The Wife Between Us

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.

It’s about a jealous wife, obsessed with her replacement.

It’s about a younger woman set to marry the man she loves.

The first wife seems like a disaster; her replacement is the perfect woman.

You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.

You will be wrong.

The Wife Between Us is the first collaboration between Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

Review by Sarah McDuling

Oh lordy! This is definitely one of those “twisty” thrillers that gives your brain a good work out. When I’m reading psychological thrillers like this one, I can never just sit back and enjoy the ride. My thoughts are always leaping ahead of me, trying to catch all the clues and guess the ending. Sometimes it’s great to be taken totally by surprise but for the most part, I much prefer the lovely smug feeling I get when I have accurately anticipated the plot twists ahead of time. It makes me feel like a master detective!

I’m pleased to report that The Wife Between Us gave me the best of both worlds. I did manage to guess the first major twist but it was only the first in a succession of daringly executed twists and turns. This is really the perfect situation as I get to pat myself on the back for being a clever detective while still getting a nice “AHA!” moment.

Told in alternative perspectives, this is one of those books where you don’t know who to trust and cannot make any assumptions. Vanessa’s life is left in ruins after her divorce from her ex-husband, Richard. Penniless and broken, she is full of bitter regret. Richard left her with nothing and now he is replacing her with a younger woman. Poor unfortunate Vanessa is surely the victim in all this… or is she?

Nellie is engaged to Richard and thinks the world of him. Haunted by the past, she finally feels safe now that she is with Richard. He loves her, he takes care of her, he is the solution to all her problems. And yet… is it possible her fiance might not be as perfect as he seems?

There is a lot going on in this book. The plot builds to a crescendo with a series of tricky twists and turns. It’s full of mind-bending revelations. Even the plot twists you see coming do not unfold exactly as you anticipated. I fully expect that readers everywhere are going to gobble this one up and start screaming for more!

Perfect for fans of domestic noir thrillers like The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and The Secrets She Keeps.

About the Author

Greer Hendricks spent over two decades as an editor. Prior to her tenure in book publishing, she worked at Allure Magazine and earned her Masters in Journalism from Columbia University. Her writing has been published in the New York Times and Publishers Weekly. Greer lives in Manhattan with her husband, two children, and very needy dog, Rocky. The Wife Between Us is her first novel.

Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally and USA Today bestselling author of several novels including Skipping a Beat. A former investigative journalist and feature writer, her work has been published in The Washington Post, USA Today, and many others. She is the mother of three sons and lives just outside Washington, D.C.