Member Reviews
Thank you NetGalley, Sue Watson and Bookouture for the ARC of The New Wife. This is my personal review.
This is my second book I have read by this author. I wanted to like this book, but it really was not the book I was hoping to read. I wanted the heart pounding can’t figure out why things are happening kinda book.
It just left me saying “OK what next” when I was waiting for the intense hold my breath book.
The setting of the story was absolutely perfect. But for me the characters and mystery did make it.
Wow! This one kept me on my toes from start to finish. I thought I had it figured out 9 times but I never imagined the ending. Loved it! Sue Watson never disappoints!
This is my second outing with Sue Watson and I wasn’t disappointed. Written from single mother Georgie’s viewpoint, it tells of her fight to clear her son’s name when Lauren, his wife of three months, is found dead at the bottom of their stairs in their remote cottage on Bodmin Moor.
Everything seems to be against Sam, and the case cut and dried. Georgie’s close, long term relationship with Lauren’s parents Helen, and Tim, fractures and is beyond repair. No one, it appears, wants to believe Sam isn't the murderer.. But Georgie won’t give up, and her determination and belief in his innocence see her beginning to questions the evidence. Gradually, she begins to discover odd disparities in the investigation. And these inconsistencies point to a completely different explanation to Lauren’s death.
Georgie’s character drives this book. She is a tough individual, having brought Sam up on her own. She is convinced he would never hurt Lauren. Cleverly written, there are several other characters whose actions make them worthy suspects. It’s a story that keeps you dancing from one suspect to another. Although after one particular scene, I guessed who the real murderer was, but pushed my thoughts to one side, determined to enjoy this gripping read.
My thanks to Sue Watson, Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of The New Wife in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get past 30% of this book. I didn’t connect with any of the characters….Georgie irritated me and since it’s told in her POV I couldn’t finish. This got very good reviews and just wasn’t for me.
The New Wife is a gripping twisty thriller of a book. It’s full of secrets and lies and will entertain you with each turn of the page. I enjoyed every moment of this book from the characters, to how the plot unfolded and the climactic ending. Brilliantly written. I can highly recommend and would rate this 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the advanced review copy.
This was my first psychological thriller by the author Sue Watson.
The final few chapters of this book made it for me-
"that by speaking up I’m speaking for all those Sadies out there who have no voice, whose mothers don’t hear them, whose stepfathers touch them, and when a kind teacher offers them a lift home, they climb happily in his car."
This- speaking up to any sort of child abuse I feel passionate and it was just what this book needed after being drawn out for so long! So bravo to Sue for bringing such an important matter to then end of this book.
Now.....
'The New Wife' was very slow and drawn out for the best part of the book- then all of a sudden it sped up without any real wow moment to it.
Comments made by Georgie like " made me realise how stupid I’d been not to see the red flags."
Made you say to yourself 'what!?! There were none!?!' you've just said that to make it fit to the storyline.
So then further towards the end of the book and all the plot twists start unfolding, (you find it can only be 1 of 5 people) but it did come together nicely, all loose ends were tied up so you weren't left asking any questions, and I enjoyed the final few sentences leaving the book on a cliffhanger.
It wasn't the best writing and best storyline, but it was an ok read and I would give Sue Watson another try in the hope it would be more fast paced and had more substance. 2/5 stars.
Sue Watson has done it again, another amazing thriller. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this so I looked forward to reading it before it is released later in November.
This story follows a close family who’s children have recently got married - but Lauren is found dead at the house only a few weeks after the marriage.
This was a proper mystery, I was suspicious of everyone throughout this book and really didn’t trust anyone. I thought I had worked it out but was totally wrong and would did not see the many twists that were embedded within the book. Finished this super quickly and just adored it and not being able to guess what happened, I also love the short chapters!
If you like a twisty thriller focussed and books that you struggle to put down then I highly recommend this (and any of Sue’s previous thrillers- all amazing).
Thank you to Net Galley for giving me a chance to read this before it is published on 19th November 21.
Really enjoyable book. New to the author but have already added her other novels to my list.
Every character in the book has a certain distinguishing persona, and all have secrets. Each has a depth to them that is unravelled as we look at the death of Lauren and the repercussions.
I love a good thriller and this lived up to expectations, more then once you’ll think you’ve figured out the culprit for the whole ideology in your thinking to be turned upside down….again and again as the chapters and characters evolve.
A1 for plot, storyline and group of characters, who you will like, dislike or learn to accept.
Another belter from Sue Watson! I loved the fact this was a whodunnit and settled myself in to work out who the culprit was. As usual, I got it completely wrong! A fabulously entertaining read with plenty of twists and turns and a shocker of an ending! I think this might be her best yet.
As Georgie stands with her best friend Helen at their children's wedding she feels their family circle is complete. Sam and Lauren met aged 3 at nursery school and were childhood sweethearts finally marrying in their mid twenties. However only a few weeks after their wedding Lauren is dead and everything Georgie ever thought she knew about her nearest and dearest is put to the test. Suddenly the close friendship is dissolving around her as everyone struggles to come to terms with their loss.
The setting for this novel is the bleak Dartmoor moors and the vivid descriptions in the book add to the tenseness. Just when I thought I knew what had happened the story turned again. A great book. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
I don't think I've read anything by this author. This was a good read and I enjoyed the plot. Will certainly try another one of her's.
Fast pasted mystery that kept me guesting until the very end, First time reading Sue Watson and really enjoyed reading The New Wife. Just goes to show you, you don't really know what goes on any relationship. Thank you Net Galley and publisher for letting me review the book,
Another awesome author, Sue Watson, with another thrilling novel! Sue is an author whose books I always read and enjoy since they consistently keep me on the edge of my seat! The New Wife is her latest and it will be out on November 19.
Take a look:
You can never truly know what goes on behind closed doors…
My darling son, Sam, is marrying his childhood sweetheart and I couldn’t be prouder of the man he’s grown into. Walking out on his abusive father all those years ago was the best thing I ever did. And today he stands, tall and handsome, saying ‘I do’ to my dream daughter-in-law. If I hadn’t pushed them together all those years ago, he might never have found a girl as perfect as Lauren. It’s true what they say, mother always knows best.
But weeks later, Lauren is dead and police cars fill the driveway of their idyllic countryside home. As they question Sam, I sense he’s hiding something. Why won’t he look me in the eye? And who does he rush off to meet as soon as the police are gone?
Desperate, I do what every good mother would do: I let myself into Sam and Lauren’s bedroom. What I see, I will never be able to forget. My son’s beautiful new wife was hiding a dangerous secret. Can I clear my son’s name? And could my life be in danger now too?
While you are waiting for this to be published, you can read one (or all) of her other books!
Sam and Lauren are newlyweds and their families have been lifelong friends. Spending holidays together, sharing the trials of parenting and growing up and the joy of being part of one big family, the mothers, Helen and Georgie are the best of friends. That all comes crashing down just three months after the wedding, with Lauren dead at the bottom of the stairs in the cottage they’d moved in to. When the police reveal they’re treating her death as a murder, secrets and lies start floating to the surface. Did any of them really know each other as well as they thought they did? As Georgie fights to clear her son as a suspect, she finds herself facing more and more stories she’d rather not know.
The New Wife was such a twisty read! My heart ached for most of the book, watching the aftermath of Lauren’s death tear each and every character apart. I suspected I knew the outcome so many times, but I never figured it out until it was presented to me at the very end 😅
I’ve read and enjoyed one other Sue Watson novel before but I think I’ll pick up more of her books. Her writing style is so addictive! The New Wife is fast paced right from the beginning. You’ll find no slow burn, irrelevant storylines here. Just a compulsive read with plenty of shocking twists and turns!
Sue Watson is another Bookouture favourite of mine. I adore all of her books, however this is quite possibly a favourite.
This is just absolutely brilliant!! I have been completely captivated and blown away by this spectacular read!
As always, Watson has transported me to the setting and made me feel as though I know the characters present. Sam and Lauren move away from civilisation to a more remote area. This alone has been enough to make me need more.
I have found myself unable to trust anyone whilst reading this one. This is a completely addictive novel which will keep you turning each page in utter desperation to know more.
A most definite five star read and one that needs to be on the TBR.
Thank you so much for this ARC!
I LOVE Sue Watson and still remember how blown away I was by The Sister In Law. The New Wife tops it for me now! What an incredible twisty, turny ride with another unpredictable ending. Just when you think you have it figured out, you DON'T!
Five stars for sure!
Georgie has watched as her son, Sam married his childhood sweetheart, Lauren. Georgie is so happy and proud. She knows Sam is going to be happy. It's all she has ever wanted. Then one evening Sam calls her, and the shock of that conversation is earth shattering. Lauren is dead and the police are investigating. What happened?
Georgie is determined to stand by her son, but it becomes clear that many of the characters in this book are hiding secrets - some bigger than others and as they say...the plot thickens.
Sue Watson has crafted a tale with many twists and turns that is narrated by Georgie. Just when I thought I had things figured out, there were little snippets of information and reveals. How well do you know those in your life? What goes on behind closed doors? What lies do we tell others? What lies do we tell ourselves?
This book had many twists and turns which kept my interest and had me wondering what the ending would reveal. I found this book to be enjoyable but it did not blow me away as The Sister-in-Law did. Having said that, I did enjoy it and various the twists and reveals. After finishing the book, I was able to reflect back and think ".... oh, now I understand that scene or that character's motivation, reactions, etc."
Fans of Watson will not be disappointed. Other reviewers are enjoying this slightly more than I did so please seek out their reviews as well.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
A solid four star read. Well written. Fantastic characters. Fast paced. Gripping. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled but t I guessed the culprit.. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it
This is another great book by a wonderful author. I can't remember how many times I changed my mind and picked a different suspect, but boy oh boy, I did not see this coming.
I have to say I had a totally different plot in mind. 😊 Would it have worked? I don’t know, but it certainly means I missed the ball completely and I did not work it out for the umpteenth time. 😉
How well do you really know the people you have known for years and spent hours, days with? It seems like that depends on how good they are at keeping the truth hidden. Are you too naïve or too trusting, because you did not see right through their stories? Maybe, maybe not. Some people are true masters in keeping secrets and only revealing what they want the world to know, which is often very different from the real thing.
Even though someone did not lose any sleep over their actions before, they suddenly seem to take a U-turn. Not everybody is happy with that decision and that’s when everything comes tumbling down…
I loved the story which kept me guessing the whole time and kept me up till 2 am. 5 stars
Thank you
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.
A fast-paced read, filled with suspense, thrills and shocks. I would definitely recommend this book.