Holy moly, what a thrilling read. When Sophie, who lost both of her parents, she decided to visit her childhood friend Caroline who via email months earlier sounded very eager to have her stay. Caroline lives in a mansion that sounds like something out of a scary film- dark and dreary, hours out from London and lives with her child and on the weekends, her husband. The only plus side is it is right on the water and has an incredible view. From the first few chapters you could tell something was not right- Caroline's 3 year old won't talk and is a prisoner in her own home. From start to finish I was on the edge of my seat and was shocked with the twisted ending. Great book!

looking for a book that is packed with lies and secrets? than look no further than Jill Childs book The First Wife. this is the first book i have read by this author but it will def not be the last.
page turner, thriller, tons of plot twists. the characters are well developed and intriguing. i have to say that it took me a while to get thru the first couple of chapters but i held on and than could not put it down.
i was given this book from netgalley and publisher for an honest review and opinion.

Sophie had reached a crossroads in her life,she had recently buried her beloved Father and had spent the last few months dealing with solicitors,estate agents and removal men. So when she receives an email from her best friend from her school days practically begging her to come and stay, she jumps at the chance to spend some time with her friend and finally meet Caroline's husband Dominic and their three year old daughter Lucy.

But almost from the moment that she arrives at their secluded mansion situated on the cliffs overlooking the sea, Sophie begins to get the uneasy feeling that there is something not right hiding behind the perfect picture that they are trying to convey. Caroline seems different,snappy and irritable, Dominic was aloof and patronising and little Lucy was mute and very withdrawn.Sophie can't ignore her concerns and when she discovers a clue, she begins to wonder if her friend who used to love reading Agatha Christie mysteries want Sophie to channel her inner Miss Marple and solve the mystery of what is really going on at The Conifers. But by trying to help her friend, is she putting her own life in danger?

The chapters alternated between the perspectives of Sophie and Caroline with Sophie's chapters being set in the present day and Caroline's being set in the past. During Sophie's chapters we are taken through her arrival at the train station were she shocked to discover that Caroline isn't there to meet her. Her first sighting of the gothic house standing on the cliff top, her increasing feelings of unease and growing attachment to Lucy as the days passed. Her discovery of the old beach house and the clues that might assist her in uncovering the shocking truth. We were also given insights into her past, her impoverished but loving upbringing, her interactions with younger Caroline. As the story unfolded I got the distinct impression that the friendship meant more to Sophie than it did to Caroline. I really liked Sophie, her chapters were packed with mystery and intrigue and were my favourite parts of the story.

Caroline's chapters took the reader through the early days of her relationship with Dominic, their lavish wedding and lives as expats in Hong Kong. Caroline's anxieties about her mental health, her disappearing memories, lapses in time and her fears that Dominic was not the man that he pretends to be. Her obvious love for her young daughter,her decision to move back to the UK and discovery of the isolated mansion overlooking the sea. I couldn't help feeling a lot of empathy for Caroline during her struggles with her mental health,her paranoia,fears and anxieties over her crumbling marriage and burning desire to get their relationship back on track. Were mental issues the cause of the vast differences between the Caroline we encountered in her chapters and the Caroline who eventually met Sophie at the train station? Or was something more sinister going on? Why is poor little Lucy's bedroom in the cold attic right at the top of the house just like The Little Princess in the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett? My heart went out to poor little Lucy, the descriptions of the way she was treated and her demeanour at times were heart breaking. I didn't like Dominic at all for various reasons.

I loved the isolated setting for this book, it could have been transported straight from an Agatha Christie mystety. The gothic style mansion perched on the cliff top with the waves crashing onto the rocks below. The trails through the surrounding trees and cliffs, the beach house that had so many secrets hidden within its walls.

The First Wife is a enthralling mystery/ domestic drama that keeps the reader guessing and constantly on edge with fears for poor little Lucy's wellbeing and safety. There was a few unexpected twists and turns and a very intense, heart pounding final confrontation. The closing chapter was very emotional and seriously pulled at the readers heart strings. This is a very well written,enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more books written by this author of the future.

A plot twist I did not see coming!!

Overall a great read, at pints I could not put it down! Will certainly be looking to read more books by this author. Well worth a read, you won’t regret it!

Such a great book! This is my first book by this author but I really enjoyed it. The pacing was fast, and I didn't feel cheated out of any information. I'll definitely read more books by this author.

A dark, hulking, turreted house on the edge of an English cliff. A small, mute three year old girl. Whispered conversations behind closed doors. Into this world comes Sophie, eager to see her childhood friend Caroline who has invited her to visit whenever she can. Sophie’s father just died and her childhood home is up for sale so this seems like the perfect time to make a trip to the country. Oh Sophie, you are so wrong…

Told in alternating voices by Sophie and Caroline, The First Wife moves between the past and present and settings in England and Hong Kong, where Caroline met and married the charismatic, handsome Dominic. His banking career moved them back to England where Caroline chose to spend her inherited money on the cliff house while keeping an apartment in London where Dominic works during the week. Although Sophie finds it hard to reestablish her friendship with Caroline, she becomes close to young Lucy, always quiet except for her nighttime screaming. The story moves though dark, windy raining nights, mysterious creaking sounds in the old house and along slippery cliff paths to a totally unexpected conclusion.

This atmospheric, almost gothic novel is deliciously satisfying. Some important clues are perhaps too slowly revealed but the ending was truly worth the wait. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Jill Childs for this ARC.

The First Wife by Jill Childs is a chilling and intriguing read with a marvellously atmospheric setting, playing a major role in this unfolding tale.

One day, grieving Sophie receives an invitation by email to visit an old friend from her school days, Caroline. These days, Caroline is married to Dominic with whom she has a gorgeous daughter named Lucy. They live in a beautiful old beach house in a lovely area, on an isolated cove miles away from the nearest town. The silence is broken only by the rhythmic crash of the waves against the jagged black rocks below.

When Sophie arrives, she finds her friend has changed in unexpected ways, though they haven't seen each other for 25 years. Caroline used to be warm and confident; now she is uptight and secretive and spends as much time as possible avoiding her family. At the same time, three-year-old Lucy is acting strangely, she stops speaking and displays some rather scary behaviour.

The First Wife is full of drama and unbridled tension, with motherhood as its core theme. The plot is superbly paced with no place for tedium or boredom. The author, Jill Childs has a natural style that pleasantly flows and is easy to read. With a coldness that oozes from each page, the twists and turns throughout the book build to an intriguing conclusion. This is a fantastic novel that I can confidently recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

My first read by this author, definitely won’t be the last. This definitely didn’t disappoint, I have enjoyed the writing style, descriptions and plot of this book. This is a read packed with secrets, deception and lies.

This book was not a page turner for me. The beginning was slow for me. I struggled to get into the characters and understand where the author was going with it. I enjoyed parts of it and then it became predictable for me. Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

You know the feeling you get when you know something isn’t quite right, when you are all alone and even the shadows seem frightening. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you call out but no answer comes back. That is the perfect way to describe this ominous read.

Told in dual narrative from Sophie and Caroline’s perspectives we learn that Sophie has lost both parents and has little money until her parent’s house is sold. She takes up old school friend Caroline’s offer of staying with her even though they haven’t seen each other in 25 years. Then from glamorous, wealthy Caroline we learn of her old life in Hong Kong and how she met her husband Dominic.

Once Sophie gets to their new home The Conifers we are then introduced to Lucy, Caroline and Dominic’s strange child, who screams in the night but never speaks and Dominic who is only there at weekends. After Lucy’s nanny walks out Sophie is then used as the help while Caroline selfishly disappears regularly. The grand isolated house by the sea and the stormy weather really play into the feeling of being unsettled and the writing is flawless in its subtle foreboding.

Little hints, clues, like a jigsaw puzzle it’s all there you just have to piece it together. I didn’t but then I was never very good at jigsaws. With unbridled tension and a coldness that almost seeps from the page this is a great read and I would highly recommend this especially to fans of Ruth Ware.

The First Wife is a slow burner, the beginning was too descriptive and didn’t seem to be getting anywhere but don’t give up as this is a book that gets more secretive and twisted as it goes on leading to what I thought was a really good ending.
Caroline and Dom have moved back to the UK, they bring their three year old daughter who does not speak with them. Caroline reaches out to Sophie, her and sophie have been friends since school and regularly write to each other but that has changed to email now. Caroline invites sophie to stay and months later Sophie decides to visit but when she gets there her friend seems to have had a complete personality transplant and some things are just not adding up. Sophie starts to dig around and the things she finds leads her down a twisted path.
This was a good thriller, I just felt it could have proceeded somewhere quicker at the beginning and the chapters for me were far too long but it was a good storyline and a great ending that tied everything up neatly.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

A multi-layered and brilliantly constructed domestic drama rich in atmosphere, intrigue and menace, Jill Childs’s The First Wife is a captivating spine chiller full of tension and suspense where nothing is what it initally seems.

Sophie’s life has fallen apart and she is desperate to escape the shackles of an existence that has been shattered beyond repair. Desperate for refuge and from somewhere she can run away from her problems and escape to, when her childhood friend Caroline offers her the opportunity to stay at her isolated beach house, Sophie thinks that this is the answer to all of her prayers. Miles away from the nearest town and seemingly cut off from all civilization, Caroline’s offer seems to be completely heaven sent for Sophie. With only the crashing of the waves to intrude upon the stillness of the day, Sophie thinks that the house is the perfect place to lick her wounds and figure out what she is going to do next – until she arrives and finds herself unable to shake off this strange and disturbing feeling that something is not quite right with her old friend and the house which seems to reverberate with unsettling secrets and tangled deceptions.

Sophie remembers her friend as warm, confident and gregarious, but the woman standing in front of her is much changed. Caroline is constantly on edge, secretive and keen to distance herself from her family. Then, there is Caroline’s young daughter Lucy who hasn’t spoken since the family moved into their home. Lucy seems frightened and uncared for and as if she is constantly looking over her shoulder, afraid of just who might be lurking around the corner. Sophie is assured by Caroline that Lucy not wanting to speak is just a phase which she will be over soon, however, Sophie is not sure. Something is clearly not right in this household – a fact which is confirmed when Sophie is woken one night by Lucy screaming as she looks out the attic window at a sight which ends up making Sophie’s blood run cold.

As old ghosts which have been hidden in the shadows come out into the light with a vengeance, Sophie wonders just what further horrors await in the isolated house by the sea and whether she has ended up swapping one nightmare for another…

A brilliant Gothic chiller laced with plenty of danger, malice and suspense, The First Wife is an intriguing, engrossing and terrifying read written with such panache and confidence that readers are never in any doubt that Jill Childs is a master storyteller with a wonderful talent for writing spellbinding, involving and immersive domestic dramas. A twisted and tangled tale of secrets and lies that is compulsively readable from start to finish, The First Wife is a phenomenal read that will keep readers glued to its pages throughout.

It’s at quite an opportune time in Sophie’s life that she gets an invitation from her old friend Caroline urging her to come and stay with her at her family’s beach house. Sophie’s father has just passed away and she’s at a loss as to what to do with her life now. She’s lonely, as well as completely alone, so although she hasn’t seen Caroline for something like 25 years, they’ve always maintained contact (despite the vast difference in their financial status) and she still considers her to be her best friend, so she readily accepts!

When Sophie arrives though, she immediately feels uncomfortable. Something’s just a little ‘off’. When Caroline comes to fetch her from the station, she’s distracted, as if she wasn’t expecting her – but how can that be, when she was the one who’d invited her – rather urgently in fact – in the first place? And she remains that way: abrupt and distant. Sophie wants to ask why she’s behaving like this when she invited her there in the first place. However, always feeling like she’s on the back foot because Caroline’s the wealthier one of the two, she keeps her feelings to herself. The beach house itself, although beautifully luxurious is cold and rather isolated, with chilling views of stark, scary drops off the nearby cliffs. And then there’s Dominic, Caroline’s husband, who’s hardly around, but when he is, seems to harbour an inexplicably intense dislike for Sophie.

But the most disturbing thing about being in Caroline’s home, is her 3-year-old daughter, Lucy. The child doesn’t speak or engage with anyone. At all. Sophie finds this extremely alarming. Whatever she does to bring out the spark that she expects a child that age to have, is met with blank silence. This is coupled with horrific night terrors, and when Sophie discovers that Lucy’s bedroom is in a secluded space right at the top of the house, far away from the other rooms! It seems that nobody hears her screams. She’s devastated for the little girl who is clearly abnormally unhappy.

Wavering between wanting to leave, realising she has nowhere to go, and not wanting to leave Lucy before discovering what’s causing her intense anxiety, Sophie perseveres with what’s becoming an increasingly uncomfortable situation. When she finds herself inadvertently becoming Lucy’s full-time care-giver, she understands that she’s there for the long haul and that she’s going to have to get to the bottom of whatever is going on in Caroline’s house. Because clearly, something is going on!

Secrets, lies, deceit and drama aplenty in this slow-burning 4-star thriller which is told from both Sophie and Caroline’s perspectives. It’s twisty and turny and when you think you know what’s about to happen, I can almost guarantee you’ll be wrong as the author has a knack of leading her readers down one path only to have them reach a sharp about-turn when they think they’ve arrived at a conclusion or solution!

Could it be possible that decades could stop in time? Sophie and Caroline just might have a chance to find out. Caroline reaches out to her old friend. When Sophie comes to visit, will things go well?

Unfortunately, things pretty much go wrong from the moment Caroline sets her foot on Sophie's doorstep. At the same time, Sophie's three-year old daughter Lucy begins acting strangely, she stops speaking and the exhibits some scary behavior.

Caroline's behavior is suspect. She has some strange moments and has a rather casual attitude about things. Her marriage to Dominic is strained. Having a house guest at this time is stressful. With Dominic's less than pleased attitude for having them in his home and strange events taking place, things certainly are not right.

With Lucy not speaking, Sophie not only begins to care for er, as she is concerned about Lucy's issues so strives to find a way to help her. Oddly enough, Caroline zones out and it seems as if she is using Sophie. The atmosphere is dark and the house is full of secrets.

This thrilling read by was full of tension with the drama being incredibly tense. The story felt confusing at times, drawing my attention, and there were a lot of pieces to connect. I think that is what kept me riveted to the story. The twists and turns throughout the book led to an intriguing conclusion. I love Jill Childs books and am glad to have been able to read The First Wife.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

People say that real friendship lasts a lifetime, no matter the time, no matter the distance. Therefore, when Sophie receives Caroline's email asking to come and spend some time at her new and beautiful beach house, she takes this opportunity to reunite with her childhood friend.

After a cold meet up, Sophie meets Caroline's family: handsome and dashing husband Dominic and shy daughter Lucy. As days go by, Caroline and Dominic's constant absence from the house leaves little Lucy in Sophie's care. And the more time she spends with the little girl, the more concerned she gets about her strange behavior. Questions are raising in Sophie's head, and shortly after discovering Caroline's secret she finds herself in danger.

"The First Wife" is a gripping page-turner. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and thrilling twists. I will honestly admit, it took me a while to realize the real truth behind Caroline's character, nevertheless, the finale was a cherry on top of the cake. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a free and advanced copy of the novel and Jill Childs' for a phenomenal read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book but it was twisted and sad in parts. Well written, characters needed more development. Stories like this make me wonder how and why an author writes about certain things. Enjoy! 📚

Sophie is thrilled to receive an email from a school friend, Caroline, who she hasn't seen in 25 years. She's been invited to spend some time in a beach house, an isolated cove. As her father has recently died, and she desperately needs to find a way to live with no family, she eagerly accepts.

But it's not quite what she was expecting. Caroline has changed in all ways. She seems secretive. Her husband, Dominic, doesn't seem to like Sophie at all and he's gone an awful lot .. mostly during the week, only returning on the weekend. Their 3 year old daughter, Lucy, is a solemn child. She never speaks and rarely smiles.

And Lucy is subject to horrendous nightmares and wakes up screaming night after night.

Sophie thinks it's time for her to return home ... but then she discovers a secret and she knows she cannot leave for any reason.

This was a slow starter for me ... descriptions were overly wordy that didn't contribute much to the story. However, persevering, the story became much more interesting toward the middle of the book. The suspense became palpable with twists and turns leading to an unexpected conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this domestic thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

'The First Wife' by Jill Childs, a journalist turned author who lives in London, is a shadowy thriller about a woman who's life has sort of crumbled.. leaving her alone and adrift.

When her childhood friend asks her to visit, she accepts.. but when she gets there, her arrival seems unexpected. Her friend has changed greatly from what she remembers and her little girl is withdrawn and silent, prone to terrors and seemingly isolated from her family in the home.. and Sophie's presence sets off a chain of events she never sees coming.

To be fair, I'm typically really intuitive and adept at seeing plot threads as they emerge, so I did have some inklings as to what was happening and where the story might end up. BUT.. that being said, the threads were far from blatant.

Childs is a skilled writer, with a knack for subtle foreshadowing. She doesn't overuse that skill and allow you to grow too accustomed to it either. Occasionally, she might clue you in a bit heavy-handedly, I suspect as a way to draw you in and help you feel secure. However, the most important glimpses of that foreshadowing are handled with all the expertise of a surgeon. Carefully placing them in the least obvious spot, she diverts your attention with other things.

Each time I saw it happen, it was enough to rouse my suspicion, but then I'd read on before focusing on it and it would become more of a nagging buzz at the back of my thoughts. I was engrossed enough that I just wanted to keep reading.. to keep discovering.. rather than giving that buzz any real attention.

As the story developed and new things would come to light, I'd find myself thinking.. 'I did notice that' or 'I considered that possibility'.. but I never dwelt on it long enough to become so certain in my suspicions that I lost interest and didn't want to read any further. And I think that's a gift. To welcome the reader in enough as to let them feel as if they're in on the secret, without ruining the discoveries.

I wasn't positive I was correct in my assumptions until I was nearly two-thirds of the way through the book and that's saying a lot for the author's ability. The twists aren't really shocking, in fact.. there are one or two too many of them for my liking, but I still enjoyed the book immensely.

My only complaint came after the climax in the final pages of the novel. I just thing.. considering how the person felt.. and the situation they found themselves in.. it didn't ring true. The words laid down as you get closer and closer to the end.. are actually rather cruel and it felt like they existed solely for the purpose of some sweeping drama which the story didn't need. Granted, it worked. Out of the blue, this story left me bawling my eyes out.. and thrillers are never particularly emotional. But, well.. they're something to be said for relating to a feeling for someone.

Definitely a worthwhile read and I highly suggest it to anyone who's a fan of thrillers or mysteries.

This book was decent, I read it in a day, and it had a crazy plot twist (that I figured out early on..) BUT... it took awhile to get there. The first half was just okay but the second half made me happy I stuck with it! The book needed to be in a time era of no social media and the child should have been aged older to have the reactions she does. I say that because none of this book could have happened with social media and I have a 3 year old and there is absolutely no way my daughter or any 3 year old could fulfill the roles this child was given. I wouldn’t recommend this to any hardcore thriller lovers.

3.5 Stars.

Sophie and Caroline couldn’t be more different. But, they’ve been friends for ever. Sophie gets an email from Caroline begging her to visit. Since Sophie is at a huge crossroad in her life, she jumps at the chance. Thus throwing her into a situation filled with lies and deception.

Fast paced, well-written read. First book by this author, will definitely read again. I love books with dual voices, and this one didn’t disappoint. Storyline developed slowly, but didn’t drag. Characters were well developed. Ending was perfect! Can’t say it was a total thriller, with some of the plot being loosely hidden, but it did tease you.

Thanks to Ms. Childs, Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.