Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Adele Parks, and the sequel to Woman Last Seen - 4 stars!

Kylie has gone missing, is presumed dead, and the secret she kept - being married to two different men - is now out. It's all been too much and has devastated her husband Mark, along with her stepsons Oli and Seb, and her younger, rich husband, Daan. It's Daan who is the main suspect in the case, but DCI Clements isn't convinced. Meanwhile, on the Dorset coast, Stacie is back home with her father after having brain cancer surgery. She's recovering but has lost her memories.

While this is a sequel, it definitely works as a standalone. I read the first, and although the details kind of escaped me, it was interesting to see how it all turned out. I thought this was another well-written, roller coaster thriller from Parks and I enjoyed it, even though some of the storyline was a bit over the top. Told from many different viewpoints, it was good to see how all the pieces came together. Plus, Covid was used as a very effective plot point in the story. Loved the stepsons and the ending was perfect.

Two Dead Wives is a thrilling novel of two seemingly unrelated plot lines that are in fact inner woven. Kylie is missing and signs of torture has been found at her husband’s apartment complex but not her body. Throughout the investigation it’s revealed that she has in fact been living a double life with two husbands and even two stepchildren. One of her husbands is under suspicion for her disappearance and is presumed guilty of her murder. Stacie is a terminally ill woman who has returned to her childhood home to be cared for by her doting, kindhearted father in his isolated cottage by the small. seaside village.. Both of these storylines eventually intersect in a twisty, dynamic fashion. I gave this domestic psychological thriller a 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the twists and turns, the multiple POVs with dual storylines, unreliable narrators, character development, the police procedural element and the satisfying ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA for this eARC that will be released Dec 26 2023.

Absolutely thrilling!!!! This is the first book I've read by Adele Parks and it definitely will not be the last!! I was completely hooked the whole time. Even though we were told who the killer was somewhat early on, I had no idea the types of twists and turns that the story would take me on. I am hooked! This is a fast paced thriller that doesn't quit!

Read if you like:
🚨 Detective Stories
🧠 Psychological Thrillers
🏠 Family Dynamics
🔪 Murder Mysteries

Two Dead Wives masterfully weaves together these seemingly disparate lives, exploring the intricate threads that connect them. Adele Parks skillfully examines the concept of family, love, and fidelity, leaving readers questioning what it truly means to be a family after such profound tragedy. The dangerous secrets and hidden motivations of the characters keep you on the edge of your seat, making this a must-read for fans of suspenseful thrillers.

Whether you’re a seasoned fan of Adele Parks or new to her work, this novel promises an enthralling journey through dark secrets, unexpected twists, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

Two Dead Wives by Adele Parks.
DCI Clements knows the dark side of human nature and that love can make people do treacherous things. You can’t presume anything when it comes to crimes of the heart. Until a body is found, this scandalous and sad case remains wide open.
Stacie Jones lives a quiet life in a small village, nursed by her father as she recovers from illness, and shielded from any news of the outside world. But their reclusive life is about to be shattered.
How are these families linked, and can any of them ever rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy?
I really enjoyed this gripping and twisty book. I did like Clements. 4*.

The plot was absolutely fantastic! I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know. It was a joy reading on my kindle again on these chilly days.

This had an interesting concept. A woman is missing, leaving behind two husbands who have to come to grips with her betrayal. I found this book a little hard to get into because of the constantly changing viewpoints. But a nice read.

DNF @ 40% - I tried to get past the trigger of a terminal illness, but after losing my father to a terminal illness 2 years ago, I still can’t read with this subject. it just goes to show that triggers exist for a reason and to monitor them because at the end of the day, mental health is way more important than books!! however, I loved adele’s writing style and creativity and would definitely try another one of her books in the future!

Two dead wives is set in 2020 lockdown and everybody is following the news about a missing woman named Kylie. As it turns out Kylie has not one, but two husbands, both of whom are prime suspects.

We have an alternative plot line following another woman named Stacie, who has had no choice but to move back home with her father who is caring for her following a unique and tricky surgery.

We have narration from multiple POV, lots of mystery and intrigue and attempts to figure out how all of the storylines and characters relate to one another.

Eventually paths are crossed and both worlds collide and we get some shocks and twists as our questions are answered.

This book has fantastic pacing and lots of suspense. It sucks you right in and takes you on somewhat of a wild ride. With this being a sequel to the first book, a lot of loose ends are tied up nice and neat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a copy of this book!

I received a free copy of, Two Dead Wives, by Adele Parks, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book has a lot going on, a lot of characters with there own chapters, going back and forth is a little confusing, but a good thriller. There are some sick ans twisted people in this world of ours. This book had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what will happen next.

Kylie has been missing for two weeks - in this missing persons cases, the husband is always a top suspect right? But in Kylie, or is it Kai or is it Leigh - it's a lot trickier because there are two husbands. Read this book if you like police procedurals, multiple POVS, and a missing person mystery with plenty of twists and turns. This was a bingeable book for me - finished it quickly because I was hooked and needed to know - who dun it? Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having thoroughly enjoyed a previous work by Adele Parks, which earned a solid 5-star rating from me, my anticipation was high when I discovered her latest release on NetGalley. "Two Dead Wives," a gripping thriller, successfully held my attention throughout. While I thought I had certain elements figured out early on (and was partially correct), the narrative took an unexpected turn, introducing a twist, followed by yet another unexpected development. This continual layering of suspense compelled me to eagerly return to the book, eager to uncover the next plot revelation.

The story unfolds through the perspectives of multiple characters, adding depth to the narrative. However, it was at the conclusion of the book that I encountered an unusual surprise—a "Spoiler Alert." This alert revealed that "Two Dead Wives" is, in fact, a sequel to Adele Parks' previous work, "Woman Last Seen." Although I managed to enjoy "Two Dead Wives" without prior knowledge of its sequel status, I found myself left with lingering questions about the dynamics between Kylie and her two husbands. It became apparent that these inquiries were addressed in the first book, "Woman Last Seen."

While the sequel stands well on its own, my hindsight suggests that delving into the prequel could have enhanced my overall experience with "Two Dead Wives." Consequently, this revelation is the sole reason for my decision to award it a 4-star rating instead of a perfect 5. I am now eager to explore the initial installment, believing that it might provide valuable context and insights, enriching the narrative in ways I might have missed.

Definitely a different spin on the missing wife thriller. This wife has two husbands, both good suspects when she is missing and the police starts an investigation into whether she is just missing or dead. The story seems to move quickly between the two lives/ families without giving us enough clues to figure out exactly what happened to Kylie. I had not read the lead in book so was a little confused at the beginning but soon figured out who was who and where they fit into the story. After that point, the story picked up pace and held my interest. Turned into a great twist on the multiple suspect mysteries and it had the perfect ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

As far as mysteries/thrillers go, I would say this book is top notch. It has characters that feel interesting and complicated alongside a well-thought out storyline that feels just fantastical enough to not be unbelievable. The pacing is also excellent and even though it’s a rather long read I read it in one sitting. Any book that keeps me up past midnight is considered a winner in my world.

Additionally, I didn’t know until the author’s note that this was actually a sequel, so congrats to the author on penning both a compelling sequel and a stand-alone that is successful in its own right. I might have to go back and read the prequel. ;)

Will definitely be reading more from this author. 4.5/5 (rounding to 5 for Goodreads purposes).

When I started reading this book I was not aware that this was a sequel. Regardless of that, this is a decent twisty domestic thriller. I may read the first book and then reread this book to better my understanding of the overall story.

I am so thankful to HTP/Mira, Netgalley, and Elizabeth Gonzalez James for granting me advanced digital access to this fun and twisty thriller before its pub date of December 26, 2024.

It’s rare that a woman is guilty if bigamy so that’s what initially drew me to this novel.
I figured out who one of the characters was early in but then just had to piece together how that person came about.
There are some vile characters in the book like Fiona and a few others.
I liked the boys and felt sorry for them for all the unnecessary hell they had to endure.
I didn’t like Leigh, Kai, Kylie, or whatever moniker she went by. I thought she got off light for all the hurt and trauma she caused.

I have to say, that I didn't read the prequel book, "Woman Last Seen," and I actually didn't have any idea of its existence until I finished this heart-pounding of a book. I read this as a stand-alone thriller, and I enjoyed every second of it. The multiple narrations, the structure of an imploding mystery that makes you guess from the beginning and always keeps you on your toes with building pressure and increasing tempo, mesmerized me.

The plotline is quite attention-grabbing! A bigamist woman is missing, and both of her husbands, including her sixteen-year-old stepson Oli, who is not taking betrayal well. DCI Clemens still digs into the mystery alongside his partner Tanner, who is so focused on putting the blame on Daan, the wealthy, influential husband who lived in the same apartment where his wife was captured and chained to the radiator. Clemens empathizes with Kylie, even though she lived a double life with two different men, creating two different lifestyles: once an upper-class wife of a rich husband, connecting with VIP personas and A-list stars. She was also a devoted mother to two teenage boys, pursuing her secluded life with recently divorced Mark.

The building pressure, the final revelations, and the climax are well-structured. The honest character development made me root for some of them, especially Oli and Seb. Overall, I truly enjoyed what I read.

I came into this not knowing it was a sequel and left desperately needing to read the first book! Two Dead Wives was a fast paced and tension driven story told through the dual POV of several characters. The story was very reminiscent of a great Lisa Jewell novel and did not disappoint with the twists and turns of a fast paced domestic thriller.

A shocking headline of a missing woman who lived a double life is made more scandalous when murder accusations start to fly. As the police try to find the killer, the people around the murder victim deal with secrets connected to her. Author Adele Parks does a remarkable job with a sequel that can also stand on its own in Two Dead Wives.

Everyone in England is talking about the bizarre case of Kylie Gillingham aka Kai Janssen aka Leigh Fletcher. Kylie is presumed dead, but her likely murder isn’t the reason why people are up in arms. Kylie was a bigamist—she lived two separate lives with two husbands in the same city. Now that she’s gone, the police are wondering if one of her husbands killed her.

The husbands in question are hurt, confused, and angry, but they’re both proclaiming their innocence. Mark Fletcher had been married to the woman he knew as Leigh for 12 years. She was the perfect stepmother to his two boys, and the boys adored her too. Leigh was the only mother they remember, but Mark is struggling to reconcile Leigh with the woman the media are calling Kylie.

In the Netherlands, Daan Janssen is equally stunned. He thought Kai, his wife of four years, was the perfect partner. She graced his arm at all the high-society affairs and made the perfect hostess. Why wasn’t he enough for her?

DCI Clements has been troubled about the case from the start, but she’s not going to let that stop her from finding justice for Kylie. The police decide to charge Daan with Kylie’s murder. The woman broke the law by being married to two men at the same time, but no one deserves to be killed.

Despite the start of the Covid pandemic, Clements is determined to solve her case. Never mind that Daan managed to escape to his home country just before lockdown. Clements will find a way to make sure he pays for his crimes.

Meanwhile, outside the small seaside town of Lyme Regis, Stacie Jones is fighting back after her devastating brain tumor. She has no memory of her treatments or anything leading up to the surgery that cured her. Her father has been caring for her since she came home from the hospital, and he’s been a godsend.

The longer Stacie spends recuperating, though, the more she gets the uncomfortable feeling that something isn’t right. She starts mining the few memories that have returned for more information about her life and herself. Stacie is impatient to get back to a normal routine, and she’s living with growing unease that she’s missing a big piece of a puzzle she didn’t know she was supposed to solve.

Author Adele Parks offers readers this sequel to her previous book Woman Last Seen with a plot that is slow to start. About a third of the way through, the book picks up and then continues to move at a steady pace. Readers will no doubt guess one or two of the major plot twists, but others will be completely unexpected.

The strength of the book lies in its ability to be read as a standalone. Parks offers enough back story so those meeting Kylie, DCI Clements, and everyone else for the first time will have all the information they need to understand the mystery of the missing bigamist wife. The book might feel a little light on Kylie’s motivation for her bigamy, but the focus on the narrative is the fallout from it.

Parks gives all the main characters time on the page. This splitting of narratives occasionally works against the book. The author lets seven narrators step forward throughout the novel, which often means examining a scene or memory from multiple points of view before moving on. The tactic also slows down the pacing; it may have been better served if readers got to hear from less characters who spoke more frequently.

Nevertheless, Parks does an admirable job of building a compelling story that connects to a previous one and yet has enough strength to stand on its own. Anyone brand new to Parks’s work or these characters will have absolutely no trouble picking up the main events from the previous book, a lesson writers would do well to study carefully. Those wanting a slow-build novel with lots of excitement toward the end will enjoy this one.