2.5 stars
I loved Michelle Campbell’s first mystery and had high hopes for her newest release. The Wife Who Knew Too Much has a great opening hook that caught my attention, unfortunately, it didn’t hold it.

After the initial couple of chapters, the pace slowed down and the story as a whole took on an entirely different tone and style.

The writing is rudimentary and simplistic, lacking polish or sophistication. The characters seemed juvenile and naive, and their dialogue, interactions, behaviors and choices are unbelievable. There is an insta-lovey romance that I didn’t buy into, and the male love interest had major mood swings from cruel to adoring from page-to-page. In my opinion, the characters are not only unlikeable, but they are also lacking depth.

Most of plot elements that comprise the story are just ridiculous and wholly unrealistic. Towards the end of the story, the pace picks up and there is plenty of action, but it just felt too implausible, and as a result, I couldn’t take the story seriously.

All-in-all, this story didn’t deliver the level of writing, cleverness and credibility of other mysteries and thrillers being released and was therefore a disappointment.

From the first paragraph of “My husband is planning to kill me and he wants my money.” To the ending “We have everything we could ever need. Let’s do this.” I was pulled in. So many times I thought I had it figured out only to be wrong again. Lots of twists and turns.   
  
Grab a copy today and see if you can figure it out!  
  
𝟹 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 𝙸 𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴𝙳  
• Great storyline that kept you invested the whole time  
• Lots of twists  
• Quick read   
  
𝟹 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 𝙸 𝙳𝙸𝙳𝙽’𝚃 𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴  
• A few too many characters   
• Would have liked more back info on the main characters   
• I got frustrated not being able to figure it out! 😂  
  
Thank you to the @netgalley the author and publisher for this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first by Michele Campbell and definitely not last. The Wife Who Knew Too Much is as entertaining as a thriller suspense novel should be if not more. The author has a very beautiful way of leading you into her story and keeping you engaged and guessing while navigating through the drama, and deception. It was a very fast read with some plot twists that. you might or might not guess like me but you won't regret reading this one. I look forward to reading her other books.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much centered around the suspicious death of glamourous heiress Nina Levitt. Nina opens the first chapter writing in her diary to warn the police that if something should happen to her, she believes her husband killed her. Her husband is younger playboy Connor Ford who rose up the ranks through their marriage and stood to lose everything if he left her or cheated her (which of course he was cheating on her). A month after Nina’s death, Connor has already remarried and installs his new wife Tabitha in Nina’s home, surrounded by her former staff.

Tabitha was such a relatable protagonist from the very beginning. We meet Tabitha as she freaks out over seeing her ex walk into the restaurant she is waitressing at. More than a decade has passed since their summer fling and Connor strolls in clearly wealthy and successful, while Tabitha is grease-stained and sweaty serving tables at the local bar. Understandably, even if Tabitha was more accomplished, it’s so relatable to have a mini panic attack when someone from your past unexpectedly reappears. Tabitha was naïve and blinded by her obsession with Connor, but she also genuinely just wanted to be with him regardless of money or fame. I felt sorry for her and sympathized with her every time Connor let her down, even though I wanted to scream at her to get out of Windswept (the name of Nina’s mansion) and just go back to her small-town life.

I have to say – Connor was an idiot. He made me laugh and was endearing, but why would you move your new wife into the former one’s mansion before the police investigation is even complete? Did he really expect everyone to just go along with it because he didn’t want to give up the millions? Honestly, his obsession with the “good life” and Nina’s money was somewhat surprising considering his family history. His family’s demise came from their emphasis on status and material things, and that same accent on status was also the reason he had left Tabitha when they were teenagers. I was rooting for Connor and really wanted to see him grow as a person by realizing that money didn’t buy happiness.

The novel is written in short, digestible chapters that fluctuate between Nina and Tabitha – both charting their lives from the first time they each met Connor through to the present day. No one was who they said they were and it was such a captivating thriller that I sped through the chapters, devouring each chapter as I tried to figure out each character’s alliances and loyalty. The surprise ending was the perfect twist and definitely inspired me to pick up more of Michele Campbell’s stories!

This book captured my attention right from the start. The story follows a small-town waitress who is reunited with her long-lost first (and only), love. When he professes he is going to start the process of divorcing his well-known wife, the triangle quickly gets complicated.

The untimely death of his wife leads to a ton of questions, trials, and questioning about who she can trust and who she can’t. This book kept me guessing right until the end and was the perfect escape style reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another suspenseful read by Michele Campbell. It is a story about murder and love and greed.

Tabitha Girard is working at a restaurant in the small town she grew up in. Her “lost” love comes back to town and immediately starts to woo her. The only problem is that is married to a beautiful and successful older woman who is incredibly rich.

When the wife commits suicide, Tabitha and her lover, Connor, quickly get married. Tabitha becomes suspicious about the death of the first wife and wonders if it is murder.

Suspicion points directly at Tabitha and she has to get to the bottom of the issue to find out if her new husband really loves her or has set her up to take the fall for murder.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This is a fast paced mystery with a lot of suspense. I was drawn in at the beginning and couldn’t stop reading. There are plot twists that I didn’t see coming. It’s very well developed and entertaining. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

Moral of the story: Trust no one. And if the situation appears to be too good to be true, then it probably is. In this complicated story of love, loss, and betrayal, things are not what they seem. There are many disturbed and unlikeable people, but it is difficult to tell if they are just not pleasant or if they are involved in criminal plots. Doesn’t unwind until the end, with several twists. Highly entertaining!

The wife who knew too much is an amazing domestic thriller about greed, love with a love triangle that would make this story unputdownable!

It´s a very fast read, Michelle does an extraordinary job in the writing it is so catching with well-developed characters that you will love and hate. The ending was unexpected, though it did provide plenty of twists. Highly recommended. Try to go into this one as blind as you can, the summary will do just perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Michele Campbell for an ARC to read and review. #thewifewhoknewtoomuch #NetGalley

3.5/5

Tabitha is working as a waitress in her NH hometown when Connor Ford unexpectedly comes into her restaurant and is seated at her section. Tabitha and Connor have a history - one electric summer where they were attached at the hip and madly in love. The summer romance came to an abrupt end when Connor's wealthy grandmother found out and interfered, pushing Tabitha out of Connor's life as quickly as she'd entered it. So when Tabitha sees Connor all these years later, she's elated and nervous and a little salty.

Connor has changed. Driving a lamborghini, wearing expensive clothing, and in the spotlight because of his famous wife, he isn't the young man Tabitha fell in love with all those summers ago. But that doesn't seem to matter for Connor, as his feelings faded but never disappeared, and seeing Tabitha again, refuels the fire. Immediately, Connor and Tabitha hit it off again and even though Connor is married and his wife is paranoid and jealous, he won't let it get in the way of his feelings. After a magical weekend, Connor promises to leave his wife for Tabitha, but tells her he must do so in his own way and time, as ten million dollars is at stake if he can make the divorce mutual.

Nina is older than Connor by a good twenty years, however, her beauty, grace, and wealth more than make up for any age gap. When her and Connor met two years ago, it was also a whirlwind romance. Not seeking another marriage after being married for years to a cruel and philandering husband, Nina is surprised when she convinces herself that her heart and purse strings will be most protected if she and Connor wed. But as quickly as the relationship started, Nina starts to feel Connor pull away and she is convinced he's cheating.

The book opens up with Nina writing in her journal, warning the reader of Connor's infidelity and motive if she meets an untimely death. Sure enough, later that evening, Nina is found floating face down in a pool in an apparent overdose / suicide. And with Nina out of the picture, Connor is quick to pull Tabitha to his side, causing a media frenzy and suspicion on Nina's death. Thrust into the spotlight and a world of wealth, Tabitha starts to feel isolated and wonders who she can trust. Connor is mysterious and charming, but underneath that facade may lie something darker, and Tabitha decides to get to the bottom of it.

This was a really fun read filled with twists and turns, some of which I absolutely did not see coming! I was on the edge of my seat trying to predict the outcome.

I really enjoyed all the twists and turns this story took. Told by a few different points of view...what you assume at the beginning, you assume in the middle and continue to assume until...well, you should probably read it. I read it in a sitting because I couldn't wait to find out who done what and why. Did I have a few unanswered questions? Yes I did but those weren't the heart and soul of the story. A suspenseful story with what some might think is an HEA...or not.

Well! What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! This book is all about deception! And it is all over money!

Nina is a wealthy (and I MEAN wealthy!) widow. She marries a much younger man named Conner. Conner signed a prenup. If Nina leaves Conner or she dies, he gets millions. If Conner cheats, he gets nothing.

Enter Tabitha. Tabitha is a waitress from Conner’s youth. They had a fling growing up and Conner has come back to rekindle….or has he? Anyway, he is back in Tabitha’s life. But, is it because he loves her, or is it more sinister.

This story had me on the edge of my seat. Honestly, I had no idea which way it was going to turn. And it did not turn out the way I expected. I have to be careful what I say…it would be very easy to give it away. You MUST read this to find out. Half the time I wanted to slap Conner and the other half I was wondering what he was up to. Or even if he was up to anything.

Grab your copy today! You will not be disappointed!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much has the best opening paragraph I’ve read in quite a while.

“I’m writing this to raise an alarm in case of my untimely death. This is hard to admit, even to myself, let alone to the world. My husband is planning to kill me. For obvious reasons. He’s in love with someone else. And he wants my money.”

The next day, the author, Nina, is dead.

Nina’s death is ruled a suicide. However, when her husband Connor’s new wife, Tabitha, finds the note in Nina’s diary, she begins to suspect Connor. Did Connor kill his first, much-older, wife for her money? Is Tabitha herself in danger? Or was Nina just trying to blacken Connor’s reputation before taking her own life?

Tabitha is unbelievably naive—to the point of being annoying. I understand, she’s in luuuv. But she is also thirty, divorced, and should have acquired some smarts along the way. For goodness sake, she was treated badly by Connor and his family thirteen years prior when they initially dated. I think falling for the same scumbag twice might make her fall on the stupid side of the naive line.

Because I had no sympathy for any of the characters, I’m giving The Wife Who Knew Too Much 3 stars. However, if you love reading about troubled romances, you may like this book better than I did.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A truly great read. At times, I felt pity for some of the characters, especially Nina and Tabitha. I was extremely disappointed with the ending. Despite the ending, I highly recommend. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for granting an ARC of this book.

TWWKTM is a fast pace and entertaining psychological thriller. This book had my attention from the very first page and kept it. First book from Campbell most definitely won't be the last.

What I liked:
- Reading from the perspective of Nina and Tabitha.
- I love the mystery around Nina’s suicide.
- The twist left me SHOCK to the core.
- I didn’t like Nina, Tabby, and Connor but I couldn’t get enough of them.

What I didn’t like:
- I wish I could have more from Nina's perspective. Her part felt super rushed.
- This one might be me but I felt like Tabby was too naive especially after going through a terrible marriage.
- The ending was dissatisfying.

Recommend if you are looking for a fast pace, secret, lies, and full of betrayal psychological thriller.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Wife may not be the wife you think. Twisty and turns but a little too soap opera-y. I liked the journey but I don't much like the "explain it all in one scene" thing. Connor and Tabatha have a history. It's an interesting history. The death, the intrigue all good. This was a good read but not a great one.

Bahhhh this was such a fun one!!! A breakneck summer thriller with Rebecca vibes (along with just a touch of Gatsby). I devoured this book and loved every second! Murder, wealth, glitz, glamour, a bit of drug dealing, and a trip to Dubai. Come onnnnn. If that doesn’t sound entertaining, I don’t know what does! A perfect thriller to read on a hot and steamy summer day.

I was hooked on the Wife who knew too much from the very beginning. What a way to start a book and grab your readers attention! As soon as I read a page from Nina Levitt's diary saying that her life is at risk and she would like an autopsy in case she dies unexpectedly, because her much younger second husband is behind it, I knew this was going to be a page-turner.
As a teenager Tabitha had a whirlwind romance with Connor until the fate and families separated the young lovers. Now that Connor's wife is dead by what appears to be a suicide, perhaps Tabitha and Connor's love story can get a second chance. Only things rarely are what they appear to be and very soon Tabitha begins to suspect that her new husband isn't to be trusted.
The book was incredibly entertaining with it's fascinating plot and never-ending twists and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Ugh. So. I think I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did? Because I enjoyed this one but I also didn't?

I was immediately sucked into this book. It opens with a bang. A diary entry from Nina about how if she's found dead, her husband did it. Then the next page is an article about her death. Sounds fascinating, right? I was immediately hooked.

This book is absolutely a page turner. I kept going because I was intrigued and because it was very, very readable. I would've finished it a few days earlier than I did if time had allowed. I was absolutely sucked in. It was very easy to keep going and the short chapters helped me read more.

But. Two problems with this book. I did guess the ending about halfway through. And because it felt kind of ~mediocre to me, I kept expecting a bigger bang at the end? And when there wasn't one, I was left feeling unsatisfied. I did guess that Juliet was Connor's ex and all that jazz but, I don't know, that didn't really feel like the big twist I think it was supposed to be? And Connor's death felt weird and out of place. I kept hoping that he wasn't dead? That when they pulled back the sheet so Tabitha could identify his body, it wouldn't be him. So I don't know. He felt waaaaaay too guilty to ONLY be a red herring and I think I was disappointed that there wasn't a bigger bang surrounding all of that.

And my other main problem was Tabitha herself. She annoyed me literally from page one (or whatever page she first appeared on). I absolutely hate female protagonists like her. She was way too whiny. She couldn't think for herself. And by the middle of the book I was so frustrated with her that it started to diminish my enjoyment of the entire thing. Why did she need Connor to swoop in and save her? And why did she continue to trust him when he showed her time and again that he wasn't a good man and also wasn't actually going to save her? I wanted her to be strong and powerful and save herself. But instead she was weak and whiny and everyone else had to do her saving.

I honestly think I would've liked this more if it would've been Nina's story rather than Tabitha's. She was the character who fascinated me most and I hated that she was just a plot device. I think following her would've been the more interesting path for this story.

So. I'm conflicted. This was a very readable book and parts of it were incredibly well crafted. But I also wanted to chuck most of the characters off my balcony. So at the end of the day, this ended up feeling more middle of the road for me? Which is a shame because I had hopes at the beginning. It definitely sucked me in at the beginning. And all this being said, I do still recommend this one because it is great from a ~thriller perspective. And who knows? Maybe Tabitha won't annoy you as much as she did me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Caution: Spoilers because what the heck did I just read? The Wife Who Knew Too Much got me! After all the twists and turns, I could not figure out if the husband had anything to do with Nina’s murder. Tabitha annoyed me. She was so naïve, she was the perfect person to be set up for the murder because she was so trusting and full of herself and Connor. Connor had his own issues and preyed upon Tabitha when she was young. Tabitha still hadn’t grown up when Connor finds her again, even though she’s been married and divorced she still doesn’t question Connor’s odd behavior, behavior similar to her ex-husband’s. She just tiptoes around issues and hopes he doesn’t get mad. And Connor gets mad at her a lot and for things that are completely out of her control.
None of the characters were likeable, which isn’t always a bad thing but in this case I found myself rooting for Nina, and she was dead most of the time.
I still have some questions after finishing the book, like what was Connor and Juliet’s relationship? It seemed like he lead her on while also ordering Tabitha not to trust her. And what was in it for the security guard helping Juliet kill Connor and kidnap Tabitha?
Even though I had some problems with this one, I could see this being a good beach read or good discussion for a book club. There are so many twists and turns and things to think about and the problems in the past came back to haunt people who stumbled into roles they didn’t ask for. If anything it would be a good Lifetime movie!