The Wife’s Silence was a captivating thriller that really had me on my toes the entire book. It was filled with secrets, love, loyalty and you guessed it … twists. This book was fast paced and really kept you guessing and on the edge of your seat. Most definitely a must-read for readers that love suspenseful, character driven thrillers.

I enjoyed this book. At first it reminded me of another book that I have read but the ending was quite different. I am not sure exactly how I felt about the characters at the end of the book. The characters that survived also had blood on their hands so it was hard for me to be glad that they survived. .

This was interesting. The narrator does a nice job telling the story with multiple point of views.

Emilia‘s husband Thomas is a horrible person. After years of distrust, jealousy, and control, Emilia supposedly suffers a stroke. Emilia can no longer talk, and her body is almost paralyzed. Thomas hires Lucy to care for his wife, while he neglect her and continues his selfish ways.

There are a lot of twist and turns, and while some of the book was predictable, there were a couple surprises.

Thank you to NetGalley and dreamscape media for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.75. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an arc of this. This was a quick enjoyable book. Listened on audio and enjoyed the narrator. Could guess some of the twists but I still enjoyed and wanted to keep listening to find out.

The Wife's Silence by Amanda McKinney is just okay to me. I really enjoyed the flashbacks with Amelia and was genuinely surprised by one twist, but overall, it wasn’t enough to hold my interest. I didn’t connect with Lucy and found some elements (for instance, the pawn shop) unnecessary. By the end, I just didn’t care about the characters anymore.

Elise Roth is not my favorite narrator. She had a bit more range here than in the last book I listened to, but just barely. Her performance still lacked emotion and a strong connection to the characters, which makes all the difference.

Thank you to Dreamscape Select for providing me with an ALC.

She's got more twists than a pretzel I'm was captivated. Continue to maintain my interest with these intriguing characters and plot. Highly recommend

And the worst book husband award goes too… Thomas was the epitome of a narcissistic & gaslighting man. This story had soooo secrets, literally every single character had secrets! I enjoyed the multiple POVs between Lucy, Ameila & Thomas, that alternated between past and present! The story was well written, well balanced between characters and was very thoughtfully provoking.

Homeless, Lucy finds a caregiver job providing care for Amelia after suffering from a stroke. Lucy slowly begins to realize there is a lot more going on behind the walls of this home.

Overall a very enjoyable story, that domestic thriller fans will enjoy! The narration was great and really brought life to especially Lucy and the other POVs as well. This was my second book by Amanda McKenny and I have thoroughly enjoyed both! Thank you Dreamscape Select and NetGalley for this listening copy. All opinions are my own.

Sinister.
Hooked right away. Did not see that twist coming, or the next one.
Loved the ending.
The narration was good.

This is a case where not everyone is going to live every book. I was so excited to get this audio ALC after reading the description but it just didn’t pull me in.

Formulaic is the best word I can use . Generally I listen to a book a day in addition to my physical books but this one took me several days to get through. The narrator Elise Roth did a fine job with her narration. She spoke at a great 1x pace and her vocals fit the characters well.

That being said the prose was choppy. I had to rewind several times because things didn’t make sense but it was the sentence structure that struggled. Also the characters were not likable at all and were such stereotypes. Lastly, it was incredibly predictable..

So this was a miss for me but you never know as it may suit your personal thriller wants!

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Dreamscape Select through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I received an advanced copy of The Wife’s Silence by Amanda McKinney, and this was a fast-paced, compelling read that pulled me in right away. The story centers around a complicated and unsettling relationship between a husband and his non-verbal wife, with a new caregiver, Lucy, entering the picture and unraveling far more than she bargained for.

What I loved most was how the plot gradually revealed layers of secrets and hidden truths. Ironically, about halfway through, I had a thought about a possible twist—and it ended up being exactly where the story went. But rather than feeling predictable, it made the reveal all the more satisfying. McKinney’s writing is sharp and immersive, and she does a fantastic job balancing suspense and emotional tension. A great, quick read that kept me engaged the entire time. I look forward to reading more of her work.

The Wife’s Silence is a twisty, fast-paced thriller that wastes no time pulling readers into its web of secrets and suspense. The setup may feel familiar—a silent, ailing wife and a new caretaker answering a help wanted ad; but sprinkle in a missing son; and a cast of characters with murky pasts including an ever-present ex-wife and a housekeeper who clearly knows more than she lets on. But while the premise echoes some popular domestic thrillers, this book quickly carves out its own path.

The plot moves at a brisk pace, layering mystery upon mystery as the story unfolds. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, the author delivers a genuinely shocking twist.

With its winding narrative and an atmosphere thick with tension, The Wife’s Silence keeps you guessing right up to the final pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Welp - this truly had a twist I didn’t see coming!

In The Wife’s Silence, a woman named Lucy takes a job as a live-in caretaker. Considering she’s currently living out of her car, this sounds perfect!

But Lucy didn’t consider she’d be a caretaker to a grown woman named Emelia - who can’t speak or walk after a stroke.

Emilia lives in a big, quiet house where something feels very wrong. Years ago, her teenage son disappeared, and nobody will talk about it. As Lucy spends more time in the house, she realizes not it all that it seems.

The story goes back and forth between Emilia’s past and Lucy’s present, which makes it even more exciting. I appreciated the talented voice actress making the distinction between the two characters voices making it easy to follow along with.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and Amanda McKinney for the opportunity to listen to this in exchange for a review!

As a lifelong reader, I always feel I've won the lottery when I stumble onto a new, to me, author. Amanda McKinney is now on my list. The Wife's Silence, as an audiobook, kept me listening and guessing throughout the whole adventure. Desperate for a job, main character Lucy accepts a job she initially thought would be caring for a child. Turns out, husband Thomas has hired her to care for his wife who has suffered a stroke. Throw in a mystery of a missing child, the pages go fast and you'll be delighted at the twist. Enough said.

The Wife’s Silence is an exercise in extreme suspension of disbelief—from the implausible premise to the conveniently clueless characters. The plot falls apart under even the slightest scrutiny, and the characters are so flat they feel more like plot devices rather than actual people. If you’re looking for a fast, escapist read with zero grounding in reality, this might be your thing—but it wasn’t mine.

This is good. I did see the twist with Lucy a few chapters before it was revealed but I read a lot and I know a lot of people. It was done well though!
I love the narration! I love the ending!

Although this trope has been done, it had a few unique aspects. This book started off strong and I couldn’t get enough. However, once the reveal happened, I found the twists fell flat. The book then got weird. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and the dialogue was odd. With that said, it was entertaining enough to keep listening to see what happened.

The narrator was great! I listened at 1.75x.

A decent audiobook, that was entertaining.

I found this a mediocre story, but an easy listen. The narrator did an excellent job with a tale that held great promise, but didn't quite deliver on it.

Wife’s Silence follows Lucy Greer, who is employed by Thomas Caine to look after his ill wife. As Lucy arrives into the home she realises that some things just aren't right. Secrets unfold and the real truth comes out.

I finished this book in almost one day! It was fast-paced and kept me hooked from start to finish. I did not expect those secrets and twists to come up the way they did! Such a bingeable book!!

The structure, featuring shifts in timeline and multiple points of view, added so much depth to the story, which allowed us to piece together all the secrets and connect the dots.

The narrator, Elise Roth, did an amazing job making sure we could understand the various perspectives. Her clear and engaging voice made the story easy to follow, and was pleasant to listen to. I’m definitely interested in exploring more of her work.

After listening, I’m looking forward to reading more from this author as well.

Thank you to Dreamscape Select, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader audio.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I wasn't sure how it was going to go with the description, but I enjoyed it.
Amanda McKinney gave me all the things I need for a good suspense/thriller.
I loved this was a short book, and it only took me about half a day to read.
I thought the author did an excellent job with plot structure. This book contains dual timelines (past and present) or storylines (same characters), and I will always say that I think that is one of the hardest things for an author to do well, and Amanda McKinney knocked it out of the park. It was great.
The pace of the entire plot was perfect. There was no slow burn, which I prefer.
The characters were well-developed, and I felt that I could connect with them.
I do think you should consider trigger warnings such as: mental, physical, verbal abuse, controlling of significant others, and narcissism. However, it is written very well.
I was roped in from the beginning and didn't put the book down until I finished it.
There are twists and turns that I did not see coming (ie, James and Lucy... still sitting here thinking, how did I miss those hints?!).
Thomas was beautifully written as the bad guy.
I loved getting to see how much Emilia's character changed throughout the entire plot, for better or worse.
Lucy - just wow, I feel like I can't say much without giving something away, so I am keeping my mouth shut. Just know she is one of our FMCs, and she has a gift.
Meredith, Thomas's ex-wife, played the perfect female villain.
The housekeeper, Consuela -COME ON!
The tension and suspense were palpable.
Again, so hard to say much without giving much away. Just know that this is an excellent thriller.
This was my first Amanda McKinney book, and if this book is any indication of what you can expect from her, I can't wait to get my hands on more of her writing.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Happy Reading!

ARC received: NetGalley
Publication Date: May 23, 2025

Creepy house? Check. Silent wife? Check. Dark family secrets? Yep. This had the vibe, but not the follow-through. Slow pacing, kind of predictable twists, but a plot that never fully delivered.
Quick read, but not super memorable.