The Staffymum's Book Nook: REVIEW: The Ex Wife by Sally Rigby and Amanda Ashby

Saturday, 22 April 2023

REVIEW: The Ex Wife by Sally Rigby and Amanda Ashby

The Ex Wife by Sally Rigby and Amanda Ashby

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 18th April 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 19th April 2023

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

My life was perfect until she came along. Norah.

Younger, prettier and about to marry my own ex-husband, they are a walking cliché.

I hate her. I hate them both.

She’s taken everything from me – my husband, my life, my home - but I refuse to allow her to take Cassie, my beautiful daughter. That's a step too far.

Now I’ve discovered that Norah plans to have a baby of her own and that causes me no end of problems. She could destroy everything and reveal my deepest, darkest secrets.

That can never be allowed to happen.

No matter what it costs…

A brand new psychological thriller that will keep you guessing till the end! Perfect for fans of Sue Watson, Nina Manning, Shalini Boland

MY THOUGHTS:

This is the third psychological thriller I've read by this exciting duo in the form of "Amanda Rigby". And I've not been disappointed yet. This time I was stumped, hoodwinked, baffled throughout most of the book without a clue as to what was going on and who was really behind it. Until...I really started to puzzle it out. And boy did this dup keep me on my toes! I did work it out before the reveals came and I was too busy giving myself a pat on the back to see that ending coming. Just no.

Alice Hargraves is a recently divorced fortysomething mother of seventeen year old Cassie. She had everything going for her - a wealthy husband, a promising career, a happy marriage...or so she thought. Until Mark dropped his bombshell that he wanted a divorce as he had met young and beautiful Norah and wanted to marry her. OK, so she could live with that...although she did nurse the hope that Mark would soon come to his senses, ditch the younger model and come back to her. But two weeks out from their wedding and that wasn't looking likely.

And then he drops another bombshell. Quite by accident. He and Norah are trying IVF. They are planning to have a baby together. No, this cannot be happening. Suddenly, Norah is threatening to take everything else away from her carefully laid plans and Alice couldn't let that happen. And so what ensues is one bad decision after another which ultimately leads to Alice sitting in a prison cell awaiting trial for murder. How did it come to this? How did she get here?

Meanwhile, Cassie is your typical moody seventeen year old who thinks they know what is best for themselves despite their parents being the better judge of that. This results in a lot of door slamming, flouncing off in a huff, walking out without a word, storming off on a whim and bad - very bad - boyfriend choices. What do parents know? They haven't been their age for like a hundred years...and anyway, it was different for them back then. They wouldn't understand and they don't know Scott like she does. Of course, Cassie has the freedom to bounce back and forth between her father's mansion and her mother's terrace on a whim or whenever one says something she doesn't want to hear. Problem is, dad's house comes with Norah who is just trying too hard to be her new best friend. Whatever. Bring on her gap year when she can escape to Portugal with Scott...if her parents ever agree to it, that is, because how can she afford it without her father's money anyway? And Scott won't go without her...will he? She doesn't need her parents' drama on top of her own so she needs this escape.

And then there is Norah, who has her own secrets. Unbeknownst her, Alice saw her arguing with a face from her past but from what is she hiding? Alice certainly wasn't close enough to hear their conversation but she could see enough to know that it was heated. And then she starts getting text messages from an unknown number blackmailing her with a video from her past into stealing drugs from the hospital where she works as a nurse practitioner in the oncology department. It begins with five boxes, followed by a further ten and then a ridiculous request for thirty! But before she could meet the latest demands, Norah is found dead. Who killed her? And why?

At the halfway point, the story takes a turn and is then told primarily from the detectives POV as they investigate Norah's brutal murder. They think they have the suspect in their crosshairs when they are thrown a curveball and all bets are off. Everything points to Alice. The weapon, the motive, even the opportunity. Alice had a secret to protect at all costs. But is she really guilty?

THE EX WIFE is a stunning psychological and domestic thriller where I turned the pages at the speed of light. The tension was palpable throughout and I was completely baffled as to where this was all headed. I mean, everything really did point to Alice. But who would want to frame her? And why? If you could answer that, then you'd be halfway there. But there is no inkling throughout. Nothing. Until...a slight tiny little chink of light started to peek through. And I grasped it with both hands until I could make sense of it and had all the pieces. And then it hit me! All of it...until the very end. Like I said, I was too busy patting myself on the back to see that ending coming...and I was hugely disappointed with it.

The characters were a mixed bunch that I could take or leave. Alice made a lot of stupid decisions that made her look half crazy, and even stalkerish, but I liked her. I wasn't a fan of Mark purely for the fact that he could so easily dump his wife of fifteen years for a younger woman. And Norah, I didn't much like her for the same reason. Scott was a creep that just slithered around for opportunity - I didn't trust him one bit. And Felix was a little too good to be true.

In a tale that is layer upon layer of secrets, lies and betrayal...and ultimately revenge, THE EX WIFE is an intense and addictive read from start to finish...until the disappointing end which I thought was something of a letdown, all things considered. But one thing is for certain...it will keep you guessing.

I would like to thank #SallyRigby, #AmandaAshby, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheExWife in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Amanda Rigby is the nom de plume of the writing partnership between Amanda Ashby and Sally Rigby. Both authors live in New Zealand, have been friends for eighteen years, and agree about everything (except musicals). They decided to collaborate on a psychological thriller which they then entered into a competition, run by Boldwood, which they won!