“Whatever you think you know – You’re wrong”


Oh! My Word! That tagline is so right on the mark, I don’t really need to write any more of a review than that!

In fact, to write too much of an in depth review at all might prove to be a fatal mistake, as it will be all too easy to give a vital clue away and I really wouldn’t want to do that, as you definitely need to read this one for yourself – very carefully, or you might blink and miss something!!

The Trapped Wife was billed as a domestic/psychological thriller, but believe me – there is nothing ‘domestic’ about this storyline, it messed with my head and tied me up in knots. Narrated in multiple voices and dual timelines, the short chapters are well signposted and kept me on track, and boy, did I need it. The first lines had the story set in motion and hitting the ground running. The multiple strands of the intense and ever-changing plot, meant that there was never a dull moment, as one mind-blowing twist followed another and I needed to keep my wits about me, although to be fair, the pace was never frenetic. The clues were all there and I came close to predicting the ending; ‘close but no cigar’ as the saying goes, when Samantha threw in that one last curved ball which I just wasn’t expecting.

There were two more or less separate storylines, but each was multi-layered and not at all what they seemed at first glance, especially not as they began to be drawn together in the ever-decreasing circle of sanity and reality (mine that is, not the characters!). The story concerning Rhonda’s daughter, Caitlin, was probably a little weak, if I am being really picky! If I had been Rhonda, who is a teacher, or her second husband Chris, who is a policeman, the incident definitely wouldn’t have been brushed under the carpet, as neatly as it was! However, this was just too good a read to get pernickety over, as the many layers just kept peeling away, to reveal something even more unexpected and destructive underneath.

This slowly unfolding, neatly structured, unconventional and evolving storyline; was dark and highly textured; claustrophobic and immersive; rich in detail, atmosphere and tension. The gripping narrative was confidently written, with an assured almost desperate intensity, yet with complete confidence and assurance in the storyline, both in the way and at the speed it needed to unravel., which it did to perfection.

Samantha created a cast of characters, which although well developed and drawn, were not authentic or likable, just as she had, I suspect, intended. There was little natural synergy or dynamism between them, in which to invest. Multi-faceted, duplicitous, manipulative and self-centred definitely; emotionally complex, with a raw passion maybe; but never genuine or totally believable. They were definitely given free rein to command and control this storyline, which they did assuredly and completely. At times it was really difficult not to get drawn into their downward spiral of selfish retribution and payback. ‘The apple never falls far from the tree’ and that is certainly true in this story, where feuds, grudges and secrets from the school playground come back to haunt a generation.

Ultimately, some of the miscreants got their comeuppance, which I have to say I heartily cheered – The past will always find you out, and revenge is definitely a dish best served cold, especially when it is served by a deadly female who has been scorned. This story puts a visit to the GP into an entirely new perspective. I’ll definitely be watching my back in future!

Samantha Hayes was a new to me author, but I shall most definitely be making time to catch up with some of her previous books and make sure I grab any new releases in the future.

The Trapped Wife took me on a rollercoaster of a journey, so why not read it for yourself and see where it leads you?

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this and review it.

Dr. Jen just returned to work after some time off from grieving for her husband Jeremy, who went on a ski trip with a coworker who Jen believed he was having an affair with, and has been presumed dead because of an avalanche. She currently has a teenaged son but also just found out she's pregnant from a one-drunken night stand she had at a conference before her husband died.

If you think that's enough to deal with you're definitely wrong. She has many more things that come up in her story. This story was in my opinion more of a character building book in the beginning (which was great) but when the time came the plot twisted a hell of a lot all the way to the end of the book and delivered. I couldn't put it down. I love a good thriller and this one definitely is good. Highly recommend.

With her husband dead, her child causing concern with his grief, the local doctor could lose it all when one of her patients decides they should be together. He has enough to blackmail her into complying but can she escape

A cleverly written plot again from this author. The characters are quite strong and the twists are great, definitely didn't see them coming. I have read other work by this author and wasn't disappointed. Her writing style flows well and all the lose ends always get tied up. Earns every one of my five stars. Thank you to netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to preview this title.

An exemplary, harrowing and sinister thriller, that is loaded with breathe taking twists and complicated characters, making this one of the best thrillers I have read this year! I definitely didn't see the conclusion coming at all, but this could be because I had to put this down and pick it up again a few times (without any reflection at all on the book - just life commitments!) I could have easily finished this in one sitting, it had me gripped and intrigued from the first few chapters.

Please ensure that you read up about the topics in this book, as there are some very disturbing and hard to read scenes that could potentially be very triggering for some readers.

Despite this, if you are a fan of dark psychological thrillers, then this is not one you want to miss out on!

Wow! Recovering now I’ve got to the end of this pulsating, darkly sinister psychological thriller. The plot cleverly twists and turns, dropping in breadcrumbs for you to find and piece together in a trail through an emotionally exhausting read! Reality merged so easily with fiction and my emotions were entwined with both Ronnie & Jen, as the plot wound cleverly towards its conclusion.

In a genre littered with “jaw-dropping twists you won’t see coming,” it is kind of rare for me to find one that actually delivers and absolutely floors me.
This happens to be one that does.
I don’t like using the word “literally,” because it gets overused and sometimes loses its meaning. But in this case, I did literally gasp and say, “NO WAY!” out loud more than a few times.
And at the end, I just sat there thinking, “What the hell did I just read?”
To be more succinct, this book was freaking awesome.
It’s everything anyone could want in a psychological thriller.
Sympathetic main character: check
Jen is a mess as she deals with the recent death of her husband (Jeremy), a moody teenage son, and the repercussions of a night that she would rather forget.
Ominous occurrences: check
The mystery surrounding Jeremy’s death, their marriage that may or may not have been in trouble, a strange patient (Jen’s a doctor) who is obviously a threat…for some reason. They’re all present.
Flashbacks: check
Labeled simple as “Then” in various chapters, the story from the past has obvious ties to the present…but it’s not exactly clear what those ties are.
Red herrings: check, check, check.
Who is M? Who is Scott? What does the past have to do with the present? Who is the real monster in all of this? Just when you think you know the answers to these questions…you don’t.
The author has created such an intricate plot that even little innocuous things that don’t seem important suddenly loom large as the real picture comes into focus. It’s this attention to detail that makes this book as amazing as it is.
Wisely, there is a slow build as the author lays the groundwork for the fireworks that are set to go off in the last third of the book. And when you get to that part, hang on. Because roller-coaster doesn’t even begin to describe it.
If ever there is a time to NOT give away any important details, this is the time, because you truly need to discover the twists on your own. The tag at the top of the cover is 100% correct.
I will repeat, just when you think you know why a character did something…you don’t. When you think you know who someone really is…you are mistaken. And when you think you figured out how everything fits together…you most certainly did not.
The twists do not stop until the very last page. Literally (there’s that word again). And the last part of the book will leave you questioning how you feel about…everything you just read.
If you get to the end and want to go deep and philosophical, I’ll just throw out there to think about who the real monsters are in this book. You may be surprised at your answer.
Do yourself a big favor and pick this one up. If you are a psych thriller fan, it should be at the top of your TBR list.

It’s not often a tag line on a book really delivers what is promised. However in this case it is shockingly accurate. Anyone who says they guessed this is either psychic or a little fibber.

Told from Jen and her best friend Rhonda’s perspectives, and also with a past narrative from two schoolchildren. You are blindly lured into believing this is a domestic drama about a woman whose husband has died in an avalanche and who was possibly drugged and raped while away at a work conference.

The slow pace at the start gives you time to really get to know the characters, or so I thought. Jen is a local GP and mum to Kieran and has just discovered she is pregnant. Not her dead husbands as they were no longer sleeping together, paranoia and insecurity of an affair playing a part in him sleeping on the couch before the fatal accident.

Rhonda is a teacher and mum to Caitlin, thank heavens for her as she was the character that made the most sense and was a voice of reason when the waters became muddied. Even though Jen is keeping the news of her pregnancy from her, she repeatedly showed her loyalty to their friendship.

Then there is the new patient at the GP surgery, Scott Shaw who has just moved to the area but seems familiar and dangerous.

I really can’t say much more about any of the other characters or the plot except to say the connections that bring the plot and subplots together will blow your mind. This book really is one of those that the less you know the better. The twists are belters and the author’s note at the end was even a shocker!

Oh my! Just by reading the premisis of this book I was hooked! "....I feel your hand squeeze mine as you top up my glass and ask about my day as a doctor in our small town. It’s the perfect domestic scene, except for one tiny fact: I think my husband is dead, and you are just another patient of mine…"

This is a multi-layered ride of a read! You will find a lot of twists and flashbacks to the past. What's the best thing about this book for me is that the ending was a surprise.
Don't be put off by a slow start it gathers speed rather quickly!

Thanks a lot #NetGalley #Bookouture and #SamanthaHayes for this ARC

This book grabbed me from the first chapter, although the prologue had me scratching my head a little. How would these two strands weave together? What does a lonely kid being picked on have to do with a widowed GP staring in horror at a pregnancy test?
My heart went out to Jen, still grieving the death of her husband, Jeremy, and trying to piece together the events of a night her memory refuses to divulge.
Throw into the mix Jen's best friend Rhonda, husband Chris, daughter Caitlin and Jen's son, Kieran and a mysterious patient with a hidden agenda and … well, suffice to say there are most twists than a hair-raising rollercoaster.
I genuinely had no clue how it would all pan out, but the author expertly knits the seemingly unconnected plot threads together. I gasped out loud on several occasions and the ending totally took me by surprise.
My thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this mind-blowing book. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a gripping thriller, a tense read.

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

First, I want to thank Samantha Hayes, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review!

YES!! Samantha Hayes is back and better than ever in her latest psychological thriller The Trapped Wife! She never disappoints her fan base, her stories are always twisted and oh so good!!

Immediately I was drawn to the beautiful cover that featured a gorgeous blue butterfly. If you know me then you know how sentimental they are to me and how much I adore them. Along with the cover, the description of the book and being a fan of Samantha’s I had to read this book.

Right away I loved that the main character Jenn had her dream job working as a doctor in a small town practice.

The Trapped Wife was one of the more unique stories that Samantha has told. She kept you on your toes and if you blinked you probably missed a good detail of the story.

There was a character that really rubbed me the wrong way when he was introduced. As time went on my initial gut reaction of this character was spot on. Oh how he creeped me out.

My heart went out to Jenn who lost her husband in a very freak accident.

Oh the twists and turns in this book will make your head spin!!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The first half of this long and tangled tale was certainly suspenseful. Did I guess whodunit? Yes, I most certainly did, but the author’s skillful misdirection had me doubting myself more than once.

<img src=”https://c.tenor.com/lt_OYK0GlXcAAAAd/avalanche-daredevil.gif”/>

Jenn’s beloved husband, Jeremy, is dead - killed in an avalanche during a skiing strip in the Alps. Several weeks later, Jenn is stillgrieving, but she is also hiding a secret – one that might ruin her reputation as a trusted and revered local GP in her small rural community.

When Jenn returns to work, one of Jenn’s patients starts to take an unusual amount of interest in her, and we begin to fear that he is indeed stalking her. What is going on? Why does Jenn give him so much leeway? Is Jenn in danger?

<img src=”https://media1.giphy.com/media/XbPbxAwp49co0rkstl/200w.gif?cid=82a1493bnijygf290e7n4fto478o6vrjb6od962fnxmyn77y&rid=200w.gif&ct=g”/>

The conclusion of this twisted tale will confound and surprise many (but I have to confess that I suspected much – but not ALL - of the truth almost from the very beginning. There were plenty of clues left lying about, but of course we usually accept things at face value.

A very clever story indeed, with excellent writing although some parts seemed to stretch on a bit too long, and there were quite a few repetitive scenes and inner monologues towards the end.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/hbBsEVX.gif?noredirect”/>

I will also have to admit that the last chapter and even the Epilogue had me worried for a while there. I didn’t know who I was rooting for anymore. Was justice done in the end? Did the guilty parties pay for their crimes? You will have to read this winding, red herring-filled thriller for yourself to find out! I’m rating this one a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Samantha Hayes and NetGalley for this advanced review copy. This thriller kept me on my toes to say the least. I love a book that keeps you guessing and while this felt to drag on a little, the ending was just what I was hoping for. I felt in the main characters head but also found myself second guessing whether I could trust her.

This book kept me intrigued all the way through
! Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I will be recommending to friends, family and my social media sites! It was my first from this surfeit and can’t wait to add more!

Entertaining, Dark and twisty. The characters are well drawn Even if the story is nothing new the writing is easy to follow and there's something going on all the time. Suspicion and lies uncovered with a satisfying ending

Jen Miller, a respected physician, is now a widow and has a teenaged son. What is more is that she has found out that she is pregnant. However, for several months, even before her husband's passing, they were not intimate. Who is the father of her baby? Why is that so unclear to her? As she starts to piece things together, her best friend Rhonda is also doing the same.

Intriguingly, Jen soon finds that she must keep a secret, although she is not even sure of why she has to keep the father of her baby a secret. Then there is the fact about why Jen and her husband were having problems before he died. Factor in her teen son and Rhonda's teen daughter and nothing at all is clear in this story. In fact, convoluted is the best word to use for this story, especially with regard to another character.

Secrets and lies, as well as the past and the present that soon spirals out of control leaves Jen in an incredible quandary. Then there is the reason why this story is named The Trapped Wife, but I am not going to mention any of that in this review.

As this story evolved, it was like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. It is often said that a story is full of twists and turns and that is certainly the case with this thrilling book. The tension in this story was top notch. However, the final twist really knocked me for a loop, one that I never saw coming and the conclusion truly shocked me. Kudos to a fabulously written story that will not soon be forgotten.

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

I received and ARC from NetGalley and Bookture in exchange for an honest review.

First, the blurb has nothing to do with the book! Nothing. It’s nowhere in the book and I don’t feel it has something to do with the action.

Now, I love a good thriller. I love to be surprised and not figuring out who the “villain” is. But this book was very predictable! It’s really easy to figure out who is who, who is the killer and the victim.

I feel some parts were left unexplained. I wish Rhonda could have had a big role towards the end though. Throughout the book, the main character had a lot of different opinions about the same topic. In the beginningC she’s kinda scared and in the end she’s this powerful woman who doesn’t give a damn about anything.

I liked the plot twist, but that’s kinda all. I wish it wasn’t so predictable..

WOW, what can I say about this dark psychological thriller other than, it’s jaw dropping and has stopped me from getting my housework done this afternoon as I couldn’t put it down!

Jen’s husband is missing, presumed dead, after an avalanche on a ski holiday. She is left with her teenage son, who is struggling to come to terms with his father’s death.

Jen discovers she is pregnant, but her late husband can’t possibly be the father. She had a one night stand at a business conference, but her memory of it is vague. She keeps getting flashbacks, trying to recall what happened.

Enter Scott, who is very controlling and Jen soon realises that he is trouble. Jen’s best friend Rhonda notices immediately that something isn’t quite right about him.

Chapters are written from the point of view of mainly Jen and Rhonda but also some from the past. This slowly helps build up the storyline at a good pace, then, WOW, the pace quickens and everything falls into place. But then, a massive twist, which I didn’t see coming!

If I can recommend one thriller to you this month, it’s this one for sure!

I have never read anything by this author before but I will now be adding the back catalogue to my tbr list.

Many thanks to netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC. Really happy to discover a new author. (Now back to the housework!)

I found this to be a typical domestic thriller with some surprises thrown in towards the end.

The protagonist was frustrating and made me roll my eyes even though I tried to put myself in her shoes. Between my dignity and my life, I would choose the latter. Yet she consistently chose to give in to the antagonist to 'save face' rather than just call the damn cops.

I didn't really mind the pacing but most of the book was dull and predictable. Thankfully, the last few chapters made up for it.

The rain hammers the glass outside. My husband has stoked the wood burner with a fresh supply of logs, and I’ve just put a joint of beef in the oven. It’s the most clichéd Sunday afternoon ever, and it’s the most heavenly one, too. Little do I know that days later, the ash in the fire will be all that remains of us…

My perfect life…

I thought I had it all – a dream job as a doctor in small town, a stunning home and a family I adore – but that illusion shattered the moment my husband Jeremy left on a work trip and vanished without a trace. Now my son and I are all alone in the world.

My missing husband…

My best friend thinks Jeremy had an accident up in the mountains, that I’ll never see him again and need to move on. I know he loves us too much to ever abandon us, but my head is still spinning with the texts I found on his phone before he left. Did I ever really know the man I married?

The night I can’t remember…

Everything changed the night of the medical conference weeks before Jeremy disappeared. I wrack my brains for answers, but my memory goes blank after my first drink. Ever since, I’ve felt like I’m being followed and can’t explain why panic thunders in my chest every time I see my newest patient. If he’s not local to the village, then why does he seem so familiar? And so dangerous?

As I piece together the shards of what really happened that fateful evening, only one thing can possibly be true: everyone is lying, even me…

(https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0977J5ZBG?tag=bookouture-cover-reveal-au-22&geniuslink=true)

Yes, a perfect life but then it starts to unravel, in spectacular fashion and with very many painful impacts.

This description sets the scene for this enthralling book, which may start slowly but soon ratchets up the tension, bit by bit, until you can’t wait to find out the truth, whatever that is. The story is multi-layered, visiting both the past and the present and these are expertly woven together. The story is told by the protagonist Jen, and her best friend Rhonda. These contrasting viewpoints add depth to the narrative.

The tale grows twistier and the events of the medical conference loom large as does the mysterious new patient. In addition, there are problems with both Jen and Rhonda’s children. Complex patterns emerge and then are shattered as misdirections become clear.

I loved the ending and the constant plot twists, the tensions, and really wanted to know the ending but didn’t want it to finish. An excellent book, thrilling, and highly recommended.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #bookouture for the ARC.