Malia's Reviews > The Wife Between Us

The Wife Between Us was another mystery that received A LOT of attention since its recent publication, and though it wasn't as inventive as I had hoped, it definitely held my attention. I guess I should mention that I am growing especially fussy when it comes to reading and reviewing crime fiction, a development about which I am a little sad. I read so much of it and write in the genre myself, I often see plot twists coming a mile away, which can spoil it for me even though I wish this were not so. It remains my favorite genre to read, so I am always excited to come across a mystery that has me guessing until the end. Long story short, this was not the case here. That being said, I didn't really mind so much. I was curious more about the way the central issue would be resolved rather than its unveiling, which I had partially guessed. The writing and plotting is good, and I am always impressed when two authors collaborate on a book, something I cannot imagine doing successfully myself. I would be interested to see whether they will work together again and would definitely like to read the result.
The story in The Wife Between Us may seem fairly obvious from the title alone, but there is definitely more there than meets the eye. I liked the way the main character developed as the story progressed and more and more of her past was unveiled. I don't want to say too much about the plot, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I would love to know what you thought of the "big reveal" of sorts, and whether you saw it coming, if you've read the book already. Also, if you have read any of Pekkanen's previous books, which ones would you recommend? Her style is, for lack of a better word, very readable:-)
I just realized I wrote this review not actually saying all that much specifically about this book. For the most part, I liked it and found it both engaging and intriguing. My issues with it were small, and mostly due to the fact that I am a crime fiction addict, which is hardly the fault of the authors;-) Do I think it warrants all the hype? Probably not, but then so few books I have read recently did. If you want a few mysteries where I thought all the fuss was worth it, I recommend The Alice Network, The Woman in the Window and The Dry by Jane Harper.

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