Yikes. I'm going to keep this brief because there are a plethora of wonderful reviews (by book friends I trust) who really enjoyed this book. Plenty of 4 and 5 stars! I just found this book to be kind of laughable at times. The best way I could describe it is a bad soap opera. Way over the top plot points, very frustrating and annoying characters (also highly unlikeable, but that isn't always a bad thing) and way too much going on. Tabitha has to be one of my least favorite characters...of all time.

I'm really disappointed because I really enjoyed the first 20% or so. There definitely is a market for this kind of thriller (fast paced, light and fun), but this one just wasn't for me. If you are reading this and are unsure if you should give it a try - I urge you to read it. Given I am in the minority opinion, it definitely deserves a chance.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an egalley for me to read and provide an honest review.

Review Date: 06/24/2020
Publication Date: 07/28/2020

The Wife Who Knew To Much


A dramatic, diabolical and spellbinding story just perfect for a day at the beach

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Small-town girl, Tabitha Girard is waitressing at a bar and grill just trying to make ends meet when her long lost summer love walks back into her life. The handsome Connor Ford is now ten years older, even richer than before, and unhappily married. Connor is married to the wealthy, powerful businesswoman and philanthropist Nina Ford of Southampton. She is much older than Connor and had made him sign a pre-nuptial agreement prior to their marriage—if her cheats on her or leaves her, he gets nothing from her immense fortune.

When Nina takes her own life, Conner is finally free. He immediately marries Tabitha, who he says he has loved since their summer fling ten years earlier. Soon after the wedding, questions arise about whether Nina really committed suicide in her Southampton pool. Who would have murdered her? Connor certainly had the most to gain. Was Tabitha involved too?


REVIEW
THE WIFE WHO KNEW TO MUCH is a fast-moving compulsive read. The writing is tight, clever and satisfying and will immediately capture your attention. It’s a dramatic, diabolical and spellbinding story with an unexpected ending.

Tabitha’s character is totally out of her element when she marries Connor and moves into Windswept, Nina’s immense beachfront home in the Hamptons. Tabitha’s naiveté and her poor judgement is sometimes frustrating but is what propels the narrative. The characters of Nina and Conner were well developed. My favorite part of the book was the many twists and turns throughout. This is a highly recommended reading escape experience

Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City. She gave up her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels. 

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Publisher St. Martin’s Press
Published July 28, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

QUICK TAKE: loved Michele's last book, THE STRANGER ON THE BEACH, and was looking forward to this thriller about a woman who falls for a childhood sweetheart who may have been involved in the suspicious death of his rich older wife. I enjoyed the book up until the ending twist that leaned into problematic stereotypes and tropes. As a result, I can't recommend this one. Bummer.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced read in exchange for this review.



Tabitha's heart was broken by Connor many years ago.  Now he has wandered back into her life.  He married for money, although he has always loved Tabitha.  When his wife takes her own life, he and Tabitha can finally be together.  Tabitha finds a diary from the dead wife where she says if she is dead, Connor did it.  Who is Connor then?  What will happen to Tabitha?

This book was average at best.  I finished it, and it was a quick read.  I enjoyed it, but it was predictable.

Michele Campbell is becoming one of my favorite authors! I feel like her writing and stories just get better and more intense with each book published. This book kept me guessing! So many awesome dark twists and turns in this one. I had a hard time figuring out who was guilty and innocent. Highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much is another great thriller by Michele Campbell! I was hooked from the very first page! Campbell is a superb writer and the story came together wonderfully. I liked that the characters were flawed and troublesome. There were parts that I found a bit predictable, but overall, I found The Wife Who Knew Too Much to be quite enjoyable.

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

Picked this book up because I had read Campbell's book 'A Stranger on the Beach' and enjoyed it - thought I would try another by her. This book was an engrossing thriller/mystery that kept me flipping the pages to find answers. Frankly, I liked this one better than the other book. Lots of action and angst as the story progresses and the tension builds. The characters were interesting and the plot kept me intrigued. It's always interesting when there;s a death and a lot of money at stake! Sometimes you really wonder how much people really give up in order to be rich - and what risks they are willing to take.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

The second Mrs. Ford feels like she's living in a fairy tale. Her first love has come back and swept her into a world of money and privilege. But the first Mrs. Ford had to die for Tabitha to live this life, and now Tabitha isn't so sure she believes the suicide theory her new husband has been assuring her is true.

This is a very suspenseful book! I loved the way Campbell played with the damsel in distress, rescued by her first love, concept. Campbell has proven in both this and A Stranger on the Beach that she has a real talent for twisting common tropes. The gothic vibe once Tabitha moved in with her new husband was great, almost as if the house was alive and watching her.

Because Campbell loves to play with twists and turns, the first part of the book sometimes read as a little predictable so as to set up the surprises. And I wanted to shake Tabitha out of what appeared to be her bad choices on a regular basis.

This was a really suspenseful read that I could not put down. Campbell seems to get better and better with each book written, and I'm excited to see what she writes next.

First things first, I want to thank the publisher for allowing me the chance to read this wild ride. It’s not very often that a book grabs my full attention from the first page, but The Wife Who Knew Too Much did exactly like. The twists and turns were nonstop, you never knew what was going to come to light next. This is one story that teaches you that you never really know who you’re letting into your bed

Dipping my toe into the Michele Campbell universe, I was so happy to receive this one to read in advance. The tale is told between the person who dies, Nine, and the main character, Tabitha. Nina is writing in her diary, revealing her suspicions about who may be trying to kill her. Tabitha, reuniting with her ex-boyfriend, is swept into the chaos that surrounds Nina’s carefully built life.

I really loved the ride on this book. The characters were deep and complex, where you truly questioned their motives and all the things that do not get revealed until the end. It kept me engaged and was one of my quicker reads this summer!


You can see my video review here:
https://youtu.be/JvvVl4Oum4E

Overall this was a decent book. It kept me engaged with all the action. The main character was so hard to like though and I found myself skipping a lot of her whiny inner dialogue.

I received this ARC from #Netgalley and could not put it down. The weather here cleared so I spent many days on the deck reading. The story grabs you from the beginning with Nina writing in her diary "in case of her death"....and so we find ourselves with Nina dead, was it suicide or murder? The story tells us all about Nina (wife #1) and Tabitha (wife #2). But alas, Connor Ford, the husband, marries wife #2 and things are not falling into place. Wife #2 is a waitress, a small town girl who isnt really feeling the role of Mrs Ford #2.

The story is of love, and deceit and questions about who is telling the truth, who can Tabitha trust in the world she now lives in. I honestly didnt figure out who the villian was at all, so I was surprised at the end when it all finally came together. #fivestars

This book will be released on July 28, 2020....add it to your TBR list today.

I read It's Always the Husband this spring and was surprisingly blown away - that left me excited to read more of Michele Campbell's mysteries!

This author definitely knows how to ratchet up the suspense ever so slowly until you get to the point where you simply can't put the book down. It's just not possible. Hope you don't have dinner in the oven, because it's going to burn.

And yet... the plot of this one didn't quite work for me. I'm afraid detailing my hangups with it would be spoilery, so I'll refrain. I will note, though, that in 2020, I expect my books to be respectful in their use of mental illness and suicide. I can't help but be disappointed in how The Wife Who Knew Too Much portrayed attempted suicide in particular. That disappointment added to my overall dissatisfaction with the plot's arc.

I still credit Campbell with pulling me into the story and making me care what happened. And I look forward to hearing what my friends think of the plot!

The was a quick read. The story was well written and kept a good pace. I enjoyed the twists as the background of various characters was revealed. I didn't care for how weak and helpless Tabby came across. As well as the constant dependence on Conn0r. It would have been nice to see her as more independent and capable considering she was supporting herself before Connor came back in her life. I would have preferred her to have more confidence and a more active decision making process.

Another page-turner from Michele Campbell, fans of A Stranger on the Beach are sure to be pleased!

A Cinderella-tale with more than a wicked step-family to fear, small-town girl, Tabitha, elopes into the coveted role of Mrs Conner Ford for all of the right reasons. A second chance at love with her high school sweetheart pulls Tabby into a world of wealth, power, and alliances. With suspicions mounting about the death of the first Mrs Ford, trust comes at a premium. Will this Romeo and Juliet story also come to a tragic end?

Chocked full of Campbell's trademark twists and turns, The Wife Who Knew Too Much will keep you guessing until the bittersweet end!

This is the first book of Michele Campbell that I read but it won't certainly be the last.

This was an amazing story that gripped me as from the first page.
The author has done a fantastic job in developing great characters and the strong plot.
It's also an easy-written and easy-reading book and that is important to me as english isn't my mother-language.
I definitely recommend to read this pageturner.

Thank you St.Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC and this is my honest review.

I really enjoyed this thriller, and a super fast read that got my pulse racing. The story opens with Nina’s diary entry fearing for her life, and from there I was hooked.

The story was told through Tabitha’s eyes - a woman who just can’t catch a break. Always falling in love with the wrong man and this time, she hopes it would be different. Approaching her 30’s and still working in a small town as a waitress, she meets her high school sweetheart Connor who was married to one of the wealthiest woman in the country.

This thrilling novel was full of promises, betrayal, and a Murder. There were very few things that still get me shocked, and Michele Campbell continued to find those twists and surprises that kept me guessing making this a really fun read I loved. Campbell reigns as one of the best thriller writers for me.

If you’ve been searching for the perfect summer thriller to read by the pool- look no further!

Nina is a wealthy woman married to a much younger man, Connor. After her first husband cheated on her throughout their marriage, she has obvious trust issues. When she married Connor, a prenup was signed so he knew if he cheated he would walk away without a single penny from her. And now here she is, confident that Connor is cheating on her and worried that he will kill her to void their prenuptial agreement. She is found dead in their huge home and it is ruled a suicide, but obviously Connor could very well be responsible for her death.

Connor has always had a soft spot for his first love, Tabitha. They met as teenagers and were torn apart by his family who didn’t approve of their relationship. When Connor shows up out of the blue at a restaurant where Tabitha is working, she thinks it is too good to be true. And even knowing he’s married, she can’t resist him. Connor promises her he loves her, always has and will find a way to leave Nina. Tabitha thinks she can get the life she’s always dreamed of, but now she’s in way over her head.

This is the first thriller I’ve read in a while that I keep telling myself ‘just one more chapter’ and realize I have devoured several chapters. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reading copy. The pub date for this one has been pushed back from June to July 28, 2020- mark your calendar!

This is my first book by this author. I have 2 of her other ones, but I haven’t read them yet.

And I have to say I really liked this one.

It was a fast paced thriller and definitely kept my attention.

I would say though, I wish there was a different ending to have added to the air of mystery surrounding the fortune.

I think it would have made it better if the ending was more messy instead of all nice and tidy 😂 I know, I’m weird. Sometimes I like messy endings and sometimes I like tidy endings. In this case, I wanted a messy ending.

I kind of feel like Nina’s perspective was a little confusing. Because sometimes it just popped up. I feel like that part could have been organized a bit better.

Other than that though, it was really good! I guessed most of the ending (problems of being a thriller reader), but since it kept my attention, it was still enjoyable. Plus there was one part I didn’t guess 😏

Michelle Campbell started things off with a bang! Right away you knew the major crime that occurred and as you got into the book you learned the full story. Chapters alternate between narrators and time working between two years before and present. I love the dynamic this type of storyline creates - a slow burn that has you trying to figure out who and why but keeps you guessing until the end. While there were some predictable parts and some of the female characters fell flat for me, overall this was a quick enjoyable read that fans of Campbell should pick up!