Julie 's Reviews > The Wife

The Wife by Alafair Burke is a 2018 Harper publication.

How well do you know your husband?


It’s that all too familiar, and oft dreaded question posed by law enforcement when it appears ones husband may have been leading a double life. Angela, just like many other loyal wives, swears her husband isn’t capable of murder, and even gives him a rock-solid alibi. But, deep down, Angela’s insecurities, traumatic past, and the mounting evidence against her husband, Jason, has forced her to take a good hard look at the man she married.

This book is just the kind of thriller I love and never seem to tire of. I openly admit, I’m a big fan of this author. However, despite my bias, I truly believe this book would have been highly successful no matter what. But, I must admit, the precision perfect timing of its release gave the story an added boost of power and a ripped from the headlines type of atmosphere, it might not have benefited from otherwise.

For authors these days, it’s more of a challenge than ever before to put a fresh spin on familiar plots or to keep their material fresh and original. Jaded readers, like myself, can often see a twist coming a mile off, which might be why some authors are trying to keep readers off balance by throwing in a multitude of over the top shocking twist and turns. But, that gets old in a hurry, and is more about shock value than true writing ability. So, it takes a very skilled author to weave a complex, clever tale around a timely storyline that will keep readers engaged, add in a nice balance of well -timed twist and turns, and top it off with a stunning conclusion they never saw coming. But, that is exactly what Alafair Burke has done with this story.

Usually I enjoy analyzing the plot and characters in more detail, maybe build up a little enticing curiosity about the book, but, in this case, it’s best not to say too much. But, I want to stress that this is not just another story about a woman standing by her husband after he’s been accused of misconduct. Trust me, there’s a lot more to this twisted tale than meets the eye!

This is a very clever, well thought out, skillfully constructed thriller I can’t recommend highly enough. It’s early in the year to start making a ‘best of 2018’ list, but I think it’s safe to say this one will definitely make the cut.

5 stars