Karen Hamilton is back with another nail biting whodunnit in The Ex-Husband. A bit slow to get going when we hear about Charlotte and Sam’s past targeting wealthy cruise ship passengers but once Charlotte gets back on the sea on a job with a wealthy family, things are anything but boring. This one had me guessing until the very last chapters!

the Ex- Husband by Karen Hamilton! It publishes on Tuesday January 11th. I highly suggest you put it on your radar if it wasn't there before. It was a fast paced fun suspenseful atmospheric thriller set on a yacht in the Caribbean.

In the novel we follow Charlotte and her husband Sam with flashbacks to the past which is helping piece together what is happening in the present. Charlotte and Sam seemed to have the perfect relationship to everyone, but they lived a life of conning passengers in cruise ships they worked on. It was all fun until Sam disappeared and Charlotte was almost caught. Now Charlotte is trying to live a straight and narrow life, estranged from Sam. Then out of the blue Sam is texting her warnings of danger, and those aren't the only messages she's getting. So when Charlotte gets an opportunity to work on a luxury yacht she thinks it's the perfect escape. However the danger may be closer than she thinks.

The Ex-husband by Karen Hamilton is a twisted and suspenseful thriller that takes you from England to the Caribbean from land to the sea on a cruise ship. This book picks up pace as you read and you will find yourself reading faster to find out what happens.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I really loved this book, and couldn't put it down. I loved the ambiguous approach at the beginning, and how things began to unravel. I liked the main character, and thought she did an incredible job of writing a very different book from The Perfect Girlfriend (which I also really liked). I'll definitely be recommending this one

2.5*
What happens when the tables are turned on a con artist?

Charlotte thought she’d met the perfect man. Someone to sail off into the sunset with. (literally). The two begin their high seas adventure working on cruise ships. Taking advantage of everyone possible and in any and every situation possible.

But when Sam vanishes, Charlotte is left holding the bag….and someone wants revenge!

Told in two timelines. Past and present. I must say I much preferred the present timeline over her past. (But that’s just me).💁‍♀️

This book was a struggle to get through and I kept setting it aside. Every time I thought of DNF I’d peruse reviews from my trusted friends who all enjoyed this one. So…on I kept plodding, hoping at some point I will too.

I’ve read one other book by this author and loved it – The Perfect Girlfriend. So, I’m thinking this was just a one off for me with this author. I will be reaching for her next.🤞

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Graydon House

Thank you for the advanced copy

This is a story about a couple charlotte and Sam. They were split from one another, and it seems someone was after Sam. Sam is missing or is he? And now someone is after Charlotte
Very good read , medium paced

Set on a series of cruise ships in the flashbacks and on a luxury yacht bound for the finest Caribbean islands in the main story, The Ex-Husband makes for the perfect escapist thriller. I immediately warmed to the lush, tropical settings that sets this story apart from so many thrillers out there right now, and also Hamilton's descriptive but easy-to-follow writing, despite Charlotte and Sam--our main characters--being swindlers set out to con the wealthiest cruise-goers out of their fortunes. I found the pacing of both the flashbacks and main story perfectly set; this was a story that gripped me from the beginning and held my attention even as the cast of characters grew significantly. Even though I put one major piece of the story together before the ending, I still enjoyed this immensely and found it to be one of the better-written thrillers I've read in a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review!

Charlotte and Sam are cut from the same cloth. They don't mind working, but are always looking for ways to bilk rich people so that their fortunes will increase. Sam has eyes on all the women and Sam keeps close watch on the men in the picture. Both of them "work" their way into the lives of these "privileged people" learning secrets and managing to make a nice "profit" for knowing them.

Sam is "taken" care of by one of his many accomplices, while Charlotte is left wondering what really happened to him. She is also being blackmailed and has no idea where that threat is coming from.

This is a page turner as we flit from one tropical island to the next waiting to see what will happen next. Any mystery murder reader will enjoy this book !

I received a preview copy of this book for my honest review.

The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton is a thriller novel. The story in this book is told by flashing back to the past to piece together what happened in the years before that led to the current timeline.

Charlotte has been taking time to get her life back together after separating from her husband, Sam. The life that Charlotte led with Sam is not one that she is proud of and now plans to stay on the straight and narrow path.

The past with Sam seems to be coming back to haunt Charlotte however and she’s determined to put it all behind her once and for all. When Sam disappears though Charlotte is just taking a new job aboard a luxury yacht and doesn’t want to think the worst.

The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton was a slow building thriller story with slowly releasing the details on how the main character’s story came about. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I liked Charlotte but I was curious as to her story and questioning all the while what the outcome would be. I’m not always a fan of a slow pace but this story came together nicely making me enjoy it overall. In the end I would give this one three and half stars and be interested in this author’s work again in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A woman fleeing her past as a con artist finds herself trapped aboard a cruise ship with someone who not only knows about that past, but will stop at nothing to get revenge.

This book was just okay for me.

I enjoyed the alternative timelines that meet into the middle to just the ‘now’. I found with this book that we could have done with a few less ‘then’ chapters. I did love the setting and premise of this book, scammers getting scammed. There was enough suspense that made me wants to finish the book.

This is a slow burn for sure. There was too many unnecessary characters, and a little side plot that didn’t really go anywhere. The main plot was slightly underwhelming, and the ‘villain’ was obvious. The ending was a little off and a let down.

Thank you NetGallery for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Ex-Husband started off a bit slow then about 1/3 of the way through it took off like a thief in the night! Charlotte & Sam are former cruise ship con artists, and now Charlotte is trying to keep on the straight and narrow. Unfortunately someone from her past is trying to blackmail her. This book was a lot of fun! Great characters and I especially loved the descriptions of the Caribbean! Thank you so much!

I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a simple title but the story is very interesting. Set among the Caribbean islands and on cruise ships, the setting is idyllic. The main character Charlotte meets a charming croupier (aka blackjack dealer) named Sam while working as a travel agent and is immediately drawn to him. She yearns for the finer things in life-expensive hotel suites, jewelery, etc. He convinces her to fake a resume to get a job working with him on cruise ships where they con wealthy couples into giving them money. He promises her the world and the life she wants.

Fast forward a couple years to the present, they are separated and Sam is missing. Charlotte takes a job as a personal assistant/event planner on a super yacht and someone on board knows about Charlotte's past and is leaving her threatening notes demanding money.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I tend to like books that are a little far fetched and an escape from reality, which this book was. I definitely recommend. It reminded me a bit of The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, but I liked this one better.

3.5 stars for me but I will round it up to 4.

I found the book slow to start but that's not a huge problem as you have to get to know Sam and Charlotte as a couple.

Nasty people they are.

Once Charlotte gets aboard a yacht trying to keep herself safe and realizes whoever is threatening her is on the very same yacht, the story picks up.

Who does not love a closed door mystery as they sail the Caribbean.

The ending was good and I did not see that coming.

Well worth picking up your copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing Graydon house for twisted read.

I can see why Karen Hamilton was touted as being an internationally best-selling author. The story had an intriguing plot that left me wanting more. I felt like I was being led on with the tiniest clues, and she kept them coming often enough that I was kept on my toes.

The characterization was also superb. While I knew the main character, Charlotte, was a con artist, the author set this up as a first person account, in Charlotte's voice, and I really came to like her. As more and more accidents started to happen, I only wanted her to get out alive in the end. I won't tell you if she does or not!

I'd definitely give this book 5 stars!

Wasn't sure bad book..can't praise about it though. Was slow moving for me.
Great ending which made the read worthwhile.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
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A story of con artists. A husband and wife team target couples on cruises until the wife has second thoughts.

The book is told before and after the ‘death’ of the husband. The wife is working for an important client on a yahat when she receives threats to expose her past. This is the after. The before is the story of the couple on the cruise ships and their relationship.

I thought this was a very good book. It has a solid plot, good characters, and a beautiful setting. It also has a surprise ending!

Charlotte is a travel agent and meets the man of her dreams on a business trip. Sam is a dealer on a cruise ship, and soon Charlotte is taking whatever jobs she can find so she can work on the ship with him. Sam showers her with gifts and adventures, but Sam is keeping some very dangerous secrets.
A year and a half later, Charlotte is now an independent event planner trying to make a fresh start. She accepts a mysterious job assisting with an engagement party on a luxurious yacht, but even at sea it looks like Charlotte may not be able to outrun her past.

The Ex-Husband alternates between "Then" when Charlotte was with Sam and "Now" right before and during the engagement party. Charlotte soon learned that Sam was a conman and she began helping him trick carefully chosen marks out of their money. In the present, Charlotte is separated from Sam and he is now missing. Someone is out to get her and it appears they've followed her onto the yacht where she's working.

I loved Karen Hamilton's The Perfect Girlfriend and liked The Last Wife which was less over-the-top, but also less fun! This book is more in line with The Last Wife. It was fast-paced with some interesting characters, but it took me a few chapters to get engaged with the story. It was suspenseful as I tried to figure out all the details of Charlotte and Sam's story, and then who is threatening Charlotte in the present. It's not really twisty, though, since I figured out who was threatening Charlotte way before she did. I didn't always like Charlotte, but I was rooting for her. The ending was weird and the part of the storyline related to a character named Alexandra who had gotten caught up in one of Charlotte and Sam's cons was really strange. The book was entertaining, but for me it wasn't up to the level of The Perfect Girlfriend.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Graydon House. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

A heart racing thriller set on the high seas aboard a cruise ship and a luxury yacht. Charlotte and Sam are two married con artists who live and work aboard a cruise ship. Charlotte became disillusioned with the life they led and wanted to start anew. Before that could happen, Sam went missing. Why is he gone? Was he running from danger? Was he leaving her? Charlotte kept receiving threatening messages but who were they from? I enjoyed the descriptions of the tropical locations. I was kept guessing the whole time I read as to who could be sending these messages to Charlotte and why. I love a good puzzle and this book did not disappoint.

Loved the settings in this book, cruise ships and a luxury yacht! This book hooks you into it from the first page. Great thriller with you guessing what happened to Sam and if Charlotte is a good person or an evil one. Loved the Alexandra character, very good twisty ending with her. Would love to see a second book that follows them in their next adventures! Great first read of 2022! Thanks to net galley and publisher for this arc.

This was a fun, escapist, trashy thriller - perfect way to start the new year!

Charlotte has left her unsavoury past behind. She left her con artist husband, Sam, years ago, and has been living her life on the straight and narrow ever since. When Charlotte starts receiving anonymous threats digging up her past, she’s thrilled to get away on a job aboard a superyacht, assisting in a wealthy group’s private cruise around the Bahamas. However, it becomes clear that Charlotte has not left her problems behind. As the threats escalate, Charlotte races against the clock to figure out whom she can trust, track down the person threatening her, and avoid a disastrous fate.

This book had a slightly clunky start, but I quickly got into it and found myself racing through the pages as the tension ramped up in the second half - I ended up reading the book in a day. The tension increased as the story progressed, leading up to a big, chaotic ending that I found satisfying. While I had some suspicions, I didn’t really know what was happening until the big reveal.

I thought the book was written really nicely. The author fits a lot of story into a relatively average-length book. It jumps between past, Charlotte’s life with Sam and their con artist ways, and present. We get a rich backdrop of Charlotte’s history with Sam, as well as a lot of action in the present. Charlotte reminded me a bit of Lucky from Marissa Stapley’s recent book, expressing a dubious sense of morality and suggesting her con victims weren’t true victims.

I would call this a slow build. The first half is almost entirely background, with the real action starting about halfway through. I personally thought all the background was beneficial to understanding the characters and their motivations, and to really get into the story, but I can see how others might find it a bit lagging. All depends on what you want out of your thrillers!

Thanks so much to HarperCollins for the gifted advance copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.