- Rating: ☆☆☆.5
- Genre: Domestic Thriller
- Length: 352 Pages
- Publisher: St. Martin’s
- Release Date: April 5, 2022
Description
THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.
THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.
THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.
THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?
My Thoughts
(Read on a Kindle)
Lately I’ve read a few books that are really hard to review. And I’m going to add this to the growing list.
I thought this would be more of a domestic thriller, but it fell completely flat as a thriller and danced mightily around domestic. This was a story about a highly dysfunctional family.
It opens with a wedding ceremony. Stephen is marrying Heather, a girl who is 29 years younger than him. Stephen’s daughters Tully and Rachel are older than the bride but, after the initial shock, attempt to accept the marriage. Stephen’s ex-wife, the girls’ mother, who suffers from dementia, is also at the wedding. Caught your interest yet?
If not, try adding the fact that the narrator is an uninvited guest who is sitting at the back of the church. If that’s still not enough, tune in to see what happens as the bride and groom and wedding party step into a side room to sign papers!
Yes, it starts with a bang!
When that chapter ends we flashback to a year earlier. Various characters take different chapters from there forward. Occasionally it jumps back to the wedding.
It begins to feel like an interesting character reveal as several of the women slowly disclose the baggage they are hauling around. Baggage that has been somewhat created due to history. Many times it is sad and yet full of drama as these reveals occur.
In time, a thought begins to seep into the daughters’ consciousness. One that might or might not be correct. However, they share it with their soon-to-be step-mother.
But by then each member is so emotionally distraught, that at this point nothing can be completely proven.
My Concerns
Okay, I had no trouble being interested and turning pages, but in time I began to wonder where it was taking me. And then when I found out, I was left with my mouth hanging open. Perhaps not literally, but then again, who knows?
Final Thoughts
My rating in no way means this is a bad story. In fact, it just reflects my feelings that this will appeal to some and not others.
So, after reading a few reviews, if this sounds good, I wouldn’t hesitate to give it a try. As I said earlier, I never lost interest in it. It just didn’t win me over.
I received a digital ARC from NetGalley but I was free to express my opinion.
About the Author
Sally Hepworth has lived around the world, spending extended periods in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada. She is the author of The Secrets of Midwives, The Things We Keep, The Mother’s Promise, The Family Next Door and The Mother-in-Law. Sally now lives in Melbourne with her husband, three children, and one adorable dog.
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