We have all seen so many reviews that rave about "roller coaster" books. "The Lying Wife" is just that, a roller coaster with an insane drop, gut-twisting turns and flips, and just when you think you can't go any farther... a surprise parachute out into the unknown. It is the ride to end all rides!

About halfway through (after one night of staying up way too late reading), my husband asked me how I liked the book. "One star," I told him, "I HATE the lying wife character". I was only partially exaggerating, the book was very well written, so it had at least 4 stars, despite the fact that I was truly exasperated and disgusted by Callie, the main character, and self-professed (in the fourth sentence of the book) murderess.

It wasn't always that way between Callie and I, initially I really, really liked her. But little by little, I went from being her cheerleader to thinking she was a crazy serial killer... on top of being completely unlikeable. How is it then, that at the very end of the book, I completely flip-flopped like a politician in power too long, and once again was Callie's biggest fan!? I was so touched by her, that I was crying.

FIVE STARS. Epic read. Easily one of my "Best of 2022"

Big thanks to Net Galley, 10Canelo & most warmly to Kathryn Croft!

This book was an interesting read although I didn't like Callie's character. I wasn't expecting that ending !!!! A story well worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC

The power of a mothers love & what she will do for her children

Portrays the challenging relationship and journey of establishing a relationship with step children.

Callie the evil step mother trying to win over her bereaved step sons after marrying their father and literally stepping into their mothers shoes a complex character, misunderstood, naive and living under the fear of inheriting a mental illness what hope does she have.

The darling step sons who are not going to make things easy for her the little angels.

Really encouraging to see an author write about Mental Illness in such an accurate and sensitive way.

So they say most stories have a beginning, middle and end and this was very prominent in this book.
For me it started well but then is just lost it's flow as in it became predictable and sluggish and I became a bit disengaged but I persevered and am glad I did because wow what a build up to an explosive ending i'm still reeling from that one!

What a gripping, chilling, psychological thriller "The Lying Wife" is! Enjoy this thrill ride by Kathryn Croft!

I’d like to thank Canelo and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Lying Wife’ written by Kathryn Croft in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Callie is married to James whose first wife died three years ago. James’s sons Dillon and Luke hate Callie for taking their mother’s place and although she’s trying her best to get them to accept her they’re doing everything they can to get rid of her. Callie makes a stupid mistake and from then on everything goes wrong until there’s no way back for her.

‘The Lying Wife’ begins with Callie in the police station being charged with murder and as we get further into the story we learn why DS Connolly is questioning her while Callie tells of the events leading up to her arrest. I remember enjoying this novel in 2014 when it was previously published under the title of ‘The Stranger Within’ and I’ve been keen to read it for a second time to see if I’m of the same opinion. I can honestly say that this is an intense and enthralling psychological thriller that’s just as good as it was on reading it eight years ago. Although it starts with Callie being arrested for murder, we aren’t told until the final chapters who she’s supposed to have murdered, which is an ingenious way to keep the reader guessing. I’ve been gripped from page one with the tension, drama and twists and turns that have been on every page, until I reached the conclusion that was as surprising as it was unexpected. I’ve found this a thoroughly enjoyable thriller that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Prev published under ‘The Stranger Within’ in 2014,didn’t notice that when requested,apologies as read it under previous title

Oh I am not sure about this one, by the end Callie really annoyed me and I found the ending really unbelievable and actually a little trite.. I did get to the end though which I guess means it absorbed me enough for that. I have read better in this genre.

Callie is in way over her head. Her new husband is a decade older than she is. The house she lives in is filled with reminders of her husband's first wife. Her new stepsons hate her and are determined that she'll never replace their dead mother. She makes bad decisions, followed by worse decisions, followed by absolutely stupid decisions. And because of that, she's hard to feel sympathetic towards. I never got caught up in her story or intrigued enough to care what was going to happen to her.

4.5 stars. Twisty and entertaining. I’m glad I picked this one up. Sometimes you just know from the first couple of pages that you are going to get on with a book. It had the perfect balance of intriguing family dynamics, simmering domestic tension, and unfolding drama.. There were quite a few layers to the story and I found Callie an interesting and quite sympathetic character. This was a fun, scandalous, and satisfying read, and just what I needed.

Callie thinks she has finally got everything she has wished for- a husband and kids. She quickly discovers that she ,at not have the happy ever after that she has wished for. Her step kids seem to hate her and her husband is having an affair. As Callie struggles to hold everything together, she spirals out of control.
This was a book that I could not put down, and the twist at the ending was perfect for a psychological thriller! Highly recommended!

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Canello and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Great story. Loved the characters especially the kids and annoying neighbor. Kinda predicted where the story was going but still enjoyed the ending. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Callie really means well, but seems to get in her own way often, despite trying to make her ready-made family function. She struggles with a relationship with her new step-sons, who certainly don't make it easy on her. From there, it is a slippery slope for her. This was a solid read that meandered through Callie's story until the conclusion. Callie manages to be both likable and relatable, but also will leave the reader scratching their head, wondering what the hell she is thinking. #TheLyingWife #NetGalley #ReadingEscape #JennReviews

Thank you for sharing this book with me. I found this story completely absorbing. It was well written and at times I found the characters unpleasant, at others I loved them. The ending both surprised me, but also I expected it.
The storyline was not one that I had anticipated & perhaps if I had I wouldn't have requested the book.
I recommend this book to those who like mystery & thrillers.

I have been wary for sometime about books with feminine words in titles, you know like- girl, woman, she, wife, lady and so on. Obviously, I was a little skeptical before starting this book, but to my surprise I quite enjoyed reading this book and the first 3 quarters of the book went really fast. There are some books in which you don't really like most of the characters in the story but still because of other redeeming factors, you end up liking the book. This book falls under that category.

Callie is a step-mother to two boys, one a preteen and the other a rebellious teenage boy, and both are quite adamant in refusing Callie in a mother's role. It doesn't help that Callie seems a little distant throughout the story. What Callie wants is to be a mother and have a wholesome family life with James, her husband. But unfortunately her dream of having a perfect family comes crumbling down as events unfold. Its really difficult to like her character although the story is written from her first point perspective, and that says a lots about her.

I liked the fast pace and its sheer readability, you know you read for half an hour and find that altough you are shaking your head, you still want to find out what happens next. The last quarter of the book was a bit of drag though and it could've been shortened to make it more a tightly-woven plotline. But overall I liked reading this book.

Callie has known sadness, and sometimes doubted she would ever have the life she wanted. When she meets James, also no stranger to grief, it seems as though her luck has changed. She becomes his wife, and in the process a stepmother to his two sons. Callie has finally got what she always imagined for herself. But things don't go to plan for Callie. She tries to get things right, but at every turn she makes mistakes. If only she can show her new family how much she cares. A split-second decision leads to her spiralling out of control, and there's no way back for Callie.

The story starts with Callie confessing to murder. We then find out the backstory to what had happened to make Callie confess. But we don't know who it is that she has murdered - I was continually second guessing to who it was. Filled with suspense, you never knew what was going to happen next. The pace is steady in this gripping read. The ending was totally unexpected.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #KathrynCroft for my ARC of #TheLyingWife in exchange for an honest review.

Love, love, LOVE this book!!

Sometimes those of us who read a lot of fiction can get a muddled about which plot happened in which book, and as for remembering characters names?! - Ha! No chance! This is book however, broke the mould - utterly memorable, without a doubt the best thriller I have read this year.

Callie is a young woman, happy with her husband, but less so with the 2 teenage stepsons who refuse to give her a chance. In an attempt to connect with the boys she befriends the best mate of the older son, combine this with the suspicion that her husband is having an affair and what follows can in some ways be predicted .... and in some ways ....just not!!

Just read this book. trust me.

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Noooo! What just happened?

I was all set to give this book 3 stars, right up until.... well, no spoilers. But when they say an unexpected twist, they weren't joking. I didn't like Callie, and to be honest, I couldn't fathom half the things she was up to. For one thing, why on earth didn't she confront James about Tabitha? That was weird. Or tell James about her dad? And those kids needed a serious wake up call long before they got one. I also would have loved an afterword, with a small glimmer of redemption.

All that aside, this was a shocker, and it kept me reading way past my bedtime. I kept feeling guilty and terrified of being caught out, only to remember that (phew!) it's not me who has a sword over my head! And that is worth 4 stars in itself.

P.S. I searched everywhere for mention of Jazzy, if something happened there it would have been curtains for this book. Happy to say, he was fine.

Let’s start with the cover… it is beautiful and really draws you in. This is a psychological thriller and takes place around Callie. Callie means well but honestly she’s a mess. It starts in the middle with a murder confession and takes you for quite the ride and the writing style is really well done. The story is not the most original but it’s executed well. If you’re looking for a domestic thriller to give you an escape for a few days this is worth the ride.

Quick read; decent domestic thriller that did feel a bit like a Lifetime movie in its execution. The MC was very hard to like, but being uncomfortable with narrator's is part of what makes a thriller compelling. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

I was very intrigued by the title of the book and that's why I picked this one. The book was interesting but all the characters in the book were so annoying and whiny that it just made me hate the whole story. The actual twist and the ending was brilliant and it was the best part of the book for me.

I for one can't tolerate cheaters. So once that started, it made me lose interest in the plot. The main character was Callie who married James 3 years ago. James lost his wife and has 2 children. Callie has now become a step mom to 2 boys, Dillion and Luke. James and Callie had a 10 year age gap and were not accepted by all, especially his children.

The book opens with the Callie's confession of a murder and the whole book is actually her narrating about what lead to it. Callie was a destructive person who started drowning in the lies she concocted. The whole book was a downward spiral. It was entertaining to read but it was not gripping through out. If you want a crazy thriller to read, you can check this out.