The last few thrillers I’ve read have been a little boring, so I’ll admit I was a little hesitant to start The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. I like my thrillers to be fast, thoughtless page-turners that keep me entertained, but are quick to get through. I don’t want to think about who might have done what, or for the twist to be super obvious; I just want to power read and be satisfied at the end of it. And friends, that’s exactly how I felt with this one.

The story follows Jane, a dog-walker working in an affluent neighborhood, as she’s trying to reinvent herself and leave her past behind. After almost being hit by a car, she falls for the driver, Eddie, and quickly finds herself in a serious relationship. Eddie, recently widowed, is taking care of his late wife’s multi-million dollar business, and not everyone in the community thinks he’s totally innocent. Sure, sometimes the husband is the prime suspect, but in a wealthy neighborhood full of gossip, is anyone really safe?

The Wife Upstairs puts a modern twist on the Gothic thriller, and the setting (Alabama), sets the tone for the story. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book, the quick, easy pace, and how the ending was wrapped up but left just enough wiggle room to wonder what actually happened.

If you’re looking for a new thriller to read, I highly suggest checking this one out. I’ve seen some reviews say that it’s very predictable and not original, but I’ve never read Jean Eyre (the classic it’s based on), so I didn’t feel that way. But fair warning to those who have!

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for sending me a digital ARC via NetGalley. The Wife Upstairs came out on January 5, 2021, and is available wherever books are sold.

I really enjoyed Rachel Hawkins newest book! Lots of unexpected twists and turns, and a great overall atmosphere!

This book has definitely been making its rounds in the book circles as a fantastic thriller, and I agree 1000%. A December 2020 BOTM pick, it gained traction (and rightfully so) as one of the best newest thrillers so far. Everyone who said that was right and if you love thrilling mysteries of missing characters, this one's for you.

Mediocre. Not enough layers and depth in the narrative, the characters, or the relationships. The twists are predictable, and the characters are shallow, childish, and unlikable. I didn't have a strong emotional reaction to this but it was intriguing enough to keep me captive (pun intended) on a winter afternoon.

This story caught my interest right away. Girl with lots of secrets walks dogs for rich people in a ritzy neighborhood. Soon, she ends up engaged to the neighborhood's handsome widower. But what secrets is HE hiding? The book held my attention most of the way--the panic room was an unexpected and interesting twist--but my interest waned big time during the last twenty percent of the book.

One BIG reason I checked out was due to a personal pet peeve of mine. This line in particular really annoyed me: "Tripp is so many ugly things--a drunk, a lech, a Republican..." Insert eyeball emoji here. Do authors not understand that people outside of their own political party read their books? Do they honestly think that readers that comprise half of this country are going to read that line and chuckle good-naturedly? Personally, I couldn't care less about an author's political affiliation, as long as they write good stories. But for the author and the publisher..... Did that particular line add ANYTHING to the book? If you think it added something important, was it important enough to risk alienating half of your readers? Was it important enough to lose out on all of that potential income? Maybe your answer is yes, and that's fine. Perhaps you don't want ugly Republicans reading your books. But in the future, maybe put that as an author's note in the beginning of her books so we don't waste our time. Just a suggestion.

This started out so good for me - and then it fell flat. I didn't like the ending at all The characters were one-dimensional. There were some story threads that really went nowhere. Very disappointed. I'm giving it three stars because I did love the first 2/3 of the book.

This book was a super fast read and I really enjoyed it. It was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This wasn't a big hit with me. Honestly I found the writing very simplistic, almost juvenile. Just not a style that I admire.

This review could start one of two ways. I could give you the premise and my impressions or I can do what I am doing now. I will tell you that while reading this book, I could not help but think of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier or The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen - both of which I thought were excellent books.

Now, what was it about The Wife Upstairs that made me ponder over those other titles? Well, Jane is a dog-walker in a gated community. The community is rather elite and the women are quite snobbish. Jane definitely does not fit in, but meeting Eddie Rochester is about to change her life. She just might be able to become one of them.

Eddie has a story that he would not rather have to tell. His wife and her best friend have disappeared and is is assumed both women drowned. What is more is that a shroud of guilt is hanging over Eddie's neck. Nonetheless, Eddie and Jane hit it off and the two become a couple. However, Jane is constantly reminded of Eddie's previous wife Bea. She was an icon of sorts. For one thing, Jane often feels that the women in the community are constantly comparing her to Bea. Then there is Eddie. Something is not quite right, especially when she is fighting for his heart, knowing how much he loved and misses Bea every single day.

So Jane changes her appearance, her dialogue and inserts herself into every aspect of Eddie's life and the community. Will it be enough? Meanwhile, there is something eerie going on. Chilling actually, and that is the point when the previously mentioned titles came to my mind.

However, this book has its own edge, its own level of creepiness, deceit and mystery. As a matter of fact, the blurb alludes to a love triangle. Why is that? Well, you would have to read this chilling book by Rachel Hawkins so that you can get that answer. I would have loved to give this book five stars, but the conclusion threw me. Even so, this was a twisty read, filled with a variety of characters, many rather unlikable at best. The plot and its twists were rather captivating and definitely caught me by surprise.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Wife Upstairs, by Rachel Hawkins is a lovely read, reading Jane Eyre before reading The Wife Upstairs is not necessary it really makes for a more appreciative read of the twists and turns.

This is a story full of unlikeable people who in the end deserve each other. Though the book feels like a retelling of Jane Eyre it is all new and intriguing in its own right.

Well told and will hold your interest to the very last page. A great read for those who enjoy the Classics and those who don’t.

Great book with a ending I didn't see coming.!! Thanks net galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this amazing book. I will be looking for more by this author in the future.

The Wife Upstairs has some delicious twists up its sleeves, and I loved this story of a bunch of untrustworthy characters being thrust into a situation where they have to outsmart each other!

I really liked this book. It had great characters, suspense, humor and unending plot twists. Kept me guessing until the very end. Highly recommended

This book was pretty good and engaging, if not predictable. It was really hard for me to be invested in the main character though.

The Wife Upstairs is filled with so many twist and turns. It is filled with devious characters that I hope I will be reading more about in future books. This storyline is different than anything I’ve read lately. I thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to read more books by Rachel Hawkins.

This book provides lots of twists and turns. I could not put down! I’d give this book 4 stars any day.

Wow! This story just kept providing twists and kept me reading with enthusiasm. The main character is both likable and unappealing at the same time. The reader is unsure whether to root for her or not from moment to moment. The characters are made to be so visible in the head of the reader, the writing is very good.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the Wife Upstairs. This book drew me in and I couldn’t stop! I would give this book 4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

An amazing take on the classic Jane Eyre. I was fortunate enough to get to listen to it as well as read an ARC and I absolutely loved it.

This book was a great twist on the old classic Jane Eyre. The several twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The ending took me by surprise. This was a really good psychological thriller.