A Quiet Wife

by Sarah A. Denzil

A twisty, psychological novella by the author of Silent Child.

Jack is smitten with his neighbour, Audrey, but she’s already taken… and they’ve never met. Every morning, he watches Audrey make breakfast for her husband. She dutifully waves him goodbye from the window as he leaves for work. She’s a loyal, quiet wife, and there’s nothing Jack wants more than to be in her husband’s shoes.

But when Audrey’s husband leaves her for another woman, he seizes the opportunity to insert himself into her life. After all, Jack knows everything about Audrey. He knows she likes to dance in her garden. He knows she’s almost always alone. He knows her every move because he’s been watching her through his telescope for months.

And there’s a room in his house just for her. He has it all prepared. There’s just one thing missing—Audrey.

A short and creepy read that delivers on the chills and the twists. Not to be missed.

Genres: Thriller, Ebooks, Novella

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2022

About the author

Sarah A. Denzil is a Wall Street Journal bestselling suspense writer. She is also known as young adult author Sarah Dalton.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.

She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller SILENT CHILD, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.

You can read now read AIDEN'S STORY, a short story and sequel to SILENT CHILD. It's completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3

Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/

Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD

Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil

Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/

Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com

Reviews

[rubie (kenji’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a dumbass man

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

I love Sarah Denzil and was quick to pounce on her newest novella A QUIET WIFE which was published just a couple of days ago. As is her style, this creepy psychological thriller is uniquely original that is as chilling as it is addictive. A quick read at only 69 pages that is perfect for an hour to kill. There isn't a lot I can say about this spine-tingling thriller without giving too much away.

Jack is a lonely pre-middle aged man smitten with his neighbour although they have never met. Looking to cure his loneliness through the lens of his telescope as he spies on her daily. He doesn't know her name, but he knows her routine and he watches her keenly as she sleeps, wakes and goes about her day. He's just a quiet man who watches this quiet wife.

There is only one problem. She has a husband. And Jack wants nothing more than to be the one in his shoes.

And then one day her husband leaves and doesn't return. She is alone. So Jack takes the opportunity to become a part of her life; to make himself invaluable to her. And hopes that soon the place that he has made especially will be filled with the very essence of her.

Because Jack wants nothing more than to have this beautiful woman all to himself. But be careful what you wish for...sometimes it's the quiet ones you have to watch.

While that is pretty much a retelling of the premise of the book, there is little else I can say without giving too much away. You truly have to read it for yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sarah Denzil never disappoints.

Creepy, dark and deliciously disturbing, A QUIET WIFE is a quick entertaining read with a chilling twist. And although I saw it coming it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this exciting read. If you want a quick short read with a delicious twist, then look no further. A QUIET WIFE is an addictive fast paced thriller that you will easily devour in less than 90 minutes.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Diane Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick easy fantastic creepy read.. loved it.
Anything from this author always is an entertaining read.

[☕️Hélène⚜️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy and dark! Loved it read it in one day and I highly recommend it!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flew through this, at just 69 pages and loved the suspense the author created. I must go back and read more by her now.

[Beth Roger aka Katiebella_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
This book is told as a diary, by a man becoming obsessed with the woman next door. Since he doesn't know her name, he refers to her as Ingrid. Casting her as the perfect "quiet" wife.
Soon, the pandemic hits, casting him into the perfect circumstances to actually meet the object of his attention. Audrey. But as he gets to know her, her realizes she isn't quite as "perfect," as he had assumed. Will she still work in his "plan"? He is running out of time to enact it. She might have to do.
This creepy little thriller of a book kept me on my toes till the very end. My only real complaint is that I wish it was longer. Denzil did an amazing job of portraying the characters' inner depth and secrets without giving anything real away till the end. Yes, I'm a fan!!

[Kimmy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read of the most deserving of couples who weren’t

Jack, isolated and socially awkward, has a plan. He wants to make his beautiful neighbour his own. He diarises her movements, and his thoughts - he would be so much more deserving of her than her husband is. Then: the pandemic strikes, and with the sense of community, the two neighbours meet. Thus begins a spiral into a delighfully satisfying revenge tale.
Women are truly the deadliest of every species.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it a lot, just a bit predictable for me. If I didn't read so many psychological thrillers in the last few years it would have been a perfect read! Good characterization and nice juicy twists.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
Quick and creepy read.

[Y_thera ❤️ Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who would have thought???
Covid times story... which was interesting!

[Sha Mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penamat yang diluar jangkaan bila mangsa jadi pemangsa..

[Ashily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short and sweet 80 page thriller. It takes place over covid lockdown in a really small secluded town. It takes place at a brief relationship between two neighbors (male & female)

It was actually quite shocking, creepy, and interesting for being so short.  I actually wish this was a full novel because it has really great potential.

I am giving this 4☆ because for what it is... I'm very happy with it 🙌

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Underestimated woman meets creepy man who thinks with his dick. Who will win?

[Lynn Dubinsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy short story.

[Betty Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT!!!!! So creepy and fast paced with an ending no one will see coming!!!!!! I have read every one of this author's books and she NEVER disappoints. Although this is a Novella it is well worth the .99 cents.

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was hella weird.. i loved her other books but this one was just not my cup of tea .. *pun intended

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Quiet Wife was a great novella. It's a creepy and dark thriller based on stalking. The twist was pretty good, but predictable. I just wish it was a bit longer! Left me wanting more.

[Larisa(Lana’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was not expecting that plot twist
gaslight gatekeep girlboss

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another one of those stories that can be easily read in one setting. We start out with Jack's narration of his fascination with the wife of the couple that lives slightly further up the hill from him secluded house. As part of the narrative, he calmly and apparently without emotion mentions that his mother fairly recently died of some attack of dizziness. His main concern was apparently that when she lost her balance, she fell into him, and he nearly lost his balance. She might have done him damage by knocking him off balance.

Then then he goes back to his obsession with the woman next door. He has never met her but decides her name is Ingrid because somehow she reminds him of Ingrid Bergman...something her smallness and her quietness. He also likes her dancing in the garden. Then there is a pandemic and the government suggests staying inside as much as possible. But Jack uses that cut back in exposal to other people to feel safe "walking by her house" and we become away that he has a secret plan that he hasn't told us about.

But what happens if a person is obsessing and the person they are obsessing over is aware of that and has their own obsessions? Could it be that they are both in danger from the other?

I recommend this novella for its slow burn mystery/suspense with a touch of threat if not downright horror. Although I might suggest that parents might want to think about your child's tolerance level before letting them read it.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story begins in an affluent neighborhood at the onset of the global health crisis. Jack, an unsuccessful writer living off the inheritance left by his late parents, develops a fascination with his new neighbor. He envisions her as an ideal partner, devoted and perfect in every way. The only obstacle in Jack's pursuit of Audrey is her existing marriage and the fact they have never spoken. Using a telescope, Jack closely monitors Audrey's behavior and routines. When Audrey's husband is away on a business trip during the lockdown, Jack seizes the opportunity to integrate himself into her life. Through this experience, Jack comes to realize that appearances can be deceiving.

The author skillfully crafted this brief thriller, painting vivid character profiles and intricate details that captivated me from start to finish. This narrative stood out from others as it offered a unique one-sided viewpoint within a time of uncertainty. The surprising twist at the conclusion added excitement and caught me off guard. I'd suggest this book to those seeking an engaging way to pass an hour.

[Lucy Awesomes Audible · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a real treat of a novella. 69 pages of pure creep. I loved it. It is the first book I've physically read for a long while as it did not come in audible form. The two main characters are so well established in such a short period in time. So bizarre reading books that include the pandemic I guess we will see a lot of those in the future. This really captures the loneliness and isolation elements wonderfully. Jack is a true creep peeping at Audrey through his telescope and writing all about her in his diary. As it is so short in length it is tricky to review with much more detail without giving away any spoilers of plot. But I can guarantee you won't regret giving this a read. Very enjoyable. I love Sarah Denzils writing style she can craft great characters and enjoyable thriller reads.

I give it a creepy peeping 5 Lucy Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[buzy_reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking to cure his loneliness Jack spends his days spying on the neighbor with his telescope. He doesn’t know her name, yet he knows her routine.

This short novella is written into two parts. Parts one is getting to know the neighbor. Part two is putting the plan into action.

Sarah A Denzil has become one of my favorite one-click authors. Her psychological thrillers are uniquely original. A Quiet Wife has a creepy element that present in the second part.

If you want a quick short read with a fun twist look no further. A Quiet Wife is bursting with exciting stuff. It’s a simple easy read.

[Sam | Sambooka23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Woah!

What a read. I found it was quite a fast-paced thriller. Short but very quick. Jack is very messed up watching Audrey go about her life but I think this book just goes to show that not everything is as it seems and Jack doesn’t know everything about Audrey. She surprised him!

The conversations between Jack and Audrey was so easy flowing, easy to read and seemed as if they’d been friends forever.

It was also kind of weird to read something based around COVID-19 and the lockdown. I couldn’t believe the twist at the end, it caught be off guard for sure.

An easy, fast read. I read it all in about 40 mins, the book is 69 pages so its a very short book.

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack lives in a mansion that his rich mother left him and he spends his days and nights looking through his telescope spying on his beautiful neighbor, Audrey. He feels that she is not happy in her marriage to Sam. One day, he realizes that he has not seen Sam for a while and when he walks by her house she comes to the fence to talk to him. Audrey tells Jack that Sam went to work and never came home and she suspects he is with one of his many girlfriends. They start walking together and before long Audrey tells him about her use of a hallucinogenic drug that she takes to clear her head. Jack says he would like to join her on one of her drug trips and does he ever have plans for her.

[Richard Angrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark

Sarah A. Denial creates a vast variety of stories and this short story of novella is another gem. The greatest compliment I can give is that at times this piece reminded me of the writing of Alan Bennett, perhaps my favourite author. Interestingly this is the first book I have read that includes the pandemic in its story. It seems all other authors whose latest books I have have ignored or side stepped the pandemic and it's rules and consequences.

[tanith_justanotherchapter · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What do I want? What do I desire more than anything? Her."

Raven Kennedy once wrote: "It's the arrogance of men, to think so little of women. And it'll be their downfall too." (Plated Prisoner, Gild) and that's all I could think about while reading this book.

It's scary that there are men like this just out there roaming the world.

"I worried for a moment or two that it might kill her. But then I decided the risk was worth it." Sure, buddy. That will make her want you.

[Christine Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quiet Wife by Sarah A Denzil is a quirky twisted read by a writer who enjoys the darker side of life in her writings.
An easy to read story of a woman who leads a quiet life and her neighbour who watches her and hopes to capture her and keep her for his own ends.
The quiet wife has other ides.
Highly recommended

[Kimberly Blaha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read

I enjoyed the writing very much as well as the characters...and the story almost up until the end. The first 2/3rds was written as if it was going to be a full book, then just abruptly ended. I would have enjoyed a bit more from Audrey's viewpoint - but then I guess it wouldn't qualify as a novella.

[Athena 💗 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Quiet Wife is a 70 page thriller novella. Having not come across a thriller novella before I immediately jumped on this one.

It was meh. The story was interesting enough for me to finish it quickly but the writing itself wasn’t that great. Kinda cheesy, honestly. Still worth reading if you need something quick and easy to fill your time and your expectations of it are low.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted so much to jump to the end to find out what happens. This being a bad habit of mine. I am so glad I didn't. The ending is perfect. A quick read that makes me want to read more of her books.