A page turner that will keep you awake late into the night. Though I could guess the first twist, the others were a surprise. The women are very gullible for someone who are professionals in their fields and survivors. Otherwise a gripping read.

I really enjoyed most of this book. I found the interplay between characters interesting and thought it well written. For me , however, the ending was a little week and unbelievable.

“The Other Wife” is the story of three wives, each with a secret.

Suzi cheated on her husband Nick and now she’s pregnant. The two have moved to the countryside at Nick’s insistence, but as his need for control increases, so does Suzi’s desperation.

Nora is widowed, and has just moved in next door to Nick and Suzi. Nora’s husband wasn’t exactly who she thought he was...but then, Nora’s not being honest about who she is either.

And lastly there’s Elle, a former concert pianist married to a doctor. On the outside Elle seems to have the perfect life, but she’s miserable. Convinced her husband is having an affair, Elle will go to desperate measures to keep her perfect life intact....

This is a novel about mistakes and secrets, and MAN, are there a lot of them! But the author manages to weave a deft and intricate story without it ever feeling too complex or heavy handed. I do enjoy a split narrative, but was a bit worried when the third voice came in as I thought it might be a bit too much. Thankfully, we are in capable hands, and it’s beautifully managed, with each character speaking in a distinctive and singular voice so that keeping track of each story is easy. The writing is skilful, and I loved the characters - each had a past and each had made mistakes, but I found myself quietly rooting for each of them in turn - I hate when a character is written as a complete saint or total sinner, I just find it unrealistic and irritating. These characters were flawed but they had real heart, and I connected with all three women. .

There are some excellent twists in this novel, and it’s perfectly paced, with the tension ratcheted right up towards the end. I loved it - it’s absolutely one of my top thrillers of the year so far (and I read a lot of thrillers!). I can’t wait to see what else this author comes up with - a really fresh and exciting voice.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Other Wife is a thriller about as original as its title. Which is to say not at all. It’s very similar to a great many women authors women driven thrillers that seem to be all the rage nowadays, it diligently works the formula, but doesn’t go out of its way to offer readers something new or exciting. So here you have the traditional split narratives, which do eventually narrow down via a twist so (from miles away) easily predictable, it barely seems like a twist at all. But essentially it is a story of two marriages, both crappy, with wives in both being the victims of coercive control. In fact, this is laid on so thickly, it can be a coercive control PSA. Which is, of course, a terrible thing, but also very much one of those two to tango scenarios. So before you go pitying the wives, consider this…they made choices, they made stupid choices and stuck with them and continue to do so on daily basis through personal weaknesses or self delusion. And also…they are not the naïve innocents in all of this. In fact, they are criminals, liars or both. Obviously, the wives are connected in some way and obviously it’s through a man, this is, after all, a very obvious book. And so everyone go around playing their games, lying and manipulating those around them, only the men are made out to be the deviant, while the women are helpless damsels who are just kind of waking up to their circumstances. The fact that one of them wakes up all the way (the other one makes some efforts, but essentially just rolls over and waits to be rescued) and gets in a mood for revenge is one of the best aspects of the novel, but it just isn’t enough to elevate the estrogen saturated (very much so, in fact the author also writes women’s fiction under a different name) triteness of the plot. So depending on how you like your suspense thrillers this may or may not work for you. If your expectations, need for clever twists and originality are all set to low and you don’t mind spending time with a bunch of not especially likeable liars and cheats…go for it. The writing itself is decent enough, very readable. It’s pop fiction, essentially, the psychological darkness of the genre (one of my favorite things about it) isn’t really all that dark. There is some demented behavior and some genuinely sh*tty mother figures for a book so obsessed with motherhood, but not enough, the bulk still rests with the helpless clueless women being manipulated by their evil, evil men. And if that wasn’t simplistic enough, the final twist, the reason someone gets found out, is so amateurishly dumb, especially after creating and executing such an elaborate plan, that it’s just…laughable. So yeah, mediocre at best, something like a mindless beach read. Very easy read, but not exactly intellectually or otherwise thrilling. Your mileage may vary. Thanks Netgalley.

This is my first Claire McGowan book. I found the story very slow and quite unbelievable at times. I didn't particularly like the characters enough to care what happened! Not a book I would recommend.

One word sums the other wife up, clever it's really really clever and genuinely keeps you guessing until the very last page. Keep your wits about you and trust nobody.

Brilliant book. I couldn’t put it down. It was complicated to decide who was the villain in the story. I thoroughly recommend this book

This was a fun read - it drew me in right away with the alternating points of view as a new neighbor, Nora, moves into a cottage in a remote and isolated area. We see it from her point of view and also from Suzi's, who lives across the street with her husband Nick, and appears anxious and edgy about every little thing. Sure, she's pregnant and a bit scatterbrained, but there's much more to it. The women meet and become friends, as much as they can be with the secrets they're both keeping, that is. We also meet Elle, another anxious wife who dotes on her husband and never quite believes that their marriage is as perfect as it seems. She's right, of course.

I can't say that any of the twists were exactly mind blowing and you will probably see them coming, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy this story as it unfolds. The female characters are likable, although Suzi is a little too extreme with her nervousness and constant unease. It would have been nice to see her with a bit more backbone and less self-pitying remorse about her past. The male characters are almost all deplorable narcissistic jerks except of course the one that helps to save the day. Male readers may be a bit turned off by this!

Even though I felt like I've read this tale many times before, the author keeps it fresh and the story flows easily as the lies are exposed and everything starts to unravel for the women. I found myself turning page after page, impatient to see who survives and at what cost. I wasn't disappointed!

This is a slow burner of a story that peels away at the layers of deceit and deception. Told form the viewpoint of 3 characters, it delves into their lives, showing nothing is ever quite as it seems! A great, solid read.

A tangle of lies, deceival and marital abuse. Two women with similar destinies, whose lives were brought together and partly destroyed by a professional liar. The Other Wife by Claire McGowan is a complex thriller of deceival and revenge, which explores the deep secrets of the angry brain.

Suzi, heavily pregnant and Eleanor/Nora a sad widow are new neighbours in the middle of the nowhere English countryside. A simple friendship which evoles to something else. More complex and unexpected. Both of them met a man that meant something to them. A man that apparently died and took with him part of those women' lives. But what actually do they know about this man?

Step by step, the novel is delving into revealing snapshots of secrets that were hidden. In both women lives there are secrets, deadly in some cases. The reality proves to be completely different and the truth is always hidden. When it comes out, it's a corpse left behind.

I've been fascinated by the technique of building the narrative, with unexpected turns and dramatic developments. All characters do have issues and bloody secrets they are easily living with and this is a pretty scary view on human nature. It might be, as one of the police officer said at a certain point that most crimes are committed by a person you know, but this dark side of humanity is terrifying. Maybe this is how it is, maybe not.

From the literary point of view, I've had often the feeling that the narrative is disbalanced as the main interest is on the characters. It's like the writer is so keen to share so much about the dark sides of them that sometimes the proper development of the plot is somewhere lost in between the cross-stories shared by different viewpoints.

The Other Wife by Claire McGowan is a chilling novel, you hardly leave it until it is finished, with a maigre touch of feminism - as both women are victims of manipulative men. A story that makes you think and pessimistically encourage you to suspect any couple you might see happily holding hands on the street. Something to think about later on.

The story starts off being told from 3 points of view: Suzi, Nora and Elle.

Suzi recently moved to the country side where she spends her days alone and lonely. She is pregnant and married to her man who definitely does not treat her well, an example of what her husband Nick would say to her:
"I'd prefer you focused on the house, actually cooking a decent dinner, that kind of thing."
Suzi's chapters are all written to another man (not her husband), as if she is telling him a story, she yearns for him, even after it becomes clear he does not deserve her love and devotion.

Nora is Suzi's new neighbor and she is up to something. It takes a while before we find out what exactly and why she is spying on Suzi... but it gets more and more interesting.

Elle seems like a timid woman. She constantly hears her mother's disapproving voice in her head.
"As if anyone could ever love you."
She's married, but not secure in her marriage. She spends her days at home, waiting for her husband to come home, trying to be the perfect wife based on a 1950s idea of a perfect wife. She seems mentally and emotionally rather unstable and completely dependent on her husband.

Throughout the story we get to know these women more and more. In my opinion, Elle was weak and just not really living her life. Suzi was not the smartest girl, she could have gotten herself out of her mess a lot sooner, rather than waiting for it to escalate. Nora seems smarter, but not the kindest person. So basically there was not one person that I loved or related to in this story, but I still enjoyed it and followed every twist and turn that got thrown at me.

It's funny how one of the women sums up what happens in this book as:
"The plot sounded so elaborate. Like something you'd read in one of those trashy thrillers...

and yes, I agree... the story wasn't fully believable, but it was still good.

This is the 2nd book by the author and after the 1st book I couldn't wait to read another one. The Other Wife was so good and kept me hooked from start to finish. Claire McGowan is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. The Other Wife, has everything I look for in a good mystery novel. Mystery, complex characters, not a lot of romance, and lots of drama.

The plot was intense, powerful and thrilling and held me captive all the way through! The characters fairly leapt off the page, and the tension was palpable. If you are looking for a book that you just CAN’T put down, then this is DEFINITELY the book for you!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Bookouture in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.

#TheOtherWife #NetGalley

I was absolutely captivated by this book. .It was compelling as the story evolved and changed,there were so many twists and changes.Although Suzi had made mistakes she totally had my empathy and I wanted a happy ending for her! Buy this book,its the best book I have read for ages, you won't be disappointed!!

The Other Wife is a well written psychological thriller. I was sucked in from the start and kept engaged throughout.

This is the perfect psychological thriller. There’s lots of twists and turns throughout that you won’t see coming. Claire McGowan is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I’ve loved everything that I’ve read of hers recently. I’d strongly recommend this book.

Suzi made some mistakes. Now she's stuck in a bad situation. Things start looking up when Nora moves into the only other house nearby. Things are not as they appear and Suzi is not the only one with a secret...

I enjoyed this thriller novel. I did predict the plot twists (one very early on), but the book kept me interested for the most part. There were some slow moments that could have been shortened. I appreciated the multiple points of view and found the ending to be very satisfying. I had hoped for a bit more character development, and I think I would have liked the protagonists much more if they had shown some more growth. This was a solid domestic thriller that offered some scary, suspenseful moments and a whole lot of revenge.

Two strangers but are they? How do they connect together? One of them did something unforgivable and now it’s slowly catching up.

A gripping thriller with many twists and turns, maybe a little long in places but it didn’t ruin the read.

The ending was super 🤩

Highly recommend to any thriller lovers.

I received a free copy of this book from Net Gallery in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great psychological thriller.
Suzi did something bad and she is paying for it.
She is almost tempted to tell her friend Nora about it.
Elle spends her days in her perfect home and keeps her secrets to herself.
A shocking event occurs and it brings all three women together
A fascinating book

A women who can't help but have an affair moves to a very isolated place. with her husband. Months later a women moves into a cottage next door. And so the story begins and we get to know the characters. I feel like if I explained anymore it would spoil the story.. This was a very Intriguing , entertaining book. One I couldn't put down. The author did a great job keeping me entertained and wanting to know whats going to happen next. Even though I guessed at a couple things happening in the story it did not wreck the story in any way. Many twists and turns in the book I never expected and kept me wanting more..