The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is one of those thrillers that’s best enjoyed if you go in knowing very little to nothing. The description on the inside flap says to throw away any assumptions you may have, so I’ll simply say that the story deals with a seemingly jealous ex-wife, Vanessa, stalking her wealthy ex-husband and his young fiancé, Nellie.
Going solely off the GoodReads synopsis, you’d think The Wife Between Us is an absolutely mind-blowing read. It’s not. Still, it’s a very good psychological thriller – both gripping and suspenseful. It’s just nothing that hasn’t already been done before.
The first major twist is cleverly done, and all of the little twists and turns that follow surprised me, but are not over-the-top or shocking just for the sake of being so.
Also, the ending is surprisingly satisfying. Rarely do I find I’m totally satisfied with the ending of a thriller. As I mentioned in my review for Final Girls by Riley Sager, thrillers always seem to do such a good job of hyping up the reader only to let them down in the end. But by the end of The Wife Between Us, all the loose ends feel neatly tied up and we’re not left with too many questions.
You may find yourself rolling your eyes at the tacky-looking cover or the cliché title, but the writing is strong. I love that this was written by two people, because I would have never been able to tell! The authors play off of each other very well.
Though this is an entertaining read overall, there is too much meandering at points. For instance, it feels like some of Vanessa’s revelations are repeated more than once, which really slows down the pacing of the book, causing it to teeter on the edge of being boring. The first and last thirds of the book are perfectly paced; it’s the middle that sort of drags.
In essence, The Wife Between Us is a twisty and compelling mystery that’ll take your emotions on a bit of a ride. Though the pacing at the middle of the novel takes a hit, the suspenseful beginning and end, along with the clever writing style, more than make up for it.
Rating: 4/5
Check out The Wife Between Us on GoodReads.
Pawsitive Reads 