I found this book to be highly disturbing and dystopian. I don't normally read Sci-Fi books, some are too weird, they make me think I don't want any part of a future like various books predict, others are intriguing and full of promise and hope for a brave new world, albeit with awful consequences. This book started with a fascinating premise , of death not being the end, but was creepy, in a sexual, voyeuristic manner.
Tim works with the future world of robotics. He is obsessed and crazy, following the death of his wife Abbie, in a surfing accident, some five years ago. He creates a robotic replacement for his wife, and downloads all her emotions and memories, but doesn't create the wherewithal for sexual relations to resume. The idea of a robot, peeling off its skin to show a perfect, plastic body is madness. Tim has created this robot to help him cope with the trauma of losing his wife, but robotic Abbie has flashbacks, which suggest that her memories are being carefully selected. What is her purpose in life? Is she to be a perfect, yet sexless wife? A selfless career for Danny, their son,who has Autism?
The question that runs through this book is, what happened to the original Abbie, was she murdered, or did she escape from a controlling husband.
The concluding chapters are confused in narrative and seem to be seeking a logical, yet contrived ending. The ending was rather surprising, and rather too human for a robot!
I respected the personal experiences in the notes at the back of the book, but found the modern day treatment of Autism to be very disturbing. It made me think of cattle prods with electrical charges. BF Skinner is mentioned frequently, a behaviourist with extremist views, that were popular some decades ago. Did I enjoy this book? On reflection, it posed questions about how death and bereavement affect couples, we wish not to be separated from loved ones, but we know it is inevitable . Nothing is perfect in life, and death doesn't make for a perfect robot. It was an unusual reading choice for myself, and it has made me think.
I will post this review to NetGalley . These views are mine, indeed, who else would want them?!

When Abbie wakes up in a hospital bed after 5 years she is told she is the wife of the wealthy CEO of a robotics company, Tim Scott and they have a 10 year old autistic son. A technological breakthrough has helped bring Abbie back to life, and although she can never be the same person as she was before, she looks perfect. Abbie's memories slowly return and she remembers how she first met Tim when she became an artist in residence at his company. Although she was stunningly beautiful, fit and strong and a free spirit, she and the nerdy, obessive Tim fell in love and married despite their very different personalities. However, she also starts to remember arguments with Tim over their son's treatment and schooling as well as secrets she was keeping from him before her accident.

This is an inventive and engaging read which raises some philosophical and ethical questions about how far we are prepared to use AI in our lives and what makes us truly human. The work being done by Tim's company seems perfectly feasible with the current advances in AI and does not stretch credibility too much <spoiler>although we shall have to wait and see whether it will ever be possible to capture and transfer memories to an artificial brain</spoiler>. It's also an intriguing family drama with a mystery surrounding what happened to Abbie five years ago. There's plenty of suspense as the plot twists and turns it's way to the unexpected climax and plenty of food for thought on the nature of perfection. 4.5 stars

I really wanted to like this one, but it fell apart for me more and more as it progressed. I would absolutely give the first 2/3 of the book more stars than the last, unfortunately.

I think it was just too many plots and too little time. It was a murder mystery, it was a story about AI, it was an autism story. Each of these plots were interesting and I would have happily spent more time on them but we kept cycling too the next so quickly that there wasn't time to interrogate the themes at work! Let's talk about the Galatea Syndrome, let's talk about the AI lived experience, lets talk about intellectual property, let's talk about the weird creepy computer mindreading thing... I don't know, I just wanted more than I got.

To be fair, this was twisty and turny and edge-of-your-seat and perhaps to genre enthusiasts it'll hit home more than it did for me.

J.P. Delaney's latest book is a futuristic dystopian and cautionary tale about AI and our obsession with technological advances. Tech entrepreneur and AI robotics genius Tim lost his beloved wife, Abbie, 5 years ago and has created a robot version of her to overcome his grief. The robot looks and talks like Abbie and even has her memories uploaded, making it the "perfect wife" and replacement for the Abbie Tim has lost. But as Abbie-bot regains more of her memories and is contacted by an anonymous person on a hidden iPad, she starts to question Tim's motives and begins a secret quest to find out what really happened to Abbie. Abbie-bot is also getting closer to Tim and Abbie's autistic son, who - ironically - she can at times understand and interact with better than his parents can.
Simultaneously, the reader gets insights into Tim and Abbie's relationship and Abbie's art works at Tim's AI robotics company through flashbacks told by the other staff members of the company.
As some others have rightfully pointed out, the book seems to be more of a futuristic sci-fi mystery, than a psychological thriller - which I think I would have enjoyed more. I enjoyed reading J.P. Delaney's first two books, "The Girl Before" and "Believe me" and unfortunately I didn't enjoy reading "The Perfect Wife" as much. It took me a while to get into the book and I would have liked some red herrings and/or several murders, although the ending was somewhat unexpected. The different perspectives in the book were well-narrated. I liked the inclusion of background information on different approaches to caring for ASD children and the heartfelt note at the end by the author J.P. Delaney.
The book addresses several important and contemporary issues, such as the ethics surrounding AI and robotics, using a person's likeness and or memories in AI development, the consequences of our technological advances, and therapies for ASD.

Tim is obsessed with Abbey his wife, so Much so when she disappears and declared dead he builds a robot of her, the cobot looks like Abbey and has her memories, she herself tries to unravel the truth of what happened to Abbey, Does Tim know more than he reveals? someone is helping her claiming to be the real Abbey and she wants her son. I loved the way Cobot Abbey could relate to her son who had Autism, she could understand him as she had no emotions so could interact with him. She takes him to his mum but is it Abbey who has sent the messages.
A really enjoyable easy read

The Perfect Wife- JP Delaney

Tim Cullen is a Robotics engineer and co founder of Scott Robotics.
After he looses his wife, he sets out on a mission to create an exact and perfect AI replica of her.

Five years are he looses his wife he has succeeded, and the new AI version of his wife , Abbie Cullen is born.
Her system has been loaded with the memories , feelings and mannerisms of the real Abbie as well as having un-calculated feelings of her own.

After some startling discoveries, you learn that Tim may not be the person he is portraying himself as and the story of what happened to Abbie is more complicated than you could imagine.


This book is one of the best books I have read this year. The mystery , the plot twists and the unique concepts in this book are brilliantly written.

The book is written from two perspectives which added an interesting element to the story, however is it a little confusing as to who the second perspective is from.

I really enjoyed that fact that I couldn't guess the outcome of this book and was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the time. Overall it was a brilliant read.

My only real issue with this book is the ended left me with so many questions. I found that there were some aspects that didn't make a lot of sense to me, However that being said, who doesn't like a book that keeps you questioning things after you have read it....isn't that what makes the perfect mystery ??


Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review

This was my first book by this author and I will definitely not be my last.
This book was slightly disturbing as you begin to think although it’s a work of fiction is it an insight into the future.
Abbie wakes up in hospital after a vivid dream with her husband by her side, but you quickly realise that something is not quite right, and so begins the story of Abbie who died and has been recreated by her husband Tim the technological whizz. Fascinating and fast paced we follow the story mainly through Abbie’s eyes and as we delve more into the past we realise that danger is everywhere and who is what they seem?
The plot is very different, the chapters are short and so you want to just read, just one more, the characters are vivid and considers several dilemmas that arise from technological advancement.
To say any more than this would give away secrets but it’s a great read and any fans of The Black Mirror tv series would probably enjoy it too. It also has a good ending which some books fail on.

Mind-bendingly good!!

I read this book over a couple of days and found it extremely difficult to put down. I was totally captivated by the idea of creating a 'companion robot' using the social media profile of a 'lost' wife but the story was much more than this: the out-of-control genius tech founder and the difficulty with finding help for Danny, the autistic child. As well as that there were a good few twists that kept me guessing along the way.

I will definitely look out for some more JP Delaney books in future.

I was already familiar with the concepts and the tech and AI used in the book which might not be the same for everyone.

Oh my! This is one of the most compelling books I've read in a long time. Cancel your plans because you're going to need to read it in one sitting!

There's a genuinely unpredictable twist as well as a lot of thought provoking questions about the nature of AI and the ethics of robots. The characters are well drawn and the plot fast paced.

In short, I absolutely loved this and you will too!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

That book was definitely not my cup of tea and I am now sure that I'm not an ardent fan of J,.P. Delaney's work. I've also read "Believe Me" which wasn't bad but not great either. I must stress the fact that I didn't manage to finish reading "The Perfect Wife" as I found the plot to be implausible and the characters were cardboard-like, one-dimensional and not realistic at all. while the same is true as far as the dialogue is concerned This novel attempts to blend a number of different genres such as crime fiction, sci-fi, mystery, etc. but in the end leaves nothing memorable to the reader. Of course, that's just my subjective experience and what wasn't to my taste may appeal to another reader. Anyway, no more J.P. Delaney for me...

What another great book from JP Delaney! I’ve read previous books from this author and really enjoyed them. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was just as good as those. I enjoyed the story and the characters were very well written

Wasn’t quite sure about this to start off with. However this book is fantastic. Abbie has come to following a surfing accident five years ago with her husband Tim at her side.
Abbie has no memory of Tim or off their Autistic son Danny. However, as head of a large tech firm Tim has used his skills to save her. But why has Tim brought her back after this time.
This book really gets you thinking with some great twist. Fantastic writing from JP Delaney.
#netgalley #JPDelaney #theperfectwife

This was a highly-original and unique page-turner, with interesting characters and a thought-provoking story. It reminded me Black Mirror’s ‘Be Right Back’ episode in the sense that both stories make one question what exactly makes one oneself and whether that ‘selfless’ can be extracted into another (artificial) entity. Very interesting exploration for sure. The only reason I am giving it a 3 vs 5 starts is because I wasn’t a fan of the ending; somehow it felt rushed and... easy? I also didn’t like how the husband’s character developed, especially towards the end. Again, it felt rushed somehow; as if the novel was first created with detailed paint strokes and by the end the pace went up and with that the attention to detail and care. On the whole though, I enjoyed reading this novel and imagine it will be very popular!

I have really enjoyed all JP Delaney’s previous books so I was excited for this one. True to form, I raced it through quite quickly and found the plot interesting. This is my least favourite of his books though as the narrative voice flips between first person plural and second person, which I just never quite got into. It’s all a bit Black Mirror, which is a good thing, but those narrative perspectives were just too much for me to get over. I’m still looking forward to his next one and will be thinking about the themes of this book for a long time to come.

This is part psychological thriller and part sci-fi. What would happen if someone with no social awareness or the ability to be wrong created a working companion robot (cobot) of his dead wife? Why is his wife dead? Why did she leave his son? Why does the husband, despite adoring his dead wife and the cobot, have sex with his son's carer? What is on the hidden iPad in the wife's belongings? What is the real purpose of the cobot? Asking some important questions about when technology goes too far, how humanity is measured and what actually happened to the real human wife, this. book had me gripped. The technology didn't overshadow the thriller part of the book. Definitely recommended.

Waking up in a hospital bed with the memory of her husband’s proposal Abbie wonders if she’s been in an accident when in walks her husband who informs her she is in fact a cobot. An uploaded version of his wife who died 5 years earlier.
Finding it difficult to fit in and being the subject of a legal battle between Abbie’s family and Tim’s company over who owns you. Memories suddenly start to reappear. Are things exactly what they seem? What really happened to Abbie?
This is a thought provoking book that makes you wonder exactly how is technology evolving and what does the future really hold?
Be prepared for a few twists and turns, some but not all were predictable. An enjoyable read

What an absolutely amazing and brilliant book !! This was so much more than I was expecting and I just loved it.
It’s hard to describe just what the book is about because it’s completely different from the norm and oh boy it has so much going on and brings out so many emotions, it’s addictive, compulsive and just fabulous and really is a book not to be missed because it’s so damn jaw dropping!!
I loved the character of Abbie (both) and the heartbreaking challenges she has to deal with in the upbringing of a child with autism was written so well. The treatment of a cobot, a companion robot is at times shocking but also raises many issues which was done in a excellent way and all praise to JP Delaney for making this a book to remember. So do yourself a favour and don’t miss this one it’s amazing !!!
My thanks to JP Delaney,NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having read JP Delaney's previous two books and loved them, I was so excited to get approved for The Perfect Wife. The synopsis sounded brilliant and I was so intrigued.
The story is based around Abbie and her husband, who is head of a company that amongst other things, is involved with AI. When Abbie wakes up in hospital, she is told that she has been uploaded not dreaming....and so begins the mystery of why she has been brought back, what happened to her and can her husband be as good as he makes out?
This book had me hooked from start to finish. I've seen some negative reviews, but in my opinion, it's so cleverly done. You really feel for Abbie as she learns about her life and the different perspectives help the story massively. I loved figuring out what was going on and the surprises just kept coming! The ending was great...no idea that was gonna happen. It's a mix of genres, I would say scifi and psych thriller but definitely lots to keep you entertained. Yet another brilliant book from Delaney, roll on book four ❤

I’ve read all J P Delaney’s books, and every one has been very different from the last. So, I was excited to read this new one.
Abbie Cullen wakes up in hospital, unsure how she came to be there. Her husband Tim is at her bedside and he tells her he’ll explain what has happened when she’s a little stronger. To Abbie, something doesn’t feel right, her memories are confused and within the first few pages we discover that Abbie isn’t the Abbie she was, she’s a man-made ‘cobot’, a companion robot prototype. The Real Abbie died 5 years before.
This may seem like the wackiest plot ever, by Delaney manages to make it seem plausible. Tim is a mad scientist, determined to use his skills in robotics to bring back his beloved Abbie. For him, life without her would be impossible.
The story then moves from the present - when Abbie is reunited with her son Danny who she hasn’t seen in 5 years and who has Heller’s syndrome, a rare form of autism– back to the past and the day that Abbie first started work as artist in residence at Tim’s Company, Scott Robotics.
As Abbie recovers her memories about her death, she feels all that Tim has told her may not be true. Was her death an accident or something more sinister? Did they have the perfect relationship? Clever, very different, and loved the scientific aspects of the story (especially Abbie’s art installations).

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

I had seen mention of this book everywhere - reviewed all over the place so was thrilled to be able to read

With such high expectations, I was prepared to possibly being disappointed - I was so not !!!

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it !!!

I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through - so many twists and turns - it was fabulous !!!!
At various points, I thought I knew which way the story was going to go but then it didn't !!! The ending was absolutely brilliant - Ii did not see it coming !!!

I can't praise this book highly enough - I had not ready any of JP Delaney's work before but I will absolutely be searching her out to read more

As someone with a family member with autism, and to see this dealt with in such an amazing way - for me - was inspiring

I can't praise highly enough - 5* for me but wish I could give it more

A fantastic holiday read but would also make a great choice for a book club