Jennifer is a successful GP and also a mother, but all isn't perfect for her as she recently lost her husband. Then a stranger shows up who she can't seem to get away from, and she is plagued by flashbacks. Jen tries to find out the truth, but it is hard when everyone is lying, even her...

A thrilling story that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns, and flashbacks to the past, it is an interesting read that comes together perfectly in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Bookouture I can not wait to share this with my friends and family!
Because this has to be one of the best books I've read in months?.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this awesome new thriller!
Samantha Hayes is back!
I could just read her books all day every day! She is one skilled writing and it clearly shows!
The Trapped Wife was well written, with an engaging plot full of twists and turns and memorable characters with a surprise ending.
If you love psychological thrillers and haven’t read a Hayes book what are you waiting for?! Snap this one up ASAP!
It had me hooked from the start and kept me guessing, double-guessing and doubting myself several times.

Again thank you for this amazing read!

This was different to what the blurb makes it out to be. It's a slow burn domestic thriller about a recently widowed woman whose life is slowly unravels as her family's past comes back to haunt her.

While it has an engaging storyline, I had trouble with the uneven pacing. It's slow with mostly characters I found hard to relate to but the last quarter was a compelling read. Even when I thought I had it all figured it, the author managed to surprise me at the end.

I'd recommend this to newbies of the genre. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the e-ARC.

I was gripped by the synopsis of the book and the pacing made it hard to put down. I found myself constantly coming back for a chapter here and there until I knew the truth.

The Trapped Wife in question is Jen Miller, a well know successful community GP in a small village. Upon recently returning to work after the lost of her husband, flashbacks hit her hard from a night just before his death. Then a mysterious 'stranger' arrives for his appointment and the flackbacks reveal more about that night and how she ended up pregnant.

I enjoyed the dual timelines of the book. I thought it was an interesting way of making the past and present line up. Though it went someway into explaining personal motivations for some characters, it didn't find it wholly satisfying. I am and will continue to be confused why certain behaviours happened or why they were responded to in certain ways.

The story definitely plays on red herrings and misdirection by assumptions. Though some are quite clever others were seemingly pointless and didn't make a whole lot of sense. The book had plenty of twists and turns-most highly predictable and one less so.

Jen's best friend Rhonda is a main narrator throughout the book however I found myself questioning what the point of her POV was. I didn't find Rhonda to be a developed character. She seemed to be lacking and used to further the plot along. By the end she just gets left by the wayside.

One of the main reasons I'm giving this three stars is the inappropriate way serious issues were resolved. As in they weren't. There is a massive plot reveal that would've provided motivation for murder, but it is seemingly accepted and forgotten about in the next few pages.

Characters priorities are skewed which makes their interactions confusing. I assume this was done so twists can happen. Though I do feel it can hardly be called a twist when there was no way anyone would guess with the information provided.

Overall it's difficult to rate, if there was better character development and depth then it would a much higher rating. There are just some issues that are so incomplete it's hard to give it more than a three. I would however recommend it as a quick read.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This author is new to me, and wow was this a nail biter!! If you like psychological thrillers with a surprisingly HUGE twist at the end, then you will not be able to put this book down! I thought I was starting to figure things out at the end, but I was SO wrong! Definitely looking into more books by Samantha Hayes!

This is by far one of the best books I have ever read, it's OMFG brilliant. I just can't express how much I loved this book. It doesn't just keep you on the edge of your seat, it floors you with all the shocking twists. It's completely highly addictive and I had to read it in one sitting. I literally could not put it down. From the first page to the last I was gripped. The plot was amazing and the some of the characters were really weird and creepy. Jen the protagonist is just a normal family doctor, who loves her job and cares deeply about her patients, but she has some deep rooted secrets, which are revealed at the end. Trust ne when I say this YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE TWISTS AND YOU WILL NOT GUESS THE ENDING! THIS BOOK MUST BE READ BY EVERYONE. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!!!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Trapped Wife in exchange for an honest review.

While I can see some mystery readers enjoying it, I think the description could make it attract the wrong kind of mystery thriller fan (hint: it's me). Described as an "addictive psychological thriller", you get the idea that this is a fast page turner when it's just not. This is a really slowburn mystery which would be fine if it was marketed as such, but as is I was a bit let down by the pace.

A great psychological thriller has multilayer. That is an understatement for this book. Just as I thought I got it all figured out, I was wrong. The ending was full of surprises that truly left me satisfied as well as amazed me. There were many layers to the ending. Jennifer's character had depth and was well developed. Evan and ac were such a pair of intriguing characters. As it was set in the past for Evan and Mac, it does make me think throughout the book as to who they were as adults. Samantha Hayes is the master of surprises. This book is a must-read!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve ever read a book by Samantha Hayes then you’ll know she’s a specialist in the plot twist with curveballs that enthral and misdirect and fool you once, twice and maybe more! Is there a connection between a young boy from many years ago who is a loner, full of dark thoughts and who meets a like minded kindred spirit with recently widowed Dr Jen Miller in the present day? Jen is hiding a dark secret of which she only has fleeting memories and she hasn’t even confided in her best friend Rhonda. The story is told principally by Jen and Rhonda but also takes a deep dive into the uncomfortable past whence many a dark deed lurks waiting to be uncovered.

There are several storylines in this one and they’re all dark and parts of the unfolding drama are absolute shockers, real chin droppers with bombshells that blow your mind. The plot is very clever, it’s well written with all the different ‘cloudy’ strands being woven intriguingly together until your visions clears and it all starts to make horrible ‘sense’. The final plot revelation is a belter and I should know that with this author that she’s the mistress of the deliciously unexpected bolt out of the blue! The writing is claustrophobic at times, it’s very intense and you become suspicious of everyone, some with mighty good reason. Jen’s stress, anxiety and grief are well portrayed as her life implodes around her and her emotions feel like they’re just contained like a pressure cooker about to blow its top. The presence of Jeremy, her dead husband, is felt throughout and seems a constant presence on the pages and leads to many questions not just from Jen. Rhonda’s discoveries help to illuminate things that characters are desperate to conceal and her narrative is really helpful in drawing it all together.

Overall, I really like how all this comes together so convincingly. I’d say this is yet another winner for the talented author.

4.5 rounded up.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

The Trapped Wife is a fast paced mystery
about a man who goes on a ski trip and doesn’t return to his family. It jumps between the present and the past without explanation, but it is pretty easy to figure out most of the relation. It was predictable with a couple of surprises. I am giving it three stars because I figured out quite a bit early on and because I did not like any of the characters. There was no one to root for, and most of the characters were not well developed. However, it was a nice mystery that kept me interested until the end. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Trapped Wife by Samantha Hayes

First time read by the author , and boy it won't be the last !

Brilliant , brilliant , brilliant .
It tells the story of Jen , a doctor who has a son. Her husband is killed on a skiing trip , and is missing , presumed dead.
The book has many nail biting , edge of your seat moments , and twists you don't see coming. A totally unexpected end that leaves you gasping for breath.
5 stars.

The Trapped Wife is a dark and twisty read. Samantha Hayes will have you questioning your perception up to the last chapter. There are plenty of red herrings and surprises woven into the narrative and even the most astute reader will find one or two surprises at the end.

Trigger warnings: Sexual assault & child abuse

Dr. Jennifer Miller is a recent widow with a secret. The family physician is left with an unexpected surprise after a night out just prior to her husband’s death. Jen can’t recall the details of the alcohol fueled evening, but the repercussions will haunt her and her teenage son throughout the book. This is a story with more than one mystery carried throughout the plot. As a result, not every revelation gets the air time it deserves, but each twist distracts the reader so that the complete picture is hard to piece together until the final pages. As a person who often sees plot twists coming a mile away, I had a much harder time picking out each surprise before it was revealed.

Without revealing too much, the part of the story I struggled with was Dr. Miller’s behaviour towards the mysterious Scott as well as her reaction to some of the disgusting truths she uncovers throughout the book. While the revelation at the end provides some insight into her bizarre choices, as a woman I found it a bit hard to swallow. Not only did her actions throughout detract from the believability of the story, it frustrated me and at times made it difficult for me to carry on. She was absolutely my least favourite character in the novel. However, the need to know what was going on propelled me to continue reading and I couldn’t stop thinking about the book even when I put it down. It would have been a 5 star read for me if Jen wasn’t so problematic; however, once you finish the book you will see Hayes’ intent with the character.

Overall, a dark, complex, and addicting read that left me a bit disturbed! I will definitely read another Samantha Hayes book in the future.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for a fair review.

I don't know who is responsible for inventing new words in a language, but I think in this case I will have to do it myself. There are a lot of words describing how great something is, but in my opinion there aren't enough by far where this book is concerned. So here I go, inventing a new one. It was amzitastic.

This time I really, really thought I knew it all. I was so convinced that I had figured it out, but I wanted to see if I was spot on. I wanted it black on white. I wanted it confirmed so I could boast about how clever I was.

Whether I was receiving the gold medal or had to admit defeat, I won't give away. I don't want to spoil your fun, because you absolutely have to read this book.

I loved Dr Miller. She is so emotional one minute and can keep her cool like a real ice queen the next.

The world can be one very cruel place. One moment of distraction can change your whole life in the worst possible way…

The author created a story that will make the world around you disappear. Please make sure you have time when you start reading. I assure you are not going to appreciate it when someone or something is trying to drag you away. 5 stars

I can’t tell you the story of this book without revealing the plot and believe me when I tell you that there are twists and turns you cannot anticipate, this book will engage you and the first page and spit you out, with your mind reeling, on the last page. Yes, it really is that good!

Oh wow, I really didn't see that coming. I actually went back and read the last couple of chapters over again. With a Samantha Hayes book you can always expect a jaw-dropping twist or two but she really excelled herself here. Absolutely brilliant.

Another great twisted book by Samantha Hayes. I really enjoy reading her psychological thrillers....they always keep me guessing. I look forward to recommending this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

It would appear that Jen is enjoying a lovely evening with her husband and son. The only problem is that her husband is dead and the man at the dinner table is actually Jen’s patient. Or so it seems. This is a twisted domestic thriller where no one and nothing as is it seems. A great read for fans of unpredictable and unreliable main characters

A smart and cleverly written book that’ll have you thinking that you know it all. But you’d be wrong!

Well that certainly pulled the rug from under my feet! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was so easy to read and had a massively entertaining finale.

I went through a whole barrage of feelings towards the main characters of this book. At first empathy, then frustration, then surprise led to outright mouth-open-how-did-I-miss-that?

Jen’s is a complex character and I spent a large portion of the book feeling annoyed with her and thinking she was a complete pushover. I had no idea why she was not being stronger and more protective of herself and her son? And kept saying ‘why doesn’t she just call his bluff and tell him to f**k off?

It’s now clear to me that Jen is far more complex than I originally examined. And I’m left thinking back over everything I’ve read and finally understanding everything. I won’t go too far into the details of the book but there were some elements to do with her dead husband that I think we’re pushed aside too quickly. There’s some pretty shocking revelations throughout this book and I can see how to deal with them all entirely would only serve to derail the plot… but that said there is one in particular that was just ‘made acceptable’ and in my opinion it was far from okay.

The story is brilliant, stick with it, the pay off is huge. Thanks NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A brilliant book from this author, a great storyline, easy to follow that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

The characters were good overall and kept me interested all the way.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book which I can thoroughly recommend.

I love a good thriller. Something to get the mind working, heart racing and having you on the edge of your seat. Great writing, great characters and a great storyline. All is not what it seems.......no spoilers but it had me fooled! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️