Once again Sue Watson created a thriller I couldn’t put down. I was constantly reading at every single opportunity. This atmospheric story was full of intrigue and eerie moments that were chilling and unexpected. The author said that she drew inspiration from Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and the vibes of that mesmerizing tale came across brilliantly. The main character evoked emotion ranging from concern to frustration. I always appreciate when a thriller is intense with emotion and suspense. I was hooked from start to finish. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas &Mercer for my copy.

Really enjoyed this! At first I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m glad I took a chance on this author!

A mix of gaslighting and suspense!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Sue Watson is a master at writing psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint. Quick read, loved it

3,5 stars rounded up

Sophie wasn't looking for love in Sicily. But then she sees Emilio, a professor who works at the university where she is teaching for the summer. He's kind, intelligent, funny, exciting, and deliriously unpredictable.... maybe perfect. But paradise quickly turns into purgatory as she uncovers the haunting disappearance of Emilio's first wife. And when she senses a shadowy character following her, watching her every move, Sophie starts to question her grip on reality. Is she being paranoid, or is nothing about her new life what it seems?

This is a descriptively written story. It's mostly set in Sicily. The plot slowly unravels as Sophie goes to Sicily after a bereavement where she takes up a teaching job. When she meets Emilio, it''s love at first sight. But Emilio is already married - but separated. But should Sophie trust him?

This story starts off slowly. It also felt like a whodunit at times. I also felt the middle of the book dragged out. The characters are well-developed but you'll either like or dislike them.

Published 13th June 2025

I would like to thanak #NetGalley #AmazonPublishingUK #ThomasMercer and the author #SueWatson for my ARC of #HisFirstWife in exchange for an honest review.

HIS FIRST WIFE BY SUE WATSON.
Release day set for the 13th of June 2025.
I have read a few Sue Watson books now and this one was just as good as the others I've read.
His first wife grabs your attention from the very beginning and is a very easy read throughout.
Really enjoyed it and look forward ro the next one

Sue Watson delivers another beautifully written and captivating story with His First Wife. The setting in Sicily is lush and evocative, and the mystery unfolds at a steady, gripping pace. From the moment Sophie meets Emilio, there’s a spark—and a creeping sense that not everything is as it seems. As the story twists and darkens, Watson masterfully balances suspense with emotional depth, keeping the reader questioning everyone and everything.

This is an easy yet compelling read—one that had me turning the pages quickly. Watson’s prose is as sharp and immersive as always, and the plot holds plenty of tension, secrets, and psychological intrigue.

That said, this book may not resonate with every reader in the same way. Personally, I struggle with protagonists who are constantly second-guessing themselves or spiraling into self-doubt, and Sophie’s inner monologue occasionally veered into that territory for me. However, that’s a personal taste issue—Watson captures her character with nuance and consistency, and many readers will likely relate more to Sophie’s vulnerability and emotional realism than I did.

Overall, His First Wife is a well-paced psychological thriller with an atmospheric setting, a chilling mystery, and an author who knows exactly how to keep readers hooked. Fans of the genre—and of Watson’s previous work—will find much to enjoy here.

Another brilliant psychological thriller from Sue Watson. I’ve read all of Sue Watson’s novels and have loved every single one and this book was no exception. It was just as gripping and well crafted as her previous books.

The plot had me constantly guessing and second-guessing every character and every twist. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something unexpected would happen, pulling me deeper into the suspense. The writing was sharp, the pacing was spot on, and the atmosphere perfectly tense.
I loved everything about it and will be recommending this to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

A dark and twisty love story set in Taormina (Sicily)

The story follows Sophie, a young woman who arrives in Sicily to teach for the summer. She doesn’t expect to find love, but then she meets Emilio—charming, intelligent, and undeniably magnetic. He seems perfect, everything Sophie has ever wanted. But as their relationship grows, Sophie begins to uncover unsettling details about Emilio’s past, particularly the mysterious disappearance of his first wife, Gina. Soon, Sophie starts feeling like she’s being watched, and with every new piece of information, she questions whether she’s falling into a dangerous web of secrets and obsession.

I picked up His First Wife because the cover caught my eye, and the premise seemed like the perfect blend of romance and suspense. The first few chapters hooked me right in, and I was intrigued by the unfolding story. The setting—right at the foot of Mount Etna—is the star here. The author paints Sicily in such vivid detail that I could practically feel the heat of the island and the tension in the air. The atmosphere was spot on, and I have to give Watson credit for a unique and clever backdrop for her mystery.

The plot promises a thrilling mystery full of secrets, lies, and betrayals. And while it does offer suspenseful moments, the structure of the book doesn’t quite hit the mark. The revelation of Gina’s disappearance doesn’t come until much later in the book, which feels frustrating given the title. For much of the story, Sophie is wrapped up in her relationship with Emilio and the paranoia she experiences from being watched, leaving the plot feeling misaligned with the premise.

What’s worse is that the book’s pacing suffers as a result. For me, the plot begins to drag from 35 up to 70%. What could’ve been a tight, fast-paced thriller stretches out longer than necessary. I found myself constantly checking how much time was left, groaning as the story limped toward its conclusion. Despite the frustration, the ending really surprised me. While I suspected something was off, I didn’t see the final twist coming at all, which made up for some of the predictability earlier on.

Sophie, the protagonist, drove me crazy at times. She’s completely smitten by Emilio and ignores every red flag in sight. She’s a grown woman, yet her blind trust and emotional decisions made her come off as a little too naïve and reckless. I just kept thinking, “How many more signs do you need, Sophie?” It made it hard to connect with her.

As for Emilio, he’s charming, but his mysterious, perfect image felt a little too convenient, and his past was slowly revealed in a way that made me roll my eyes. The other characters didn’t fare much better. I couldn’t figure out if Gina (the ex-wife) was just calm or creepy, and Sabrina was bitter and jealous and Abbi seemed a bit too invested in everything, which just added to the confusion. Marian, however, was a nice breath of fresh air. Her upbeat, friendly personality brought some much-needed levity to the otherwise tense atmosphere.

The book touches on themes of love, trust, and the dangers of burying the past. Sophie’s relationship with Emilio is fraught with secrets that neither of them wants to confront. The book explores how people’s pasts can haunt them, affecting the choices they make in the present. It also raises questions about how far someone will go to protect their secrets, and what happens when you start running from your mistakes rather than facing them head-on.

Ultimately, His First Wife wasn’t my favorite read, but it wasn’t a total miss either. The beautiful setting, the suspenseful atmosphere, and that shocker of an ending gave it a few redeeming qualities.

I kindly received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much Thomas & Mercer!

I definitely found myself feeling uneasy and tense while reading this. Watching the danger Sophie was in and not knowing which way it would turn made for an unsettling and gripping read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

This was my first book by this author. I did enjoy the setting in Silicy, but this story was a bit underwhelming for me.
Sophie, the main character was very annoying and just plain dumb at times. The rest of the cast was not much better.
There was a good twist, but overall the story was just ok to me.

I love Sue Watson's books but I couldn't settle down with this one and it's mainly down to how annoying Sophie is, she's meant to be 36 but acts like a spoilt teenager, the book rose in my estimation when Sabrina and Marian were introduced as they added a new avenue as to who might be behind what was happening. Abi was another great character that added to the storyline as a friend who Sophie didn't deserve .

His First Wife by Sue Watson is another riveting tale from this prolific and talented author.

Sophie is in Sicily teaching at a university for the summer. It is here where she meets professor Emilio, and the sparks fly. But as she begins to build a life with this handsome man, his past is called into question, particularly with regard to his relationship with his first wife. As the signs begin to indicate that something is not quite right, Sophie wonders if she has gotten herself in too deep by taking a spontaneous and romantic leap of faith.

I always enjoy Sue Watson's writing, and this latest offering is no exception. The Sicilian setting was an added bonus.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.

If you tell me a book is inspired by “Rebecca,” I expect moody tension, buried secrets, and a sense of doom so thick it fogs the windows. What I don’t expect is a tepid romance, slow-burn suspense that barely flickers, and red flags treated more like cute accessories than warning signs. “His First Wife” wants to be gothic and haunting, but mostly it just left me a little unengaged.

Sophie arrives in Sicily to teach art for the summer, raw from recent grief and emotionally undercooked for what’s about to unfold. Enter Emilio, brooding volcanology professor, espresso addict, owner of many intense silences. He simmers, he smolders, and he keeps his secrets buried like lava under polished stone. Also, he might still be married. Sophie, predictably, throws logic in the sea and follows her heart directly into a plot full of warning signs and whispered half-truths.

His wife Gina is supposedly off doing science on another continent, but the silence around her whereabouts is less “don’t worry about it” and more “oh no, she’s haunting this book.” Meanwhile, Sophie’s roommate Abbi is basically a sentient alarm bell with strong opinions and no sense of volume control. She might be unhinged, but she’s not wrong. And when Gina’s sister shows to up to the story with a permanent scowl and cryptic comments, it becomes very clear that this trip is not going to end in only postcards.

The pacing is more molasses than menace. The first half leans hard on wishful thinking and romantic delusion while we wait for the thriller to actually show up. When it does, it’s fine. The twists are fine. The ending is fine. But that’s kind of the issue, for a story with dead wives, emotional sabotage, and Mediterranean heat, it never fully ignites. Sophie’s arc never quite lands either. She flinches, doubts, forgives, repeats. The growth is there, but it’s so muted it feels like a shrug.

Three stars. If you’re looking for something broody and propulsive, this probably won’t scratch the itch. But if you enjoy yelling “ma’am, no” at your book while watching a woman ignore every red flag like she’s playing emotional Minesweeper, it delivers on that front.

Whodunity Award: For Smoldering Suspense With All the Heat of a Broken Toaster

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC — and for reminding me that “mysterious professor” is a romance trope, but “mysterious professor with a missing wife” is usually on a therapist’s red flag bingo card.

First, thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

Not gonna lie, Sue Watson will soon by one of my auto-buy authors if things do continue like this. I mean, sure, the story idea itself is not new. But that does not mean it is bad. In my opinion, at least.

Sophie did not expect finding love again when meeting Emilio, and yet, there she is. So, everything could be prefect, right? Well... maybe. Maybe, if this was a different kind of book. But it is not. So, Sophie soon has to wonder who Emilio really is. And if he might me involved into disappearance of his first wife. Or why Sophie suddenly feels like someone is following her...

Could a book be more topical? With Etna erupting and the scenes shown on the news and social media it made imagining this book set in Taoranina, in the foothills of Etna and the characters, sights and sounds therein even more poignant and real

The book though is pure psychological thriller, a woman who falls for a man who obviously has a hidden agenda…..a mysterious first wife, an even more mysterious Sister In Law and a ( fav character for me ) stalkerish if not well meaning neighbour/best friend who is intent on making her feelings, on any situation, known, loudly 😀

You never quite know who you can trust or who is being honest, naïve, crafty, nasty or friendly and until the ending, which is 2 fold, I kept changing my mind

Sue Watson writes a great thriller and this is that bit different set where it is however the tension and suspense is what we have come to expect from the authors books

Great read

Sue Watson was recommended to me by a book friend who raves about her books. This was my first read by her. For me, it started off a bit slow. However, in my opinion made up for it the second half of the book.

This author sure knows how to pull the punches ib the twists and turns in her books. She delivers a thrilling and captivating read that you can not put down. Highly recommend.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was an engaging and well-paced read. I was gripped throughout and the twists were unpredictable. However, I felt Sophie's backstory was too rushed, although I was pleased to see that thread picked up towards the end, as for awhile, it looked like it had been forgotten. The different strands of plot, while interesting, did not all seem to be cohesively woven through the book, with other aspects, mentioned then ignored for many chapters, which meant that the resolving chapters were not as satisfying as they perhaps otherwise would have been.

Amazing psychological thriller suspense. I got hooked from the start, and I couldn't put down this one.

Sue Watson is writing, i'm reading it ASAP.

Another great page turner from this author, slightly different to her previous books in my opinion but with plenty of mystery and lies going on and sometimes a bit spooky.

It was extremely well written which is centered around Sicily, so descriptive in the storyline and I just loved it from the beginning until the great ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing (Thomas & Mercer) for this great ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.