The Pastor's Wife is a captivating read! The sheer number of characters and their shifting perspectives definitely kept me guessing and engaged. A sold 4 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published June 2025.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I absolutely loved it! The premise was brilliant and the story was well executed. The twist made me actually gasp. Can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This book was definitely fast paced but I felt a lot of the twists came out of nowhere. I wish there had been a little more development on certain things and less on others.

All I can say is... WOW.
This thriller takes you on a wild psychological adventure!
Twists, turns, and drama at every turn.

Martha shows up in the small town of Whitney Falls hoping to blend in and hide from her past. Then she meets Pastor Tim and his wife Mary-who seem like the definition of picture perfect. But perfection is not what it seems.

When Mary unexpectedly befriends Martha, things get... complicated. Their lives and "friendship" quickly become a tricky matter.

This book is told by both Martha and Mary's POVs, and had me second-guessing everyone and their motives. A must-read for thriller fans who love deceitful, cunning characters and small-town secrets with a sinister twist.

Title: The Pastor’s Wife
Author: LynDee Walker
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Psychological /Thriller
Pub Date: June 13, 2025
My Rating: 4.7 Stars
Pages 258

Martha settles in Whitney Falls, Arkansas trying to run from her secret past. She has been trying to go unnoticed; however, she is noticed by some of the ladies who whisper to each and hurry as they pass by her. She states she is a nobody from nowhere but these ladies act like being a nobody might be catchy.
One day she has a run in with Ruthie Tomlinson who is jealous of Martha as she is attractive and works at the “Pick and Go’ grocery store where Ruthie’s husband Sam is the Manager. Martha is actually delivering groceries to Pastor McClatchy home. Mary McClatchy saw the whole thing and invites Martha in so that she can tend to the cut on her head.-as she was trained to as a Nurse.
Mary is the Pastor's wife and takes Martha under her wing and helps her fend in a small town.

Mary’s husband Tim is the new Pastor at First Baptist Church. He is handsome and charming.
Martha soon becomes a regular at church. Everyone thinks Pastor Tim and his wife Mary are saints. Martha is grateful that they have been so welcome to her. However, as Martha spends with more time with them, she is sure something isn’t right. She wonders why they won’t talk about where they came from before they moved to Whitney Falls.
Martha is sure she isn’t the only one with a secret past.

This was a WOW read. I read and love psychological thrillers but I honestly did NOT expect anything like this story!!


In “A Letter from LynDee” Our author tells us that this was the darkest, most twisted story she has ever written- and she has a giant smile on
her face because it was so much fun to write! (No one believes she wrote it as she is too nice!)
In fact she thanks friends for believing in her when she didn’t.! (Most cannot believe she
it as she is too nice!)
She said the Mary and Martha were in her heard from nearly a decade before they made it to print.
Additionally she hopes readers enjoy it as much as she enjoyed writing it!

As I mentioned this was a WOW read. I honestly could NOT put it down and read it in one evening. But can I say I enjoyed it? Hmm other than WOW I cannot come up with a ‘fun’ word!
However, I will definitely read her next psychological thriller!

I read and enjoyed both [book: The General’s Gold and The Cardinal’s Curse] which were both part of The Turner and Mosley Files series- written [author: LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin] so was attracted to reading another story by Ms. Walker.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this GREAT eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 13, 2025.

My first book by this author, and I just got to say “wow.” The dual POV was a great choice, kept me on the edge of my seat. I went in blind, thinking I knew what to expect, but boy was I wrong. The twists were perfectly timed & left me shocked. Loved everything about it!

All I can say is… WOW. 🤯 This psychological thriller had me hooked from page one and did not let go. Twists, turns, and messed-up characters (in the best possible thriller way) made this an absolute page-turner.
Martha shows up in the small town of Whitney Falls with a big secret and a plan to disappear quietly into the background. Then she meets Pastor Tim and his wife Mary—who seem like the definition of picture perfect. But perfection is almost always a mask, right?

When Mary unexpectedly befriends Martha, things get… complicated. Their lives quickly become entangled, and the question becomes: who’s really hiding the biggest secret? 👀

Told from both Martha and Mary’s POVs, this book had me second-guessing everyone and devouring chapters late into the night. A must-read for thriller fans who love layered characters and small-town secrets with a sinister twist.

The Pastor's Wife by LynDee Walker. A gripping, page turner psychological thriller with a myriad of secrets and sole haunting evil and darkness. So intense! The characters, they were over the top brillant. There was something about Mary. First time author for me, will most definately for looking for her future books.

Thank you to LynDee Walker, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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!