A slow-burn psychological mystery. Finn returns to his childhood home in Mallorca to claim his inheritance when his estranged father dies. But his new wife and daughter are still living there. When questions are raised about his death, competing truths will have you asking who to believe.

I had really mixed feelings with this one, it was a slow starter and felt like it took a while for the story to really get going but once it did it was a real ride. I liked the the twist and although I don’t usually like ending that leave you having to make up your own mind about what happens I thought it really worked for this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this arc.

4 Stars from me

For me, The New Wife is the perfect holiday read - whether that is poolside somewhere hot or curled up by the fire in a winter cabin - it offers an exotic departure from reality as Finn travels to the Mediterranean mountains to reclaim his childhood home.

Maybe his sister Jess should have gone instead as she makes it clear should would be going there to evict their father's latest beau and her daughter a message which Finn assures her he is more than capable of delivering.

But Finn is soon intoxicated with the improvements that his Father's late wife and her daughter Roze have made to the run-down farmhouse and soon finds himself wrapped up in their story and the life they have made for themselves on the island.

As the story unravels it soon becomes clear that it is impossible to know whose narrative is reliable and which version of events are true. There are many revelations and before long Finn needs to decide where his loyalties lie and deal with the consequences...

Overall this is a fab psychological thriller with a wonderful blend of mystery and intrigue.

I love this authors books. However this isn’t one of the best, it’s very confusing in parts and I’m not sure the author knew how to finish the book. But don’t be put off because other books by this author are excellent

I tried to get into this book a few times - and by that I actually mean about 7 or 8 times and I couldn’t. In theory, it sounds like it’s going to be my kind of book, but I just couldn’t connect with it.

I’m so sorry! DNF for me, my second of the year.

Ooh this hooked me right in.

I enjoyed the premise and the relationship between the siblings, the differences helping to move the book forward.

Satisfying read.

I am quite a fan of this author and enjoyed previous books, this was a little different but still enjoyable.
I liked being taken down one route by the narrator only to end up in another when other characters had their say.
The comparisons to My Cousin Rachel are good ones, although this doesn't have the same style and tone as that fantastic book, the idea that you can't take people on face value is pervasive.
Characters and motives were well drawn and the setting a cheery one, plus the little glimpes of the family history were appreciated and added to the bigger picture.
Overall an enjoyable easy thriller.

I have loved all of JP Delaneys books and was thrilled to be granted a copy of "The New Wife" via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review so it makes me sad to report I found this one a slow and painful read.

If you are a fan of Sabine Durants Lie With Me or Lucy Clarkes One of the Girls because of the atmospheric prose bringing the location alive you ill likely enjoy this and forgive the feeling of - "will something just happen already" and enjoy the drawn out mysetry, For me however I put this book down a number of times before finally geting back to it and solidering through.

By the time the twist has revealed itself and the drama unfolds I had nearly DNFéd it several times so it wasnt enough to redeem itself, althought the final cat and mouse was quite fun I can really only give this a 2/5.

The New Wife - JP Delaney

JP Delaney is an auto read author for me, so I was super excited to read The New Wife and again I was pleasantly satisfied. Fantastic setting, a bit different from previous books and so many twists and turns! Just when you think you have it all worked out - BAM think again. A book to devour in one sitting. Thanks so much Netgalley and Quercus Books for this e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

An engaging read that certainly had me guessing throughout. Some very interesting characters and all set in an isolated villa in Mallorca. A few unexpected turns along the way added to the pace.

'The New Wife' was a book that immediately grabbed my attention. I liked the synopsis and I felt like this would be a book about something I've never read before.

The story started rather slow, and throughout the bigger part of the book I felt like not much was happening. Even though I felt like this was a 'new' story for me (i.e. not a cliché story that I've read before), I thought this would be a really predictable storyline. I thought that I had it all figured out halfway through the story. But I guess I was wrong ...

Nearing the end, I was quite shocked at what was happening and I felt completely betrayed by a character I'd started to love. I really did not see the plot twists coming and I couldn't believe that I'd let myself be fooled like this. The ending of this book was nothing like I thought it would be and I honestly love that. The story turned out to be completely different to what I'd thought and I compliment the author on pulling this off. This book definitely put this author on my radar and I will be looking into some other books by J.P. Delaney.

J.P. Delaney is the absolute king of twists. This book is no exception to the way he keeps you on your toes and always guessing. Was it my favourite of all of his books? No. The dizzying heights of Believe Me and The Girl Before have yet to be repeated, but it was definitely an enjoyable and addictive read.

The story follows the story of Finn and Jess two siblings whose incredible dysfunctional family changes again as they’re left as orphans after their fathers death in Mallorca. The issues are complicated by their father’s new wife, Rusena and her daughter Roze. Amongst the legal complications of sorting out the will all sorts of dramas unfold. The description of the sweltering heat, the lifestyle on the land and the nature around created a great setting for the book.

What I love is that you’re never clever enough to guess the twists. And when you think you’ve guessed them there are always more to follow.

This book was really interesting! The story line was not what I was expecting at all, there was a lot less murder and action than I expected. It was more about the characters and their relationships with one another. None of the characters in this book were likeable, but I don't think that they were meant to be! We were suspicious of Ruensa and Roze, especially after hearing how Finn's father had died. Finn also gave me the ick, there were some things that he said or thought that made me dislike him, and although we didn't see much of his sister I didn't like her very much either.

This was definitely a slow burn book, the plot developed pretty slowly and then the ending... it was like all of the action just exploded! So much was happening at once, it was a really good plot twist at first but then more and more kept happening and it was really difficult to tell what was real and what wasn't. This made the ending a bit disappointing for me because I was left unsure what was even happening! So, the writing was good and the characters were interesting, but the plot and the ending was not for me.

A really gripping book about a boy that visits his childhood home in Mallorca after his father died, and meets his fathers wife…..is everything as it seems? It’s a twist and turn of a book and I couldn’t put it down!

The New Wife by JP Delaney was another excellent psychological thriller and I was hooked from start to finish especially as it was fast paced with brilliant twists and turns throughout that will have you guessing till the very end. Just brilliant a easy read which makes it a great holiday read,

JP Delaney's books are hit or miss with me. Some of them I absolutely loved, and some just did not live up to my expectations.
This one, unfortunately, falls in the latter category and I did not enjoy it at all

I love JP and this book didn’t disappoint for a Moment. I love the contemporary setting the modern dilemma and the unexpected twists and turns the characters life’s take. Many thanks

I have read all J P Delaney’s other books and I usually enjoy them and find them to be gripping, unputdownable reads. I was delighted to receive a copy of the latest novel, The New Wife.

Finn and Jess are siblings and when they find out their estranged, alcoholic father has died, Finn is sent to Spain to begin proceedings so the villa can be sold and they inherit the money from the sale. Due to a previous agreement, the wife won’t inherit the house. Not only is ‘the new wife’ at the villa, but her beautiful daughter, Roze is there too. They’re very welcoming and kind to Finn, and instead of being suspicious he tries to let them stay at the villa for as long as possible, and predictably develops feelings for Roze. The police are asking questions about the death of the father, maybe it wasn’t an accident. Who can be trusted?

I found the story easy to read and I did get into it quite quickly, but I felt it dragged so much. I was annoyed with Finn’s lovesick, idiotic behaviour and wanted to give him a good shake! I thought the characters were very ‘meh’ and I didn’t connect with any of them. As the novel was so Finn-focused I felt the other characters didn’t get a look in and they didn’t have much presence.

Towards the end, instead of a twist there’s a total u-turn and the book loses its way. I think the author was aiming for mystery but it just left me with more questions. I felt the ending was very unsatisfying and it felt rushed and lazy.

I had high hopes for this novel as I’ve enjoyed others by this author but it fell flat for me. I kept reading in the hopes it would improve. I’m not put off the author and look forward to the next novel.

2.5 stars rounded to 2.

Thanks for this copy however I just couldn’t get into it. It really wasn’t what I was expecting. The plot wasn’t really there. The characters personalities I really couldn’t click with at all. They seemed so cranky and sarcastic. This novel was so misleading. I was told a thriller however this was so not that.

Thanks to Quercus books for sharing this. I really didn't expect it to end that way, although the foreshadowing was there all along. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.