A slow burn mystery that doesn’t quite satisfy. I love reading about cruises and exotic locations, so I really enjoyed hearing about the life behind the scenes of a cruise ship employee. I wish the author had taken a different approach of Charlotte’s and Sam’s “love story”. I didn’t see the appeal of Sam and why Charlotte would go after him. He’s obviously a con man and has a dozen red flags.

Then there was the problem of Charlotte. I didn’t like the character at all. In the past, she was a fool for falling for Sam and giving him chance after chance when he clearly was only looking out for number one – himself. But then, present day Charlotte was even more a mess. If you are being threatened and on a secluded ship with someone who wants to kill you, get off at the next stop, go to an airport and leave. You don’t stay and insert yourself in different situations to try to figure out who is after you.

2 calculators out of a potential 5. I have previously loved Karen Hamilton’s novels, but sadly this one was a miss for me. Slow burn with a predictable villain.

Thank you to Netgallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Review of The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, I enjoyed this thriller. I loved the cruise ship and then luxury yacht setting very much, but as is the case with so many books I’ve read this year that characters were basically despicable people which sometimes can get in the way of enjoying a book.

Charlotte meets Sam when she is a guest on a cruise and he works in the casino. They fall in love and she ends up working on the ship with him. She quickly releases he is a con artist and he goes about teaching her his ways. Together, they scam many people. Finally she has had enough and is planning to leave him. But then Sam disappears. And she begins to receive notes that someone knows what’s she done and wants to make her pay.

A big thank you to @netgalley and @graydonhousebooks for a copy of this one. This is my seventh NetGalley book I’ve read this year so far for the #theyearofnetgalley.

Set sail aboard a cruise ship to the Caribbean with Charlotte and Sam, where they work as crew and swindle the rich out of cash and jewelry, until they're ultimately found out. Sam sets her up for the blame, leaving an expensive piece of jewelry in her luggage to be searched, before he leaves the ship without her. Now, years later, she's started her own business and is trying to live honestly earning her own money. But someone has started threatening her and Sam that they know the truth, and ominous texts from her ex warning her of danger have her on edge... even more when they stop. She takes a job on an exclusive cruise ship only to realize that the threats are continuing on board. Which passenger knows her secrets? Will she make it through the cruise alive?
I found the main character Charlotte greedy and shallow, but as a con artist, I'm not really expected to like her to enjoy a good thriller story. The cruise ship full of wealthy passengers was the perfect setting for this swindling couple, their stories of love and tragedy perfect to open people's wallets. I enjoyed this adventurous whodunit while the temperature outside my own home is near zero and I'm cuddled up with my blankie and a hot drink wishing I was basking in the sun on a cruise myself!
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Karmic Suspense At Sea. This book is a mystery/ suspense set partly in the UK and partly (or pretty well fully, in its back half) at sea mostly in the Caribbean and even one Alaska season. The dual timeline approach is used here to show the suspense of someone stalking our narrator with information she doesn't want known and which they shouldn't have in the present timeline, with the second timeline being "18 months ago" when her world came crashing down. Except that the 18 months ago timeline is filled at least as much with the entire backstory of how she got to that point as well. This tale is an interesting blend of both cruising and yachting, which are very different experiences. Even though the largest megayachts (such as the Azzam) and the smaller cruise ships (such as Windstar Cruise Lines' Wind Surf) are roughly the same size, with cruising you're usually with a few hundred (at least, it can be closer to 5,000+) strangers + up to 2,000 or so crew members whereas with yachting you're usually with no more than a few dozen people you're at least tangentially associated with - even if only through a common acquaintance - and no more than a hundred or so staff. Also, the onboard experience of a cruise tends to be more akin to a perma-mall/ theme park on a cruise vs a much more exclusive, bespoke experience on a yacht. (Think of the difference of going to say Disney World vs what happens on Bravo's Below Deck shows, for example.) Still, Hamilton actually does a good job showing how similar yet different each of these are, even as she weaves a tale of con artistry and karmic suspense through both facets of sea-travel experience. Very much recommended.

Well paced, great characters and an intriguing premise. I enjoyed the characters and the story, told in two different timelines moved along well. It is a quick, enjoyable read. Strongly recommended

When I first read that this one was about a con artist trying to escape her past I was intrigued. Then part of it is set on a cruise ship where she finds herself trapped, so I was super into that, who doesn’t love a good locked room mystery?! Unfortunately this is a case where it sounded way better than it actually was for me.

It starts out by flipping back and forth between the past and the present. Past focuses on when Charlotte first meets her ex husband Sam and is introduced to a con artist lifestyle and present is after he’s disappeared and Charlotte is left to pick up the pieces of their lives. It’s super slow and when the past timelines finished and the present day took center stage I assumed the pace would pick up and I was wrong. This isn’t a thriller, it has a very small amount of tension and the outcome was weak. Everything just lagged and I was left wanting more. Meh. I’ve read another book from the author and really loved it so I would try her again, this one just didn’t work for me.

Reading this book was mesmerizing and disturbing at times. Charlotte is trying to escape her past as a con artist as well as someone who is threatening her, but instead of escaping when she takes a new job on a cruise ship, the threat seems to have followed her on board. She has only a few clues to the identity of the threat, left behind by her ex Sam, a man who has mysteriously disappeared. I was quickly drawn into her drama, as the time moved from the past to the present and the action ramped up as the threats got closer to destroying Charlotte’s life. There were some really unexpected moments and a lot of deception and manipulation going on. After all, the protagonists are con artists who have honed their craft for years! There were times as I was reading that I did not know whether what was happening was a con or not. The writing was that flawless and good! The story flowed from one scene to another, with more or less victimless crimes since those targeted by the cons were not very worthy people anyway, being entitled and arrogant. I enjoyed the story of Charlotte and her determination to succeed where Sam had failed. I also enjoyed getting to know her weaknesses that were revealed as her background was uncovered. This was a slow build book, but the pace quickened rapidly once the threats began and continued relentlessly to the end. Fans of domestic suspense will enjoy the ride over the waves and the cruise to who knows where.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This review was commissioned by Harper Collins.
From the moment Charlotte begins talking, we know she is not a narrator we should wholly trust; she is very honest about this.
As we navigate through the story with her, despite how much we should remember this, it is impossible not to root for her as she navigates a world where the man she married, a man best left alone, is missing but not gone.
This has been the year for clear, strong writing and Hamilton does not disappoint; I will say that there were passages that had so much going on that they were a little too confusing to engage me fully.
If you like twisty mysteries, do not pass up this 4 star read.

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins and Karen Hamilton.
During the last two years of pandemic with no traveling, I was a delight to be transported on Cruise ships.
The wonder of being transported to another world and leave our troubles behind was a delight.
I loved the setting. Quick read,
Recommend
4 stars

“Secrets make lists of us all.”
THE EX-HUSBAND - KAREN HAMILTON

it sucks when you read an author’s debut or backlist book, and then nothing they release compares to that.

this one fell flat for me. I loved the setting - a cruise ship, the Caribbean, what’s not to love? but the story dragged on, the characters were one-dimensional and the twist wasn’t that twisty.

[ thank you to @netgalley & @harlequinbooks for the eARC! this one releases January 18! ]

Thank you to NetGalley, Karen Hamilton and Harlequin for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that Hamilton did it again; I loved the idea behind this novel and cruise ships and other large boats are really under used as a setting for a novel like this. I really enjoyed being suspicious of all the wrong characters and even though I did guess some of the twists before the ending, the reveal was quite good. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy Hamilton's brand of thrillers!

I loved this story!!!!!!!!! It is a highly fast paced book that keeps you guessing until the very end!!!!! I highly recommend this book.

3.5 ⭐️‘s

After falling for the wrong man and marrying young, Charlotte finds herself going along with all of his schemes. When he leaves her holding the bag, Charlotte is finished. It’s time to live the straight and narrow. Months later Sam goes missing, but Charlotte doesn’t believe he’s in trouble, just another con. When Charlotte starts getting threatening messages demanding money owed, she makes a run for it with a perfectly timed job on a luxury yacht. As the trip progresses, Charlotte is positive that whoever is threatening her is aboard. Someone wants revenge and will stop at nothing to get it! But just who is the ultimate con artist?

This is the story of husband wife con artists. When Sam, the husband, disappears Charlotte is left to answer for their crimes. They both have received threatening text messages but Sam is nowhere to be found when Charlotte tries to contact him. I had trouble getting into this book, it never really grabbed me. For me the story dragged and I wasn’t wild about the ending. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

The Ex-Husband is about a couple who sells other people's information to gain their wealth. The husband, Sam, suddenly disappears leaving Charlotte to take the fall for a lot of Sam's crimes, while Charlotte tries to track down Sam. It ends up being a story of cat and mouse with a surprising ending. I enjoyed this read, however, at points, I felt the story dragged a bit.

This one, was one I almost gave up on, as the beginning was just too slow, glad I didn’t, as it really picked up and had me sitting on the edge of my seat, needing to finish! Written in that fantastic Hamilton style, which really is gripping, fun, and fast paced (most of the time), with excellent character development! Lots of great twists turns, chilling chills, thrilling thrills, and gasp worthy shocks in this roller coaster ride! Highly, juggling recommend, but remind those who do read, to slough through the beginning, because once you do, you’ll be going WOW!

In The Ex-Husband, a character states, “Secrets make liars of us all.” In the case of this book, there really are no truer words spoken.
Secrets also make everyone paranoid. Some for good reason.
The ex-husband in question is Sam, once married to Charlotte, who is the protagonist. The story unfolds solely from her perspective. After a prologue that details when their marriage was, for all intents and purposes, over, the action proceeds in alternating “then” and “now” chapters.
It is an effective story-telling method because the reader gets to see “in real time” how much Sam had a hand in his own failures. Let’s just say a conman is always looking for his next con, and that can be in any part of his life.
Charlotte is aware of this in the “now,” but it is easy to see where she got pulled in and how he manipulated her. I’m not going to say any more, because it really is best to read and discover on your own.
But somebody else is aware of what Sam (and Charlotte) were up to in the past – and they mean to make her pay for it. All this set-up takes some time to relate, and there were a few times I wished the author would get to the point.
After finishing the book, I realized that the long set-up was necessary to build the tension. It would not have been nearly as effective if the author had sped it up. So, yeah, what do I know?
In effect, the author was setting up the long con for the reader as well as for Charlotte. I loved how the connections between characters were made, but the reader never really knew which ones were important, and which were coincidental.
Come to think of it, Charlotte didn’t either. Remember that point about liars being paranoid?
Another thing I liked was how Charlotte would narrate what she was saying as true or untrue. That dwindled a bit in the latter part of the book as the action took off. I wish it had been a bit more consistent later because I found it gave great insight into her character.
I’ve cruised a lot, and I know several people who have and still do work on cruise ships. Some of the things that the author mentions didn’t ring true to my knowledge. But I’m sure she did her research. Perhaps she is not referring to the bigger cruise lines? Not sure.
The section that details Charlotte’s job on a luxury yacht was especially entertaining, as I am a big fan of “Below Deck,” and I totally got that vibe. The opulence also provides a great contrast as she becomes more paranoid.
I also had a “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” feeling in a few parts. That’s all I’m going to say about it. Read it and you’ll understand.
I very much enjoyed The Ex-Husband and would highly recommend this atmospheric, twisty thriller.

The beginning of this book is a little slow, however it ends up picking up and turns into a suspenseful thriller set at sea. I’m a huge fan of books set at sea whether they are fantasy or thrillers. Everyone aboard in this book is a suspect, so it’s also a bit of a locked room mystery. However the mystery wasn’t very difficult to figure out, so if you hate that you may be put off by this one. I did love how everything came together and felt very satisfied at the conclusion.

This is a dual timeline book that shifts between the main characters past and the present. If you’re in search of a fun thriller that keeps you invested, I highly recommend this.

Charlotte's trying to go straight- and to divorce Sam- but someone out there has it in for her. Moving between the time when Charlotte and Sam were a grifting couple ripping off cruise ship passengers and the present when Charlotte is on a private yacht, it's all a little over the top but still fun. Charlotte's got a strong voice. She's also got a problem as the past is coming back to haunt her. Where is Sam? Charlotte's hoping to find him as the ship travels to the Caribbean but....I read this during a week of snow, ice and cold so the settings were especially welcome (oh for a beach trip!). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's a fast read and one where you might guess the answers before Charlotte does but it won't much matter because it's entertaining.

Karen Hamilton is back with another nail biting whodunnit in The Ex-Husband. A bit slow to get going when we hear about Charlotte and Sam’s past targeting wealthy cruise ship passengers but once Charlotte gets back on the sea on a job with a wealthy family, things are anything but boring. This one had me guessing until the very last chapters!