This books amazingly written and crafted, the tension is in every page and almost every word. The action dances around in time giving glimpses into the lives of Mary and Martha and the other inhabitants of the small town. The moving about in time over several months shows how things have developed and gives a new version of what is happening each time. Brick by brick the mystery is revealed and the stress is ramped up bit by bit. It is clever writing, and the characters all have issues and flaws that stop them being loveable and yet make them so attractive. I was page turning so fast to uncover each new layer and see what the new chapters brought in terms of info and revelation. An unsettling but great read.

Woowie this was a good one! I genuinely couldn’t believe the ending I didn’t see that coming. It was so dark and twisted in all the best ways!

I personally couldn't get into this book. Seemed like a lot of people blaming each other right away and using God as part of their reasoning. Not for me.

When Martha settles in Whitney Falls, clearly escaping a secret past, she does her best to stay under the radar but can’t help being drawn toward the charismatic Tim, the town’s new pastor, and his lovely wife Martha. But are they as clean-cut as they portray?
If you’re looking for a female driven, small town quick read this book is for you. It’s always fun to watch a friendship develop until you start seeing all the little cracks and then try to guess where the story is going. Definitely some good twists I didn’t see coming.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Martha moved to an ideal, picture perfect small town to find anonymity. Mary is the Pastor's wife and seems tobe the warmest personality, taking Martha under her wing and helps Martha fend in small town life. But all is not as it seems. Everyone has a past, everyone has a secret. Who can be trusted?

I was surprised about how dark and twisty this ended up being. It was a quick and engaging read. I enjoyed the characters and could definitely see some parallels between my own midwest small town upbringing and the characters in the story.

Read if you like:
-Small town thrillers
-Stories based in midwest towns
-Quick, easy reads

Thank you Bookouture, LynDee Walker and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

A gripping and intricately layered mystery that masterfully blends small-town secrets, complex relationships, and sharp suspense. Known for her compelling narratives and smart, tenacious heroines, Walker delivers another engrossing read that keeps you guessing until the very end.

The Pastor’s Wife presents an intriguing premise with its mix of suspense and a small-town setting. The plot drew me in as Martha moves to Whitney Falls, aiming to start a fresh life, but soon finds herself entangled in the complexities of the pastor and his wife.

The writing style is engaging, and there are moments of tension. However, at times, the pacing felt uneven as the story jumped around from different perspectives.

Overall, The Pastor’s Wife offers a decent read for those who enjoy domestic thrillers. It’s worth a read if you’re looking for a light suspense story. I would rate this a 3.75 out of 5 stars (rounded to 4).

#ThePastorsWife #NetGalley @bookouture

This is my first book by Lyndee Walker, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But just a few pages in and the author definitely grabbed my attention. I really enjoyed the MC, Martha’s, narrative voice. I immediately had full understanding of the type of little country town she found herself in…the kind where everyone attends church on a Sunday morning, and the ladies auxiliary is made up of the queen bees who rule while wearing perfectly matching cardigan sets and (often) fake smiles..

I found myself really empathetic to Martha and her situation. So I was really happy when Mary, the pastor’s wife, showed her kindness. But just maybe that was my mistake for trusting her, like Martha did.

THE PASTOR’S WIFE had plenty of twists and turns. Some I saw coming, but a big one that I didn’t. And I loved that! When you read this genre a lot (like I do) you can usually pick up early hints and weed out red herrings. But I honestly didn’t see this twist coming until it smacked me in the face.

If you enjoy a good domestic thriller, with a southern setting of what looks perfect on the outside usually hides dark happenings inside…this book may be right up your alley. 3.5⭐️

Trigger warnings apply of abuse and implied SA.

Thanks so much to netgalley, the author and publisher for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was pleasantly surprised with how great this book was! When I first started, I wasn't sure that I was going to get into it. The author was new to me, so I had to find my footing. I'm so glad I stuck with it, because it got SO GOOD!! Twists and turns started being thrown at me, and I couldn't keep up. It was a truly fantastic book, and I definitely recommend!!

I will admit that I was a little skeptical of a book called The Pastor’s Wife. But, Lyndee Walker has never let me down so I dove right in. This book was nothing that I thought it would be. Everything I thought I had figured out was wrong. My jaw dropped so many times reading this, I lost count.

The Pastor’s Wife is the story of a small southern town and the people there with secrets to hide. Some secrets are harmless to others, but some secrets are deadly. When we meet Martha, we know she’s running from her past. Martha is just a young woman trying to find somewhere to blend in and not call attention to herself. All is going well until Mary, the new pastor’s wife, befriends her. Martha isn’t the only person in Whitney Falls with secrets and a past, and soon she is in the middle of way more than she bargained for.


The storyline, the plot twists, the characters… so good! Highly recommend!

3 1/2 stars for this twisty little story
I enjoyed the two POVs and the voice (and heart) of Martha. Thanks to NetGalley, I enjoyed the book!

Talk about a binge worthy book, this was it for me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From the beginning, I was hooked and could not put this book down.

What is going on in the town of Whitney Falls? What secrets are being hidden? Is Pastor Tim someone that can truly be trusted? What about Pastor Tim's wife Mary. Is she who she portrays herself to be? What dark secret is Martha running from and will she escape it? This is a dark, twisty, and thrilling must read. I cannot say that enough! 👀

The author does a fabulous job connecting all of the characters to the plot with smooth transitions, relatable personalities and gripping twists and turns. I gave this book 5 stars for all of these reasons. I can't wait to read the next masterpiece by Lyndee Walker! 📚

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher, for the eARC opportunity!

This book started out slow. It picks up about halfway through. Even pastors have secrets. There are a couple twists and turns and a surprise ending.

I was immediately engaged and intrigued by this story. LynDee Walker draws readers in with a vivid sense of place—it's easy to picture the small town, complete with the looming influence of the Baptist church. The writing is smooth and easy to read, and the author sets the scene well.
One of the highlights for me was watching Martha and Mary’s friendship develop. Their bond added emotional depth and complexity, and I found myself truly invested in both of their stories.
While I enjoyed the book overall, there were a few elements that didn’t quite work for me. The mention of the months at the beginning of each chapter felt unnecessary and a bit distracting.
That said, the plot twists were absolutely jaw-dropping. I didn’t see any of them coming— Walker does a fantastic job of building suspense and keeping the reader guessing.
Overall, The Pastor’s Wife is a compelling and thought-provoking read with strong characters, surprising turns, and an unsettlingly real atmosphere. I’m glad I had the chance to read this ARC and look forward to reading more from LynDee Walker.

Wow! What a fantastic thriller book - I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future. This book kept me HOOKED the entire time, and I binged it in 1.5 days. I loved how this book kept me questioning EVERYTHING, and there were so many plot twists. I found myself second guessing everything that I thought that I knew, and it kept me wanting to continue reading after every chapter. I'm not going to say too much as I went in blind, and I think it very much added to the experience. The title and synopsis of this book are more than enough to start you off with before diving into this book - and I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book if you're a fan of thriller/mysteries and many plot twists!

In a small village, it seems like the walls have ears. Everyone knows everyone and thinks they know everything about everyone. But on the other hand, such a small village is also ideal if you want to build a new life, far from your past and the hustle and bustle of big cities.

This is also the case for Martha. She tries to stay under the radar as much as possible, but that actually has the opposite effect. She especially becomes a thorn in the side of a certain person who does everything possible to make her life miserable. However, there is a guardian angel involved, and who else could that be but Mary, the pastor's wife?

It becomes clear fairly quickly that Martha is carrying a secret, and that Mary has a warm personality that takes her under her wing. But soon it also becomes clear that the Mary at home and the Mary in public are not the same person. What’s really going on?

Another important character is Pastor Tim. He immediately wins the hearts of the female community. He has charm in abundance—but is he using it in the right way?

The story is smoothly written and paints a perfect picture of all the main characters. This makes it easy to take sides. More and more, I began to realize that the author was pulling the wool over my eyes, with the result that I kept falling from one surprise into another.

Suddenly, I started seeing red flags everywhere and began to understand certain things.

For me, this is an incredibly good book. Personally, I think the ending could have been a bit more developed. Other than that, I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars.

Thank you

Wow this was a really dark book that starts off with a young woman who is hiding from something and this small town seemed to be the best place to hide out but it seems her new bosses wife hates her and wants her to leave but a chance meeting finds her a new friend and a life she is desperate to keep hold of but is the perfect Pastor and his lovely wife really as perfect as they make out and could she be in danger closer to home. This is a dark thriller not to be missed!!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis for this book and was pleased to see the plot lived up to it. However, it's execution fell a bit flat. I was engaged throughout and Mary and Martha were intriguing protagonists. However, the story jumped about a lot, making it hard to follow at times, and while it is normal to suspend disbelief with this genre, the ending was far-fetched.

The plot was SO good. The twists just kept coming. Not my typical book to pick up, but I’m SO HAPPY I did because it was incredible. 10/10 of bringing us through the relationships and ups and downs.

Something strange is going on in the town of Whitney Falls, but only one person seems to be noting that. And interestingly, the person concerned just happens to be one of the newer residents of the town.

But why does nobody else seem to sense the strange disconnect in the behaviour of the pastor and his wife? On the contrary, most people seem to feel that the sun shines out of the pair.

But there is a darkness just below the surface...

This is an entertaining thriller that does a good job of portraying small town life. It gets 3.5 stars.