Amanda McKinney delivers another unputdownable psychological thriller with The Wife’s Silence—a dark, twist-filled story that traps readers in a glass house where every shadow hides a secret.

When down-on-her-luck Lucy Greer accepts a job as live-in caregiver to Emilia Caine, the fragile wife of a wealthy businessman, she believes she’s been handed a lifeline. But inside the Caine estate, nothing is what it seems. Emilia, weakened by a stroke and heavily medicated, cannot speak—but her silence speaks volumes. A vanished son, an unstable ex-wife, and a husband with charm as sharp as a blade all collide in a web of deceit that grows tighter with every chapter.

Told in shifting perspectives and timelines, McKinney masterfully builds a claustrophobic atmosphere where trust is impossible and danger lurks behind every locked door. Each revelation peels back another layer of control, manipulation, and buried trauma, until the truth crashes down in a way readers will not see coming.

Suspenseful, chilling, and emotionally charged, The Wife’s Silence is a domestic thriller that grips from the first page and refuses to let go. Fans of B.A. Paris, Freida McFadden, and The Silent Patient will be utterly hooked.

This is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully weaves a web of secrets and lies. After a tragedy shatters her seemingly perfect life, a woman is forced to confront the dark truths she's been hiding. The novel is a fast-paced, suspenseful read with a relentless pace and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I really enjoyed this book. At first, it seemed quite similar to another book that I had read but it does branch off and become it's own story. In this story, Emilia is stuck in a medicated state and a woman named Lucy has been hired by her husband as her caregiver. He tells Lucy that Emilia has had a stroke and has been in this state ever since. From there, the story takes twists and turns that you just don't see coming.
The story is told in multiple times lines and by multiple characters. In this way, you see the story unfold with the information you need to get the bigger picture of what has been and is going on. There aren't so many characters that you can't keep track of what is going on and the story is very well written so it's easy to follow along and get yourself absorbed in the story.
I absolutely could not put this book down and finished it in a day and a half. I loved the twists and turns and really enjoyed the ending. I would recommend this one.

Once again Amanda McKinney comes through with an book that pulls you in and keeps you going till the end. I have read all of her books and they all are amazing!!

This one is where an Thomas Caine who is very wealthy hires a woman Lucy Greer to be a caretaker for his wife.
Lucy moved in with this task to be her duty to assist with his wife who was suffering from a stroke. This job was a lifesaver for Lucy as she has been living out of her car.
Shortly after her arrival, she noticed some strange happenings.
She discovered their son had disappeared years ago, and then Caines ex-wife shows up. His ex sife is an alcoholic that is hoping for revenge toward her ex-husband.
Emilia is unable to speak partially from all the medication she is on. But she is aware of what is going on in the household.
Lucy continues to try and figure out what is going on as so much does not make sense. Until she figures it all out.
What a great story!! Another winner!!

Apart from the highly unoriginal premise, the first half of the story did have me hooked. Unfortunately, it got COMPLETELY ridiculous from there.

Full review with spoilers on Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

When Lucy Greer, desperate to rebuild her life, takes a live-in caregiving job at an estate, she’s drawn into a web of secrets. Her charge is a woman rendered mute following a stroke. Between whispered suspicions, a long-missing son, and cryptic glances from those around her, Lucy begins to sense this estate is home to something dangerous.

I’ve loved Amanda McKinney’s past books and this one is no exception. It’s a perfect mix of mystery and suspense that pulls you in.

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

This story gripped me from the very first page. It's my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last!

The Wife’s Silence is a story of control, abuse, and revenge.

A Husband will do everything in his power to keep his wife.
Even if that means killing her. At least she would die has his.
The wife will do anything in her power to get her life back and find her son. Even if that means murder.

There is a lot going on in this story but it’s easy to follow and will keep your interest from page to page.
A must read.

This was a very tense story, not knowing what was going to happen next. There were some very real characters that made the story that made the tension even greater. A rewarding conclusion.

Excellent thriller. This book has it all. Love, betrayal, a controlling husband, deceit, lies, a missing son, murder and revenge with an unexpected twist. Highly recommended.

This book!!! The twist was amazing, didn't see it coming at all. I loved how the plot kept me guessing and I always thought "I think I know what's happening", and then I was wrong.

The writing was fluid and engaging and the characters were multi layered, and I do love to hate characters! I listened and read this at the same time and what a game changer, you really immerse yourself into the story.

3-3.5. Similar to some other books that I have read with a different execution. I enjoy the way the author delivers the plot however, it just wasn’t one of my faves of hers. It also is a re-make or rebrand of the madwoman series #4 and I couldn’t find that anywhere so I read it.

Thank you to the author, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Thomas Caine has hired Lucy as a live-in career for his wife Emilia who had a stroke, leaving her bedridden and unable to communicate.  Lucy desperately needs this job as it pays well and she has until recently been living in her car.  Her employer and his wife haven't had it easy, despite their wealth -  their son went missing years ago and Emilia is quite unwell following her stroke.  Soon after Lucy moves in, she suspects things are not as they initially seemed to be.  Emilia is heavily sedated all the time, Thomas harbours his own secrets and his ex-wife came over drunk one night and hasn't gone home since.  Even the housekeeper's behaviour is suspicious.  All Lucy knows is that she must get to the bottom of what is going on in the household, for Emilia's sake.

Told in dual timelines, this fast-paced psychological thriller is filled with flawed characters you can't help but dislike, hoping they get what they deserve.  The suspense builds quite well as the story progresses, culminating with a few surprising twists and an ending which ties all the threads together in a fantastical way. A great read if you enjoy a psychological thriller with lots of twists! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed this twisty, domestic thriller. The writing style is compelling, and I was drawn into the dark plot.

She did it again she delivered yet another un put down able read. The twists were big and unexpected jaw dropping some might say. I really enjoy her writing and I think I’m moving her to my auto by Author pile after this one.! I think this is my second one that I’ve read and have thoroughly enjoyed!!!

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

Amanda McKinney masterfully delivers a chilling and emotionally charged domestic thriller in The Wife’s Silence, a tale that plunges deep into the webs of secrecy, guilt, and the unbearable cost of staying silent. With taut pacing and psychological precision, McKinney unravels the unsettling dynamics of a marriage built on unspoken trauma.

Her protagonist is a woman caught between fear and determination—torn between loyalty to her husband and the heavy burden of the truth. As secret after secret threatens to surface, the tension intensifies until the reader is left questioning every gesture, every glance. McKinney excels at layering domestic fragility over a foundation of suspense, turning a seemingly ordinary marital setting into a powder keg of emotional volatility.

Rich in atmosphere and insight, The Wife’s Silence explores themes of complicity, trust, and self-preservation, painting a nuanced portrait of how silence can both protect and destroy. McKinney’s prose is clean and compelling, and her character development—especially of the wife at the center—is deep, empathetic, and haunting.

Perfect for: Fans of clinical domestic thrillers like The Silent Patient, readers of intense psychological suspense, and those drawn to complex female characters with secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Rating: ★★★★★

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I’m a fan of McKinney; this is one of the really intense ones. I’ll be honest—I found it a bit triggering, as it reminded me of a similar relationship I once had.

In this book, Emilia and Thomas fall in love and marry, but she soon discovers how controlling he can be. How he wants her to change to fulfill his needs, never takes responsibility for his own actions, and eventually, rules her by fear. The story is told in the “before” and “after,” from different POVs. Lucy is hired to care for Emilia, who has had a stroke, and expresses a deep kinship and empathy for her. Thomas leaves all caregiving to Lucy, except for administering her medications. Lucy immediately notices that there are way more sedatives being administered than make sense for a stroke victim. Lucy begins to suspect there’s more to the story.

There are so many secrets in this book that it would be foolish of me to reveal any of them. Over the course of the story, we become aware of so many more details regarding what led to this moment. Here’s what triggered me. There’s a flashback to when Lucy took her son James and attempted to run away from Thomas. I could feel the tension as she feared he would catch them. I understood that sense that he was somehow omnipotent and knew exactly what she was doing. It was totally illogical, but that pervasive fear that he truly had a sixth sense about her actions and whereabouts was all too familiar to me. I found myself totally immersed and stressed out about their escape. Since the story begins with Emilia in a nearly catatonic state, it’s clear her escape plan didn’t go as she’d hoped it would.

The blurb about the book mentions secrets. That’s no joke. Each character had hidden depths and motivations, and when you think you’ve uncovered everything, there are still more surprises. I highly recommend this book. At its core, it’s a treatise on survival and hope. Tomorrow can be better.

This was such a quick, twisty read i devoured it in one sitting. This is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you wanting more. I could not put it down. I definitely did not see the plot twist coming. This is my second book by the author, and I will say I am a fan.
Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for the ARC.

I personally like when I can see some turns coming, but it’s a breath of fresh air when I’m taken by surprise. With my own experiences dealing with narcissistic people, this pretty much hit the nail on the head in certain ways.

I stayed engaged and blew through this faster than I anticipated!

Thanks for the opportunity to get a head start on this book, it was a great read!!