The Adulterer's Wife

I just love a little bit of domestic noir and this is what was promised by "The Adulterer's Wife". Imagine finding out your husband of over 20 years has been spending his Tuesday night's with another woman? That's exactly what happens to Julie when Paul forgets to take his phone to work and a text comes through for him...Things quickly spiral out of control and Julie finds herself in the frame for murder!

The tension built in this slow burning, but suspenseful plot, and left me wondering just who the hell was telling the truth in amongst the web of lies being spun. I could feel Julie's frustration and anguish as she desperately tried to discover what really did happen to her husband that night!

Now, I am not going to lie, I struggled to connect with Julie on an emotional level,  at times she kind of irritated me a little. She was a bit naive at times and I felt her to be a bit of  wet blanket in her reactions. Yet at other times she took quite fearless steps in her quest to discover the truth behind her husband's death.  However,  I have to admit that I do enjoy a little conflict when it comes to a character I am supposed to empathise with. At times I wanted to give her a shake and tell her to wise up a little although she certainly did more private investigating than the Private Investigator she hired! What a shady character he was! It was easy to feel her frustration as the case against her seemed to grow arms and legs and her despair at losing her son was palpable. By the end of the book I was cheering her on as she fought to clear her name and repair the relationship with her son.

Those friends of hers! Seriously hardly the bosom buddies to rely on that's for sure! They seemed to dump her at the first sign of trouble and were hardly around to give her the moral support that she needed! She was extremely isolated in the novel and her desperation grew as everyone seemed to be turning against her. It was one of those novels where I jumped from shouting "Come on Julie, you can do it girl" to "FFS Julie, get a grip!"

Twists and turns were aplenty as the novel approached the end and I felt that this was where the action really ramped up a gear or two. Just when I thought she was working it all out another spanner was thrown in the works. A well written novel with a bubbling tension that will appeal to those who are not looking for an action packed thriller. I could see this one working well as a TV short series. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

A fantastic read, full of suspense. I did find the first quarter of the book a little boring and badly written. There wasnt much suspense and I thought the bit where the husband died was dull. If my husband died then I would be devastated but Julie seemed barely bothered which I found a little odd: because someone having an affair doesn't necessarily mean you stop loving them.
After the first quarter I became hooked and literally couldn't put this read down. I was desperate to know who the killer was and it kept me guessing until the end. I loved the twist at the end too and it even made me chuckle a little bit. During the bit where Julie went to collect her son from her in laws I was rooting for her. A great read. I would read more by this author.

Julie is shocked to learn that her husband Paul is having an affair. She decides not to confront her husband until after her son has finished his exams. Then she finds Paul dead in bed. The police are now investigating her of murdering Paul and Julie will do anything to prove her innocence.
The Adulterer's Wife by Leigh Russell was a thriller about secrets and lies, with a few twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.
I am looking forward to reading more from this author
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read Leigh Russell's crime novels since she began, and enjoyed them very much. Imagine how intrigued I was to find that she has signed with my favourite publisher Bloodhound Books, to write a standalone psychological thriller.
The action started on page one when Julie finds out about her husband Paul's infidelity then goes on to confide in a friend. A week later Paul is killed in their bed and Julie appears to be the only person who has both the opportunity and the motive, and the police seem dead set on convicting her for murder. I hope this is the start of more like this to come from Leigh Russell.

I’m a great fan of Leigh Russell and Love her police series. However this one was very different and enjoyable although sometimes I could have strangled Julie myself. I did read this book in 24 hours and I thought the ending was superb.

This is the first book I have read by the author Leigh Russell and after reading this book, it will definitely not be the last! I was hooked from start to finish and found the book unputdownable. I was on a rollercoaster with the main character Julie as she had to prove her innocence in the murder of her husband. I enjoyed getting to know her character, even though sometimes she left me extremely frustrated! This book has been well thought out and written well.

really enjoyed reading this book by a new author. julie’s a widow now but the police think she killed her husband , did she ? it all becomes clearer throughout the story.

I am a huge fan of Leigh Russell and I was eager to find out if this book came up to the standard of her crime thrillers. Wow it exceeded my expectations, sent my pulse racing and my nerves jangling.. I read it in one and a bit sittings, honestly once you start you won't want to put it down. Thank you for the ARC

I have read and enjoyed all of this author's previous books; both her Geraldine Steel and Lucy Hall series so I was quite excited to see how she would fare with a stand alone psychological thriller, especially as this is one of my favourite genres. And I'd have to say that she handled it pretty darned well.
Paul and Julie's marriage is getting a bit stale but they have stayed together predominantly for the sake of their son, Dan. But, despite their differences, they have been loyal to each other; or so Julie thinks. One day though, she sees a text on Paul's phone that leads her to discover he is having an affair. Not only that, but an affair that has been going on for a fair while. She feels completely betrayed and devastated but as Dan is right in the middle of exams he has worked so hard for, she decides not to challenge him. She does tell her friends though on one of their girls' nights out. But it is the morning after the night before from hell for Julie after a rather raucous night as she discovers Paul dead in their bed after returning from taking Dan to school. Worse than that though, as the police rule it murder and she's their main suspect.
And so begins a rather intriguing cat and mouse game as Julie calls on every resource available to her to try and find out who killed her husband and why and, in doing so, save herself.
Firstly, I have to say that I did guess the killer early. More than likely because this is my bread and butter genre and it takes a lot to fool me these days. But, I hasten to add, that knowing whodunit is not the be all and end all of this book. And anyway, I have been wrong in the past - spectacularly so - so it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
Julie was a bit of a funny fish for me. One minute she was overboard with things like hiding evidence - especially early on with the phone - but then, on other occasions, she was so naive it was almost comical. But then again, she was mostly driven by her emotions and I guess a bit all over the place, especially with regard to her son, so she is bound to be inconsistent at times. Some of the motivations for her actions did also leave a lot to be desired but, on the whole, none of what I read was too far over the line of credibility so I was easy able to just live with my niggles. The rest of the book, the plot and the writing more than made up for things. Suffice to say that she really was her own worst enemy at times.
Relationships in this book between certain characters were also a bit hit and miss and I'm not talking about Paul's infidelity here! Not giving details but we had quite a bit of "he said/she said" and blowing hot and cold that I did get a bit dizzy at times. Apart from these, the characters themselves were well described and, within their storylines, the majority were credible and congruent.
Pacing was good though and the action allowed the plot to get on with itself nicely. There was also no superfluous waffle or padding which was also refreshing. We also had all the usual other key elements of a good psychological thriller; secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour.
All in all a good solid debut book for the author in this genre. I do hope she writes another in the future, although I'm also hoping for more Geraldine and Lucy too. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Wow. Really enjoyed reading this. Great pace and lots of twists to keep the reader guessing

A story about an adulterer and the wife who,had no idea about it. She loved him and thought she had the perfect husband.
Then one morning she got out of bed took her son to,school, and found her husband dead in bed, she had slept with him all night. Not knowing,
Then the mistress died, and the wife was accused of murder, it then went from bad to worse.
The police were convinced she was the murderer so did her son and her husbands parents.
The end was very spectacular.

The

Julia is devastated to find out that Paul, her husband of almost 20 years, has been having an affair on her. Her life is flipped completely upside down though when she wakes up one day to find him dead in their bed. This thrilling book is full of secrets and lies as she tries to find out what happened to him and clear her name.

This is the first Leigh Russell book that I have read but I will definitely be adding others to my to be read list! She had me hooked from the beginning and it was extremely hard to put down.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the free advanced readers copy e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author, I know shocking. What an introduction though.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Julie. Not only has she found out her husband is having an affair, he then dies. Obviously the fact that she is the closest person to her husband, she becomes the main suspect.

It really surprised me how some of the closest people in Julie's life react to her. Goes to show you don't really know people until something bad happens. I was as frustrated and as angry as Julie was. The police seem to be more than useless looking at no one other than Julie herself. This forces Julie to take matters into her own hands to try and get to the bottom of her husbands death.

This is one of those stories that has you second guessing and not knowing who to really trust. Sometimes I wished Julie would leave well alone as she seemed to be making things worse. The more she digs though the more secrets and lies unfold.

The Adulterer's Wife is a dark and brooding read that had me hooked throughout. It certainly kept me guessing right up until all is revealed. Will certainly be reading more by the author. A must read for fans of psychological thrillers.

This is a superb slow burning domestic chiller. The characters are interesting and relatable. I thought I knew who the culprit was early on but was very wrong. The plot is plausible and layered with subtly applied red herrings. I haven't read anything by Russell before but will definitely be reading more from her. I highly recommend this title.

A big fan of Leigh Russell’s Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson series and characters I was wondering if a standalone book would live up to them but the concerns were unfounded. Brilliant plot that twists and turns until, like the main character, you don’t know who you can trust or whom you can turn to, as she slowly uncovers the truth about her husband and fights to keep her son safe and with her. Read in less than a day a book you really won’t want to put down
#TheAdulterers’sWife#Netgalley

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first Geraldine Steel novel I was excited to be given something a little different in the form of a psychological thriller from the same author. Unfortunately I don't think she is quite as strong writing this genre as crime. The story started very well and promised to be exciting, but didn't seem to fulfil its potential. I didn't feel that I got to know many of the characters (it may have been the author's intention to keep the reader guessing by giving away little information about them) but it was still quite obvious who the killer was early on in the story. I found it hard to like or empathise with the main character Julie. She seemed very detached and level headed one minute, then did some very silly things the next. But then who knows how any of us would act in the same situation? Overall an easy to read book and thank you to the publisher for the advance copy.

Julie gets up one morning and gives her son breakfast and takes him to school and it's only when she gets home she realises her husband is still in bed but when she tries to wake him she finds out he is dead. Of course that puts her under suspicion as how could she not know he was dead! then when it is found he was smothered in his sleep Julie is the prime suspect for murdering him and no one seems to believe she had nothing to do with it. She needs to solve the murder herself and employs a dubious private eye to help her but he seems to be more incompetent than helpful.
I enjoyed the book and the change from her usual police novels as this was from a totally different perspective, I did feel that I lost sympathy for Julie as the book went on and some of her decisions were downright stupid but on the whole I could see the reasoning behind them.
I do hope Miss Russell will write more like this.
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.
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A woman discovers her husband is cheating. That same night she goes out for drinks with girlfriends. She has too much to drink and her friend assists her to bed. But the next morning she wakes but her husband does not. So begins this rollercoaster ride. I devoured this book in one day - and still the surprises kept coming. One of the more unusual premises, but I was completely sold on the story. I would love to read more by this author.

An excellent read. A real page turner that had me holding my breath at times and reading far later than I should. Highly recommended read

Julie discovers her husband is having an affair but keeps quiet for the sake of her son. A week later she discovers her husband dead in their bed at home one morning. The police suspect foul play and Julie is the obvious suspect. The problem is Julie went out with friends the night before and can’t remember anything that happened after their meal. She is convinced she didn’t kill her husband and needs to find a way to prove her innocence.

This is a great book with a good plot. Personally I found some of Julie’s decisions really stupid but who knows how you would react when being accused of a murder you are convinced you didn’t commit.

A great book with a few twists and turns plus lots and lots of lies and betrayal.

4.5 Stars

When Julie finds out that her husband of 20 years has been cheating on her for over 2 years, she is devastated. The mother of a disabled teenager, she doesn't know where to turn. Does she want to confront him? Pack his clothes and throw him out? She decides to do nothing for the moment as her son is testing for college classes.

Julie gets up early one morning, and seeing her husband sleeping peacefully, she eases out of bed so not to wake him. Actually, she'd like to thrown boiling water on him, but restrains herself. She gets dressed, fixes breakfast, and then takes her son to school.

It is only when she comes home and finds him still sleeping that she feels something is wrong. Thinking he might be ill, she shakes him until she realizes that he's not sick ... he's dead.

From there it becomes a living nightmare for Julie. The police are certain that she killed him, but how or why becomes a mystery ...until they discover he was a cheater. She hires a down on his luck private investigator who seems to do nothing more than cheat Julie out of money. Her son goes to his grandparents to stay temporarily ... but it seems he thinks she killed his father.

Everything she does ... every time she tries to protect her son from the truth about his father ... is all suspect and she winds up in handcuffs and behind bars. With a lawyer who doesn't seem to believe her, she only has one chance ... find her husband's killer herself.

When she delves into her husband's secret life, she find more than she bargained for .. and in more danger than she could ever imagine.

I have read this author's Geraldine Steele series and I found each one of her books well written and. I was hoping this one would be the same .... and I was not disappointed, although at tense moments, I kept looking for Geraldine to raise her head. This is an intense. gripping thriller that starts on the first page and doesn't stop until the very surprising ending.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Julie and Paul have been married 19 years. They live with their 17 year old son, Dan, who was born with cerebral palsy. Julie finds out that Paul has been having an affair with Bella for 2 years. She confides this to her best friends- Nina and Katie. The day Julie plans to "out" the affair to Paul - she finds him dead in his sleep. More than being sad, Julie fears the police. This because Julie spent last night out with her two best friends and arrived home falling down drunk. She doesn't remember even going to bed. Dan takes his father's death hard. Dan goes to Scotland to be with Paul's parents as had already been planned awhile ago. A couple of days later, Julie phones Bella to arrange a meet-up. As Julie begins to feel the heat of being the accused, she tries to both shift the blame and prove her innocence. Eventually Julie meets up with a somewhat dodgy PI and retains him. Next, Bella is found dead. Now Julie is on house arrest. She doggedly starts investigating the murders and finds out what her husband was REALLY up to. As for the conclusion - SHATTERING !

Julie is devastated to discover her husband of 19 years has been having an affair behind her back but, before she can tackle him about his infidelity, he shows up dead. Julie is the prime suspect, with all evidence pointing squarely at her, leaving her in a race to discover the identity of the true killer and save herself from jail.

I was really interested by the premise of this one and it didn't disappoint. I've read a lot of psychological thrillers recently and this is definitely one of the better ones out there. I suspected pretty much everyone of being the killer at different points! There are subtle clues dropped for the reader but plenty of red herrings, too so you don't come to the correct conclusion too early.

Some of Julie's decisions were highly questionable and didn't feel realistic, but this didn't detract from the overall story. My main criticism is that it seemed to wrap up far too neatly and quickly at the end but that wouldn't stop me from recommending it to fans of the genre as it was still a highly enjoyable story.

After reading the Geraldine Steel series I was interested to see which direction Leigh Russell would take us.

When Julie discovers her husband Paul is having an affair she is devastated, although their 20 year marriage had become stale, she still loved Paul and when she discovers Paul dead in bed, the police think he was murdered and Julie becomes the main suspect, now she has to prove her innocence. On discovering that Paul had many women in his life, Julie finds that she didn’t really know her husband at all.

A good book with many twists and turns, usually I can guess who the murderer is but in this case I was wrong.

This book is totally addictive and has to read in one go . Brilliant twisted story that keeps you guessing right up until.the end. A must read book this summer

Leigh Russell is a new author for me and I loved this book.
Julie discovers her husband Paul has been having affair for two years and is left hurt and shocked by her discovery of text messages between the two of them.
She confides in her two close friends but swears them to secrecy as she doesn’t want to confront him until her son has sat his final GCSE exam.
She doesn’t get the chance though as Paul is found dead the next morning.
The Police don’t believe that Julie had nothing to do with his death and soon she’s charged with his murder.
Julie desperately tries to prove her innocence but nothing can prepare her for what she discovers about those closest to her.
This is a gripping read and will have you racing through the pages towards the end as you’ll be desparate to know how it all ends.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Julie wakes up next to her supposedly sleeping hubby that she just found out has been having an affair. She goes about her day tending to their disabled son and comes home to find her husband still in bed. This is when she realizes he is dead and she instantly becomes a suspect when the police find out about his affair. This thriller grabbed me from the first page and didn't let me go!

Leigh Russell steps out from her successful Geraldine Steel police procedural series to tell a story from the other side of the law. When Julie discovers that her husband has been having an affair, her world starts to fall apart; but that’s just the beginning. When her husband is found dead, the police and everyone around her is quick to point the finger. Having gained status as their prime suspect, she enlists the help of an unscrupulous private detective to help her clear her name, but who can she trust? And can Julie find out who killed her husband before it’s too late? The Adulterer’s Wife is a fast and absorbing read with more than enough dodgy GPS to send the reader off-road. The book is told entirely from Julie’s point of view and her gradual isolation makes it difficult to relate entirely to any other character. This is not a criticism rather an example of the first-person narrative cleverly executed for maximum effect.

As a character Julie comes across a bit like Skyler in Breaking Bad, initially eliciting sympathy, but as the plot becomes more tangled and the skeletons come falling out of the closet we find ourselves having mixed feelings about her, but we still secretly admire her resolve.

The 90s film Sleeping With The Enemy is referenced in the book, and The Adulterer’s Wife has much in common with 80s and 90s psychological thrillers: imagine parts of Basic Instinct meets Fatal Attraction - without the sex. The obsession, the paranoia, jealousy, revenge, the rabbit holes, they are all there (though there’s no bunny boiling in this book.) If anything, I would love to have seen Leigh go just a little bit further with this angle of the book.

As the cover suggests it really is Leigh Russell as you’ve never seen her before. Those familiar with her writing will know how much of a page-turner her other books are, and this is no exception. Like all the best thrillers The Adulterer’s Wife will keep you guessing and dodging those red herrings right until the bitter end.

My review is written with thanks to Sarah Hardy at Bloodhound Books for inviting me on the tour, and for providing my copy of the book via Netgalley.
Julie is devastated when she finds a text on her husband, Paul's phone from another woman. But things go from bad to worse when Julie wakes up the following morning to discover his dead body. Paul has been murdered, and the police are convinced that Julie is the killer. In order to clear her name, she must find the real perpetrator. Who killed Paul?
Russell is very quick out of the blocks in The Adulterer's Wife and almost straight away, we are plunged into a world of deception and secrets. This makes the novel extremely compelling, as I tried to piece together what had happened. As Paul's murder happens so early in the novel, there is very little time for us to build a picture of Paul's life, and this does not make it immediately obvious who the suspects would be. This kept me guessing as to what happened.
None of the characters (except Dan, but I'll come to him in a bit) are particularly likeable, and this means that everyone is under suspicion. At some point in the novel, every character behaves badly, and Julie's narration emphasises that as readers, we only get to see her interpretation of the truth. At times, I wanted to shake Julie as the situation makes her exhibit some bizarre behaviour. This helps to build the tension, and I constantly changed my mind about who was lying.
As someone who has cerebral palsy, I was pleased to see people with cerebral palsy represented in the novel in the shape of Dan. Dan is independent and intelligent, and I commend Russell for portraying Dan in this way, and showing that disabled people are able to live fulfilling lives.

This is the first book I have read by Leigh and is a standalone... I look forward to reading more by Leigh in the future.

Poor Julie I actually felt sorry for her character having to go through so much while being accussed of murder and her son Dan having to deal with it all too. Who can she turn too? Can you even trust your friends or family? Who's telling the truth? Who's lying? Can you figure it out? I didn't.

A real who dunnit with an unexpected explosive outcome I did not see coming, it is not who you would expect! A jaw dropper of an ending. A cleverly written storyline which is easy to read, fast paced and contains short chapters. Brilliant! Devoured this story within 24 hours. A well deserved four stars. Highly recommend!

I am a massive fan of Leigh's both the DI Geraldine Steel, DS Ian Peterson and Lucy Hall so you can image my excitement when I found out Leigh was moving out of her comfort zone with a standalone psychological thriller. I have lost track of how many times I have said this but once again I went into this story without reading the blurb knowing that it was by an author's writing that I knew well and I sure has hell wasn't disappointed.

Hooked from the very first page I was taken on roller coaster journey following Julie's story. Image finding out that your husband is having an affair to finding him dead in bed?! This is what happens to Julie and it is just the start of her nightmare. Leigh weaves a story that will have you guessing until the very end. I couldn't help but emphasize with Julie she is a brilliant character I found myself flying through this story, in fact I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. It is full of twists and turns that will certainly take you by surprise.

Being a fan of Leigh's I could tell this was written by her, has always it is a flowing paced easy read and has always it isn't to descriptive so the story lets your imagination do the work. You can feel the tension and mystery throughout the story leaving me a jittering wreck. When the story steps up and apace or two OMG Leigh Russell what are you doing to me lol I love the fact that she hasn't changed her writing style and I really hope that Leigh writes more stories in this genre.

The Adulterer's Wife is a truly entertaining read which I highly recommend giving it 4 stars.

Thank you to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in this fab tour.

I was definitely intrigued to find out that Leigh Russell had written a standalone psychological thriller as I have really enjoyed her Geraldine Steel and Lucy Hall books in recent years. And after reading The Adulterers Wife, I hope this isn’t a one off and we can look forward to more standalones in the future!

So Julie’s husband leaves his phone at home one day and as many of us would (well, some would anyway!!) she looks at his messages and gets a shock when she sees messages from another woman. But her son is in the middle of his exams and Julie doesn’t want to disrupt this important time for him so decides to leave any decisions about her marriage until the exam period is over. She tells her girlfriends who encourage her to throw the lying cheating creep out and she decides she will. But after waking up from a night out, she discovers him dead in their marital bed. Julie becomes the main suspect in his murder and what follows is a race against time to prove her innocence.

I have to start by saying that Julie wasn’t always the most likeable of characters here and she made some VERY questionable decisions that really didn’t help her cause at all! As a mother I totally got her determination to have her son protected from the fallout of first his fathers adultery and then his death but her over protectiveness became a barrier to her ability to protect herself! And every step forward that Julie took to prove her innocence usually ended up with her taking more than a few steps back as she makes matters worse. In the end she decides to just go ahead and risk everything to find Paul’s murderer. But there are many puzzles for her to unravel first and plenty of shocking twists still to come before the last few gripping pages finally give up their secrets.

Leigh Russell can certainly write an involving and gripping storyline so I was swept away very quickly into the terrifying world of prime suspect number one! I felt every frustration that followed Julie’s hunt for the truth, even though I wanted to scream at her occasionally to stop being so bloody minded!! I think it helped that I felt sorry for her as she seemed to have the most “fair weather” friends in the entire world!! Honestly, surely real friends should be there for you through the good times AND the bad? But no, at the slightest sign of trouble they bailed! And Julie really is then left alone so seeks help in the most unlikely of places.

I would probably like to have seen a little more development of Dan, Julie and Paul’s son, as the mother/son relationship is always an intriguing plot thread for me personally. But the female friendships more than made up for this plus the unusual chemistry between Julie and the private detective that she hired to help her.

All in all this is a very readable book that I sat and devoured in one sunny afternoon. It’s easy to become involved in the characters misfortune even if that involvement does come with a high dose of perverse pleasure from watching other people’s domestic dilemmas. Just remember that you never know what goes on behind closed doors so don’t be as quick to judge as Julie’s friends and family are!

The Adulterers Wife is a nice departure for Leigh Russell but she done so without losing that magic touch her fans have come to expect from her previous books. A well written, fast paced and engaging psychological thriller

This psychological thriller had me hooked from the start and didn't let me go,until the last page. Julie discovers her husband is having an affair and shortly after husband Paul is found dead in bed and Julie becomes the prime murder suspect. As the plot unfolds there are twists and turns along the way which help kept me on the edge of my seat!

The Adulterer’s Wife, is Leigh Russell’s first foray into psychological thrillers amid an extremely successful career of writing police procedurals. This is just one of the reasons why I was excited to read this book, I’ve read many authors over long periods of time and I find it thrilling when any choose to move away from their ‘norm’ and embrace a new challenge.

This book is such a thing and it was fabulous, I slipped into the story easily, comfortable in the knowledge of Leigh’s style and pace, but eager to discover this whole new ‘side’ to one of my favourite authors, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Julie’s flawed character might make you question yourself, would you make the decisions she made? Would you have behaved differently? You may think her actions questionable, but how would you react in a similar situation? When a book makes me not only wonder the motivations of the character, but to also ask myself these sorts of questions as I’m reading, I consider that to be a winner.

It’s a definite one sitting read, and perfect for one of those lazy days by the pool, or sunbathing in the garden. You won’t put it down until you are done.

My only lingering thought is that no matter how focused I was on the matters of the day, would I not truly realise my husband was dead?

The Adulterer’s Wife by Leigh Russell, Leigh has delved into the world of psychological thrillers and grabbed the narrative full force and WoW what a stoater of a read.

The Adulterer’s Wife centres around the death of Julie’s husband Paul, whom the police believe Julie to be the main suspect in his death. Paul was found dead in the marital bed with Julie at his side, unbeknown to her upon waking after a night out with friends she believes he is asleep. What transpires is that Paul is having an affair and Julie doesn’t wish her son to find out until after his exams, as the investigation escalates Julie soon finds out who her friends are. Julie sends her son to his grandparents while she tries to unravel the mysterious death of her husband and clear her name.

Can conviction be avoided, can Julie clear her name, who will stick by Julie, loads of questions needing to be answered and with every turn of the page I came one step closer to finding out. I may have sussed the killer earlier than I expected but there was some damn good twists which still led me a merry little dance.

Leigh wrote The Adulterer’s Wife in a clear and concise manner, allowing me to follow the plotline without becoming over involved in the subtext, leaving me enough to interpret the background and characters, in turn finding discoveries I may have lost out on if the narrative had been over complicated.

The Adulterer’s Wife is not a hard-core psychological thriller with blood guts and gore but an easy read which will enable you to fill your boots with imaginative scenarios and follow the trail of clues scattered throughout the book, to hopefully come to a satisfactory conclusion. Whether you accept your own imaginative answers to who the culprit is anyone’s guess but is that not the way of a psychological thriller, leaving you pondering, rewinding the clues and trying to fathom out where it clicked for you or where you took a wrong turn.

For a first stab at psychological thriller, Leigh has done a damn good job, all that is left for Leigh to do is to go onwards and upwards, I’m sure her next psychological thriller will be bigger and better than the first.

My thanks go to Bloodhound Books, Leigh Russell and Sarah Hardy for the advanced readers copy of The Adulterer’s Wife to read in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Just another thanks to Sarah for allowing me to be part of the Blog Tour for today.

Great story with great characters! Although I did guess the killer early it's still a terrific read. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed the book. It was well written and kept me enthralled from start to finish. Leigh Russell is one of my favourite authors but didn’t know what to expect from her first stand alone book but I was pleasantly surprised.

The Adulterer’s Wife is my first read by Leigh Russell. The main character Julie finds out her husband Paul is having an affair. She is understandably upset and is wondering what to do when she finds him dead in their bed. Because the police find out Paul was a cheater they assume Julie is the murderer. Since the police suspect her, Julie feels her only chance is to find out who the real killer is.

I had mixed feelings about Julie’s character. At times she aggravated me when she was doing things that seemed to make her situation worse. At other times I felt bad for her and her situation. None of the other characters were really that remarkable or likable. This was a quick read for me since I was unable to put it down. I would recommend this to others who enjoy this genre. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Thank you Leigh Russell, NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for providing me with a copy of this book to read.

I haven't read any of Leigh Russell's acclaimed crime novels but I'll definitely be adding them to my wishlist after reading The Adulterer's Wife. Although I had my suspicions early on about what had happened, and I'll not say if I was right or not, I still really enjoyed the book and found myself being thrown off the scent a little bit by the clever way that Leigh Russell had drawn her characters.

Paul makes the fatal mistake of leaving his mobile at home one day when it pings with a message and his wife, Julie, feels the bottom of her world fall out. As Julie scrolls through the other messages, the evidence is overwhelming: Paul is having an affair. Julie thought he was playing squash on a Tuesday when he was actually playing away with a woman named Bella. When Paul rushes back home to retrieve his phone, Julie hides it and says she hasn't seen it. Rather therapeutically I have to say, Julie takes the SIM card out and smashes the phone with a hammer. Then she stupidly destroys the SIM card - nooooooooooooo, I yelled, you need to keep the evidence! She hadn't even checked his photos.

So phone and marriage destroyed, Julie pretends that everything is ok for the sake of her son, Dan, who is taking his exams. Once Dan's exams are over, Julie plans to kick Paul out. On a night out with her friends, alcohol loosens Julie's tongue and she tells her friends about Paul's affair. Julie is in quite a state when she gets home and when she wakes up the next day she finds Paul dead in the bed beside her. Julie doesn't even shed a single tear; they have been married for 19 years, surely she should feel something! It made me wonder whether Julie was so emotionless because she had killed Paul in a drunken stupor - the police certainly think so. Julie protests her innocence but as the evidence mounts up against her, she turns to several people for help but it's clear that not all can be trusted.

It's odd that I enjoyed the book but I didn't like Julie at all. I really couldn't cope with her lack of emotions when her husband died and perhaps can see why he ended up having an affair. I loved the feeling of Julie running out of time like sand through an hourglass as she tried to escape the clutches of the police. Once they got their hands on her she'd be going to jail as there was enough evidence to link her to Paul's death. The book really made me think about trust and how we take it for granted that we can trust those closest to us but so many people are multi-faceted and you never know which face is the real one.

All in all, I think The Adulterer's Wife is a fast-paced, compulsive domestic noir style thriller.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A slow start to this book but building up with lots of twists to become a tense thriller. Well worth a read

The Adulterer's Wife by Leigh Russell is my first read by this author and I loved it and it will definitely not be the last! I found this book easy to read a great holiday book whilst on the beach etc. It had lots of twist and turns that keeps you guessing right up until.the end. Before I knew it I had finished the book.

Big thank you Ito Netgalley I received a copy of this book to read and review.

This book took a lot of turns, some I was looking for, some I wasn't. It was a good story, I liked the plot and mystery around Paul's murder. The only thing I had a minor issue with was Dan supposedly having CP. As someone who works with clients with CP, it just didn't come across to me as believable, he seemed too normal if a little high strung about taking his exams.

Immer wenn man denkt, man hat es, ist es schon wieder weg. Ein echter pageturner voll twists and turns (schade, dass es im deutschen keinen passenderen Ausdruck dafür gibt). Flüssiger Sprachstil, handwerklich meisterhaft aufgebaute story und Charaktere. Wahrhaftig breathtaking...

This is a very exciting thriller ! I found myself unable to put this book down until it was concluded.
When Julie finds out that her husband of 20 years has been cheating on her for over 2 years, she is devastated. She decides to do nothing for the moment as she is dealing with a difficult disabled child and her own emotions. . She leaves him sleeping one morning and leaves the house as usual. When she returns she finds he is dead in their bed.

From that day forward life is a nightmare for Julie. The police are certain that she killed him as they discover he was a cheater. She hires a down on his luck private investigator who does not do his job, her son leaves her and her life is falling apart.
She winds up behind bars with a crummy lawyer who doesn't believe her. She sees her future is in dire peril and decides she must find her husband's killer herself. The action never stops as she cleverly finds suspects.
I loved the authors masterful writing with the twist and turns. This was a exciting book and I highly recommend it for all readers of mystery and thrillers.
Thank you for the ARC that did not influence my review. Very well done ! A excellent read.

This is my first Leigh Russell novel and having read and thoroughly enjoyed it I was pleased to discover she has already written 15 or so books so there is obviously a few more for me to read now.
Julie is shell shocked when she learns that her husband Paul is having an affair. With her son currently taking important exams, she decides not to confront her husband until after her son has finished his exams. But her plan is shattered when she finds her husband Paul dead in bed. The police are called in to investigate this mysterious death and Julia is forced to prove her innocence.
This is a fast paced psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and wondering which characters to trust.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bloodhound books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Julie is devastated to learn that her husband, Paul, is having an affair. It seems her life can’t get any worse - until she comes home to find his dead body in their bed.

When the police establish he was murdered, Julie is the obvious suspect.

To protect her son from the terrible situation, Julie sends the teenage boy to his grandparents in Edinburgh while she fights to prove her innocence.

With all the evidence pointing to her, the only way she can escape conviction is by discovering the true identity of her husband’s killer.

But who really did murder Paul?

The truth is never straightforward…

Lies and more lies. I loved this book! Absolutely nothing to say about it else there will be spoilers. Want to know more? … Read it! 5*

The Adulterer’s Wife is a departure from this author’s usual police procedural thriller genre into the realm of the psychological thriller and she has done a great job!

Julie has been married to Paul for many years and they have a son together, Dan, who has cerebral palsy and is currently going through his GCSEs. When Julie discovers her husband’s affair she is devastated and appalled but vows not to confront him until after Dan’s exams are over. She doesn’t get the chance to do this however as soon after she finds him dead in their bed and finds herself the prime suspect for his murder.
She needs to find who really killed her husband so she will not lose her beloved son and will fight until the end to do so.

I’ll admit I struggled in the early stages of this book. I can understand that Julie was angry with her husband but her reaction to his death is very odd. Basically she is not that likeable a character but as the pace of the book picked up I found myself rooting for her to get the justice she deserves. I will also admit that I guessed the killer pretty early on but this didn’t stop me from ploughing forward and enjoying the book.

There are moments that are somewhat unbelievable but again I still wanted to read on and it still held my interest throughout. They are some great characters within, likeable or not and I recommend this book for an easy but intriguing read.

I will start the review off by admitting that I haven’t read any of Leigh Russell’s books before however they are on my radar. I keep meaning to start her Geraldine Steel series but unfortunately I haven’t got to them yet! Sorry Leigh, I will read them soon!

Julie has discovered her husband Paul has been having an affair for over two years so imagine her horror when she discovers one day that he isn’t just sleeping in bed – he’s dead. Of course Julie becomes the prime suspect in his murder case, so she sets upon trying to find the real killer.

I loved Leigh’s writing style, I was gripped to the pages as Julie tried to figure everything out. It was well-written and there was lots of twists and turns thrown in. Leigh has created an intense read that gave me goosebumps at times and it made me question everything throughout the book. Julie as a character I loved – I was frustrated that the police only looked at her as a suspect and I was angry the way people reacted to Julie.

I’m usually useless at trying to figure out the killers in books but I figured the killer out in this one. Despite this, I still enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to people who enjoy psychological thrillers. The mystery that was created throughout kept me intrigued and I just had to keep reading.

The Adulterer’s Wife is a gripping, enthralling and tense read that had me hooked. It’s dark and it’s atmospheric. I’m excited to read more from Leigh in the future.

First time reading a book from this author But thoroughly enjoyed the experience
Julie has been accused of murdering her husband in bed and the story unfolds with lots of twists and turns, plenty of tension, and a gripping ending leaving me completely suprised by the outcome.
I’m not sure that I fully sympathised with Julie’s character she annoyed me with some of her decisions but maybe that was the authors intention. I read this on my hols and was the perfect book to read whilst by the pool!

Julie accidentally finds out that her husband is having an affair and decides to tackle him about it and throw him out but only after their son's final exams, until then her knowledge will remain a secret from both of husband and son. Getting home from taking her son to sit that fateful final exam she finds her husband dead - in bed.

Naturally Julie becomes the obvious suspect and as she came home drunk and can remember nothing of the previous evening can she be sure she didn't do it?

As the police keep strengthening their case she sets about trying to find the truth.

This story is very different to the Geraldine Steel mysteries that Russell is normally associated with and this deviation, like the Christmas short story, shows once again how flexible this author is. There is no prize for guessing the outcome but, once again, it's the way the outcome is reached that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat. And then there's a final twist where it all hangs in the balance...

Opening with the scene where Julie finds out about the affair is a great way to capture the reader from the very start. How would you react? How would I react? I have to admit that I have no idea and to see Russell's interpretation of Julie's reaction was eye opening in many ways. And as Julie undertakes some completely irrational actions you find you can't challenge them because you don't know what insanity would kick in.

Then... as you read on and the case against Julie builds Russell investigates the rights of the child in such a situation and how this affects Julie.

An extremely compelling book for various reasons at various points that will have you reading right to the end - despite knowing the murderer already.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
The Adulterer’s Wife was a very entertaining book and an enjoyable read. The husband was a serial adulterer unknown to his wife. He is then murdered by someone whist his wife is sleeping beside him and she doesn’t notice next day that he is dead until hours later she goes to wake him up. The highly entertaining and improbable plot carries on when the widow is charged with his murder and then a woman whom he was sleeping with also dies.
Who did it?
Recommended light hearted read.

Excellent thriller. I read this book in one day...yes, it is just that great. Do yourself a favor and just read this book.