Nine days . Six family members. Two deaths.

When one of your favourite authors publishes a new book.. you just drop everything and open the kindle. And you just know you'll have to cancel all plans and just devour it.

The Fairchild family are one of those families you wouldn't like to meet. They are on board the Titan Pacifica to celebrate Irving's 70th birthday. The Titan Pacifica is a luxury cruise liner with a deck specially made for the privileged.

Family loyalty can only go so far.. especially when Irving has some bombshells planned. Everyone is a suspect.

I had to pick my jaw off the ground right before getting my daughter out of bed and I just couldn't wait to get back to my Kindle. I did not see that shock twist coming. And Ali, you knocked this book out of the ball park.

I absolutely loved the transcripts from the podcast - The Deadliest Cruise of All Time. It flowed perfectly throughout the book. This is one book I recommend going in to blind because it was perfection.

Thank you Hachette Australia and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of the book for my honest book review.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝑾𝒊𝒇𝒆 is a journey in every sense — a psychological unraveling layered over a literal voyage through the South Pacific aboard the luxurious Titan Pacific. Ali Lowe uses the setting brilliantly, allowing the glamour and excess of the cruise to heighten the tension as secrets begin to surface and family dynamics fracture.

Told through multiple POVs and interspersed with transcripts from the podcast The Deadliest Cruise of All Time, the structure adds depth and intrigue throughout. The podcast elements were particularly effective, offering insight while also raising more questions and keeping suspicion firmly on everyone onboard.

The pacing is excellent, with tension steadily building as alliances shift and revelations come to light. The twists were genuinely unexpected — I thought I had it figured out more than once, only to be completely wrong. The final reveal was shocking and extremely well executed.

This is the second book I’ve read by Ali Lowe, and it’s easily my favourite so far. Confident writing, a clever structure, and an immersive setting make this a standout thriller.

Thank you to Hachette Australia and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette Australia and New Zealand for an advanced electronic copy of Ali Lowe’s new book to be released in 2026.
This was an addictive story that I sailed through (pun intended! The Fairchild’s are a wealthy family onboard the Titan Pacifica, a luxury cruise ship destined for nine days in the Pacific.
With their presence comes drama, which is seamlessly woven through the story and exposed in jaw dropping moments and unravelling twists.
I love a location thriller that transports you into the story and this one has all the crucial elements - unlikeable and unreliable characters, multiple points of view, a podcast, mystery and intrigue.

Review: The Second Wife by Ali Lowe. A dysfunctional and extremely wealthy family head off on a luxury cruise for 8 days, leaving from Sydney. Irving Fairchild, CEO of their billion dollar family business, is celebrating his 70th on board, but he also thinks it’s a great time to drop a few bombs about his successor as he steps back from the day to day running of the business. I can’t imagine a worse place to try to avoid your family than a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean 🤣 Amidst hurt feelings and complete meltdowns, a tragedy happens and this lovely cruise turns into an absolute nightmare. Ali has the ability to write truly awful characters (are you ok Ali?! 🤣) and sometimes my mouth would drop open at the AUDACITY of these people and the way they speak to each other and “the help”. 🫣 Such a brilliant story, so many twists and turns. It’s one of those books where you think you know what’s going on, but you really don’t, which I love! I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries, they can become fairly formulaic, but I’m pleased to say I really didn’t know “whodunnit”!!
Thankyou Ali for writing such a fantastic book, thoroughly enjoyed this one, there’s nothing like reading about bad things happening to people who truly deserve it (hang on, am I ok?! Haha!)
Thankyou to NetGalley, Hachette Australia NZ and Ali Lowe for the advanced copy in exchange for my always honest review.
It’s an easy 5/5 from me!