I was enjoying this one at first but it lost me very quickly. It started to get a little predictable around the middle and I felt like I needed to keep skimming. Not a mind-blowing read but it might definitely appeal to other fans of the author.

Alison James' "The Guilty wife" is set in a dream honeymoon resort on an idyllic Maldivian Island. We are introduced to Tansy and Daniel, Nikki and Arne, newlyweds brimming with happiness - however nothing is as it seems. As the story unravels over the next couple of days, the honeymoon period is well and truly over.

Pippa is another of the main characters, she has also arrived at the same honeymoon resort, however, she is alone after getting cold feet. She is drawn in to the investigation of the death of one of the newlyweds, along with Private Investigator Jim. The way this came about was a little far fetched but they made an excellent team and I hope we can see more of them in further books, also, it is a story so anything can happen. Being far fetched sometimes doesn't matter!

The story takes us from the Maldives to Australia and the UK. It certain made me want to go travelling again after a year of lockdown! Definitely a book to take you away from every day life to far away destinations.

The story was easy to read and I got through it in 2 days. I enjoyed all the twists and turns of the story. It wasn't what I was expecting from the blurb but I still very much enjoyed it, as I do all of Alison's books.

I couldn't guess "whodunnit", despite trying! The characters weren't all easy to like, but the fact that some mad me mad shows what a good author Alison in in being able to write excellent character portrayals.

I hope we meet more of Pippa, and Jim the private detective, in more books to come?!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Alison James for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Guilty Wife by Alison James was a superb book and I was hooked right at the beginning. Well, I've always loved the way Alison writes all her books and they are all always a great page turner and full of great twists and turns throughout that will have you guessing right till the end....Then Bang........That's what you call a excellent author!

I highly recommend this new book by Alison and then I recommend all her books.

BIg Thank you to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review

Really enjoyed this book , plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout. Definitely worth reading

Well, how do I even do justice to this book? I was totally addicted to this book and it was responsible for some late nights!

We are transported to the beautiful setting of the Maldives, but already you can tell that there’s a chilling undercurrent and that something bad is going to happen. There’s just a feeling that all is not as idyllic as it seems.

This book has such a clever and twisty plot, and the events in the Maldives are just the beginning of a complex and fascinating web of lies and deceit.

I liked Pippa as a character, and her relationship with Jim is an interesting one. I won’t say too much for fear of spoiling the plot, but I liked the way they worked together, and there was a bit of a frisson of attraction between them, which added an element of “will they/won’t they” to the story.

There are so many layers to the plot, which covers murder, fraud and a host of complicated relationships. With some exotic and atmospheric locations and a really enthralling storyline, I found this a totally compelling read. All the threads of the plot come together nicely in the end, after some rather dramatic events. A really addictive and thrilling book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I really enjoyed this and read it in just a day! Some aspects others might find a little unbelievable but I thought the story was good and there were enough twists and turns to stop me from putting the book down! I’d recommend it.

Who wouldn’t want to get away from her now ex fiancee after he declares he was unfaithful?

Pippa takes advantage of the already paid honeymoon vacation and ends up in Mauritius. Taking time just to wind off and to think about her future. While on the island, she meets up with other people that are more or less in the same situation as her.

What follows is a story full of twists and reality checks combined with murder, suspense and turns that really made me stop and think about it all. How social media influencer live their life and to remember that not everything that shines is gold.

I loved this story. It was my first by the author but it won’t be the last for sure.

Writing style wise was very good and everything went so smoothly from page to page that I finished it in one sitting. It was fast-paced and for me the ending was too rushed or even let me think that maybe there will be a sequel, but overall it’s a great story that I recommend to any suspense lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good mystery thriller, there was a couple of inconsistencies in this book for my liking, but nevertheless a good read. Recommended.

Wowza, what a read! Completely glued me to the pages, in that absolutely unputdownable and fantastic way! Wanted to get it finished and see all that happened, but also dreaded the end coming, knowing a hangover would follow! Highly, highly recommend this twisted tale!

I really enjoyed reading this enthralling book. I didn't really consider myself a fan of psychological thrillers, but I decided to give this book a chance. I was not disappointed! This book has a lot to offer: amateur sleuth, exotic locales within the story, suspense, intrigue and romance. I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers, and I look forward to reading more books by Alison James.

This was pure escapism at its finest! Like a made for tv channel 5 movie, I was hooked from start to finish!
Exactly what is needed from a novel sometimes! Far fetched, shocking and a bit sinister.
When Bethany’s lover is found murdered - she is fearful that their affair may be uncovered! All I am going to say is she wishes..:. She wishes that’s the worst thing that can come of it!
There were a few bits that were so far fetched I found myself rolling my eyes - but on the whole it was the perfect read!

I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller. This is a new author for me which I enjoyed her writing style and her attention to details that gave the story a realistic feel. I was pulled into the story from the beginning which kept me turning pages to the end. I found this book to be fast paced and engaging. The twists and turns had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The characters are what made the story for me. They are relateable and just made the story entertaining. This is a story about two couples who are on their honeymoon but all may not be as it seems. What happens next is for you to read this book. I am happy I picked up this book and I would highly recommend it.

Two couples meet on holiday in the Maldives, along with single girl Pippa, who called off her wedding just before it was due to take place but went on Honeymoon anyway. Pippa makes friends with Jim, who is a private invesigator, you can probably guess that one of the couples is involved in this investigation but I can't say too much more, or I will spoil it!

A classic whodunnit plot ensues here with good characters and fabulous locations, making it quite exciting to read!

Thank you to NetGalley UK and Bookouture for the ARC of this book

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Guilty Wife' by Alison James. Previously titled 'Happily Ever After'.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Alison James, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 22nd June 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read Alison's 'Her Sister's Child' which I highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Behind Closed Doors, The Guest List and The Wife Between Us will be hooked by the latest page-turner from US top five bestseller Alison James.' I am a fan of 'The Guest List' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Alison and if this is half as good as 'Her Sister's Child' it is sure to be an epic read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 46 chapters and an epilogue and is spread over 5 parts. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in the Mauritius 🇲🇺, Africa, Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺 and London, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Pippa and Daniel. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

This book is extremely well written and will take you on an unforgettable holiday!!! I wasn't quite expecting the storyline I got after reading the synopsis and if I'm being honest I definitely think the previous title of 'Happily Ever After' suited the storyline better. However, these two niggles are the only reason I decided on a 4/5 rather than a 5/5. The storyline itself was very well written and the descriptions made the atmosphere and characters come alive. I was quite surprised when I was being taken all over the place as I actually expected the story to be set in one place while the investigation was going on. However, the way Alison did it definitely made it more interesting if unexpected. The storyline was filled with love, loss, secrets, tension and suspense and it kept me hooked from the first page until the last. An absolutely addictive psychological thriller.

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture

The characters were well defined and realistic and I liked Pippa's character the most. I enjoyed watching her stand up for what she believed in which made her such a strong and unforgettable character. I could not stand Tansy who just reminded me of a spoilt little Daddy's girl!!!! It would have been good to see what became of her at the end and I hope she got her come uppance!!! I was actually quite surprised by a reveal about a certain character and I actually felt quite sorry for them, I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for others.

Well done Alison on another successful psychological thriller and here's to many more 🍷🍹 🥃!!

Overall a fast paced psychological thriller that will take you all over the world


Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Fiction and Holiday Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Behind Closed Doors, The Guest List and The Wife Between Us 


283 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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📚BOOK REVIEW📚 The Guilty Wife by Alison James - pub date 22nd June 2021. This story starts in the beautiful Maldives - where multiple couples are spending their honeymoons. But some of the couples aren’t as happy as people would believe!
We get to find out a bit more about the couples throughout the book. Especially when one of the characters won’t be coming home again. I loved the 2
Main characters but that ending! 😱. I have read books by this author before and loved this one just as much. I’m not giving away too much in my review, as i don’t want to spoil anything thing for the readers. #https://www.instagram.com/Bookstagramshaz
#netgalley #bookouture #alisonjames #theguiltywifec

When a book has a character as good as Pippa the story itself could be pants and I would still enjoy it. But pair her with a mysterious PI, then throw in a luxury resort, two enigmatic couples and then a murder and I’m all in.

Pippa is on what should be her honeymoon alone, after jilting her fiancé on the day of their wedding. Eating solo she can’t help but eavesdrop on the two couples dining together next to her. Tansy and Daniel and Nikki and Arne. Tansy I could have happily murdered myself as she’s one of those infuriating influencers that is all looks and no substance. Poor Daniel is left alone for the majority of the time as she’s still working even on their honeymoon. Rubbing it in his face that she provides their lifestyle including this trip. The expression “he needs to grow a pair” fits him to a tee. Nikki and Arne seem to be in love but appearances can be deceptive and little things set my alarm bells ringing.

Let’s just say that soon one is found dead and once Pippa is back in London she doesn’t let it drop even though it was ruled an accident.

With a clever and captivating plot, this wasn’t as dark as I was expecting. In fact it felt more like a cosy crime which I think worked perfectly with the characters.

This book will take you on adventures to fabulous locations, it will give you a mystery to solve and some characters to love and some to despise. I hope from the ending that the author is planning on there being more to come from Pippa and Jim as this could be the start of a terrific series.

Plenty of twists and turns. Just when I thought I had the answer, the next page proved me wrong. A page turner for certain.

Two just married couples are honeymooning in a luxury resort in Mauritius. Instagram influencer Tansy is taking the opportunity for a photoshoot and her husband Daniel Halligan doesn’t seem to be enjoying wedded bliss. Swedish Arne and Londoner, Nikki Lindgren are in the bar who are very much in love. Pippa Bryant, who should have been enjoying her honeymoon at the resort but she called the wedding to Alastair at Islington Register Office off just minutes before the ceremony, is also there. So is James Cardle. Tragedy strikes for one couple...

I loved the exciting plotline and the pacing moved along at a fair rate of knots. Full of thrills, red herrings and totally addictive, it held my attention from the very first chapter. I thought the characterisation really befitted this story, with relatable and believable characters. This brilliant read was a domestic-based mystery-thriller that told the tale of love and loss, relationships and breakups, deceit and dishonesty. It was masterfully executed by the author, Alison James whose vivid and suspenseful writing style continued to wow me.

I shall be looking out for more by Alison James who has great talent and I intend to read her 'Detective Rachel Prince' series. I recommend The Guilty Wife as a hugely worthwhile and an excellent read.

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

Pippa stands her boyfriend up at the alter and sets about changing her life instead of being stuck in a rut.She resigns from her job after an altercation with a colleague and finds herself on honeymoon alone where she meets Jim Cardle a private investigator on Mauritius on a case,Pippa also is present when a suspicious death occurs and she herself working with Cardle on the complicated case which takes them to far flung countries.Although reluctant at first Cardle finds that Pippa is a useful asset to his business as they begin to probe into the lives of other guests there in particular Daniel and Tansy who is a high profile influencer,as the story progresses you find out more about their lives and just what Daniel is having to put up with.This is an excellent thriller from Alison James as the main characters intertwine with one another and by the excellent ending you will find yourself feeling a bit sorry for some but not others,a very good 5 star read that I recommend with out a doubt.

Pippa Bryant's wedding is about to take place. Howevere, she decides that she does not want to go through with it. She turns to Alastair and calls the entire thing off. Howevere, they have put thousands of pounds into a gorgeous honeymoon and she is not about to let that go to waste. When she gets to the Maldives, she meets a few people. They include two honeymooning couples - one unabashedly in love and the other couple who are clearly not on the same page. Pippa also meets James Cardle and he is at the resort alone.

Someone is about to die. Which honeymooner is found dead? Why? And how does what happened ultimately affect Pippa? When screams let out, Pippa and Cardle are among the people who rush to the source of something that is certainly very wrong. Pippa and Cardle had been having a drink and at some point earlier Pippa discovered that Cardle is a private investigator.

So, Pippa heads back home. However, she soon runs into Cardle and before long, she begins working for him, especially as they both seem tied to the murder that occurred, although for veery different reasons.

While this psychological thriller reminded me at times of a cozy mystery, I loved the fact that Pippa and Cardle worked well together and all of the various locations they traveled to during their investigation. There were some interesting side stories that moved at an excellent pace. This thrilling story was utterly captivating and surprising at times, making it impossible for me to even come close to guessing who the murderer was. I loved this exciting story by Alison James and cannot wait to see what she next has to offer.

Many thankst to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.