Extremely unlikeable characters and ridiculous storyline. Not for me. Too many decisions were just too implausible so I lost patience.

On paper this should have been right up my street, sadly the promise did not live up the reality for me. Like a lot of readers I’m really good at suspending belief when it comes to my fiction but [unless I’m reading a sci-fi/horror] there has to be a limit if the setting is ‘real’. Not much character development and a confusing array of storylines and timescales left me feeling underwhelmed. Hard to finish, the last few chapters do come into their own but too little too late for me sorry. I have read Jane Corry before and usually enjoy her work. My thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

HE CHEATED.

HE LIED.

HE DIED.

Vicki's husband Daniel once promised to love her in sickness and in health. But after a brutal attack left her suffering with epilepsy, he ran away with his mistress.
So when Vicki gets a call one day to say that he's missing, her first thought is 'good riddance'. But then the police find evidence suggesting that Daniel is dead. And they think Vicki had something to do with it.

What really happened on the night of Daniel's disappearance?

And how can Vicki prove her innocence, when she's not even sure of it herself?

An intriguing blurb made me want to read this book despite never having read Jane Corry previously.
I like that the main character Vicki was different in that she had epilepsy and found the way the author handled the ailment, sensitive and true to life.
I didn’t really warm to any other person in the novel however and although I found the plot descriptive, interesting and suspenseful, it was very slow to begin with.
But just when I got into the book, the ending was thoroughly rushed, introducing characters that had barely been mentioned previously and I found it a bit confusing to be honest.
Ok but it could have been so much better.

A new thriller from a not to be missed author. Different threads are pulled together in a fab mix of twists and turns. Really didn’t see coming the different plot points

This book had me gripped from the start. With only a few main characters it was easy to follow and you got a good invite into each character. Like all psychological thrillers you know that all is not as straight forward as it seems. Some twists were more predictable than others. Kept me gripped till the end.

This is another book that is split into different sections.

I enjoyed the build up but I couldn't connect with the characters, I had no sympathy. I found the characters unconvincing and behaved in stange ways which was unbelievable (yes I know its fiction). I also found the ending a little rushed.

I did like the prison detail and the author clearly knows her stuff and has done her research!This is another book that is split into different sections.

I really enjoyed this - I felt like the characters were distinct well created and believable. The plot was well crafted. I loved the ending!

I am a big fan of Jane Corry's writing style and this book didn't disappointment.

I thought all the characters were really interesting and the story was rather sad in places.

I couldn't put the book down and wanted to know the ending and the connection to the characters.

Fantastic read, great book, great ending.

Having read the author’s previous 2 books I was looking forward to this but was disappointed. The plot builds up slowly in the most part but some of the plot reveals are so rushed at the end it gets quite confusing. Characters are suddenly introduced with no background, other characters are introduced with great detail but seem to have little importance in the plot. By the end I was pushing on just to get to the end without really caring what happened.

Gripping as would expect from
Such a talented author . This book kept me awake all night as I had to know the outcome . Storyline got better and better .

Wow. Couldn't put it down. This is the second book I have read by this author and they just get better.
I loved how the story was told by different characters that became clearer as the story went on. Great story and great writing. Can't wait for the next one

his is the first of Jane Corry’s books that I have read. Since reading this I’ve bought the others.

I enjoy books with multiple views. This is clever and will keep you guessing. Some hard and credible parts to read and it made me think.

Some of the subject matter explored was rather sad. There is no doubt that this is a clever story and it has been well researched. A good beach book in my opinion

The Dead Ex is an absorbing psychological thriller about a woman whose ex husband goes missing and comes under serious scrutiny from the police. An enjoyable, slightly unpredictable read.

The Dead Ex really surprised me and kept me on my toes for a good 2/3 of the book. I enjoyed the two POVs and I think this added to the confusion in exactly what was going on, who had done what and exactly how the two characters were related. While I didn't particularly warm to any of the characters, I think this is deliberate, especially as we have a somewhat unreliable narrator. In my opinion, this book is supposed to leave you raising a lot of questions and trusting no one. This was an enjoyable read and there were some good twists but I would agree with other readers that the end felt somewhat rushed and I personally would have enjoyed a better send off.

Thank you to Net Gallery for my ARC of this book.

Absolutetely brilliant!
Subtle build up, did not understand how all characters linked, but then all became apparent.
Fantastic build up, but final few chapters overlong and story just a bit drawn out.
First 9 tenths of book edge of seat, but final tenth (only) slightly disappointing.
Loved it though x

This was a great holiday read for me , seriously didn’t leave. my sun lounger until I was finished, vicki starts to suffer from epilepsy after a serious attack , her feckless husband leaves her for his PA and when he goes missing she is in the frame for his murder, the story is told from both Vicky’s and Scarlets point of view and although I had figured out the connection it made it no less enjoyable for me , tied up neatly with lots of twists and turns that I have come to expect from Jane Corry , brilliant 5 star read for me .

Very good book. Did not expect it to be so descriptive and interesting, I would gladly recommend the book to others, please read.

Wow, yet another great novel!

I have read and enjoyed both previous books by Jane Corey and this one did not disappoint!

If you have not yet read any of Jane Corry’s books I would recommend that you do, especially if you like books that are full of twists and turns.

When I started this book I struggled at first to see the connection between Vicki and Scarlet as the tale alternated between the two. I was horrified for Scarlet and all she went through and hated her selfish mother but could not empathise with Vicki. Then suddenly about 40% into the book it became far more compelling and I definitely wanted to know what was happening and who did what. The end of the book was rather rushed and rounded off too neatly. A good read but not the best, sorry!
Many thanks to Netgalley, Jane Corry and Penguin UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I've read all of this author's books but sorry to say this one just didn't work for me. I will look out for her future books but this one just wasn't for me.