📷 The story follows Lola who has recently died after a tragic incident. Her husband Evan and daughter Jessica are struggling to cope with their loss. They hire Ariel, a housekeeper so she can bring some order to their home. But they have no idea that Ariel has entered into their lives with a hidden motive. She believes that Lola’s death was not an accident and she is here to find the proof.

📷 Pick this up if you like/ don’t mind:
📌 psychological thriller
📌 short chapters
📌 slow paced plot
📌 multiple POVs
📌 diary entries
📌 whodunnit vibes
📌 unlikeable characters/ unreliable narrator ⁉️
📌 dark/ disturbing/ psycho vibes
📌 talk about infidelity and substance abuse ⚠️

📷 This was my first book by the author and it did manage to keep my interest. I was able to correctly guess the true identity of the murderer. ( perks of reading TOO MANY thrillers). But still there were few twists that came as a total surprise. I don’t wanna give away any spoilers but I just felt that there were few loopholes like Evan not having the slightest idea about true identity of Ariel. The ending felt rushed and a bit far fetched. However it did manage to SATISFY my inner psychopath.

📷 Thanks @netgalley @bookouture for the ARC in exchange of an honest opinion.

This was a book I was drawn to based on the cover and the description. While I did enjoy the first few chapters of this story, I unfortunately did start to become bored around a quarter or halfway through this story. This book was probably unfortunately not the same level of thriller and excitement that comes out of a Sally Hepworth or Lisa Jewell story. With that being said, I am willing to give this book a second chance sometime in the future in hopes that I enjoy it more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to this book in exchange for my honest review!

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Thank you!

This was a fun, quick read!

Lola, Evan, and Jessica were a mostly happy family until Lola sadly slipped and died. Now, Evan is in over his head with their teenage daughter and needs to hire some help...thank goodness for Ariel! She arrives to be a housekeeper, but quickly we realize she's much more than that. She's convinced that Evan had something to do with Lola's death - and she won't stop at anything to protect Jessica while trying to find the truth. As Evan grows more uncomfortable with her boundaries, they all grow increasingly less safe...

This was a fun, popcorn read - perfect for relaxing and enjoying a domestic thriller. The final twist was a fun surprise!

Emily Shiner always earns five stars from myself and this book is no exception. Psychological thrillers are her specialty. This one grabs you from the start and you will not be able to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback. This book started with a lot of promise - I was very interested in the storyline. The description calls it a "twisty" psychological thriller, unfortunately in the case of this book, twisty is not really a good thing. While reading the book, it is apparent that we are being lead to believe one thing, knowing that is not going to be the case... which is usually great for a thriller.. However, this book took some really weird turns after about 60-70% and continued to get weirder and very unbelievable (IMO) until the end... So, 3 stars (rounded up from 2.5) because despite the unbelievable twist in this book, it was for the most part a good set up for a psychological thriller.

I truly loved this! This psychological suspense is full of twisted turns and had me reading on the edge of my seat!

Thank you, Emily Shiner, Bookouture & netgalley for my audiobook! All opinions are my own.

Omg talk about insane. The twists keep coming. Once, you’ve gotten it figured out you better think again because There’s something new happening. Edge of your seat suspense.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This family psychological thriller definitely kept me guessing. It was a quick read about a family who lost their mom/wife, trying to move on and keep their secrets hidden! Parts were a tad slow and repetitive but the twists made up for that! I did feel like most of the characters were unlikable but I think that might have been the point. My favorite character was the dead wife, Lola but that's not what it appears to be either!

The Wife in the Photo was an interesting read. It took me a while to really get into it as the POV kept swapping around between the characters - which I found confusing.

Moving around the different dates and times was also a little confusing but once I got that figured out, I was hooked on the story and after the slow start, I finished the book rather quickly.

I guessed the ending (mostly) and found it an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the next book by Emily Shiner.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

First by this author and as cliche as it is, it literally had me on the edge of my seat. Great audio to keep my interest but the storyline was fantastic. Can't wait to check out more by this author!

This was such an interesting book. I was not prepared for what a wild ride this book would turn into but I loved it so much!

Thank you for the copy of this book. I was immediately reeled into this story by the cover and title of the book. I did find some of the story predictable, but I enjoyed it overall.

This was a solid mystery. I was fooled for most of it and was satisfied with the big reveal.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Here's another domestic thriller where the new housekeeper has lied to get her position and has ulterior motives. What makes it stand out from the rest is that those reasons aren't kept secret for long. There's more going on than it first seems and it's an extremely fun roller coaster ride to find out what actually happened that night that Evan's wife died. I've read several of Emily Shiner's books, thoroughly enjoying some while being disappointed in others. This is one of the best.

"The Wife in the Photo" by Emily Shiner takes readers on an emotional journey of love, secrets, and the power of forgiveness. While it showcases the author's talent for evocative storytelling, there were a few aspects that prevented me from fully immersing myself in the narrative.

Firstly, Shiner's writing style is beautifully descriptive, allowing readers to visualize the settings and connect with the characters on an intimate level. The atmospheric descriptions of the picturesque town and its charming residents added depth and authenticity to the story.

The exploration of complex family dynamics and the impact of past choices on present relationships were also a highlight. Shiner delves into themes of grief, betrayal, and redemption, presenting readers with nuanced and flawed characters.

However, one aspect that fell short for me was the pacing of the book. The plot moved sluggishly at times, which made it challenging to maintain a consistent level of engagement. While I appreciated the slow build-up, there were moments when it felt unnecessarily drawn out, hindering the overall flow of the story.

Additionally, while the characters were well-developed, certain actions and motivations felt predictable and lacked depth. I longed for more surprises or subversions of expectations to keep me captivated throughout the narrative!

This book sucked me in right from the very first page. The fact that the main character was posing as a housekeeper was an exciting prospect and the twists that this book provided were completely unexpected! I love a good thriller and this met all expectations.

Hold onto your butts, because this novel is insane in the absolute best way possible.

Sometimes I love a book is which absolutely no one can be trusted, and that is this book. I didn't know who to believe, I didn't know what to believe, half the time I really had no idea what was going on.

This book is mostly told from Ariel and Evan's POVs, and while neither them is an extremely likeable character, they help to build the story. You can't trust either of them, which is what makes this novel such a fun read.

There is so much tension in this book, you keep reading on and on because you just want to break through it, to figure out what the actual endgame is. And when the diary enters the scene, all bets are off.

While I had an inkling about what was going on, the end was still incredibly satisfying, cementing Shiner as one of my new favorite authors.

Hmmm… Unfortunately, I ran into some very real problems reading The Wife in the Photo. But let me start with the pluses before moving onto the negatives… With palpable tension and very real foreboding, my fingers tingled with anticipation from the very first word. The first book I’ve read by Shiner, I loved the interwoven dual POVs that had diary entries scattered throughout and, all together, led to an enticing level of misdirection. On top of that, the shady characters and layers of lies meant for one fast-paced, rollercoaster ride of a suspense.

Sadly, however, there were plenty of issues that meant I had a hard time losing myself in this one. Topping the list was the fact that, from the start, I thought I had it all figured out. I held out hope that there was going to be a gigantic twist that would throw me for a loop, but, by the end, my predictions were shown to be mostly right. Perhaps my ability to see the truth is down to how I inhale anything thriller, but, needless to say, it left me thoroughly disappointed by the end.

Then there was the over-the-top climax. Going from zero to one hundred in under a second, the whiplash was sudden and sure. I was certainly anticipating a little more finesse as the events exploded, which left me sadly underwhelmed if not somewhat turned off by the final showdown. Add in the conclusion which had me eager to hurl my Kindle across the room and I found myself rather surprised by the glowing ratings that this book has earned. Maybe it’s just me, but the melodramatic flamboyance and easy to guess twists just rubbed me the wrong way after flipping the last page.

All in all, I can still see how this popcorn thriller would be an epic ride for any thriller novice. Between the short, easy chapters that were well-plotted and the fact that none of the characters were even a bit trustworthy, this should have been a home run. Unfortunately, I have to put my lack of awe down to the fact that I saw through all of Shiner’s tricks of the trade. Perhaps if I’d read this one early on in my thriller addiction, it would’ve surprised me as well. Ultimately, I suggest taking my thoughts with a rather large grain of salt as there are plenty of glowing reviews for this new psychological thriller. Rating of 3 stars (due in large part to the format of the book).

This was quite the domestic family thriller. Sometimes family dramas are a miss for me, but the thriller aspect definitely puts a unique spin on things. The Freida McFadden comparison in the description is spot on.

Evan and Jessica are trying to find their way after the death of their wife/mother Lola. Evan brings in a housekeeper who is determined to prove that Lola’s death was not an accident. I had the murderer figured out pretty quickly, but I definitely didn’t expect everything that happened in the last 20% of this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

Lola has just died, leaving behind her husband, Evan and daughter, Jessica. Evan is feeling the pressure and decides to get some help around the house. His responsibilities as chief of police and as a father are weighing him down. Then enters Ariel, someone trying to get close to them to get to the truth. Ariel tries to gain their trust.
It was a pretty interesting thriller but I could figure out a lot while reading.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an advance copy.