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Saturday, 9 September 2023

REVIEW: The Wife in the Photo by Emily Shiner



The Wife in the Photo by Emily Shiner
Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller
Read: 4th September 2023
Audio Links:
Published: 7th September 2023

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I pick up the photograph from their mantlepiece and carefully wipe away the dust. The beautiful wife. Supposedly happily married and enjoying a family vacation. I know her husband killed her. And I’m going to make him pay…

This is my first job as a housekeeper, but Evan Warner doesn’t need to know that. It’s the first of many lies I’ll tell him. He just lost his wife, Lola, and now he and his young daughter Jessica are adrift. But no amount of cleaning will rid this house of the secrets that have seeped into the cracks. I never forgave Lola for what she did to me. But I can’t let Evan get away with her murder.

In their impressive home, I busy myself preparing meals and peeking at carelessly discarded mail, looking for proof of his crimes. Evan hovers and I’m sure he is watching me… even as I bond with Jessica. But whenever he catches us alone together, his face darkens. I realize I have to get her out of this house before it’s too late for her, too.

Then I find Lola’s diary, tucked away in a closet out of sight. Her words, hastily scrawled on these pages, change everything I thought I knew about this family. As I hear footsteps on the stairs, I know I’m trapped. And I’m in more danger now than ever before…

The Wife in the Photo is a totally twisty psychological thriller guaranteed to keep you up all night. Fans of Freida McFadden, Gone Girl and The Couple Next Door will find it impossible to put down.


MY THOUGHTS:

The beautiful wife. The happily married couple. And the daughter who holds their secret...

After the tragic death of his wife, Evan Warner struggles to maintain his house and his fourteen year old daughter Jessica. Since Lola's death he and Jessica are adrift and he has no idea how to find their way back. The house is a mess, the dishes are piling up, the laundry needs doing...but no amount of cleaning will rid his house of the secrets that lurk beneath the surface. But he can try.

And so he employs a housekeeper, Ariel. The moment he walks in after work the first day, she has the place whipped into shape and the smell of a pot roast in the oven. He watches her from the doorway, humming as she works and using her hip to close the oven door. He frowns. The move seems familiar, like he has seen it before. But he shakes it off as soon as she sees him. He beams at her, knowing that hiring her was the best decision he has made.

But Ariel has a secret of her own. She has met Evan before. She even knew Lola. She has an ulterior motive for being here now. Lola called her in the weeks before her death. She wanted her help. And now she is here to do just that. To save Jessica from her father and to bring Lola's killer to justice.

And then she finds Lola's diary, hidden deep inside a closet. And her words from the grave change everything...

This is probably my third read by Emily Shiner and each one has been different. Like other reviewers, I'm baffled by the title as it doesn't reflect the story in any way. I did guess the main plot twist almost from the start but there were a few things I didn't see coming that were a surprise. The bloodbath near the end was a little far-fetched but doable. But from there, I could see how it was going to pan out. And I'm not entirely convinced I'm satisfied with the ending. But it was still a dark and chilling pageturner.

I would like to thank #EmilyShiner, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWifeInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.



MEET THE AUTHOR:

Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author but first served her time as a banker and a teacher. After a lifetime of devouring stacks of thrillers, she decided to try her hand at writing them herself. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world.

She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs. And loves books that keep you up long after you should be in bed.

Social Media links:

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