I had heard nothing but good things about Wendy Clarke’s books from fellow book worm enthusiasts so of course I jumped at the chance to read this one.
Full of suspense, keeps you guessing from the start, the twists were unforeseen - what more could you want from a psychological thriller?
Maya having a lapse in her memory from when her mum died and at points later in her life kept me intrigued. At various points in the story I was suspecting different characters. I love how memory was a bigger theme throughout the book also.
Overall I loved it, this had me guessing throughout and even to the last few pages were more revelations. If you’re a fan of thrillers like me then don’t miss out!

This book grabbed my attention on page one.
Maya doesn't remember her childhood- her dad told her stories at bedtime. As an adult, Maya is desperate to learn more about her mother. And her mysterious death.
Teresa's life is falling apart. She's afraid of her husband. Her teenage soon could not withdraw further away. Her aging mom's dementia needs attention.
Great family drama that sucks you in. Good twists and suspense. Enjoyable read.

Maya doesn’t have any friends; she loves her dad and feels the need to protect him. Her mum died when she was 6 years old, and her dad has always spoken about her mum in a positive way. She believes her dad has some form of depression - dark days is what she calls them. She also believes her dad hurt her mum before she died. But is that the truth? Teresa, her dads colleague, starts to give her some advice following an incident. But can they all get to the bottom of the problems they’re all having ……. ? I wasn’t expecting the answer but now I know the truth, it was staring me in the face!! Brilliant story telling which will keep you engrossed to the end.

A slow paced psychological thriller with a limited number of characters. The theme is different and the setting refreshing. But the characters are not likeable and I couldn’t feel sorry for any of them. The reasons given for the past events felt insufficient. Compared to the previous book, I felt this one was better. 3.5 stars

His Hidden Wife is a gritty, emotional and all too realistic domestic thriller that reminds us that no matter how well we think we know a family, behind closed doors everything can change. Stephen McKenzie is a kind, compassionate guy who uses his time to help others at his Wellbeing Clinic as he approaches retiring age. Sadly, he lost his wife, Cheryl, many years previous and now it is just he and daughter, Maya, left. Maya has recently abandoned her dreams of attending university and becoming a doctor in order to care for her ageing father. Teresa is a councillor at the clinic working alongside Stephen; she was a close friend of Cheryl's and has always had a "thing" for him. A candle she's held for all these years. But when Stephen brings home his new beau Amy, Maya is thrown straight back into a whirlwind of grief and pain. Amy is the spitting image of her mother Cheryl and Maya struggles to look at a woman who appears to be a lookalike or replacement for her mum, which makes her nauseous. She begins to question if her mum actually died that day on the cliff edge when Maya was only 6 or whether she has finally come back and was alive all this time. Is she going mad?

Her mannerisms, her features, her voice - everything is too perfectly Cheryl. Did Cheryl die that day in a tragic accident and is this just a cruel twist of fate that is playing with Maya's emotions? This is a riveting, addictive and brilliantly unique thriller that is simply overflowing with intense drama and exploding with secrets galore as the story unfolds. It's one of those reads you are pulled into almost immediately and stay glued to the pages through til the dawn chorus. It's disturbingly believable and there are enough exciting twists and surprises to turn this into a one sitting spectacular. The cast is comprised of primarily unlikeable characters although it's testament to Clarke's skill and talent that she manages to elicit sympathy for them despite this. No one is who they say they are and no one should be trusted throughout the story as it's a whole lot twister and messier than I could ever have imagined. It starts at a steady pace before Clarke turns up the heat and the suspense continues to rise as the plot progresses until it's all too palpable. This is an absorbing and captivating domestic thriller and a page-turner I highly recommend.

A dark twisty tale of relationships and lies. No one in His Hidden Wife is who they appear to be. Stephen McKenzie a sixty something running a Wellbeing Clinic. A kind, compassionate, understanding man, who lost his wife Cheryl many years back. His daughter Maya, who has given up her aspirations of becoming a doctor to stay and support her father. Teresa, a colleague who works as a counsellor in Stephen's clinic. A friend of his wife and one of his former students and a woman who has always held a torch for him,
When Stephen begins a relationship with Amy, a woman who bears a canny resemblance to his dead wife, if affects both Maya and Teresa. Amy's presence unsettles Maya causing memories and flashbacks about her childhood, some of which don't make sense. For Teresa there is disappointment. Hopes that she might one day be with Stephen are now dashed. The new arrival sets off a chain of events which will eventually bring the truth, which has been hidden for so many years, to the surface.

What a way to start 2020. I absolutely could not put this down. All the way through the book teased with glimpses of what might have happened on that fateful day when Maya's mother fell from the cliffs at Crewl Point.. But even when the truth was revealed and I thought that was it, Wendy Clarke surprised me with a last minute twist I didn't see coming!

Wow thrilling and absolutely addictive. A page turner I couldn't put down. Tense and suspenseful and packed with twists. A gripping, thoroughly transporting read.

This is told in Maya and Teresa’s POV, when Maya is just 6 years old she witnesses her mother falling to her death off a cliff. Years later she can’t remember exactly what happened, just that she was lying under a pylon in the grass. Still living in the same Cliffside house as a child her father a psychotherapist is taking good care of her. He then brings his girlfriend home that resembles her mother; she even hums the same lullaby...creepy.
Theresa works with Stephen, they have been friends since before Maya was born in university. She is unhappy in her marriage, the way her husband treats her and her son and it is Stephen who steps up and allows her to stay at one of his holiday cottages.
Both POV intertwine and as the book progresses we find out that there are many secrets and the suspense on finding out what was going to happen, who, what, why? It kept me on the edge of my seat. I was left in shock at some of the reveals but also I understood why they were kept secret.
The ending was even more shocking! It was a tense reading I felt my knuckles going white at some points.
A brilliant read and well written, I look forward to reading more from this author.

His Hidden Wife by Wendy Clarke is definitely a page turner thriller with several twists. I never did figure out the ending until it was all revealed and that’s pretty rare. The story is told through the eyes of two characters, Maya and Teresa. There were a couple different storylines going on and they were all interesting. I enjoyed reading this and recommend it. Thank you to the publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy to review.

This is another great read from Wendy Clarke.
Maya has been brought up by her dad as her mum died when she was six years old. They are very close, so when her father introduces her to his girlfriend, Maya is shocked.
She thought it was her and her dad against the world but with this new woman looking like her dead mum, Maya is suspicious of her.
Maya is unsure what happened when her mum fell to her death off the cliff outside their house but starts to have flashbacks.
The story then takes a turn that I wasn’t expecting and there’s a few shocks in store.
I won’t say any more as I don’t want to spoil it for you, but this is a great read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for my honest review. His Hidden Wife is a dark and twisty thriller which will keep you up long into the night. The author does a tremendous job of creating a very atmospheric setting. The novel takes place on the Jurassic Coast of England near the small town of Lyme Regis. Readers are treated to sweeping and detailed descriptions of the windswept coast with its white cliffs and tumultuous seas. The magnificent setting is so much a part of this novel that it might as well be considered one of the characters, my favorite one in fact!

The novel is told through dual perspectives by Maya, a young woman who lost her mother at an early age and lives with her psychologist father; and Teresa, a middle aged psychologist and friend of the family. The author explores some very dark psychological topics such as PTSD and false memories which can be implanted during hypnosis. I found the book to be thoroughly researched and well written.

There were plenty of twists and turns and I really did root for Maya's character. While some of the reveals at the end strained credulity, overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

When Maya was a small child, her mother plunged to her death off a cliff. She is an adult now and still lives with her father. They have always been close, despite his dark moods.

Maya hears rumors around town that her mother’s death wasn’t suicide, that she was killed by Maya’s father.

Maya’s father meets a woman and their relationship is getting serious quickly. Maya doesn’t trust her.

Maya finds some things hidden in the attic that make her question everything she has ever believed.....
_________________________________

This was a pretty good story. It was original, I’ll give it that. But it did get a bit bizarre.

I absolutely loved this book , very tense all the way through . I raced through to the end trying to figure out who was the guilty one . I loved the relationship between the father and daughter and the doubts that were showing in their relationship. 5 star book I would definitely recommend

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Everryone in town said it was a mercy that she remembered so little. But there's some things Mya has never forgotten: thatbher mother was beautiful, kind and loved Mya very much. It's what her father Stephen always tells her about his perfect wife.

Stephen had always tried to do his besr for hiis dauhter Mya. Stephen had always told Mya how beautiful her mother was and how much she had loved her. But when Stephen brings home his new girlfriend Amy, she looks and acts like Mya's mother.

The story starts off with a slow pace. This is a good psychological thriller that's filled with twists and family secrets. This is an atmoospheric read and it's really easy to follow. The story had me guessing all the way through.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #WendyClarke for myARC in exchange for an honest review.

This psychological thriller is narrated from three different perspectives, a father, his daughter and a therapist colleague. It begins with a flashback, but the story is focused on the family and events as they currently unfold. At its centre is the tragic death of the wife twelve years previously and how it impacts on various characters and the choices they make. Full of twists and the ongoing effect of trauma on daily life, the resulting choices make danger inevitable. The interconnectedness of the narrative is a real strength and the psychological underpinning ensures an enthralling tale of a roller coaster read. A four-star read rating. As an independent reviewer, my thanks to the author for a copy gratis prior to publication. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

Throughout this book I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not, despite not being able to put it down...lol There was something engaging in the plot that just made you want to keep reading but I'm not sure what it was. Is it the underlying mystery of what happened to Maya's mother? Is it the sinister feel that shrouds you as the fog on the Dorset clifftop? Or is it that everyone is hiding a secret you simply have to uncover? Whatever it is, it makes HIS HIDDEN WIFE an intense and addictive read.

The story centres around behavioural psychologist Stephen and his 18 year old daughter Maya who was just six when she witnessed her mother plunge to her death from the cliffs behind their house. Her memories are understandable sporadic from her childhood but the father and daughter are incredibly close and Stephen has never failed to let Maya know how much her mother loved her. Every night, instead of a storybook that most children go to bed with, Stephen would open the photo album and tell Maya stories of her mother before she was born and when she was growing up. So Maya has always known how much her mother loved her.

But life at Crewel House hasn't always been rosy. Since her mother's death twelve years before, Maya has witnessed the dark moods that envelops her father. The times when he would shut himself away in his room, he won't eat, he won't talk to her...just lay in the dark until those moods subside. She also recalls a time, not long after her mother died, when she discovered him standing before a desk lined with tablets of all kinds. She was too younger to understand at the time, but she now realises her father must have been in the depths of despair after losing her mother that he felt he couldn't live without her.

Maya has always worried about her father, which is why she didn't go to university to study medicine as she had always wanted to. Instead she stayed behind and took up a job as a care assistant at Three Elms, a care home that specialised in those with dementia. Maya loves her job and her patients. But it's when she comes home that she dreads finding her father in one of his dark moods. She must protect him from the past and from himself.

Then one day, Stephen announces he has met someone. And suddenly Maya fears that she will not be able to protect him with the presence of another. But it is when he brings his new girlfriend Amy home and introduces her that Maya is shocked. Amy is not only half his age but is the spitting image of her mother, with her soft dark hair and big blue eyes. Maya starts to feel uneasy as this rather odd coincidence begins to stir up a lot of questions. Her father has always refused to talk of her mother's death - why? She has no recollection of seeing her mother fall and yet she was found at the top of the cliff - but why won't her father tell her what she possibly saw? And then there are the whispers in the village about the arguments her parents used to have, but her father always told her how happy they were - is this a lie? But it's when he sees the bruises on Amy's arms that she has covered that Maya really begins to question how well she knows her father. She knows she has been keeping secrets from her and is determined to find out what they are.

Was her mother's death a tragic accident? Was it suicide? Or was it something far more sinister?

But these questions and the memories that are beginning to surface from the past confuse Maya. And so she seeks refuge in Teresa, another therapist in her father's Wellbeing Clinic, knowing that whatever she discusses with her will remain confidential. But the questions she raises in her sessions Teresa quickly debunks, offering plausible explanations. If I were Maya, I'd be thoroughly confused!

We meet Teresa in the beginning as her chapters alternate with Maya's. It is clear from the beginning that she has a crush on Stephen, despite being married herself, although her marriage is not a happy one. Teresa has known Stephen since university but parted ways many years before. When he set up the Clinic he contacted Teresa and asked her if she would be interested in joining.

Teresa's story is a sad one. After confiding in Stephen about her marriage, he offers her the cottage he keeps for holiday rentals for both her and her teenage son Dale. And then there is her mother who has dementia and is proving to be unable to remain at home, particularly after she receives a call to say she has had a break-in and yet nothing was taken. Teresa moves her mother into the cottage with her until she can find something more permanent for her. It's then she remembers Maya working at Three Elms.

Although Teresa's is a side story to the main one revolving around Maya, Stephen and Amy, it is also integral to the bigger picture. Particularly when Maya comes to Teresa for therapy. Why is it that Teresa is so quick to dismiss Maya's concerns about her father? Is it her desire to protect Stephen due to her feelings for him? Or is it something more sinister? Does she know more than she is letting on?

HIS HIDDEN WIFE is certainly unpredictable as I didn't see the twist coming until right before it was revealed. But more than than, it is an emotional tale that focused on the power of memories - how they define us, how they shape us, how they can change over time and how they blend into our present.

A well written tightly told plot, HIS HIDDEN WIFE has a bit of everything throw in - secrets, lies, deception, manipulation, gaslighting, threats and murder...or was it suicide? Everyone has secrets to hide and no one is to be trusted. Even Maya and Teresa are unreliable narrators due to Maya's confused memories and Teresa's blindness towards Stephen. Neither can relate the truth as they are unable to see it. Which makes HIS HIDDEN WIFE a somewhat clever tale.

I won't lie, HIS HIDDEN WIFE is a slow burn but there is something underlying that just makes you want to keep reading. It is compelling and compulsive and makes for addictive reading. The ending, I felt, was a little anti-climatic but that's just personal opinion. The book is still an enjoyable read.

Recommended for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers with a creepy undertone.

I would like to thank #WendyClarke, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #HisHiddenWife in exchange for an honest review.

His Hidden Wife is a edge of your seat book. Suspenseful and mystery. The book was great because the ending as shocking. Maya has gaps in her memory about her childhood. She lives with her dad who is a therapist. She knows her mom fell off a cliff when she was six. All Maya remembers is being found by her father. Lots of twists and turns in this book. #netgally #goodreads

This book had me on the edge of my seat. A great thriller. You really do not know what's going to happen from chapter to chapter. You keeping changing your opinion about the characters. Kept me in suspense til the end.

A psychological thriller filled with family secrets, memory manipulation and untruths.

Whilst the plot was well narrated I did find the book rather slow placed and it was only towards the end when the twists started to be revealed I finally got the "can't stop reading, must know the ending" kind of feeling. That being said, it was still an entertaining read.

I particularly enjoyed how perfectly I could visualise the landscapes within this book. An ideal, atmospheric setting for such a story to take place. 🌫️🌊

This is the first book I've read by Wendy Clarke and I will certainly look for future titles.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 📖

His Hidden Wife by Wendy Clarke a suspenseful domestic thriller full of secrets.

Maya’s mother died when she was young, so it has always been just her and her dad. After all these years, Stephen unexpectedly brings home his girlfriend, Amy. Maya is not used to sharing her dad and wants to protect his secrets. Amy looks like Stephen’s late wife. Since Amy came in the picture, Maya starts finding out things about her dad that led her to wonder what actually happened to her mom. Theresa is Stephen’s coworker who is having problems in her personal life. Theresa is left wondering if this great man she has known for years is as great as she always thought.

His Hidden Wife is a suspenseful book. I enjoyed that I couldn’t figure out the ending. Everyone in His Hidden Wife is keeping secrets. There were many revelations throughout the book that kept the reader engaged. I found it interesting the book was told from Maya, the daughter, and Theresa, the friend, perspective. I felt like His Hidden Wife is Stephen’s story, but the story being told from two other perspectives made Stephen even more of a mystery. Maya and Stephen have an interesting father/ daughter relationship. I found it interesting to see how their relationship changed and Maya’s reactions when she finds out questionable information about her father. Maya feels like she can’t go away to school because she is worried about leaving her father alone. Maya’s reaction to Amy was very realistic. Theresa’s story was also very interesting. She has many of her own secrets and is constantly debating what to tell Stephen.

I recommend His Hidden Wife to anyone that likes suspenseful domestic thrillers.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for His Hidden Wife.