This book really surprised me. Not only was I connected to the characters emotionally, but it had me guessing and not wanting to put it down right to the very end. Well done! Highly recommend.

I am not a first person narrator fan at all and try to avoid them unless I have been tricked by the blurb or the plot sounds so intriguing that I just have to bite the bullet and read it. This book would not have worked as well if it had been written in the third person. I would not have felt as connected to Ray, the main character. You understand exactly how sad he is as he talks about eating cereal over the sink, or why he won't get rid of his wife's bathrobe that's still hanging on the back of the bathroom door. So I'm glad I took the chance.

That being said, I also felt that while the plot was unique, I struggled with the reality of it. Yes, it's fiction. If you go down the true crime TikToks with the eerie Sigur Ros music rabbit hole, then it makes it a bit more plausible. You'll know exactly when you hit that part in the book. It happens early on. Don't let it put you off the story because the twists keep it moving and the ending is satisfying.

This is a new author to me, and I will be adding more of her books to my TBR. Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

I tried many times to get into given how great others reviewed it but the flow was all over the place. I don’t believe April suddenly telling the secret while she is still in protection. Ray doesn’t use smartphones or much technology then suddenly he knows how to research all things mafia. I just couldn’t believe anything I was reading so I had to stop.

The twists start as soon as his wife is killed and then just keep coming. I loved the back story and how it was uncovered. The author has a great writing style, in which there is plenty of descriptive narrative to really immerse you in the whole story. I loved the idea of the husband determined to get to the truth and thoroughly enjoyed both his processes and the ultimate resolution.

5 stars-A husband and wife are going out to dinner for their anniversary when she is gunned down in an attempted robbery. Two years later the killer is granted a new trial. The attack was random, but who shoots some 6 times in a robbery? Is there more to the store? Who was June, and why did she have to die? I really enjoyed the pace and the writing style of the author.i found myself turning pages as quickly as I could to find out the truth (and let me tell you, I could never have guessed the outcome!) This is an author I will be in the lookout for in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

3 ⭐️

WHAT I LOVED - Ray, the main character. Left with questions after his wife's murder, he will do anything to get to the truth.

WHAT I LIKED - The premise of the story. I like the mystery of an entire hidden life.

WHAT I DISLIKED - I very often found myself reading along and wondering if I missed something.

WOULD I RECOMMEND? Maybe, to a certain type of reader.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kingsley Publishers, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

this was such a brilliant book. it could have been enough when one mans wife is killed. but then to find out that not all is what it seems in her own life and past, and then how that will impact a family. well, it was just brill. i wanted to find out how this was going to play out. i wanted to find out who was guilty or what wasnt as it seemed. and it all came and fit together so snuggly like the perfect jigsaw.

Ray isnt doing ok. his wife was murdered. and the only bit of peace he got was knowing her killer was behind bars. but then hes gotten the news that the killer has been granted a new trial. but whats more Ray gets wind of something far worse. that his wife may not be who he thought she was. that she has secrets in her own past going way back to its own grisly murder involving her family. hes adrift and feeling the force of all this weight on him so sets out to discover just what the hell is going on now, and just who his wife really was. with the help of his children and a smart reporter they unearth the very real possibility that the woman they thought they new was just a lie.
the emotions in this was told just as perfectly as the mystery itself. you could feel the grief and the feelings uncertainty throughout. how you miss your mum and wife but what if she wasnt the woman you thought youd been living and loving? your left with all the pieces, so what now?
it feels like we are really hearing from this family. we are witnessing a plethora of feelings not all pretty. there are moments it really feels like Ray is falling apart. as the book went on i was so into it and the family that i was worried what would come up, because of how it would effect them. i didnt want their pain to be bigger than it already felt it was becoming.
the pacing was fast when it needed to be, it let you figure it out so was slower when that was needed too.
i have so much time for books like this. it was done so well and the story was perfect.

He thought he lost his wife to a random crime—until the real story unraveled everything he knew about her. This book pulled me in with grief, mystery, and a quiet storm of suspense. Ray’s heartbreak is palpable, and as he digs deeper into his wife’s past, the twists just keep coming. It’s more than a murder mystery—it’s about family secrets, love, and how well we really know the people closest to us. A little slow at times, but the payoff is worth it. Perfect for fans of layered, emotional thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Lots of domestic suspense and very well written. Recommend for a real take on a thriller.