I was not particularly impressed with the book, while reading Beth's story. It seemed glaringly obvious what Tom was up to and I despaired of reading an unorginal plot.

Keep reading, It is not what you think it is. Alice seems to have finally recovered from the death of her first husband and has a happy second marriage with Nathan and their two girls. But then little by little doubts start to creep in, thankfully she has her best friend to confide in, or does she.

An enjoyable read, I am glad I didn't stop halfway!

Thank you to #Netgalley and #StMartin'sPress for #TheFirstMistake in exchange for my honest review

Oh my goodness. I flew through this book and had a lot of fun! I enjoyed the twist and turns and the relationships that kept you guessing. Well done. Pick this book up for a great summer read! I can't wait to read Sandie Jones' The Other Woman.

This book seems completely unrealistic, until the very end. At the end, it all comes together and make sense. The ending is incredible! This book will be a great beach read!

She did it again! This author is phenomenal, and I enjoyed this book just as much as I did her first novel, The Other Woman! The author has a knack for writing good plots with tons of twists.
This book follows two women, telling their separate stories, and also intertwining them.
The first woman is Alice. She is in the prime of her life making tons of money at her own company. She has 2 girls at home, and is on her second marriage; although she is still recovering from the tragic loss of her first husband.
The second woman is Beth. She is a single mother of one daughter, and is currently on the watch for Mr. Right!
These two woman are brought together, because their children end up at the same school. They hit it off right away, and basically end up the bestest friends. The information that both come into will test their relationship by either breaking it up or making it stronger.
I am already waiting for the author's next book!

Page-turner alert! "Domestic suspense" is an apt descriptor of Sandie Jones' The First Mistake - I would call it more of a slow-burn than a fast-paced mystery. But I absolutely still found myself wanting to read it in one sitting. This is the kind of book that makes you forget your bedtime.

I went into this one fairly blind, which I'd recommend (so I'm not going to outline the plot or even share the book's premise here). The book doesn't have the most original of plots - I often saw twists coming - but what an enjoyable ride nonetheless. Now that I've read a second book by Jones (she also wrote The Other Woman), I can confidently say that I am a fan of the way she writes characters. The men especially just felt so real to me. And I couldn't help but relate to Alice, the main character.

Overall, a satisfying, engaging read. I'm already looking forward to whatever she writes next.

The First Mistake was a fast paced thriller that kept me guessing at every turn. I really enjoyed Sandie Jones’ other book, The Other Woman, and liked this one just as much. The writing was good, the storyline was original, and the twists literally had me gasping out loud. I loved this book (read it in one night!) and recommend it to people who enjoy high energy, character-driven stories with a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The First Mistake by Sandie Jones is a thriller that examines our closest loyalties and ties. Alice Davies is a successful interior designer who has worked hard for her career, her family, and her loyal circle of friends, namely her close friend Beth. When inconsistencies emerge at both work and at home, Alice’s head spins as she uncovers layer upon layer of deceit, lies, and schemes that go back decades.
While the premise is interesting, I found it a little incredible that after so much time, Alice discovers everything almost all at once. She’s an unsympathetic character for me, and the other characters feel underdeveloped, the plot overly complicated, and the conclusion a bit rushed and murky. Overall, a middling thriller in a sea of better contenders.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I recently read The Other Woman (4/5) so I was really excited when granted the opportunity to review Sandie Jones's newest story. I actually think I liked this one better! I love Sandie's writing style. It's pretty relaxed and to the point. Very easy to follow.

This story starts out seemingly like your typical domestic thriller, I was a little disappointed at first, as I thought I was reading the typical story. Wealthy female, shady spouse, and so on. I definitely liked where this book went, it kept me guessing. The end does get a little confusing, and does require some suspension of belief, but I liked what was done. I'm still not sure how I felt about the Eplilogue it is left very open, and I'm left with several questions of what happens at the end.

It's a quick read, and will make a great beach read this summer. I would definitely recommend this to others who enjoyed a The Other Woman.

Enjoyed this one! If you think too much about it, the story requires a little more suspension of disbelief than I usually like to give but I still liked it.

A page turning read with an ending that will keep book clubs arguing well past the bottom of the wine bottle!