It's a no from me dawg.
I should know better than to fall prey to glowing reviews without reading some of the negative ones as well. When will I learn? There are people who vibe with Bookouture books and I am not usually one of those people unfortunately and I should know that about myself by now.

The positives about this book:
Shiner is a great writer. She pulled me in from the beginning, creating a sense of foreboding and I wanted to know more. Even as things started to fall apart for me, I kept with my reading because her writing kept me invested.

The main premise is: Lola has died by falling down the stairs. Was it an accident or on purpose? Ariel thinks it was on purpose, so she gets herself hired as a housekeeper for Lola's widower, Evan, and his fourteen year old daughter Jessica. Ariel wants to find evidence that Evan killed Lola and she also wants to keep Jessica safe.

Now for the negatives, Caution Spoilers Galore below:
[
--I figured out from the beginning that Jessica was probably the one responsible. There were just TOO MANY mentions of Evan's responsibility for it to be true. Too many "I need to keep her safe" comments.
--There was NO motivation given for Jessica killing her mom other than that she didn't want her family broken up. And even though Evan knew this, did he get her counseling? Did he take precautions to keep her from harming anyone else? Of course not. That would take brains and I'm convinced he had none.
--Ariel breaks into the house with the key she has copied. She can't get into the bedroom so she gets a screwdriver and takes the doorknob off and then once she finds Lola's diary, does she take it with her? No. Does she take photos of the pages so she can get the heck out of there? Also no. She fully admits that she tends to lose track of time, but she decides to sit there in the closet and read the entire thing. Oh guess what? They come home and catch her, surprise surprise. Don't let me forget that the reason she was searching the room in the first place was because she was looking for Evan's diary. Yeah, the guy is as dumb as a box of rocks and you think he's going to write his innermost thoughts in a journal?
--The next segment of the book was so absolutely ridiculous I actually laughed out loud while it was happening. Evan and Jessica hear someone upstairs. Even though Evan knows that Jessica killed her mom, he just stands back and lets her go upstairs with a knife. Then he lets her stab not one, not two, but three people while he just stands there pondering what he should do. And after Dakota is stabbed does Miriam run away and call the police? Nope. Does she stand there and call the police? Nope. She starts a livestream.
--Why were Lola and Ariel estranged? Why did Ariel have no contact with her until Lola decided to leave Evan and go to Ariel's house? I got the impression that while Evan was a mean drunk, the only reason Lola wanted to leave him was because he was cheating (ick, with a 19 year old when his daughter was barely younger) so why all the hush hush secrecy? And why didn't Ariel keep the baby in the first place? No back story. And Lola's diaries were pretty worthless in the end. Evan has been portrayed as stupid the entire book, so it didn't surprise me that he was just standing back watching Jessica do her murder thing. But Lola didn't have a clue that her daughter was unhinged?
--So then we are supposed to believe that the police are going to arrest Evan because Jessica's diary says he is abusive and killed her mother? Like people (especially teenagers) don't lie in their diaries? What DA is going to say "sure, let's arrest him, that's a ton of evidence."
--I feel very sorry for the people who live in this town. They have an idiot chief of police, people are arrested based on a young teenage girl's diary entries, and there is a psycho killer running around free.
--And even after it is revealed that Ariel (or whatever her actual name is) is alive, we discover that oh yes, she still wants to be Jessica's mommy and take her home and be with her and be her bestest friend. Why does everyone want to be around Jessica the murdering psychopath so much and why do they trust her?

The whole book just gives off straight-t0-video horror movie masquerading as a mystery movie vibes.
(hide spoiler)]
Whew, thanks for letting me get that out. Note to self, always read the negative reviews before requesting a review copy.
The narrators for the audiobook did a decent job, and hearing Evan's inner monologue said out loud made me roll my eyes even more than if I had read it on the page.
I had originally rated this as 2 stars, but as I was writing I realized that it's just a 1 star book for me.

Totally not for me, but if you like wild thrillers, you just might like it. Lots of of my friends have loved this one.

REVIEW: THE WIFE IN THE PHOTO BY EMILY SHINER
This book had a great beginning, I was rapidly turning the pages and then the ending happened. The ending was horrible and annoying. So senseless.
🕵🏼‍♀️🕵🏼‍♀️
However, this book will have you suspecting every one because they all looked suspicious. My least favorite character ever was Evan, that guy was just stupid and annoying and at the end of the day, useless.
🕵🏼‍♀️🕵🏼‍♀️
This book was very good at the beginning and the middle, but because of its bad ending, I gave it 3 stars

I absolutely loved sorting through the evidence - the clues, twists, secrets, and lies - to uncover the truth! Emily Shiner knows how to keep her readers guessing until the final reveal.

The Warners are hiding a secret. Who is going to be the first to share it - Jessica, the teenager who has just lost her mom in a tragic accident? Evan, the police detective husband who is struggling to run a home after his wife’s death? The new housekeeper who sees everything? Or…someone else?

Everyone has a secret. Whose will be let out of the bag first and will it have repercussions for everyone in the Warner household?

Readers know from the start that a woman died. We don’t know if it was accidental or if she was killed for a reason. Readers are given clues as to who it might be, but we don’t know why. Then we have a ‘replacement’ step in to fill a role and we are left wondering what she’s hiding, too. It doesn’t take long for the seeds of doubt to take root and each character claims that someone will pay for Lola’s death. The tension is palpable. The twists are gobsmacking.

I can’t tell you more. I’ve tried to figure out how to word this review and all I can say is that Shiner’s stock-in-trade is the art of misdirection. I love it and can’t wait to read more of this author’s work. Fingers crossed there’s a sequel in the works!

This is a ‘forever shelf’ book for me.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

3.5 stars! I really enjoyed this book. It was a little predictable, but I still liked it. The characters were all very unlikeable though. I love a domestic psychological thriller!

Review for: The Wife in the Photo
Stars- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I pick up the photograph from their mantlepiece and carefully wipe away the dust. The beautiful wife. Supposedly happily married and enjoying a family vacation. I know her husband killed her. And I’m going to make him pay…

This story follows Ariel in her first job as a housekeeper but Evan is unaware this is her first job in that roll.

“But no amount of cleaning will rid this house of the secrets that have seeped into the cracks. I never forgave Lola for what she did to me. But I can’t let Evan get away with her murder.”

This story had me audibly gasping, having to put the phone down and think about lines as well as a strong hatred for one of the main characters. This book gave me very strong Freida McFadden vibes which i think added to my love and investment in the story.

The twists throughout the book left me with many theory’s (none of which turned out to be right) and i stayed up until 1am to finish this book because i physically could not put it down once it hooked me in!

do yourself a favour and check out Emily’s books 🫶

The Wife in the Photo
By Emily Shiner
Pub Date: September 7, 2023
3/5 stars
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I really liked the short chapters and the alternating points of view. I felt there could have been more character development. This book kept me up late reading and guessing until the end, but unfortunately I found the ending a little underwhelming. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Emily Shiner for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unreliable narrative, lots of lies. What is true and what isn’t? While there were several twists and turns, the ending left me feeling unshocked and overall unsatisfied. Swing and a miss

Emily Shiner is becoming one of my favorite authors. Here books are so full of mind-blowing twists.

The Wife in the Photo is a psychological thriller about a woman named Lola who fell down stairs to her death, but did she really fall or was she pushed? Ariel becomes the new housekeeper when Jessica and her dad cannot keep up after her mom's death. But is Ariel who she really claims to be? What secret is she hiding and what is her real reason for coming into their home and getting close to Jessica?

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC!

A psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat because it did for me.

Emily Shiner play’s mind games and lets you think you have worked it out but really you haven’t, which kept me hooked.

Lola the mother and wife is found dead leaving her husband, Evan and Daughter, Jessica. Evan decides to get some help around the house. So he hires Ariel, who is someone who’s trying to get close to them to get to the truth. Ariel works hard to earn the trust of Evan and Jessica.

There was so many twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the book right to the end, which I so didn’t see coming. I love the short chapters, the multiple POV’s and also the diary entries.

Can’t wait to read her next book.

Thank you Emily Shiner, Bookouture and NetGalley.

Chief Evan Warner is mourning the death of his wife Lola. The death has been ruled an accident and he is trying to help his daughter Jessica move forward. I liked the different points of views from Evans or Ariels and then the diary journal entries.

The house quickly becomes a mess and unmanageable. He quickly learns he needs to get help so he asks for recommendations for a housekeeper. Ariel starts as housekeeper and manages to clean the house and prepare delicious meals. She may not believe Evan's innocence and plans to prove it.

This was a slow burn and entertaining. I figured out who the killer was going to be early on and I don't like to be right.

The Wife in the Photo is a pyschological thriller that centers on Evan, Jessica, and Ariel. Evan's wife and mother to Jessica, Lola, has just died, apparently by accidentally falling down the stairs. Ariel is hired to help out around the house; however, it is clear that Ariel is not who she says she is and has an ulterior motive to agreeing to help Evan and Jessica. Was Lola's death actually accidental? Who is Ariel?

This is my second book by this author. I did not paricularly enjoy the first book I read and had wanted to give the author another chance. After reading The Wife in the Photo, I believe that this author may simply not be for me. I had some of the same issues in this book as the other. Spoilers ahead:

If a character is going to be a socio/psychopath, there needs to be some explanation as to why. In this case, there is absolutely no reason given to why Jessica is the way she is.

The book is extremely predictable. From that start, the reader is told over and over again that clearly Evan killed Lola, which obviously the reader knows will not be the case. It is evident early on that Jessica has issues and that she is the likely killer. But why she has issues, the reader never finds out.

All of the characters were unlikable and annoying. I really didn't care what happened to any of them. The murder scene felt forced and over-the-top, and then when one of the three survives, it was just hard to believe. I do think that there are readers out there who will enjoy this author's books, I'm just not one of them.

Wowza! This book starts a little slow, but soon it's like a tennis match, back and forth, no idea who to believe...all the way until the last page.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this advanced copy.

This is definitely not a trite happily ever after story. The drama is very intense and everyone is holding secrets. It allows for several very plausible outcomes. While, there were several secrets revealed that I did not see coming, I did anticipate a significant part of the big reveal. This story also has a significant trigger potential for anyone previously exposed to childhood trauma.

*Spoiler alert* Contains elements of physical abuse, infidelity, drug/alcohol use by a minor, violence, and rage.

A perfect family, a murdered wife, bitter teenaged daughter, policeman husband and his young mistress. Who killed her? Hmmm…This one wasn’t my favorite. It seemed contrived and there were no characters I felt invested in. The plot was ok but I felt the whole story just didn’t quite catch my interest. Maybe for someone else… thank you NetGalley for the digital copy

Thanks to Bookouture, Emily Shiner, and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review. This the first book I've read by Emily Shiner and it fell into my favorite genre category. Overall it was entertaining enough, yet predictable. The plot is one that is often repeated and even overdone. It was a fairly quick read for me and while I kept wanting to know what happened next, it was a bit of a let down for me. However, I would entertain reading more from the author in the future. I give it a fair 3 out of 5 stars.

I pick up the photograph from their mantlepiece and carefully wipe away the dust. The beautiful wife. Supposedly happy married and enjoying a family vacation. I know her husband killed her. And I'm going to make him pay....

This story is filled with lies and deceit. We also get a murder and a shocking twist. The story is told from multiple, unreliable perspectives. Every character is flawed. I liked the diary entries which, with everything else, eventually came together. Emily Shiner likes to play mind games with you, she lets you think you are on the right path, and then blows you away again. I love her writing style. My only criticism is the books title doesn't really reflect the story. I loved how the story ended. Fingers crossed we get a follow-on book so that we can find out what happened next. This is a well written psychological thriller.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #EmilyShiner for my ARC of #TheWifeInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked reading this book I couldn’t put it down. The suspense with the twists and turns keep you glued. The characters were great, the story itself was amazing and the style of writing was perfect. I have read plenty of books by this author and I haven’t been disappointed with any of them.
In my opinion this is one of the best, it’s definitely one of the best books that I have read this year.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves reading psychological thrillers.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I received a free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my review. This book was a definite page-turner for me. From the beginning of the book, I found myself not trusting Evan. It seemed he was covering up things and not being truthful. I was worried about Jessica's (the daughter's) mental health and wanted to protect her. I definitely thought I had things figured out. I wanted Ariel, the housekeeper to get out of that house before she had a tragic accident like Lola had. In the end, I was wrong.

Police chief’s wife Lola Warner is found dead at the bottom of steps on the family property. The authorities conclude it’s a tragic accident. Chief Evan Warner is left to support his teenage daughter Jessica and struggles with his work/life balance. He decides to hire a housekeeper to cook and clean for them both. Ariel is recommended by a colleague at work and turns out to be a perfect choice. But as she settles into her job, Evan becomes concerned at the way she is trying to bond with Jessica. And then he discovers her in his room clearly searching for something.
Written from several viewpoints, it gives us the opportunity to become acquainted with the main characters’ thoughts. Ariel, we know straight away, is on a mission to avenge Lola, convinced Evan is responsible for her death. But who exactly is she? And as for father and daughter, can we rely on what they are telling us?
It's a well written and a psychological thriller that doesn’t let up in its pace. Just when you think you know what’s about to happen, the story twists in a different direction. And as for the ending? Well, I didn’t see that coming.
Recommended.
I would like to thank Bookouture, Emily Shiner and Netgalley for an ARC of The White in the Photo in exchange for an honest review.

This story was a wild twisted ride from the very first page. Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down.
Tragedy strikes Evan and Jessica. As they muddle through, Evan hires someone to help them get back on track. Ariel comes to work for them but her motives are not that clear. As the story unfolds more tragedy ensures that will leave you shocked.
This was a great story that hooked you from the beginning. Highly would recommend to all.