THE WIFE BETWEEN US

5 stars out of 5

I read so many books - make that so many good books - that it's rare for me to say "Wow!" when I finish one. But by golly, that's exactly what I said when I got to the last page here. From the beginning, I was hooked - and spent the rest of the book trying my best to figure out how it would end. My efforts, however, went for naught; the closer I got to the finish line, the faster my theories were adeptly written out.

The story begins as Vanessa is living with her elderly Aunt Charlotte in a small apartment - dumped by her filthy rich, suave and debonair ex-husband Richard, who at one time was her raison d'etre; even her unexpressed wishes were his commands. Now, while Vanessa struggles to eke out a living and get her shattered life back together, Richard has found a new love - a beautiful co-worker he'll soon be taking as his wife.

But not if Vanessa can help it. Determined to prevent the wedding from happening, she stalks the bride-to-be, Emma, looking for a way to make contact, gain her trust and convince her that Richard isn't the prize she believes he is. That's easier said than done, though; Richard - a very controlling sort - is determined to "protect" his new love from the old one, a woman he's often claimed is a psychological mess and an alcoholic to boot. Even Vanessa has her doubts from time to time; is it possible that Richard is right and she's gone off the mental deep end as her mother did years ago? And even if she finds a way to meet Emma one-on-one, what can she say or do to make Emma believe she's not the one who's lying?

Needless to say, the twists and turns that follow are too numerous to mention here even if I wanted to spoil the story for other readers. Of course, I don't, so besides my earlier "Wow!" I'll just say this is one of the best books I've read this year and I highly recommend it. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (St. Martin's Press, January 2018); 352 pp.