★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

After Nina Manning's brilliant debut "The Daughter in Law" , I was thrilled to get the chance to read THE GUILTY WIFE (previously titled "Her Darkest Fear" ). Sadly, it was a disappointment and in no way lived up to the brilliance that was her debut. The nemesis in her first book still haunts today as one of the most chilling characters I've come across. But based on the success of her debut, I continued in the hope it would get better. It didn't. That is to say, the climatic ending was probably the best part of the entire book, giving sense to some of it but not all of it. On the whole, it could have been better.

Frankie Keegan is a wife and mother of two - Pixie and Maddox (where did these names hail from?) - trying to make a success of a career in marketing (I think that's what her job is, as it never really is totally clear). Her husband Damian is, or rather was, an IT professional but for the past several years has been languishing through life trying to work out what he wants to do with himself. At the moment, he is working on some new fan-dangled app that's going to make him a success...apparently.

But Frankie hasn't the patience, that much is clear. She is struggling with her own demons whilst trying to maintain a peaceful environment for her children. But Frankie and Damian are drifting apart and all they seem to do is make snide remarks at one another while passing ships in the night. I felt much of the story was taken up with their drama which I found frustrating and irritating. If Damian was home all day while Frankie was at work, could he not at least clean up? Why must everything fall at Frankie's feet while he tried to find himself? And Frankie...why must everything be solved with a bottle of prosecco? I am tired of protagonists and unreliable narrators who drown themselves in endless bottles of wine. What is the attraction to wine? It's ghastly stuff and yet it's the adult equivalent to downing a six pack and getting high on weed.

At any rate, while her life seems to be falling apart, Frankie has been running from her past for twenty years, living with the guilt of her brother Kiefer being killed while trying to save her from bad decisions. But she was a teenager; she was sixteen; she didn't know any better. But that never changed the fact that Kiefer died trying to protect her.

But someone else has never forgotten either.

There are text messages from an unknown number. Crashes in the night. Pot plants smashed on the front step. Toy cars that are a replica to her brother Keifer's little green mini left on her doorstep or pushed through the mailbox. A 40th birthday card addressed to Kiefer. Shadows dancing in alleys.

Someone wants to remind her of the worst time of her life...and they want to make her pay all over again. But who?

Throughout the book there are diary excerpts written at the time of the tragic event. The grief and despair written in those entries and the guilt that she was left behind whilst her sibling died trying to rescue her. The significance of these diary entries are made even clearer at the end, and admittedly I thought it was rather ingenious.

The story unfolds through the past and the present through Frankie's eyes as both a teenager and an adult as it is slowly revealed what happened happened on that fateful night. Her decisions are clearly questionable in both aspects but as a teenager one does tend to live in the moment - not always a great idea. And it was her decisions as a teenager that have left her with such an overwhelming sense of guilt over her brother's tragic death.

I found THE GUILTY WIFE to be a slow burn but it is hardly a psychological thriller. There were some suspenseful moments but aside from that most of it was Frankie's drama, mostly of her own making. The tension didn't begin until the final 85% to 90% of the book, which in my opinion is far too late to be drawing readers in. But admittedly, it was a satisfying end with that clever twist revealed in the climatic conclusion.

With most of the book detailing Frankie's excessive drinking and family drama, THE GUILTY WIFE was a disappointment after Nina Manning's fantastic debut. I did not like Frankie, either as a teenager or an adult. I found her annoying and wondered why she just didn't deal with her past instead of creating drama where ever she went. I didn't like her husband Damian either. As a stay at home parent, he should have been more supportive and helpful, but instead he made snide remarks to his wife - and in front of the kids - and languished around waiting for his big chance to just fall in his lap. I really didn't get what his problem was. I didn't like her boss, Mason. I felt he was sleazy and up to something. Nor did I like Nancy. It seemed like she was hiding something and I didn't trust her. Basically I just didn't like anyone in this book.

That being said, I do look forward to reading more from Nina Manning in the future. Based on her fantastic debut "The Daughter in Law" , I guess I would find any other book she'd written just unable to live up to its pure perfection in the thriller genre. But also based on that book, I hope her next one will be as exciting as her first and I look forward to reading it.

2.5 stars rounded up for that clever ending.

I would like to thank #NinaManning, #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheGuiltyWife aka #HerDarkestFear in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure what happened but this book would not come to Kindle. I was never able to get it downloaded.

The writing flowed well and the characters were interesting. The use of alternating timelines was handled deftly. This was definitely a slow burn (for me anyway). The ending was one I did not see coming! A bit out there but still fun. Overall entertaining, I would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Boldwood Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

Her darkest Fear by Nina Manning.
Frankie Keegan is struggling. Not only is she juggling being a good mother, a good wife, a good colleague, she is also desperately trying to keep the dark secrets of her past buried where they belong. And that is not proving to be easy.
A good read with some good characters. Likeable story. 4*.

Really enjoyed the storyline and characters in this book. Have had a reading slump recently and this got me going again. Look forward to reading more from this author

This was a really interesting psychological thriller that not only had the suspense and twists that I love from a good thriller but also the domestic side of family life and the decisions and choices we all have to make throughout our lives like our jobs, friends and relationships that can lead us down so many different paths.

The book switches from now to Frankie’s teenage years and as we read more we discover how her brother Kiefer died and how this tragic loss has impacted her life.

Characters from Frankie’s past and present weave together to make a web of regrets, secrets and potential destruction.

I really enjoyed the 90s references scattered throughout the pages from the music to the outfits as we learn about Frankie, her friends and their social lives during that time.

This book really keeps you guessing right up to to the action packed ending because just when you think you know where it all might be heading everything changes.

3 for neutral. Will update if male to get into and finish at later date. Was just very slow paced and didn’t grab me, on occasions I tried reading, but being in a moody reader, I will make sure to change my review if I enjoy later!

I loved the Daughter-in-law, the earlier Nina Manning novel and this one is just as good. Told in two timelines we learn of tragedy and grief in this gripping story. Excellently paced, I flew through it in an afternoon and thought about it all evening. The mark of a great novel to me.

Was it a fast-paced read? No, definitely not. There is an underlying tension in this novel from the very beginning but it builds up very slowly, simmering for a while before bubbling up at the end.

Did the book meet my expectations? Yes, it did. The synopsis had intrigued me enough to want to participate in the blog tour and I am happy I did. I found it hard to warm to Frankie, the main character, but we don’t get to like everyone we meet in real life so I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, in my opinion it gives a book more credibility. The author has cleverly created a novel that keeps you guessing and, in my case, suspecting everything and everybody… except the real culprit! Seriously, my mind was in overdrive all throughout the reading experience, trying to understand what happened in the past and what was happening in the present, only to end up realising I had it completely wrong!

Three words to describe it. Suspenseful. Dark. Gripping.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it’s adequately dark and it goes hand in hand with the previous book’s cover. However, despite appreciating the importance of creating an image – or ‘brand’ – I also appreciate individuality. I personally would have chosen the image of a toy car on a doorstep. That’s just me though and I don’t know what sells books.

Her Darkest Fear by Nina Manning is a tense, well-paced thriller that will have you committing yourself to a few hours of uninterrupted reading. This is my second read from this author, and I am already eagerly anticipating the next.

Frankie Keegan has been haunted by the death of her brother for over twenty years. As the anniversary of his untimely death looms, Frankie begins to sense that she is not the only one to remember the grim milestone. Someone is watching, waiting, and determined to let Frankie know that they are aware of her role in the events of twenty years ago.

This is a novel that gets under your skin. Told from the alternating timelines of '1998' and 'now', the seamlessly crafted back and forth reveals an unsettling mystery that you will be desperate to unravel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Good book but I don’t think it lived up to the description. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.. I really enjoyed it, it drew me in from the beginning and I was not expecting the ending. The story was great and although I didn't like some of the characters it didn't stop my enjoyment of the book.

If you get a buzz from reading exhilarating, dark psychological thrillers then don't miss out on Nina Manning's Her Darkest Fear.

Frankie Keegan is trying to make a success of herself and her career in marketing, but she is struggling with bad memories from her past. Mum to two children, Maddox and Pixie, she is married to computer technician Damian, who occasionally works freelance and is also a stay-at-home dad. Frankie lived through a trauma that happened around 20 years ago in which her beloved older brother, Kiefer was killed. She's never been able to overcome the guilt she still harbours and it only gets worse with each passing year. As the anniversary of Kiefer's death approaches along with what would have been his 40th birthday, someone is pertinaciously reminding Frankie of events she would prefer to forget.

I was drawn right into this haunting story of grief, suppressed guilt, regret, and revenge from the very first page. Told in alternating chapters from the past and in the present and narrated by Frankie, the plot was well structured and executed. Nina Manning has a wonderful easy-to-read writing style. The characterisation was good with the anticipated blend of likeable and loathsome players.

Overall, Her Darkest Fear is an incredibly compelling story of domestic suspense with a neat twist at the end, that I would not hesitate to recommend. I look forward to reading more from this fabulous author, Nina Manning.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley, and this review is my unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed reading Her Darkest Fear. The tale of Frankie - balancing her family and her work and the anniversary of her brother’s death - was interesting and definitely drew me in. I wasn’t convinced by the ending, it just didn’t feel realistic. It was also a little on the lighter side, I prefer my psych thriller reads dark! Thanks NetGalley, publisher and author for the ARC.

Bit of a slow burner this book - took me some time to get into the storyline and the characters.
Story also moved between different timelines and although this wall well handled I did have to re-read some parts.
Frankie is the main protagonist - unhappily married with two children and definitely a bit of a drink problem..
The story shits between the present day and twenty years previously when she and her brother Kiefer were in a car accident and he died.
There is a good amount of suspense throughout the book which builds up nicely and quite a few twists and turns which keeps you hooked until the end.
I did find Frankie an unsympathetic character and struggled to care about what had happened to her.
The second half of the book was more engaging which kept me reading until the end.
Another well written book by Nina Manning.

This has been a quick read which I have devoured in just one sitting. I haven’t been able to put it down.
I was pulled in from the very beginning and the twist made my jaw drop. I devoured this book in just one sitting.
I am extremely excited already for the next instalment by Nina Manning. This is filled with the right amount of suspense and drama to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
This is my second read by Nina Manning, both I have found impossible to put down. This is a great read which I highly recommend. Definitely worthy of four stars.

Wow what a hauntingly horrific story of unhealed greif, guilt, regret, feeling responsible, hopelessness and revenge. I was sucked right into the story from the start where we learn of something that happened in 1998. We are then taken to the present as the story unfolds and develops getting a glimpse back into 1998 every now and then as we discover what happened and why the grief is over powering the main character. Such an important read to discover why healing and letting go of past mistakes is necessary.

Something happened to Keifer, Frankies brother back in 1998. It haunts her everyday. Will she be able to heal and move on or will the alcohol she uses to dull and forget the pain be the death of her.
Frankie, wife, mother of two and the bear winner of the family has a lot to live for. A new job, a marriage that might be falling apart and the anniversary of her brother's accident 20 years ago paired with his 40th birthday. Frankie often wonders if she listened to her brother that night if things would be different. With new job comes many new opportunities, however Frankies husband doesn't seem so supportive. Frankie starts getting strange messages and weird things start to happen, she doesn't know who is behind them, but it becomes the ending point in her marriage. Frankie alone in her house with the kids the strange things escalate. Turns out Frankie isn't the only one consumed with guilt and regret from the night so long ago.

A fast paced suspenseful thrilling read that I would definitely recommend.

I read and reviewed Nina's debut novel called 'The Daughter In Law' and I really enjoyed reading it. I read the synopsis for 'Her Darkest Fear' and it certainly sounded like just the kind of psychological thriller that I love to read. I couldn't wait to start reading the book and so I dived straight in. Overall I did enjoy reading 'Her Darkest Fear' but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that I didn't warm to Frankie Keegan one bit. I can't put my finger on what it was about her that made me dislike her so much but her personality and her actions didn't exactly endear her to me. I get that something happened in her past which has haunted her all her life and I sympathise with her over that but some of her behaviour as an adult just makes me shake my head in disbelief. Frankie is married, although not happily, and she has two gorgeous sounding children. However, Frankie seems determined to press the self destruct button and she plays Russian roulette with her own safety. Frankie seems to use alcohol as her coping mechanism and drinks to the point of oblivion, which set off little alarm bells for me. She just doesn't seem to care what happens to her. If it was her own welfare then I might not be so bothered but she jeopardises the safety of her children too, who need their mother.
I must be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this story, which has more to do with the fact that I was tired when I started reading the book and I was finding it hard to concentrate for any length of time. This wasn't a book that I could read in one long reading binge as I had to read a bit, take a break and then read a bit more. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen, so of course I had to keep reading to discover if I was on the right track or not. The further into the story I got, the more intrigued I became and the quicker the pages turned. I would say that I definitely charged through the latter half of the book quicker than the first half.
'Her Darkest Fear' is well written. Nina has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. The story is set in two different timelines. The main part of the story takes place in the present day but there are flashbacks to what happened in the run up to and after the incident that haunts Frankie so much. I did wonder if I might become a bit confused by the changing between the timelines but I needn't have worried because this way of telling the story worked really well and the story flowed seamlessly as a result. The author grabs your attention from the start and she gradually draws you into the story. I immersed myself in the story to the extent that I was interacting with the book as if it were real. Yes I know this is a work of fiction but I find that if I enjoy a story to the extent that I enjoyed this one, I 'live' the story as if it were real and 'talk' to the characters as if they can hear me. Nina uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I felt as though I was an extra character in the book.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading 'Her Darkest Fear' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Nina's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

After reading and really enjoying Nina’s first book The daughter in law you can read my review here : https://melaniesreads.wordpress.com/2019/08/02/blog-tour-the-daughter-in-law-by-nina-manning-4-stars I was really looking forward to her next book.

This book is told in a dual timeline which definitely seems to be a current trend. Narrated by Frankie the chapters alternate between 20 years ago and the present. Frankie is your typical mum trying to balance work and raise kids but the majority of the book centred around her drinking , occasionally to the point of black out and losing time. I will say I found the premise great and the underlying mystery of the accident that killed her brother Kiefer. I think this is more domestic noir than thriller as the pace is fairly slow.

I will say that I was hoodwinked at the end and I’m still not sure what to make of it. Even after a quick re read to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.

I would recommend this to those who like a domestic suspense where things aren’t what they seem.

20 years ago, Frankie's brother died trying to save her from bad decisions. And that incident haunted her whole life, preventing her to be a good wife or mother. His death anniversary was approaching, and someone was hellbent on reminding her of things she wanted to forget.

My second book by author Nina Manning, the story was choppy with suspense interweaving it. The author kept the secrets well hidden behind a suspenseful film in most of the book, giving me just hints of it at opportune times. I kept trying to smoke out the hidden truths, but they held fast.

Slowly and surely as the danger increased, I got to know what really happened in that fateful day. And it was quite a shocker. The only niggle I had was the main character kept drinking to the point of having blackouts and losing time right until the last few chapters. Few questions felt unanswered.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the story of Frankie and her darkest fear.