Mary Kubica has done it again! The Other Mrs. is a twisty, suspenseful novel that takes the reader through 3 POVs. First is Sadie, a doctor who moves to Maine with her husband, Will, and their children looking for a fresh start for their family. They are also guardians to Will’s niece whose mother passed away. Second is Camille, an old roommate of Sadie’s who also knows Will and has a bit of a shady existence. Finally, Mouse is a 6-year-old girl who is struggling with changes in her family.

The POVs weave together perfectly and create an intricate tale. One of the twists was apparent (to me) early on, but I did not guess the ending at all!!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Lately all the thrillers have felt like predictable let downs, but The Other Mrs. had me reading through the night unable to stop turning the pages. I couldn't figure this one out and man, when the reveal comes, it shocked me. It felt like that first clap of thunder in the sky that spooks you and thrills you all at the same time.

Sadie and her husband, Will, along with their two children and dogs are making the move to dreary Maine. Her husband's sister, Alice, has recently passed, leaving behind a grieving sixteen-year-old daughter. Sadie doesn't feel good about the house, about taking care of Alice's daughter, about using this to escape Will's transgressions. The eerie home and busybody community are things she thinks she can handle, handling the mundane doctor's appointments might be a welcome reprieve, but when a murder occurs in their new neighborhood Sadie is far more shaken up than anyone else. The murder marks a change, nothing is as it seems anymore, and Sadie doesn't know who she can trust. Certainly not her son Otto, a victim of bullying, not her disturbed niece Imogen, and definitely none of the neighbors who seem so convinced she was fighting with the now late Mrs. Baines.

The blurb covers the basics and it sounded like your pretty typical suburban drama, but Mary Kubica has more for you. Lurking under the surface of what seems like standard thriller fare is an unpredictable story told from the perspective of three quite unreliable narrators. Sure, it seems like it's Sadie's story, but the other woman, Camilla, and a young child only known as Mouse have other plans for The Other Mrs. The Other Mrs. doesn't take place just in Maine though, Camilla grants us a glimpse into the past, into the Sadie and Will they are not anymore. From their jobs to their old walk-up condo we get an idea that things between Sadie and Will have perhaps always been a bit off kilter, but what at all does that have to do with the murder of their neighbor? Through the three narrators eyes we see that Sadie is slowly losing time, to the point that she begins to even question if the murderer isn't someone unknown at all, but instead someone in her own home.

Unreliable characters, a heaping pile of lies, and Mary Kubica's excellent writing gave me just the right sense of foreboding, my anxiety upped with every turned page. While I never could pinpoint just what I thought was happening, the reveal was so grand and made so much sense to me that the entire story just clicked. It's suspenseful, thrilling, and completely unique. If you're looking for your next sure-win read, The Other Mrs. is the book to grab.

Another soon to be bestseller from Mary Kubica. Murder, small towns, secrets. it's everything she is good at and more.

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

This is a great entry into the thriller and mind twisting book genre. A couple and their two son's move to his sister's home after she has passed away in order to become guardians of his sister's daughter. Right away there is a murder in a home down the street and the suspicion is on the new family. Sadie, the wife, is looking like the prime suspect, so she has to defend herself and figure out what really happened. This story moves along and you are just waiting to see what happens, until bam, everything changes and suddenly, every page brings a twist. The end is quite the to do!

This is by far my favorite book by Mary Kubica! I have read all of her books and loved them all, but The Other Mrs. just hit the spot. Sadie, her husband Will, and their children move to Maine after Will's sister commits suicide. They are moving into his sister's house and have taken on the responsibility of taking care of his niece, who clearly hates Sadie. And then, a neighbor is murdered on their quiet street, and Sadie becomes the top suspect. The entire town is suspicious of Sadie and her family, and Sadie cannot explain her loss of time. The ending was shocking, and I loved it! Mary Kubica just keeps hitting it out of the park!

Happy pub day @marykubica!
The Other Mrs. is out 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!
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𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 @netgalley 𝗮𝗻𝗱 @harlequinbooks 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!
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After reading The Good Girl, I became a Mary Kubica fan and let me tell you... The Other Mrs. has become my new favorite! This was a fast paced domestic thriller with multiple pov’s (which I 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲!). It had me guessing and I don’t see the twists coming! What a ride! Definitely recommend this for thriller lovers. 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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She tried to run, but she can’t escape the other Mrs.
Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.
But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.
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I have read many of Kubica's former works, and this is definitely my favorite so far. Sadie and her husband, Will, uproot their family and move to coastal Maine to raise their teenage niece, Imogen, after she loses her mother. Sadie and Will seem like the perfect couple who seem very much in love. However, as the novel progresses, skeletons jump out of the Foust's closet repeatedly that make you realize that things are not as they appear.

The book is told in multiple perspectives that really helped me identify with each of the characters. I felt their pain and understood their actions as a result. Although I predicted some of the outcome, I still wanted to frantically get to the end because I hadn't put all the pieces together.

If you like suspense and mystery, you will not be disappointed. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this suspenseful book.

Will and Sadie Foust gain guardianship over Will's niece Imogen after finding out his sister has passed away, so they moved all the way to an island in Maine to live in Will's sisters old house with their two sons. When a murder across the street happens Sadie has a super hard time believing what the police are saying happened and is convinced that her niece Imogen has done it, after sticking her nose in the officers business she becomes a target... they know that the murderer is living in Will & Sadie's house but who did it?

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank-you to Netgalley and Mary Kubica for giving me the opportunity to read The Other Mrs. early. This novel is a must read by anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers! The characters are engaging and well developed. You feel for the characters and what they are experiencing. The story follows a family consisting of Sadie, Will, Otto and Tat who move from Chicago to an island off of Maine to "start over" and take over the care of Will's niece, Imogen, and the house that his sister left behind after committing suicide. Not long after they are there, a neighbor, Morgan, is murdered and all indications point to Sadie as the likely killer. The plot bobs and weaves from there leaving the possibility that almost anyone in the family could be suspect until it leads to a surprising conclusion that most won't expect. . The story addresses difficult topics including abuse and mental health issues but it is woven into such an artful way that it leads to a better understanding of both. I highly recommend reading this novel and look forward to other books by Mary Kubica!

Will and Sadie Foust inherit a house on a small, remote island off the coast of Maine after Will’s sister passes away. They have been having problems in their marriage and with their teenage son so the chance to make a fresh start for their family is just what they need. But their new home comes with their 16-year-old niece, who is volatile and not at all happy when they take over her home.

When a neighbor turns up dead, the entire community starts to question why something so violent happened with the arrival of the Foust family. With everyone being so suspicious of them, Will and Sadie become paranoid because they do have secrets from their past that they want to keep buried.

This book gripped me from the get-go. As a reader I definitely felt that the Fousts were unwelcome in this house and in this community. I kept trying to figure out what was going on, who to believe and how this was all going to end. I did feel a bit frustrated halfway through because I just wanted some answers and the different viewpoints didn’t make sense at times. There were many twists in this storyline- some I predicted but some that I didn’t see coming. This was a solid domestic thriller and definitely entertaining- looking forward to the Netflix series.

Thank you Netgalley and Park Row Books for this advance reading copy.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one, but through no fault of the author, the writing, or the story. Mary Kubuca is an excellent author and I have loved all of her books. This just wasn’t for me at this time. I fully intend to pick this one back up later in the year when I’m in a different headspace.

Sadie and her family recently moved to a small island town in Maine. Their neighbor is killed in her home, and everyone on the island is on edge. Sadie's family is under suspicion, and she is determined to find out what happened.

An atmospheric and twisty psychological thriller. Told with alternating points of view - Sadie, Camille, and Mouse. The viewpoints are all female, but very different.

I enjoyed the writing style and eerie atmosphere of this book, but wasn't wowed with the story. I imagine occasional readers of this genre will be highly entertained, but more seasoned readers of domestic thrillers may be a bit let down. Dark, suspenseful, and twisty.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Other Mrs. was pretty good suspense right up until the end, then the plot really went off the rails into the just plain ridiculous. Disappointing, as I really have enjoyed the author's previous books.

Wow! This was a ride! This story is best to read with knowing as little as possible about the synopsis because there are many surprises along the way. It's full of twists and turns...some that I was able to figure out and others that I didn't see coming. There were a few outlandish concepts that require a bit of suspension of disbelief but they were minor and didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story. Overall, this was a homerun that I recommend to fans of domestic thrillers.

3.5 stars that I'm rounding down to 3 because IMO I don't think this was a 4 star book.

I had a lot of high hopes for this book but I feel I was let down a bit. I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing happened but a murder within the first half of the story. The main character, Sadie, really got on my nerves and was acting like a nervous Nelly worrying over every. little. thing. So much so that if I had not been reviewing this for Netgalley, I'm not sure I would have finished it. Later, we find out exactly why she was acting that way but it took WAY too long to get there. The first half of this book is the build up to a big twist and then another couple twists happened later on. The ending felt rushed and too many unbelievable things happened (spoilers so can't tell ya. :) )

The story is told for most of the book by Sadie, Camille, and Mouse. Sadie is teliing the present POV, Camille is fills in some of the back story on herself and Sadie, and Mouse's sections seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with what was happening, but then all the pieces start to fit together. What you think you know, you really don't. That earned this book a half star bringing it up to a 3.5 from a 3 star.

I really wanted to like this book because I know many folks are talking about it, but it just didn't do it for me and a lot of the ending just felt very sloppy.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book for free for an honest review.

Psychological thriller with your share of twists. For the seasoned thriller reader, the clues can be easy to spot. The characters aren’t too likable and some parts were unbelievable. However, this was entertaining and a definite page-turner.

OMG- this was amazing from the first page to the last. I love how Mary uses real life issues and creates an awesome, suspenseful story. Could not put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC. The views herein are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.

This review contains heavy spoilers as well as snark.

One expects thrillers to have an aspect that, you know. Thrills. Some element that leaves one questioning every tiny piece of information until the big reveal, where reality as we thought it looked is smashed into bits and shown to be something entirely different. However, the more thrillers I read, the more I find them to be predictable and not at all, well, thrilling.
The case is not different for The Other Mrs. In fact, I guessed the twist coming when I was 35% into the novel. And as for the second “twist”? I’m afraid that was easy to spot and, if I am to be completely honest, so unbelievable that I laughed out loud. The thread holding my disbelief suspended in the air snapped, and I with it.
Firstly, we have our characters. Sadie, the working wife who, by the way, is a doctor. She works as a doctor, our Dr. Foust. If you think she’s willing to settle for the mundane, no, by George, Dr. Sadie Foust is on the case, treating the traumatic and helping every patient who comes into her hospital! Did I mention she’s a doctor?
Sadie is our first problem. Not only does the author feel it necessary to remind us of Sadie’s M.D. every time she speaks with someone who doesn’t know her, the author subjects us to Sadie’s naval gazing so much so that it clogs the narrative. For a book that was almost 400 pages long, Sadie’s back-and-forth internal arguing and repetitive thoughts are what we get for 75% of the prose. She takes runs, she works in the clinic on the island, she flashes back to Chicago, and she lets her husband gaslight her and act like a high-and-mighty savior figure when in reality, he’s a manipulative abuser.
Speaking of Will, he’s Dr. Sadie’s husband. Mostly a stay-at-home dad who teaches courses in an unnamed campus on the mainland. After his fiancee died in a tragic accident when he was 20, he met Sadie in Chicago and fell in love and they got married and had babies and now here they are. He’s boring, but Sadie says he’s fascinating. He’s genuinely not that interesting, but Sadie thinks his movie star good looks are enough to make him a suitable housekeeper and father--despite his constant undermining of Sadie’s beliefs and authority as a mother. For now, we’ll leave off with Will. I have a special section just for him I need to get to.
Now, let’s observe some other side characters briefly: Imogen, the adoptee, who is the typical damaged girl who wears black lipstick and listens to death metal; Otto, the troubled teenager who’s bullied and blames his parents for giving him bad advice; Tate, the seven-year-old who acts like he’s five; and all the islanders who act like they’ve been living underneath their rock instead of on it. More on the island folks later. I’ve got a bone to pick with that.
The story boils down to this: Will has an affair. Otto takes a knife to school because he’s being bullied and then gets expelled. With both of these nasty bits to consider, Will and Dr. Sadie decide to go to the island off the coast of Maine and take care of not only the house where Will’s sister lived and committed suicide, but also of Will’s niece, Imogen. They go, a murder occurs next door (within the first few chapters), and Sadie spends the rest of the book trying to figure out who could have committed the murder. She goes so far as to Google a woman’s name, find her place of work, go to the mainland to find her, steal her car keys, and rummage through this woman’s home. (She doesn’t ever return the keys, by the way.)
Dr. Sadie then goes back home, and frets about why everyone is saying they’ve seen her places she hasn’t been, why Will is being extremely dismissive, and why Imogen is having a hard time accepting her being in her house. To be fair to Imogen, I would too if I assisted my mother in a suicide and then had to be subjected to listening to her death throes. Dr. Sadie acts like a child, as does Will.
What I don’t understand is why so little happens when we have so many things that could be interesting plot points that are NEVER GONE OVER or developed in any way. Otto’s regression, and his unnamed mental illness. Tate’s clear lack of age-appropriate maturity. Imogen’s chance to heal. Sadie realizing her husband is being a manipulator with control over her equivalent to the Chinese government’s grip on their media. Who killed the lady next door? Why did they do it?
Here’s the kicker. Will did it. And he’s done it before. You see, Sadie suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and my problem with this book is actually not with that. The author handles DID with sensitivity and, I begrudgingly admit, some accuracy. Being someone who used to have a best friend with DID, and who brought said friend back when they slipped into alters, I found the portrayal nubile, but not inaccurate. No, my problem isn’t with that.
My problem is with Kubica’s forensics, and with her portrayal of Maine.
First, and most laughable, are the forensics that Kubica thinks don’t matter to a novel wherein a crime causes the pivotal plot spin. Morgan is killed with a six-inch boning knife that disappears. But no one on the whole police force does an autopsy and searches for fibers/hair/blood/skin under Morgan’s nails, and no one searches the ENTIRE HOUSE for fingerprints or partial footprints. Not a single drop of blood is analyzed to check if it matches Morgan’s or an unknown assailant’s. They don’t canvas her home for forced entry. It’s boggling to me.
The biggest forensic faux pas, however, is when Will claims to have killed his fiancee Erin and gotten away with it. I will describe to you how he did it, and then tell you how that explanation is ludicrous and how the existence of unicorn centaurs are more believable.
Will, upset that Erin met someone new at college, strangled her with a plastic bag, drugged her beforehand, placed her body in the driver’s seat of the car, and then jammed the gas pedal so she drove off an icy road, through a guardrail, and into ice-covered water, where she was found by police. Let’s break this down, shall we?
Will says asphyxiation is extremely difficult to detect. By whose standard? When someone asphyxiates--say, with a bag over her head and angry hands around her throat--a few things happen: capillaries break from the pressure and release blood behind the eyes and in the face; bruises appear on the neck, and bones may be broken; blood may also be found in the throat; and in the case of something covering the face, fibers can be found in the throat, nose, mouth, lungs, and esophagus.
The cause of death for Erin was drowning, according to the police who found her. But when someone is dead before being submerged in water, the relaxed position of the diaphragm prevents air from escaping the chest, and therefore prevents water from entering the lungs. Since Erin was dead before she was even in the car, there was no chance her body would have taken in water, especially since it had to enter the car first.
The car coming around an icy bend and plunging into winter water, sure. But if forensic analysts had done their job, they would have noted that sudden acceleration would not have been usual for coming around a curb and attempting to stop. The tire marks should have displayed burning rubber that indicated an attempt to turn away from the guardrail, not acceleration going straight for it, especially since Erin had no history of suicidal thoughts or tendencies. Which therefore would have led them to wonder if she had been intoxicated and run a tox screen. Which they DIDN’T DO.
Okay. Let me breathe.
That baloney aside, the way that Mary Kubica depicted the islanders offends me as a coastal Mainer. We are not ignorant cro magnons. We are not surprised when someone is stabbed with a knife. The islands and islanders are not isolated in the Bering Strait without access to the amenities that we on the mainland enjoy, i.e. furnace service and carpenters. Ferries run multiple times a day. My father takes concrete out with his company in the morning, and he’s back by 3 PM. All of this makes me wonder if Kubica even set a small toe inside our borders. I doubt she spent time on the coast, doubt that she did more than glance at the islands.
Before this turns into an even longer spiel, I’ll break it into this tiny sentence: this book is not worth reading, and it is not worth putting on your shelves. Kubica needs to do better.

Omg this is the reason why love thrillers so much. This is the first novel I have read from Kubica, I know shame on me, and let me tell you that after this I will read every book she has written.
A very entertaining novel. If you like those psychological thriller that do not let you sleep at night until you know what will happen to the characters I recommend it. 5 stars
Thanks to Harlequin Park Row and Netgalley for the copy

This really is a meh for me.

While suspenseful, all the characters (even the children) are thoroughly unlikable.

The truth about who some characters really are is glaringly obvious quite early in the book.

I basically read on for confirmation that I was right about things. (I was.)

However, the book is just entertaining enough that I did keep reading until the end. I just found myself wishing the book were a bit more original.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley