Reading Between the Wines book review #69/115 for 2023:
Rating: 3🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Silent Wife
Author: Ruth Harrow
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: The Silent Wife should be the Google search for gaslighting at its best. It is clear what is going on, but there is another aspect to the story that makes you second guess yourself. I wish the ending was a little more messy and not cleaned up as easily as it was. As much as I was frustrated by the characters reading this book, I enjoyed it.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @InkubatorBooks for an advanced copy of @TheSilentWife.

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4 stars. That was a rather complex and compelling read!! Lots of juicy secrets and deceptions. Unlikeable people doing unthinkable things. It was pretty apparent to me early on what was going on - at least I had my suspicions. I really like when I'm reading a book and I want to shout through the pages to the characters, which was definitely the case with this one!

This book kept me on my toes from the very beginning! Quick, easy read that did NOT disappoint!
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for my ARC!

3.5/5

The book was definitely too long and slow to start. It did pick up. It was hard to like the characters. The twists and turns kept things interesting though!

The beginning hooks you right off the bat! Sarah is mid cooking dinner when she disappears without a trace....only a call to her sitter. Keeps you engaged and curious as the story continues. Simple to follow and read kept me going while wanting to know more. This book does have the shorter chapters that I enjoy so I can move along without feeling long winded. Will recommend to many!

This story was pretty good….I thought the lead was too easily manipulated and a few flaws in how the story moved…otherwise it was just ok for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this psychological thriller and it kept me wanting to read just to find out what was going to happen. Kate gets a phone call from her sister one day while she is doing deliveries at work and she lets it go to voicemail. When Kate finally gets around to listening to the message, she hears Sarah say in a frantic voice that she made a mistake and then the phone is disconnected. What is going on what did Sarah mean by her message and not only that, Sarah is expecting her first baby...is she having second thoughts about that as well. Kate rushes over to Sarah's house and finds her brother-in-law just as frantic wondering why his wife ran out of the house in the middle of food cooking on the stove. Kate and James work together to try and figure out what is going on with Sarah. As time goes on Kate's marriage is also suffering as a result of Kate spending all her time trying to find her sister. Will Kate and James be able to locate Sarah and will she and the baby be found alive.......stay tuned for the reveal. Enjoy!!!

I really enjoyed this story which kept you in suspense throughout the book. The two sisters in the story were troubled but clever at the same time. It leaves a cliffhanger at the end and you’re left wondering what really happened. I was really invested in the characters and the visual of the settings was on point. I look forward to reading more novels from this author.

This book kept me on my toes from the very beginning! Quick, easy read that did NOT disappoint!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for my ARC! 🖤

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just... wow! It's my first time reading a book by Ruth Harrow and man, she captivates you instantly. I could not put this book down. It had great pacing, good characters, and it was filled with secrets and twists that you couldn't see coming.
This was a quick and easy read and I look forward to more by this author.

This was such a gripping read, I could barely put it down. Thoroughly enjoyed it and will be keeping an eye out for more by this author.

This was a good book. The storyline was a bit slow and drug out a bit in my opinion but overall it was a decent book.

A good and well written novel with a lot of twists and turns. Managed to keep my interest and had me eager to find out what else would happen!

A brilliant book, very twisty and compelling. A well written book which had me hooked from the first page. Worth more than five stars. Highly recommend this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Kate gets a mysterious voicemail from her sister, Sarah. Sarah can’t believe she did something and is scared. When Kate calls her back she does not get any answer. This sets off the search for Sarah and has widespread impact on many peoples lives.
What I liked about the book was all the unknowns. Just when you think you know what will happen next, the story moves and goes in a different direction. If you like books that keep you guessing you will enjoy this book!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Silent Wife' by Ruth Harrow.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Ruth Harrow, Inkubator and Zooloos Book Tours .


Publication date 14th May 2023

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'The Silent Wife - a gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, K.L Slater and Daniel Hurst'. I am a MASSIVE fan of all three of these amazing authors so am looking forward to seeing if it lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Headline Accent. I have yet to read a book published by Headline that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book.

This novel consists of a prologue, 68 chapters and an epilogue and is set over 3 parts. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Chester and Blackpool, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in Chester on many occasions including this year and next year again so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.


This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonist is Kate. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.


OMG!!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! WHAT HAVE I JUST READ!?!?!? Ruth Harrow you are an absolute writing legend!!! Absolutely love the constant unexpected twists!!


This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all making your heart pound and you constantly second guessing.


A huge success by Ruth!!! This book has got to be one of the most heart racing books I've read in a long time, if not ever!!! It had me hook, line and sinker from the first page and I could not put it down!!! Every time I said one more chapter it ended on a cliffhanger and I just had to know what was going on!!! This kept on happened over and over until before I knew it I had devoured the whole book in one sitting!! If you are going to read this then clear your day because it is truly unputdownable. I started this yesterday afternoon and finished it at approx 2am, read it in one sitting and although I'm knackered today it was 1000000% worth it!!! Kate gets a call from her sister Sarah but as she is driving in work time and works for her awful mother in law Anne she lets it go to voicemail. When she finally managed to listen to the voicemail she is gripped by the voice of her sister saying she "doesn't know what to do" and that "‘I’ve made such a stupid mistake … I should never have done it …’". Kate drives over to her sisters house but when her brother in law James finally opens the door it's with smoke filling the room behind him and to discover Sarah is nowhere to be found. Kate and James get closer in the search to find missing Sarah and while this is happening Kate's relationship with her husband Chris is falling apart. Where is Sarah and who can Kate trust? This addictive page turner is ram packed with twists, deceipt, mystery, crime, suspense, tension and everything you could ask for in an absolutely gritty action packed page turner and will leave you questioning everyone and everything that is going on. Ruth's evocative writing ensures you are whisked away to Chester and Blackpool and left feeling the wind on your face and looking up at the tower. It keeps you constantly guessing who did what!! It is filled with friendship, romance, lies, crime, mystery, love, secrets, twists, turns and everything you could want from a psychological thriller along with some MASSIVE BOMBSHELLS which will leave you absolutely shocked!!! I for one was NOT expecting that at all!!! The fact that there wasn't just one bombshell that shocked me, towards the end it was like a war one of them and I was absolutely blown away. My jaw literally hit the floor!!! I don't think I have ever been as gobsmacked as I have after reading this absolutely gripping page turner! This book is rammed with suspense and tension and will keep you biting your nails, on the edge of your seat with your heart pounding while your flipping the pages because you just cant stop. Ruth when are you getting this made into a movie so I can be the first in line for it!!! I cannot wait to read more of this extremely talented authors books!!!

This may be the first book I have read by this very talented author but it most certainly won't be the last and I cannot wait to get stuck into more of her previous and future books!!!


There is a good mix of realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. My heart went out to Kate who was getting it from all sides with stress, confusion, hurt and so much more. I really did feel for her after everything she had been through with Sarah previously plus everything else that went on in this book. Unfortunately this is the type of book that, because I know the outcome , I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Ruth's fantastic descriptions and writing skills really did make them jump out of the page and come to life! I won't go into any more information about any of these characters or other ones as I really don't want to give anything away to future readers. Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!


If you read one book on your life, make sure it is this!!!! I would love to see this turned into a movie and Ruth I really hope you are working on your next psychological thriller at this moment because this book will go far!!! A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on what promises to be a MASSIVE success!!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first chapter of Ruth's 'Dear Sister' which promises to be just as addictive as this book and is one I'm definitely looking forward to reading myself!!

Overall an absolutely heart racing, nail biting, unputdownable psychological thriller with a bomb shell you will not see coming!!!



Genres covered in this novel include Women's Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Suspense Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Noir Fiction, Womens Psychological, Domestic Thriller, Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Domestic Thriller and Thriller amongst others.




I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Woman in the Window', 'The Girl on the Train' ,Lisa Jewell, ,Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn , Freida McFadden, K.L Slater, Daniel Hurst. Shari Lapeni, 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Housemaid' aand anyone who loves a book filled with suspense and surprises!!


394 pages.


This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £11.99 in hardback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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A vanished wife...a crumbling marriage...and a web of explosive secrets...

This is the second thriller by Ruth Harrow I've read and she certainly knows how to pull you in. Although slow to start at first, it soon picks up pace as the reveals come and twists are thrown our way.

Sarah has a seemingly perfect life with her adoring husband James, her stunning house and in Insta-perfect life. But behind the facade is an unstable wife living a lie she no longer can. So in the middle of making dinner one afternoon, after a quick phone call to her sister Kate, Sarah silently slips out the door and disappears.

Kate is busy making deliveries for her monster-in-law's business where she is but a humble employee alongside her husband Chris, when her phone continues its ringing. Unable to answer as she is driving, she lets it go to voicemail. When she picks it up she is shocked to hear her sister's whispered voice full of apologies and regret. Leaving nothing to chance, Kate ditches her deliveries and drives over to her sister's illustrious Victorian home to find her husband in his home office out the back and the smoke alarm screeching its dire warning. Dinner, it seems, is burnt. And Sarah is nowhere to be seen.

Worried for her sister and her safety, Kate searches the house for clues to whatever Sarah may have taken with her. But it seems she has left everything behind - keys, phone, purse and all her clothing - taking nothing but the clothes on her back. Her husband James is distraught that she appears to have vanished without a trace, even more so that she has walked away willingly. Why would she have left a perfectly good life and husband who adored her? Unless she has fallen into old habits once again...habits that only Kate knows about. Kate is the only one who knows that Sarah has run away like this before, whenever she has felt crowded or doesn't want to face up to responsibility. And she believes that this is what has caused Sarah to run now. The looming possibility of motherhood has probably shaken her to the core, having just revealed her pregnancy to the world on Instagram shortly before her disappearance.

Kate's own life takes a battering as she focuses on trying to find her sister and there is no compassion or understanding coming from her husband Chris, and even less from her mother-in-law Anne. He shows little care for his wife during a time when you would think he would stand by her and even help her. No, he spends most of his time running errands for his mother and is at her beck and call rather than worrying about his wife and marriage.

So Kate's search for Sarah is primarily done alone with James lending a hand where needed. But Kate knows Sarah best and so it is a search she must undertake alone. But whatever answers she uncovers, should she share her findings with James? Or keep them to herself? Because the more she digs the more secrets she seems to find and she isn't sure what to believe. Exactly what is it that Sarah has been hiding?

But someone wants their secrets to remain hidden...how far will they go to make sure those secrets stay buried?

THE SILENT WIFE is a chilling read in parts. While it does start of slow with seemingly no real direction, it soon picks up as it becomes clear what's happened to Sarah. While there are only a handful of characters, none of them are particularly likeable but some even less so. This story is a perfect example of a narcissistic personality disorder, gaslighting and the secrets and lies told to maintain the facade. It does make for uncomfortable reading in parts.

I really have to question Kate's decisions throughout much of the book. And I want to slap her husband too. Honestly, what was wrong with the man? But Kate...why could she not believe her sister? She should know her sister better than anyone and yes, given her past, know how unreliable she could be. But really, she seemed perfectly lucid to me and yet Kate still refuted her claims. But her bad decisions didn't end there...but I will. You will need to read the book to shake you head at the stupid decisions she makes and circumstances she lets herself fall into.

Overall, a chilling read that was compelling with a steady pace throughout.

I would like to thank #RuthHarrow, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheSilentWife in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I had high hopes for this book. The description had me intrigued and I couldn't wait to dive in. I was waiting for a big plot twist that never happened. The characters were really hard to connect with as well. The ending left you wondering what might have actually happened but I found myself not caring. I will have to check out another book by the author to give her another chance.

Chilling. How well do you really know someone. As you read this great novel you try to figure out who’s telling the truth, what really happened, who to trust and who has the most to gain in the end. I had the hardest time putting this one down! Wonderfully written characters and so many plot twists that leave you breathless and wanting more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Ruth Harrow and Inkubator Books for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I would rate this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Sarah seems to have it all, a great husband, a big house and all the fine clothes you could want, and you do not have to work for a living, and you just find out you are pregnant. Her sister Kate misses a call from Sarah and knows from the brief message that her sister is in trouble. When Kate gets to Sarah's house, she finds Sarah's husband trying to air the house out and clean up a mess from burnt kitchen pans. It appears that Sarah has disappeared in the middle of cooking dinner. Kate wonders where and what has happened to Sarah, but she also knows Sarah's past and she has disappeared before and had many issues, and the main focus is tracing this story line. While this is a decent read i found three of the story lines monotonous which away from the story. The conflict between Kate and her mother-in-law, the relationship between Kate's husband and his mother and the story line between Sarah's husband and Kate. I cannot expand on these relationship as I feel it will give some of the story line away. Give it a read and see what you think.