THE TRAPPED WIFE

4 stars out of 5

When I read my first book by this author back in 2018 - The Reunion- I called it one of the best books of the year. No surprise, then, that I jumped at the chance to read and review a pre-release copy of this one, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley. It also was no surprise, at least to me, that I enjoyed this one very much as well, although a titch less than the other one.

The plot is complex enough to be totally confusing, but - thanks to the author's writing skills - it's relatively easy to follow even before all the loose ends start coming together. Readers get a glimpse of a years-ago "friendship" between two school kids that turns evil; then one of Jenn, a recent widow with fuzzy memories of something awful that happened in her past. Then suddenly, we're in her present, as she learns she's unexpectedly pregnant and gets an unwanted visitor named Scott, who makes her skin crawl but won't leave. Chapters shift perspective from one of the youngsters to Jenn to that of her good friend, Rhonda. Tossed into the mix are Jenn's teenage son, Kierin, and Rhonda's teenage daughter, Caitlin.

Questions loom large: Who were those two young schoolyard friends, and are they related to what's going on now? What happened to Jenn (and maybe more important, what really happened to her husband)? Who is the house-crasher and why can't Jenn - a physician, for crying out loud - make him go away? That last part is the only thing I had a bit of trouble with; I'm never been a fan of women who try to rationalize behavior that's outside of what my idea of a "normal" woman would (or, IMHO, should) do - kind of like those idiots in horror movies who run toward a dark alley instead of a well-lit store when a monster is chasing them. By the end, the real reason for Jenn's lack of backbone becomes evident, though, thus changing the opinion I had of her throughout most of the book (whether for better or worse I'll never tell).

All the parts herein are intricately and expertly woven and come together in the end - complete with a couple of knock-out surprises. In short, it was well worth the time I spent reading it. Recommended!

The Trapped Wife by Samantha Hayes (Bookouture, September 2021); 268 pp.

THE REUNION

5 stars out of 5


With 11-and-a-half months to go in 2018 as I write my review, it's too early to say this - but say it I will: If you have but one book to read this year, make it this one. 

Yep, it's that good. It grabbed my mind in the beginning and didn't let go till the end (and beyond - the next day as I finish my review I still feel like I've been run over with a Mack truck).

The story begins in 1996, when a teenage girl named Claire is playing with friends and her little sister Eleanor ("Lenni") on the beach near the family's Trevellin Farm on coastal England. Striving to be independent, as young children do, Lenni begs Claire to let her go off on her own to buy an ice cream cone. Caught up in the thrill of the waves, Claire reluctantly hands her some money and warns her to hurry.

But somewhere between there and back, Lenni disappears - and remains missing in 2017, when the here-and-now story kicks in. Claire still lives in a cottage on the farm near her parents, but now she's a successful realtor, married to a neurosurgeon and has two children. Her father, Patrick, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and is declining rapidly, forcing her mother to seriously consider selling the property (to which Patrick is vehemently opposed). In an effort to help boost his failing memory, Claire decides to host a reunion of the old gang of kids who used to play together. The group includes Claire's best friend Maggie, would-be restaurateur Nick and her brother, Jason, who's married to a very pregnant-with-twins wife.

The idea is met with enthusiasm by all, except perhaps Claire's husband Callum, but take nothing at face value: All the guests are bringing baggage beyond the cases that carry their clothing. Maggie has made a career out of hopping from one boyfriend to another, turning her daughter, Rain, into the teenager from hell. Nick, who was Claire's first love, is struggling with serious family issues as well as his upcoming restaurant launch. Jason is looking forward to fatherhood, but not to seeing his own father - from whom he's been estranged for years. That issue, Claire hopes, will be resolved at the get-together.

Interspersed throughout the book are chapters that show flashes of the past, each adding clues as to what the future may hold. But then, the unthinkable happens: Another girl goes missing. From that point on, there's never a dull moment (although in all honesty, I didn't notice any dull moments before she disappeared, either). The tension - and surprises - just keep mounting all the way to the jaw-dropping end. Whew!

Now that I can breathe again, I guess all that's left is to highly recommend this book and thank the publisher for allowing me to read it in exchange for an honest review. Did I say whew?

The Reunion by Samantha Hayes (Bookouture, February 2018); 410 pp.