This was a slow start, but quickly picked up. I love a book that has different POV’s per chapter. Told from the POV of Evan, Ariel and Jessica, along with diary entries from both Lola and Jessica, this story kept me gripped and surprised with each twist and turn. The story was kinda predictable but there was still a certain twist to the story I enjoyed.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2023

Holy unreliable narrator, Batman! There are three people telling us their side of the story and the details do not match up. Pop some popcorn for this one and hang on for a rollercoaster ride. We start the book with the tragic death of Lola, wife to the police chief and mother to 14-year-old Jessica. How can this family go on after such a tragedy? Ariel is conveniently available to step in to be their housekeeper. One or more of these three people are not what they tell us they are. Perhaps it is all of them? You will have to read the book for yourself and find out. This was shades of "Gone Girl" for me in the way these characters interact with each other. I have a new author on my Must Read list.

Thank you to Bookouture for both an audio and digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Release date is tomorrow September 7, 2023.

A hint of Verity? This was a slow start, but quickly picked up. The different perspectives per chapter kept me on my toes throughout. Very well structured.

This book asks many questions - how strong is the bond between father and daughter? Who is truly evil? Who do you believe? The last 25% of the book was unputdownable and really tied the story together. Ignore the typical family tropes with this one!

I absolutely loved this thriller. So many emotions,twists and turns. Your in for a rollercoaster. A definite recommend and must buy

Thanks Bookouture and Netgalley.
All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I felt like it was very predictable and I was not shocked by any of the plot twists.

I didn’t feel invested in the characters so when things happened I was not sad / shocked / upset. This book felt very slow until things started to pick up.. and when they did, I felt like there was a lot of information lacking as to why things happened… Parts of the plot weren’t making sense & there were WAY too many unanswered questions for my taste 🥲

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC!

If you like Freida McFadden, you should definitely check read this!

SPOILERS AHEAD
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This book sent me through so many emotions! I really enjoyed it and there were so many twists that I wasn't expecting. At first, I thought Ariel was a crazy stalker and was weirded out by her wishes to get close to Jessica. When it was revealed that she was her aunt, I was shocked! Then that she was Jessica's mom... wow. My ending opinion of Ariel is that she really 𝘪𝘴 crazy for wanting to be that girl's mother.

I went through so many emotions with Evan's character as well. I believed him to be a murderer and I felt angry that he was cheating on his wife. I was left feeling bad for him in the end despite him covering up the murder of his wife. No one deserves to be stuck in jail for murders they didn't commit.

I received an ARC of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by Emily Shiner and perfectly narrated by Todd Kramer, Kate Handford - 4.5 twisty stars!

Evan's wife, Lola, died from a fall down the stairs. Evan is the town police chief and is having trouble keeping up with his job, the home, and taking care of their teenage daughter, Jessica. He hires Ariel as a housekeeper, but she has an ulterior motive - to find out what really happened to Lola. Ariel is convinced that the evidence that Evan killed is wife is in the house; she just needs to find it.

Told from the POV of Evan, Ariel and Jessica, along with diary entries from both Lola and Jessica, this story kept me gripped and surprised with each twist and turn. Every time I thought I had things figured out, I was wrong. None of the characters were particularly likable, but most of their actions were understandable. Most of them. It was a quick read, full of tension and twists - another great book by this author!

This is a psychological thriller told from the POV of Evan, Jessica and Ariel. Evan’s wife, and the mother of Jessica, recently passed away after apparently falling down the stairs. Ariel is then hired to help around the house to make life easier for Evan and Jessica. However it soon becomes clear that Ariel isn’t just there to help out-she’s got an ulterior motive for being there-but what is it? And was Lola’s death really an accident?
While this was fine in terms of being a thriller, it was definitely predictable and none of the characters were very likable so it was hard to get invested in them. There were several over the top, there’s no way moments that you absolutely have to suspend reality for in order to keep reading, but then again, that’s what fiction is for.
If you like cheesy horror movies from the 90’s you’ll probably love this book.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

A quick read that draws you in from the beginning.
Told from different points of view which keeps it compelling, you're soon lured down a path only to be u-turned so many times you won't know who to believe!
First time I've read anything from this author but definitely won't be my last.

First, I want to thank Emily Shiner, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review!!

OMG!! OMG!! DAMN!!! Never have I ever read a book that shocked me to the core as The Wife in the Photo!! This is one of Emily Shiner’s best written book (that I have read) WOW!! The secrets, the twists, the suspense, the jaw dropping revelations makes this book for a must read!!

The Wife in the Photo is insanely addictive and fast paced with all the drama that goes on! One minute Emily will pull on your heart strings and the next she will pull a 180 and I found myself yelling at the Kindle! It is a book where you will have a love hate relationship with the characters!

I absolutely loved the unique names Emily picked out for the characters! My favorites were Ariel and Dakota.

WOW!!! Never in a million years did invision Emily’s explosive insanely intense climatic ending! She had me on the edge of my seat and in total disbelief at the events unfolding!

Welcome to the Bookouture family Emily!!

This was a quick and fun read, though it was a little repetitive and I also don’t really know why it was titled the way it was. The story centers on the death of a woman named Lola, who leaves behind a husband (Evan) and teenage daughter (Jessica). Enter Ariel, who gets a job cooking and cleaning for them in the aftermath of Lola’s death, though it becomes quickly apparent that she has an ulterior motive.

The story is told from both Evan’s and Ariel’s POVs, for the most part. Neither is a likable character but the dual storyline helps the reader to understand their motives. I do think the story was a little repetitive as it covered their inner monologues, but perhaps the author was just trying to nail down their characters clearly for the reader. Both characters end up making stupid decisions that were expected based on what I had read so far, so I guess it worked! The last few chapters are really good and while I can’t say I was totally surprised, I do think they were well written and successfully tied up loose ends.

Overall, this is a quick and fun psychological thriller with some twists along the way; even if you figure out the end, it doesn’t disappoint! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

★★★ 3.5 stars

The beautiful wife. The happily married couple. And the daughter who holds their secret...

After the tragic death of his wife, Evan Warner struggles to maintain his house and his fourteen year old daughter Jessica. Since Lola's death he and Jessica are adrift and he has no idea how to find their way back. The house is a mess, the dishes are piling up, the laundry needs doing...but no amount of cleaning will rid his house of the secrets that lurk beneath the surface. But he can try.

And so he employs a housekeeper, Ariel. The moment he walks in after work the first day, she has the place whipped into shape and the smell of a pot roast in the oven. He watches her from the doorway, humming as she works and using her hip to close the oven door. He frowns. The move seems familiar, like he has seen it before. But he shakes it off as soon as she sees him. He beams at her, knowing that hiring her was the best decision he has made.

But Ariel has a secret of her own. She has met Evan before. She even knew Lola. She has an ulterior motive for being here now. Lola called her in the weeks before her death. She wanted her help. And now she is here to do just that. To save Jessica from her father and to bring Lola's killer to justice.

And then she finds Lola's diary, hidden deep inside a closet. And her words from the grave change everything...

This is probably my third read by Emily Shiner and each one has been different. Like other reviewers, I'm baffled by the title as it doesn't reflect the story in any way. I did guess the main plot twist almost from the start but there were a few things I didn't see coming that were a surprise. The bloodbath near the end was a little far-fetched but doable. But from there, I could see how it was going to pan out. And I'm not entirely convinced I'm satisfied with the ending. But it was still a dark and chilling pageturner.

I would like to thank #EmilyShiner, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWifeInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.

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

The story is told via dual point of view, which I always enjoy.

We hear from recently widowed Evan, and his new housekeeper, Ariel, who is hired to help him and his daughter, Jessica, around the house, following the recent death of Lola, which authorities ruled as a tragic accident.

Ariel is hired to keep the house clean and in good order and to prepare meals for Evan and Jessica.

Ariel however, has her own agenda.

“I have to prove to him that I can not only help him but make his life a thousand times better. And then I’m going to ruin him.”

The diary entries from Jessica and Lola added to the story and kept me intrigued.

The ending was quite underwhelming for me, hence the star rating.

I look forward to reading more of the authors books as I really enjoyed the writing style.

Thank you Emily, Bookouture and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book before it’s release 📚💫

Wow! This was a quick read, that kept me engaged the whole way through. While some of the storyline was predictable, it was still enjoyable and with the read. The suspense was engaging!

This book had me interested from the beginning . I like that there was continuously twist throughout the book to keep me interested . Just when I thought I had things figured out something else would happen. I just wish more was explained at the end . I recommend this book, I think it’s perfect for someone just getting into thrillers .

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review .

Wow!! That’s literally all I can say! I’ve been hooked from the very beginning and had no idea what was going to happen and to read the end that I never even expected.

When a happy family turns against one another what are you supposed to do?
Evan, Lola and Jessica are living a happy life and Evan starts walking out on Lola and everyone knows. The girl he’s seeing is just recently out of High school. Then Lola begins to plan to pack some bags and take Jessica and run to her sisters until she falls to her death. Is it suicide or Murder? You must read the book to find out.

Thank you Netgalley , Emily Shiner, and Bookouture for allowing me this opportunity to read the ARC of The Wife in the Photo due to be published September 7th 2023

The Wife in the Photo by Emily Shiner was an unputdownable read.

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and put you in the storyline.
It had a lot of unpredictable turns and kept me entertained for hours.
The author does a great job of keeping the reader engrossed and enthralled in the book from the first page until the last.
The multiple POVs really set the mood and tone for a gripping and very exciting story.
I’m so excited to read her next title The Hotel!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Wife in the Photo really hooked me from the beginning, giving me gone girl and a simple favor vibes which I loved. You will find yourself questioning everything and eager to figure things out. I love the idea of dual perspectives in this sense because you really don't know WHO you can trust. The twist was good and something I didn't see coming! I'm unsure why it's titled this as it barely plays into the story.

I just finished reading "The Wife in the Photo" by Emily Shiner, and oh my goodness, it's absolutely brilliant! This book had me hooked from the very beginning with its intriguing plot and countless unexpected twists.

The story follows a housekeeper who takes on a new job in the home of Evan Warner, a grieving husband, and his young daughter, Jessica, who've just lost Lola, Evan's wife. But there's more to this house than meets the eye, as secrets are hidden within its walls. The housekeeper has her own agenda and believes that Lola was murdered by Evan. As she delves deeper into the family's life, she weaves a web of lies to uncover the truth.

What I loved most about this book are the mind-bending twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the story took an unexpected twist that left me in shock. Emily Shiner's storytelling is impeccable, and she masterfully builds the suspense, making it impossible to put the book down.

The characters are complex and multi-dimensional, adding depth to the story. Evan, the grieving husband, is both sympathetic and mysterious, while Jessica, the young daughter, tugs at your heartstrings. The housekeeper, with her hidden agenda and determination, is a fascinating character who keeps you guessing about her true intentions.

As the story unfolds, the discovery of Lola's diary adds another layer of intrigue. Her words reveal shocking secrets that challenge everything we thought we knew about the family. The tension escalates as the housekeeper finds herself trapped, and you'll be on the edge of your seat, wondering how it will all end.

In summary, "The Wife in the Photo" is a must-read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers. Emily Shiner has crafted a gripping and suspenseful story filled with unexpected twists that will keep you up all night. If you enjoyed books like "Gone Girl" and "The Couple Next Door," you won't want to miss this one. It's OMG brilliant!

This book gave me gone girl vibes from the very beginning and I loved that it was dual POV. I had a lot of questions that kept coming up in the first half of the book and felt like I was going to be gripped throughout. The majority of the chapters were short which I LOVED and I liked that we got diary entries from other perspectives as well.

I did guess the last plot twist but as someone who reads thrillers like it’s something you eat for breakfast, I think that would have been inevitable.

I am not sure why the title of the book is ‘the wife in the photo’ because that only takes up a very small part of the story and was completely forgotten by the end.