4 ½ ⭐️

I’ve been in a bit of a lull with the mystery/thriller book genre lately. I’ve either struggled to get into one or the ones I did read just didn’t quite hit that spot. This one, however, was exactly what I needed.

It has all the elements of a good murder mystery. Family moves into an old house on a small island. The house was inhabited by a relative who committed suicide and left her daughter behind. The family gets the house and takes guardianship of the daughter who they don’t know very well. She has some dark secrets and is very mysterious and doesn’t take well to her new “family”. The family has some secrets of their own and they welcome the move to the small island where they don’t quite fit in as a chance to recalibrate their lives. Then the woman across the street is murdered.

The main character takes it upon herself to figure out what happened and gets pulled deeper and deeper into into a web of confusion and lies, trying to find out who murdered their neighbour and what her husband’s connection is to it (if any) until she is caught in the middle of it as a suspect in the murder.

There are time gaps and blank spots in the main character’s memory and we are pulled along with her as she struggles to find answers before time runs out.

The story features three main points of view: the main character Sadie, a young girl Mouse, and the other woman Camille. The story jumps back and forth between the three and we slowly learn how their lives fit together.

There are a couple of good twists in this book and I actually didn’t exactly work out the main twist and it caught me a bit by surprise.

All in all a good murder mystery. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and it was better than the first one I read (When the Lights Go Out). I’ve got more on my list by the author so I will probably pick them up sooner rather than later.

Thank-you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy!

After having multiple problems in Chicago, Sadie and Will decide to uproot their family and move to Maine. Where Will inherited his sister's house, and his niece Imogen. Thinking that Maine would be their fresh start until one of the neighborhood women gets murdered! Sadie is questioning if someone in her family had anything to do with the murder and starts acting irrational to try to find out the truth.

It was really a fun read, especially since there were three POVs so it made it even more suspenseful as you are trying to piece the story together.

Some twists were unpredictable, some were predictable, nothing truly mind-blowing, but I still really enjoyed the storyline!

Who is the most twisted in this book. The one with the mental health issues or the one who manipulates everyone.

I read historical romance books. I do not read many thrillers or suspense books. I read this one and I have to say, it was a good read. It kept me going though plot, enjoy the characters, and get surprised by twists and turns this book has to offer.
Now I can honestly say, from time to time I will switch my genre to this one for healthy balance.😊

An incredibly addictive read that was full of thrills, chills, and entertainment, After Sadie, her husband Will and their family move into a new home that Will inherited from his sister, they have to adjust to their new life in a new location. They also inherited Will's niece, Imogen, who is eerie, dark and deeply disturbed.

I devoured this book and didn't know which turn the book would make next and I loved that. A novel that I highly recommend and am sure that you will love as much as I did.

I would like to start by thanking Net Galley, Park Row and the author for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy when an author manages to make the setting of a book come alive so that it feels like an additional character and The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica does this in spades. According to the Maine Island Coastal Registry, there are 3,166 islands off the coast of Maine and our story opens with the Foust family relocating from Chicago to one of these unnamed coastal islands. Accessed only by ferry, the island feels isolated, bleak and ominous right from the beginning which sets the stage for a dark and twisty story.

It is apparent from the beginning that Sadie Foust is not happy about the move from Chicago although she acknowledges that the family is in need of a fresh start. As an emergency room doctor, Sadie worked long hours in Chicago. Her husband Will is a college professor who might have been spending a bit too much time with some of his students. Their 14-year old son Otto, a gifted artist, was expelled from his former school and finally, Will’s niece, Imogen, has just lost her mother to suicide in the very island house they are moving into - and she isn’t coping well. The only one who seems to arrive on the island with no baggage is 7-year old Tate.

Things go from bad to worse when a neighbour gets murdered and all eyes on the small island community turn towards the newest additions as the most likely suspects.

This was my first time reading this author and while I enjoyed both the writing style of Mary Kubica and the atmospheric setting she created, my enjoyment ended quickly once I got to know the characters. Told largely from Sadie’s point of view, the story unfolds at an awkward pace. I think we are supposed to feel a gradual sense of control unravelling as Sadie gets pulled deeper into the murder mystery however, the unravelling does not feel gradual at all. It quickly becomes apparent that Sadie is an unreliable narrator which to me, makes it not only difficult to believe that she is a medical doctor but difficult to believe she stands any chance of solving the mystery. I found the scenes that involved her medical practice took me out of the story as I couldn’t reconcile “Sadie the doctor” with “Sadie our main character”. Often described as standoffish and cold, Sadie’s actions contradict this by being emotional and rash.

Imogen, the character that I was most interested in given that she was the reason the family moved to the island in the first place, was under-developed. Her dialogue was unrealistic and over-the-top, she appears in short, disjointed scenes and yet is pivotal to both the beginning and end of the story.

There are three other points of view in the book - one that made one of the twists very obvious, one that confused me and one that comes in at the end of the book to deliver a truly surprising twist in the story.

In spite of the terrific job the author did in creating a really creepy and suffocating atmosphere, this one didn’t work for me. There are some plot devices used that I can’t go into here because they would spoil the story but they are some of my least favourite “tropes”, the characters are under-developed and the dialogue just isn’t believable most of the time. This one might work for fans of Kubica’s work but if you are a first time reader of this author, you might want to consider giving this one a pass and picking up one of her other books.

I thought I had this whole book figured out fairly early (for me), so was a little lacklustre in reading it. I thought I was soooo smart. Granted, some of the things I thought came to be true, but I did NOT see one major plot development happen and that increased my appreciation for this book.

A solid outing for fans of the psychological thriller and the unreliable narrator.

The Other Mrs. was a great read by Mary Kubica. Sadie and Will moved to a small-town in Maine after Will’s sister died. Unfortunately even many miles away, Sadie isn’t able to escape the other Mrs. She left her daughter and home to the couple. Unfortunately their neighbor was found dead in her home and rocks the small-town. Sadie is lost in what happened that night after people start believing that it may have been one of them. She starts to get drawn into what happened and who is the culprit. I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read more by Mary Kubica.

Mary Kubica's The Good Girl was everywhere in 2014. You really couldn't escape the reviews and high praise. I was definitely aware of the book, but as I don't read many thrillers, I didn't immediately pick it up to read. Many years later and after several more huge releases The Other Mrs. is being touted as the new mystery thriller not to be missed. I read the premise and this one recalled piqued my interest.

I started The Other Mrs. knowing that I needed to pay attention to every detail and nuance. The characters that stayed true to what I had in my mind was the niece and son. I knew something was off with Will and Sadie by their language and the children's interactions with them and visa versa. The giveaways are subtle, but complex. I can't keep explaining and give too much away. What I will say is that if you can figure out what's truly going on kudos to you. At the end I was left staring at my kindle asking, what the heck just happened here and how did I miss it? I wanted to immediately go back and start again. That's how tricky this book is.

I was given this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

I have read multiple books by Mary Kubica and this one was not my favorite unfortunately. I may have just had high hopes for this based on the other books by her that I have read. The story line with all the intertwining stories and characters were a little overwhelming. I understand the want/need for creating plot twists but sometimes adding too many factors can become confusing or overwhelming instead.

SPOILER: I wasn't a huge fan of The Other Mrs. Honestly, I think I should have DNFed it. I get really frustrated with thrillers when the twist is that a person is mentally unstable. The book followed really typical thriller writing to a T, and it made it easier to guess what was going on. You could tell from the beginning that the hateful teen daughter wasn't going to actually have done it because they were making it so obvious how bad she was. While the ending in all didn't end up being too predictable, it wasn't surprising that the husband was the bad guy. I think there could have been more done on character development which would have helped. Not my favorite.

I didn't read this book but listened to an audiobook version. This was probably a mistake for this kind of book. I found the story quite interesting but it was too slow moving and all the characters were annoying me with their blatant stupidity. With a book, I could have easily skipped over some of the boring sections and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more. I'm afraid I couldn't finish it. I got 75% through and I think I already worked out the ending.

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica has all the makings of a spine tingling psychological thriller. A wife, a husband, an other woman and a murder in a small coastal town in Maine. Sounds intriguing right? Sounds like another sleepless night finishing the book in one sitting but sadly I only lost sleep trying to get through the book.
Sadie and Will Foust move to his sisters house in Maine from Chicago with their two sons after his sister’s suicide. He inherits not just a house but guardianship of his 16 year old niece, Imogen.
Not long after their move, neighbor Morgan Baines is murdered and suddenly the suspicion turns toward Sadie Foust who claims that she has never met the woman.
The story is told from three different people, Sadie, Camille and Mouse. Along with the main question of who killed Morgan, you will also be asking yourself who are Camille and Mouse and what do they have to do with the story?
I found the plot was contrived and too many twists that required a true disbelief that any of this could be true.
As I ran through what happened in this book, one thought was prevalent, what a mess this book is as the ending became forced and Mary Kubica tried too hard in The Other Mrs. to thrill us. Adults shouldn’t wait in line to ride this coaster because you will find this wasn’t the ride you were hoping for.
I’ve read other Mary Kubica novels and know that she will get us on those thrill rides of novels again soon.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheOtherMrs

Holy Cow! There are novels with unreliable narrators and then there is this one which sheds a whole new meaning to discovering who is unreliable. Although the ending seemed a little to pat after all the tribulation the family had been through, I recommend this book. Not sure I’d read it before bed, but the problem is once you get half-way through the book, and you think you know what’s going on and then the story keeps twisting, you can’t put it down. There’s real reason everyone ends up with therapists!

I absolutely loved this one!!! I quickly had thoughts on the twist, but having read Mary Kubicas other books I was sure I would be wrong. I was surprised to find I was right. Mostly. My thoughts on Mouse were not quite correct. Even having figured out the twists and whodunnit i absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in less than 24 hours and I'm a little mad i didn't read it sooner!

**Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin - Trade Publishing (US and Canada) for the e-Arc!**
This is a psychological thriller about a husband, wife and the other woman. The two leads have inherited a creepy house and niece and decide to move to the small town in Maine, from the bustling Chicago.
This novel has some great things going for it:
-Creepy houses. The atmosphere of the house is fantastic and just the right amount of creepy. There's also a strange niece to look after.
-It's a murder in a small coastal town. I'm a sucker for small town secrets and I think this novel is great.

What I didn't like:
-The writing. This is my second Mary Kubica novel and her writing just doesn't work for me personally. It just doesn't engage me like a lot of other writers do. I don't feel myself being drawn in for a wild ride, instead I found myself bored and not really caring. This is a me problem, and I think a lot of people will love the writing.
-I just didn't find it believable and because of the writing I found the twists lacklustre.

3/5 stars.
I think if you like small town psychological thrillers I think its worth reading this. It has a lot going for it. If you like other Mary Kubica's this is great.

The narrative was engaging initially, but less so as the story went on. It seemed rather obvious what was going on, in terms of split personalities.

I will admit the ending surprised me a bit, but wasn't believable. I don't see how he could have gotten away with this for so long.

This was an okay book for me! It was a little bit predictable which made it slow for me to read. Thrillers are becoming a hit or miss for me

Wow! This was my first Mary Kubica book and it WILL NOT be my last. It kept my on my toes the entire time. Sadie and her family relocate after a death in the family and they inherit a house in Maine. They think they’re leaving all their problems behind. But are they?

I thought I had this one figured out, halfway through. I was wrong. So so wrong!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Harlequin, for access to a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a bit of a clunker. Not a particularly complex or sophisticated domestic thriller, but maybe a quick escape if you're willing to overlook problems caused by loose plotting and problematic character development.

While there are a couple of "twists" in the story, none of them came as much of a surprise. I figured out the first twist right away (which leads me, then, to wonder if it actually wasn't a twist at all, and the author wanted the reader to easily be able to clue in to that part of the story), and though it did seem obvious, it didn't necessarily detract from the way in which the rest of the story unfolded. I kept turning the pages because I just kept thinking there had to be more. And in fact, figuring out that first twist just raised more questions for me than answers. Which on the one hand, was helpful in driving the story forward, because I wanted to find answers to those questions, but on the other hand, raised some serious plausibility issues. And while ultimately I wasn't able to fit every piece into this puzzle, I was definitely headed in the right direction.

The premise here is interesting, and any complexity in this book can be found in Sadie as a character. But ultimately, there was something unsatisfying about this book. I am open to authors playing around with the unreliable narrator trope, and Sadie could fit the bill perfectly. (Could being the operative word there.) But she just seemed so darn clueless. Sort of painfully clueless. And, yeah, I get that a lot of interests are served by that sort of lack of awareness and insight, but she's a doctor for heaven's sake!! Maybe that was the disconnect.