Review: My Husband's Wife

Summary: When young lawyer Lily marries Ed, she’s determined to make a fresh start. To leave the secrets of the past behind. But then she takes on her first murder case and meets Joe. A convicted murderer whom Lily is strangely drawn to. For whom she will soon be willing to risk almost anything.

But Lily is not the only one with secrets. Her next-door neighbor Carla may be only nine, but she has already learned that secrets are powerful things. That they can get her whatever she wants.

When Lily finds Carla on her doorstep sixteen years later, a chain of events is set in motion that can end only one way. -- Pamela Dorman Books

When I learned that the new psychological suspense novel MY HUSBAND'S WIFE by Jane Corry was from the Pamela Dorman imprint, I knew I had to read it. I am always up for a new thriller and Pamela Dorman books are always a treat. MY HUSBAND'S WIFE pretty much lived up to my expectations. This novel was a fast-paced suspense novel that definitely had some intriguing characters... and a pretty twisted ending!

MY HUSBAND'S WIFE tells the story of Lily McDonald, a newlywed and lawyer, who is more than anxious to start a new life and leave the secrets from her past behind. She has a new husband, a new flat, and even a new job -- she's handling her first murder case. Joe was convicted of murdering his girlfriend by pushing her into a scalding bathtub.

When Lily enters the prison to meet Joe, she isn't quite sure what to make of him or his story. He's not exactly up front with Lily. Rather, he sets creates a game of sorts to see if she's "worthy" of defending him. Their encounter is extremely awkward and more than a little uncomfortable; however,  there is something about Joe that Lily is drawn to. It's likely that he reminds her of her autistic brother who died as a teenager.

Meanwhile, Lily's nine year old neighbor Carla enters the picture. She becomes close to Lily and her husband Ed when they watch her when her mother is out. Carla is a beautiful girl and Ed is fascinated with drawing her. Carla begins to realize that the secrets she learns can help her to further her own agenda. She's quite the manipulative little girl!

Fast forward sixteen years when Carla shows up at Ed and Lily's home. She is even more beautiful than before and also extremely scheming. Carla  ends up causing a great deal of trouble for the couple, and tensions escalate into a stunning conclusion!

I really enjoyed MY HUSBAND'S WIFE. The story was fast-paced and the characters were definitely interesting. The story was written in a such a way that kept me guessing, and the ending was fairly shocking. I appreciated the twists and turns in the story and the way that everyone's secrets were eventually revealed. All in all, MY HUSBAND'S WIFE was a very good read!

I mentioned that the characters were interesting -- maybe a little too interesting if that's possible. I'm not really sure that I liked any of them (and that includes Lily), and I certainly didn't trust them. It seemed like they all had selfish motives, multiple character weaknesses, and lots of secrets. Having said that, they did keep me guessing so that's something.

In addition, I enjoyed how Ms. Corry told this story. The book begins with a brief prologue that alerts the reader that the ending will most likely have someone die. Who that someone is is the question. The book then goes back fifteen years in the past and introduces Ed and Lily and eventually Carla. After their story is established, the book moves ahead fifteen years and picks up on these individuals' lives... and explains what happened in the prologue. I really liked how I wondered for 350+ pages what the first page of the novel was all about.

If I had a knock against the book (and it's not a big one), it's that there were a few too many coincidences in the novel. I don't want to give away anything, but there was a tie between the characters that just seemed a little too easy for me, if that makes sense? It didn't affect my appreciation of the novel and the connection was a little surprising, but it made sense and worked out in the end.

Overall, I liked MY HUSBAND'S WIFE a great deal and recommend it to fans of psychological suspense novels.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.