Photographer Bethany Reston is happily married to her loving husband Jason but she is also having an affair with a famous business man and billionaire Calum Bradley.

When Bethany`s lover is brutally murdered,she has to keep her grief hidden from everyone.

But someone knows her secret,and then the treats begin.

Bethany is being framed for the murder.And with the ever growing pile of evidence pointing towards her,the only way she can protect her secrets is to prove her innocence.And that means tracking down a killer.

To be honest I didn't like Bethany very much from the very start of this book and that was before I discovered how self centred and whiny her character was.I really don't like people who cheat,in real life or in fiction,she had a loving husband who clearly adored her but she treated him really badly whilst constantly going on about how much she loved him.She would rather get arrested for murder than have Jason find out about her affair..it was frighteningly realistic how swiftly and easily Bethany was framed for Calum`s murder but I struggled to feel any compassion for her character because of her selfish behaviour and stupid decisions.

It's quite a quick read that has mainly short,snappy chapters and is packed with twists and red herrings that certainly kept me guessing.There is only a small cast of characters and I changed my mind more than once about who I thought the killer was.I was genuinely surprised when the person's identity and motives where revealed.The only thing that spoiled this gripping thriller for me was the chapters covering the trial.I'm not a fan of courtroom scenes and was tempted to skim past those parts.A lot of other reviewers have mentioned that they felt let down by the ending of this book.Not all situations in life have a happy ending,I thought the ending was realistic and left you wondering what might happen next.Is the author planning to write a sequel.

This was a enjoyable debut thriller and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

This is Elle's first book, I think the cover is very eye catching and I love the title as well. Both of those things would make me grab this book if it was in a shop. I liked the idea of this book and it did keep me wanting to read more especially in the last part of the book. I'd sussed out who the killer was before it was revealed so was disappointed in the ending and found it slow at times and not enough action.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jason and Bethany Reston are happily married. So why does Bethany find herself having an affair with her client, celebrity businessman and high powered businessman Calum Bradley?

Bethany is a photographer hired to take candid photos of Calum during his everyday work, which will feature in a book which is complementing his reality TV show. Calum has a host of security staff covering his every move after an acid attack on his previous mistress left him feeling exceptionally vulnerable. The security staff turn a blind eye to the relationship which builds between Calum and Bethany which begins with business meetings regarding the book but gets far more personal over the weeks.

Then one night, Bethany decides that things are getting out of hand between them and meets him outside a tube station in London in order to end their affair. They have a discussion and Bethany walks away from him without a backward glance. And that is where life takes a dramatic turn for both of them. Because this is the point Calum is stabbed to death, and someone was watching.

Shortly after the news reports hit the media Bethany starts receiving hate mail; anonymous threats and photographs arrive at her home - but how are the envelopes being delivered into her home? Does Jason know what has been going on? Is it a stalker who has gained access to her home? Do the security staff hold a grudge against Calum and are now shifting the blame to Bethany? In sheer desperation Bethany turns to her friend Alex who is a lawyer for advice.

The story follows Bethany's life as she gets deeper into trouble and finally comes to the police's attention. The author cleverly builds tension throughout the story but nothing prepared me for the final reveal. There are red herrings everywhere and I defy anyone to not fall into at least one of the many traps which the author sets for us. This is an absolutely brilliant and scarily credible plot which had me turning pages at an increasing pace as I went along.

I will definitely be looking out for this author's future work - she will have to go some to ever improve on this exceptionally strong debut novel. Somehow though, I think she will succeed.
My review will be posted on my blog www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

An excellent read couldn't put this book down it had twists and turns loved the storyline and kept me guessing. Brilliant read!

I really enjoyed this tense fast paced psychological thriller. It grabbed my attention from the first page and I thought the plot line was very clever and unique. Would highly recommend this book

This book does everything a psychological thriller should do - captivates you, grip you, drags you in and then holds you to the very end.
With plenty of twists and turns, a strong storyline and interesting characters this is definitely a page turn.
Looking forward to more from Elle Croft, roll on August.

Thank you netgalley, Orion and Elle Croft for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Guilty Wife is a short but very well-formed psychological thriller that crackles along at quite an electric pace. I found myself whizzing through the pages and had the book finished within a day.

Essentially the story surrounds Bethany, a photographer who lands the job of a photo shoot with entrepreneurial celebrity Callum, and ends up having an affair with the married billionaire. Bethany is convinced she is in love with him however when she realises that Callum will never leave his wife they have a massive fight and she storms off. The next time Bethany sees Callum is on the news the next after his body is found in an alley. Desperate to keep their affair secret from her husband, Bethany decides not to tell the police about the nature of her and Callum’s relationship. BIG mistake! Someone starts sending Bethany threatening messages and pictures of her and Callum, and when the police are sent CCTV footage of Bethany meeting Callum on the night he was murdered, the police turn their attentions to her. Bethany has to find out who the real murderer is before she is framed for something she didn’t do.

The Guilty Wife is a fun, gripping read, bursting with a bunch of characters that you can’t trust. I had my suspicions about everyone at one point, including Bethany herself! Told in short, punchy chapters from Bethany’s point of view, the suspense starts in the very first chapter and doesn’t let up till the end. Drawing similarities with Double Jeopardy (one of my favourite films), Bethany desperately tries to prove her innocence as more and more evidence seems to be produced against her.

I didn’t really get on with main character Bethany. I found her self obsessed, shallow and almost narcissistic, with little awareness of what is going on with those around her, and I had a hard time empathising with her. I did feel that she brought a lot of the trouble on herself, firstly by having the affair, but secondly by not admitting the truth to the police on the basis that she did not want her husband to find out. She treated her husband as her “Back Up” and would have rather been arrested for murder than have her marriage break down. The Guilty Wife was been compared with “Apple Tree Yard” in that sense, and funnily enough I didn’t connect with the main character in that either.

The Guilty Wife is all about the plot, it’s by far the book’s strongest point. I’ll admit I did work out what was going on about halfway through the book, but nevertheless a good few unexpected twists and turns kept me more than entertained. There were a few plot holes and unlikely scenarios (a lot of things happened due to pure chance) but the unusual premise for the story made up for that and gave a satisfying conclusion. The story did seem to end quite abruptly but that has laid the groundwork for an even more intriguing sequel.

Bursting with suspense and a protagonist that will get under your skin one way or another, The Guilty Wife is a great debut from Elle Croft, and I genuinley am looking forward to the sequel. There HAS to be one! I received I free review copy of The Guilty Wife, thanks to the author and publisher Orion.

This book was a big let down. Half the time I didn't have a clue what was going on. A very confusing book.
It skips from one person to the other and it would have been better if it was split into chapters so you could follow the characters on a individual basis.
It is also lacking a lot of detail and I feel that the book does not flow and feels rushed.
Which is a shame. I didn't finish the book it was just a nightmare to read.

An excellent debut novel with lots of twists that keep you guessing

An engrossing book with all the twists and turns that captivate the reader in a thriller. The author demonstrates the way life leads us unwittingly down a path of destruction. How do you recover? With strength and determination shown by the seemingly guilty wife, in pursuit of a way out. I couldn't pick the culprit even to the end. Brilliant writing.

I have been on a roll of great books.. and this one did not disappoint!

Bethany is a photographer, happily married but having an affair with her famous client. Then the client is murdered.

This a page turner that had me hooked... nobody is to be trusted!! Thanks to Orion Publishing via Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review in return for an honest review

This was excellent and I read it in a day. Guessed the perpetrator but this didn't mar my enjoyment of this tale of betrayal and intrigue...just who can you trust when your life is falling apart?

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a fast paced and tense thriller set in London and is absolutely brilliant. Highly recommend.

A stunning debut novel which was fast paced, exciting and one of those books that you just cannot put down.
This psychological thriller had all the necessary ingredients to make it an excellent read - intensity, intrigue, an illicit affair, murder, interesting characters and a strong plot, with twists and turns. Although I suspected where this was going, I still managed to be surprised.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest and independent review.

I was pleased when my wish for this book was granted. Although an interesting start, the choices Bethany made and her obsessive behaviour, didn't allow me to sympathize with her and her predicament. The ending was a little surprising but, having read plenty of thrillers, I had considered the real killer,and the reason why Bethany was framed. I did think because of her behaviour, Bethany deserved all she got

Bethany Reston, a photographer begins an illicit affair with millionaire Calum Bradley. When he is discovered stabbed to death, only minutes after leaving her, previously having had a bust up, the only conclusion can be that she done it. The only thing working in her favour is that she hasnt been identified by the police. She is also married to a very loving, caring man, Jason, it seems she has it all but with her lovers' murder everything spirals out of control. Can her best friend, Alex, a lawyer sort it all out.
I really enjoyed this book so many twists and turns, and every time I thought I had figured it out it turned out I hadn't. Won't spoil it but the ending was unexpected, 5 stars for The guilty wife great read. Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for an arc.

This book is written by a new author, but it reads like its been written by someone with several books under their belt.Its very accomplished and a damn good story.I loved the idea that someone who was having an affair would be put in this position ,but I didn't expect to like the main character so much that I started to care what happened to her, and that made the book much more interesting for me.I thought it was a cracker, I really enjoyed it and had a few theories none that I am going to reveal here, and I was slightly right, but really I was pretty much in the dark until the last page .I stayed up way too late to finish this book I just had to keep reading I was so gripped by the story, I thought it was brilliant.I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC and I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller that will keep you on your toes.

With a clever plot and a few strong characters this makes for a great page turner, easy to read psychological thriller. I must admit I had higher expectatins from the style though, which is why the downgrade for me.

The writing style is a mix of reporting and constant obsessive self-questioning grom the main character Bethany. For me she was the paradox between wannabe good wife vs. egocentrical liar and mistress. I did not like her at all, shallow and deceptive, full of herself yet constantly nagging and analysing her actions. She got on my nerves big time.

Psychologically interesting, the plot has huge potential. Though, in my opinion, the writing style could definitely be improved. It has been simply too "talkative", a very tiring "chatting" style, unadorned in any way, without any literary pretense whatsoever. I assume the reason for this is to appeal more to the general public.

All in all, this is a gripping novel, full of intensity and suspense, with a twisted conclusion and a colourful bunch of characters. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
A psychological thriller with twists and turns plus an ending I never saw coming!
Hopefully, there will be a sequel to this book so that 2 characters Alex and Bethany will have a "different life" when the truth is revealed.