I’ve been trying to read this one for a week now and it’s been a struggle to finish — and I’m so disappointed because the premise sounded great! Marlena leaves her small town and druggie mother to model and make something of herself. She catches the eye of Michael Durst and she becomes his third wife — despite the fact he’s killed his previous two. But he’s rich so that clearly makes up for everything else!! He’s controlling, manipulative, abusive...you name it. Marlena tries to come off as accommodating and naive but she’s also conniving and pulling the strings herself. Overall I found the writing poor, very little character development, and main characters I did not like at all. It was one twist after another and I just wanted it to end. Very much a plot-driven story but it was just too over the top for me. Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to review.

This book is so good. I read this book in just several hours because I just couldn’t put to down and the ending was amazing. I really didn’t see it coming. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest review.

This was a solid mystery thriller which I enjoyed.
The books was very plot heavy which was a little distracting, there could have been more character development, but overall I enjoyed the book.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three and a half
This is by an author I used to associate primarily with sci fi so I was interested in what she would bring to this more suspense driven genre.
Mrs Durst is not at all what the world perceive her to be. She plays the innocent, manipulated pawn and in reality she’s pulling all the strings. I did have huge amounts of sympathy for her as her Svengali type husband is absolutely vile ! This isn’t a happy ever after romance she has bought into but an abusive relationship that just escalated with surprising alacrity. Yet as much as I knew her husband deserved all that was coming to him at times it was still difficult to imagine exactly how he would get ‘his’ as the author increasingly shocked this reader with time lapses . If I’m brutal I didn’t particularly even like the protagonist Marlena very much but the violence and actions in play in this book were truly offensive and definitely not acceptable so obviously I did want her to prevail. There was a point when the author fooled me and I actually thought Marlena was human and cared about someone yet I was only to realise that she was every bit as manipulative as her narcissistic, psychopath of a husband . Truly Marlena is an amoral , vengeful heroine and I’d like to say I hadn’t worked out the twist at the end but sadly the author laid out breadcrumbs that were very easy to follow. I am a little disappointed that I wasn’t surprised but frankly I’m more disappointed that I never really came to actually like Marlena. I think this book will divide opinions but I am glad that I read it even though my rating might not seem to support that.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I don't usually don't read suspense thrillers But I have enjoyed Ms. Aguirre's teen reads and after reading a friends review this solidified my resolve that this might actually be a thriller I would enjoy. I was not wrong.
Marlena our MC has not had a good life and after catching the eye of a handsome and rich Mr. Durst she becomes his third wife the previous two are dead. Marlena thinks she's in a Cinderella story or is she?
The third Mrs. Durst is so much more than I thought it was going to be. A woman trying to get away from her abusive husband, It headed in a direction I did not see coming especially given the synopsis . That's what I love. I find in so many thrillers or mysteries I figure out the mystery way before hand and it takes away from my enjoyment. I don't want to give too much away but if your not usually a thriller/mystery fan I suggest you give this one a try you will not be disappointed.

Overall this was a fantastic read filled with plot twists that will please mystery and non mystery fans alike.

A heroine breaking out of poverty, a rich man who is more than he seems, and a very long plan. Marlena is bent on creating a life for herself, and Michael just thinks about creating the perfect wife. But both are way more than they seem, and this short thriller is a fast and fun summer read.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital arc of The Third Mrs Durst by Ann Aguirre.

This book originally started off as a fast paced, unputdownable read for me. Marlena left her small town, her druggie mother, her multiple siblings from multiple fathers to make a new life for herself. Marlena and her new friend Jenny became models until Marlena managed to win the attention of Michael Durst and become his third wife. But what happened to the first two wives of this man who insisted on controlling everything from what she ate to who she was friends with?

Quotes like the following had me quickly turning the pages:

“I chose the road that looked prettiest from a distance, but I didn’t know then—sometimes the horizon is bright because it’s on fire.”

“In those early days, Michael was like a genie who existed to grant my wishes. But wishes are never granted without a hidden price, just as the most beautiful roses have barbs the better to bleed you dry.”

Somewhere along the way though, the book fell flat for me. I don’t know if it was the unexpected LGBT angle the story took. Or the confusion over who Dee was. Or the added sexual manipulation she used with her bodyguard Vin, but somewhere along the way I put the book down.

I have finally finished it now, and while I enjoyed it, there’s shock twist after shock twist towards the end, I would have definitely enjoyed it more if I hadn’t taken such a big break from reading the book.

A solid 3⭐️ read.

This was a quick easy read, but packed full of twists and surprises. The biggest surprise appears when you least expect it. The characters in this book are strong. The domestic darkness of this book is disturbing, but I found that it gave the story more depth. And when the villain gets his "just dessert," you're left cheering for the victim. A wild ride to be sure. The best part was that I wasn't able to figure it out. If you like suspense, this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.

Wow. I started this at 1 and finished it by 5:30. I could NOT put it down! I hardly took in a full breath. The writing! The characters! The storyline! The TWIST! I loved this. I wish I could eloquently put into words how awesome this book was but I just - wow! I loved it.

Marlena is a model from very poor roots. She meets an older rich gentleman Mr. Michael Durst. They marry and things are not good. Michael is a wonderful husband in the open but behind closed doors is a completely different story. Marlena must save herself before Michael destroys her. This was a good cat and mouse story with quite a few twists and turns that keep the reader engaged and reading. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

"Some people just need killing" - An interesting and intriguing beginning to a rather uneven and plot driven story. There is a ton of action making this a quick read although implausible.

I found this book to be very slow, and ultimately dragged out. I found it couldn't hold my attention and it was, to me, like Fifty Shades of Grey without the romantic element. The storyline itself felt tired to me and it felt like I had read books with similar plots in the past. I couldn't figure out who Dee was when she was mentioned and had to do a search on her, eventually (myself) coming to the conclusion that she was Marlena's older sister? I couldn't connect with Marlena to empathise or root for her in her ultimate "mission" if you like, and eventually I got a bit bored reading it and didn't finish it.

Thank you for the opportunity in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read, and a bit of a disappointment. I was expecting a thriller that would pit two intelligent minds against one another, what I got was a cliché-driven account of a young woman's rise out of poverty and into a loveless marriage to a controlling man who has killed his previous wives. Yep, you read that right, she said "yes" to this guy. Both of them are extremely unlikeable, but the storyline loaded with stereotypes (think sleazy Christian Grey - not that I 've read the books, but it comes to mind) just asks the reader to suspend belief a few times too often. The ending fell flat - the author tried to hit us with some big twists, which were not twisty AT ALL.

I really enjoyed this book. It's not your typical thriller. Marlena knows this isn't her husband's first marriage. And his previous wives' deaths may not be what everyone's been lead to believe. I love that we have a character who is smart for once. Marlena isn't stupid and knows, at least partially, what she is getting herself into. It was so refreshing from most of the thrillers I've read where our main character just stumbles into this horrible thing and has no idea what's going to happen to them.

I have two problems that are holding me back from giving it five stars. There were points where it felt very repetitive for me. I understand why the scenes had to happen, but maybe something could have been changed? The final chapter just did not need to be included. It felt a lot like when you write a fanfiction and make everything all happy rather than something the author actually wrote to conclude the story.

Never saw the twisted end coming! This story grabs you and dares you to read until way past your bedtime. Great writing! Great characters! Great drama!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for granting me an ARC of The Third Mrs. Durst in exchange for a honest review.

The Third Mrs. Durst grabbed me right from the beginning. This was a great thriller with devious characters and revenge! Ann Aguirre did a great job of showing the lengths some will go to for revenge. I did not see the end playing out as it did!

Fantastic thriller with devious characters. Fast paced and entertaining. I loved it! Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ann Aguirre's newest Adult Suspense/Psychological Thriller release, entitled The Third Mrs. Durst is first rate when it comes to mail biting suspense and a leading man that you will love to hate.
Michael Durst...
Rich, privileged, charming, cultured, and lethal.
And to Mariana...
So much more.

Marlana Altizer is a woman who has always known what she wanted.
Even at sixteen. When she left her life as the daughter of a drug addicted mother in small town Kentucky.
To seek her fortune as a model in Nashville.
And later...
The world.
But at what cost?

It is very safe to say that neither Michael, nor Mariana really know what the other is truly capable of when they marry.
But it is that marriage that marks the start of the time clock during which all is revealed.
Ann Aguirre elevates the "sleeping with the enemy" trope in very twisted ways. That promise readers the chance to be both horrified and intrigued by both Michael's depravity. As the abusive and controlling husband. And Marlana's calculation as his long suffering spouse with secrets.

It is in fact Marlana's hidden agenda and the stealth with which it is allowed to unfold in the face of Michael's tyrannical scrutiny; that makes read.
Because there are several points at which Michael's control over Marlana becomes so great and so violent that one is not even sure that she will survive. Let alone bring down her husband.

There are of course, parts of this book that are not as stellar as the Michael\Marlana aspect.
Like the cliche relationship between Mariana and her bodyguard Vin.
Or the ease with which Marlana seems to find herself in just the right places at just the right times when it comes to first becoming a model.
And then catching the eye of Mr. Durst.
But let's just chalk up those little faux pas as necessary evils.
Gotta keep the story moving right?

Those few journeys into the land of "been there, done that" aside. The Third Mrs. Durst is a fast paced thrill ride of a read.
That just like your favorite roller coaster promises to leave you punch drunk, and yearning for more by the last page.

Marlena Altizer Durst lives in her husband's shadow. He controls her every move—what she wears, the food she eats, and the friends she's allowed to make. If she disobeys, there are...consequences. And he has all the power.

To outsiders, it seems that she leads a fairy-tale life. But nobody ever wonders if Cinderella was happy after she married the prince. Marlena has traded freedom and safety for luxurious imprisonment, and most days, that seems like a bad bargain. Death may be the only exit she's allowed. Just like his first wife. And his second. Unless she flips the script.

"Some people just need killing." This sentence alone was enough for me to pick up this book... That and I love a good domestic thriller! Great book that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves thrillers just as much as I do!

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheThirdMrsDurst
Pub Date: 08 Aug 2019

I found this story interesting, but surprising. Talk about dedication to get to a final goal of revenge. Enough suspense throughout the story.