The Other Wife by Claire McGowan
The Blurb:
She’s a total stranger. But she knows who you are…
Suzi did a bad thing. She’s paying for it now, pregnant, scared, and living in an isolated cottage with her jealous husband, Nick.
When Nora moves into the only house nearby, Suzi is delighted to have a friend. So much so that she’s almost tempted to tell Nora her terrible secret. But there’s more to Nora than meets the eye. It’s impossible—does she already know what Suzi did?
Meanwhile, Elle spends her days in her perfect home, fixated on keeping up appearances. But when her husband betrays her, it unravels a secret going all the way back to her childhood. She’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to him, even if that means murder. After all, she’s done it before…
Caught up in their own secrets and lies, these strangers will soon realise they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. When a shocking event brings them together, their lives will never be the same again.
About Claire McGowan:
Claire McGowan grew up in a small village in Northern Ireland. After a degree in English and French from Oxford University she moved to London and worked in the charity sector. THE FALL is her first novel, which is followed by a series starring forensic psychologist Paula Maguire. She also writes as Eva Woods.
My Review:
I found this book good value for money in terms of why read a story about one psychopath when you can read one that has several. That's if you include coercive control as one of the many behavioural traits attributed to this type of character. Suzi, gave up a fulfilling career in London, leaving her friends and family to move to a secluded cottage in the country, isolated from friends, with no independent source of income, and no transport of her own. She is pregnant, which has given her husband Nick even more reason to control her life, 'for the sake of the baby,' dictating her dietary intake, exercise regime and daily routine, which includes having a warm and welcoming home for him with a cooked meal ready. Suzi's new life and circumstances came about after she admitted to having a brief liaison with a work colleague Damian. However, this did not stop her having another affair, with Sean, who she met at a conference. When she informed Sean that she was pregnant and it seemed likely that he was the father, although pleased, he disappeared. Nora moves in next door to Suzi and Nick and appears to have an unwholesome interest in Suzi. There are also chapters written from 'Elle's' point of view, who appears to be the disgruntled wife of Sean the bed-swerver. There is far more intrigue to this book that I could hint at without spoilers, but I recommend if you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is the book for you.
