At the end of the day do any of us really know anyone? This is the recurrent question posed throughout The Stranger’s Wife.
I’ve not read any books by Anna Lou Weatherley before and judging by my enjoyment of her latest offering it won’t be my last.
The sensitive and emotive subject of domestic violence/emotional abuse and the tragic situations many women find themselves is the central theme to this utterly gripping novel.
Beginning with the disappearance of nanny/housekeeper Marta from Beth and Evan Lawler’s home, this is a rollercoaster of a read that had me hooked straightaway. The events that follow from that fateful day are difficult to comprehend and evoke so many emotions as a reader, ranging from heartache, sheer disbelief, hatred and compassion. This novel has everything going on with two inspiringly strong women, Beth and Carol at its heart. Encompassing death, murder, deceit, and corruption I absolutely loved every page. Paced just right, the author deals with the subject of domestic abuse sensitively whilst still creating a brilliant piece of fiction.
Having not read any previous books, I was introduced to the character of Dan, the detective initially attending the call to the Lawler’s home the day Marta disappeared. I must say his character grew on me so that by the end I was impressed by his sheer doggedness and his unshakeable belief in doing the right thing, however hard that may be. His predilection for saying ‘Exactamundo’ at breakthrough moments in the storyline did make me laugh!!
How Beth and Carol’s lives intertwine is very clever and will leave you gasping in disbelief, although strangely I did find it easy to guess how the threads of both their stories would come together. Sadly, this is the kind of novel where there are no winners which is a sobering thought and an important reminder that what some of the women in this book experience, are very real for many.
Personally, I think the ending may divide opinion which also makes this a great choice for any book club. Choose it as your next read and you won’t be disappointed!!
Well written, easy to engage with the characters, whether you love or hate them, I can thoroughly recommend The Stranger’s Wife without hesitation.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

Not a lot to say about this book other than I struggled to finish it. I can’t say it was badly written but just not a story that enthralled me either.

The Stranger's Wife a la Stranger on a Train. Very well done psychological thriller revolving around two very different lives - neither happy. Anna-Lou Weatherley has written another winner!

The Strangers Wife was a gripping, fast paced psychological thriller, absolutely the kind I’m drawn to. It’s one of those books you want to race through to the end as it just hooks you in!

The Strangers Wife is a story about two very different yet similar women.

BETH is living the rich life but she’s in an unhappy and loveless marriage to Evan. They have a beautiful four-year old daughter Lily who is adored. Beth’s having an affair with Nick who she is in love with. The story opens with Beth returning home to find the nanny gone, the door left open and her daughter left alone in the house asleep, where is the nanny, this is so out of character?

CATH lives in a council flat and is being mentally and physically abused by her drug addicted and jealous partner Saul but can’t find a way to leave him as she’s in fear of her life. Saul has been her first and only love.

A chance meeting on a train between Beth and Cath reveals they have a lot in common, the women form a bond which turns their lives around.

Clever plot, interesting characters and addictive reading, a recommended read.

I wish to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Maybe a little predictable but still a very enjoyable read. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

<><A Fait Accompli!

Anna Lou Weatherly brilliantly weaves together a psychological thriller and a police procedural. A tense page turner filled with well developed characters and a riveting storyline. This is the third book in the Detective Dan Riley series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. Two women from completely different backgrounds. Beth lives in a wealthy neighborhood with her adorable daughter Lily and her distant and deranged husband Evan. Cath’s circumstances are quite different, she lives in a run down neighborhood with an abusive addict as her partner. When the women’s paths cross one day on the 3:15 train it seems as though it is faded. What follows is a compelling story of revenge and deceit.

I loved watching Beth and Cath tangle themselves up in this tale. I also loved watching Dan try to untangle the tale. Dan is such a great character, and in all the books it has been remarked on that he has very “kind eyes“. I also love how his personal life is infused into the story. There was a lot of gray area in this book, the path to justice was not clear-cut. And as much as I wanted Dan to solve the case, I also did not want him to. Complicated, captivating, addictive, tents. A riveting read with a satisfying ending.

This book in emojis. 👭 🚄 👮🏻‍♂️ 💉 🔫 🧩 🚨

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
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Wow, wow, wow, what a fantastic read this was. What an ending that was. This was my first book by this author and I loved it. It was a stand alone novel.

This book was about two women lives that will forever change by a chance meeting. Both of these women are very broken and worn down and don’t know how they are going to make it to another day. But something changes for the better and in the end they both end up getting what they want, a fresh start.

I want to start off by saying that this was a fast and amazing read. All the characters meshed so well together and kept the flow of the book going. I will admit though that I did not like Detective Dan that much at the very beginning but by the end I did see a much softer, sweeter side of him that I grew to love. The plot of this book is what kept me going. I never knew which way the book was going to take me. Each chapter was like a new adventure and I looked forward to reading the next. I could not put this one down. There were so many twists and turns that I felt like I was riding a roller coaster. I highly recommend this book.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

SYNOPSIS | Beth's husband is cold & detached and they haven't slept in the same bed since their daughter was born. She has an affair and decides that she wants to leave her husband. Shortly after she communicates this to her husband, her six year old daughter alleges that Beth's new partner has inappropriately touched her and Beth loses custody of her daughter. The story also evolves around Cath who is stuck in an abusive relationship with her childhood sweetheart who has become dependent on drugs. Two very different scenarios, but both Beth & Cath want to be free of their husbands.

MY THOUGHTS | This took me 5 days to complete which is a really long time for someone who usually finishes a book in 1-2 days. I am trying to pinpoint exactly why I didn't enjoy this and I think its a combination of many unlikeable characters, a (in my opinion) silly and overused plot twist and generally a lack of interest in the actual storyline. I simply wasn't on the edge of my seat rooting for Beth & Cath hoping that they would get away with it.

“He was the stranger she married; a man she never really knew.”

Holy freaking sheep shit, Batman!! Jezzzy petes that was one fun ride on the crazy train. Wow, Weatherlery hits the ball out of the park with this one! She makes you really think hard with regards to just how well can you really ever know someone?

The Stranger’s Wife gives crazy a whole new meaning. Yes my friends, as you read, you think you’ve reached the bottom of the crazy barrel but then Weatherlery, hits you with a hidden underground garage of crazy! Buckle up and enjoy the ride with this one. It’s a gasoline - fire fueled trip to crazy town - just light the match and enjoy the show. 5stars

This was a powerful read. Beth and Cath are two women living very different lives yet on a parallel course. There were so many twists and turns in this book. I though I knew where this was heading but boy was I wrong. Would highly recommend this book.

The Stranger's Wife is the third book in the Detective Dan Riley series but this can be easily read as a stand-alone. As far as a domestic thriller goes, this book gets it just right. With an engrossing storyline, some compelling characters and a clever ending, this is one of the well-written thrillers out there.

This is a story about two very different women, Beth and Cath. Beth is wealthy and having an affair with a man who gives her the kind of love that her cold, detached husband does not. Cath is poor with a violently abusive husband. Both are suffering at the hands of their partners, who would rather see her dead than divorce them. By pure coincidence, Beth and Cath are about to meet and discover they share one shocking thing in common.

The story is told by Beth, Cath and Dan's points of view. The pace is fast and the story has several twists and turns to keep you guessing. The novel deals with domestic violence (not just physical but emotional and psychological too) and abusive husbands and accurately portrays the helplessness of living in abusive relationships. The portrayal gets too dark at times and some may find it disturbing (trigger warning).

I liked the main characters of Beth & Cath. This book covers a fair amount of Detective Dan Riley’s personal life but having not read this series before, I couldn’t relate much to Dan’s character. The story is more focused on Beth’s story than Cath. I loved the buildup towards the climax which explained the motivations for each character.

The biggest problem for me, however, was that the main twist is rather predictable and it isn’t an entirely original concept. Around 50% mark, you have a fair idea of where the story is going and the main mystery. That being said, it’s how the story progresses is what makes you keep reading. The story raises a lot of relevant questions about law vs morality, the failure of the legal system to dispense justice and the failure of society to protect the weak.

Overall, this is a well written and absorbing story. Although it feels a bit repetitive at times, the fast pace and some good characters, make it an interesting read. If you like reading domestic thrillers, you will enjoy this.

Many thanks to the publishers Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Beth arrives home and finds her 4 year old daughter left alone and her housekeeper no where to be found. After reporting it to the police, her husband, Evan, does not seem to he concerned about her missing. Beth tells her husband that she has met someone else and wants a divorce. Beth moves in with her boyfriend, Nick and her daughter Lily. Evan seeks revenge and starts telling lies about Nick. The story moves on from here with many twists and turns. Definitely a page turner that I could not put down.

Clear your diary for this one as the minute you start this book you will be sucked in.
A book that holds its suspense throughout and keeps you at the edge of your seat.
Excellently written and characters are well throughout and well rounded.
Highly recommended
Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for gifting me this book

The Strangers Wife drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. These two woman, polar opposites, different lives, I couldn’t figure out how or even if their paths would cross. I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars. This is my first time reading this author and I will for sure be reading her other books.

It took a while for us to find out when Beth and Cath's paths would and the rest of the story to unravel but getting there was very interesting. The story goes back and forth over a year so you are kept in suspense with cliff hanging chapter endings. It kept me reading well into the night several nights in a row.

And just when you think you've figured out how the book will end you get thrown off by what plays out. Overall it's a great edge of your seat read. I recommend this for anyone who loves a good suspense thriller.

3.5/5 Stars. I quite enjoyed The Stranger's Wife, it's a solid psychological thriller. It had me constantly guessing how all of these characters could possibly intersect. And, the result was definitely not something I had predicted. I hadn't read a Dan Riley book yet (you can easily read this as a stand alone book) but I really enjoyed his character and will likely read more.

Beth is in a loveless, sexless, dull marriage to Evan. Her and her daughter, Lily, have all they need from Evan (financially at least, if not emotionally) but Beth craves (and seems to have found) more. The story also follows Cath. A horribly physically abused woman, married to an awful, violent drug dealer, Saul. For most of the book it's nearly impossible to see how these two women's lives were going to be connected.

Despite the month/year being displayed at the start of every chapter I did sometimes find it a bit hard to follow along with but it wasn't enough to take away from the story at all (and might just have been my sleepy brain being slow on the uptake!). Overall this was a very interesting psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

EXCERPT: Something in the garden suddenly catches Beth's eye, on the back lawn. At first she thinks it's maybe something the builders have left; they're having a swimming pool dug out at the moment and the garden is in a state of disarray, filled with equipment and tools.

She pushes her face closer to the glass and squints. Instinctively, she opens the sliding doors and goes outside. She strides across the lawn with urgency, still in her socks. It's drizzling heavily, the kind of rain that gets into your eyes and makes your hair frizzy. She feels her heartbeat increase as she moves, adrenalin giving her an almost unbearable lightness under her damp feet. She can feel her trachea tighten slightly; fear creeping in like tendrils around her neck. She recognizes it instantly. It's Marta's favourite scarf - that yellow silky thing with an odd pattern on it that she often wears. Why is it in the garden, abandoned like this?

She bends down to pick it up. It feels damp between her fingers and she can no longer stave off the feeling of terror that is threatening to engulf her.

The drizzle has turned into rain now - heavier drops splash spitefully against her skin. 'Oh my God...oh my God! Marta!' She says, as she runs inside to get her phone.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Beth and Cath are leaving their husbands.

This is a story about two very different women.

One is wealthy and having an affair with a man who gives her the kind of love that her cold, detached husband does not.

One is living hand to mouth, suffering at the hands of a violent partner who would rather see her dead than leave him.

You may think you know these women already and how their lives will unfold.

Beth will live happily ever after with her little girl and her soulmate.

Cath will go back to her abusive husband.

And these two women will never cross paths.

But you will be wrong.

On the 3.15pm train from London to Bristol, Beth and Cath are about to meet and discover they share one shocking thing in common.

MY THOUGHTS: A quick and pleasant read that is nothing special. If you have read or watched Strangers on a Train, then you know what happens.... I have, so found it rather predictable.

I liked the main character, Detective Dan Riley, but this book has not made enough of an impact on me to make me want to read others in this series.

There were several inconsistencies that irked me...amongst them Marta's disappearance. There was no mention of anyone contacting her family in Norway to see if she had turned up there, no investigation of the swimming pool excavation. What better place to hide a body? There was no attempt to trace her via her phone. Really, her disappearance was swept under the carpet. There are more instances in the same vein....

Overall an average read.

🙂😕.5

#TheStrangersWife #NetGalley #Bookouture

THE AUTHOR: Anna-Lou Weatherley was born in Southampton and grew up in London where she still lives.

An award-winning writer for over ten years, she is the former editor and acting editor of J-17 and Smash Hits respectively and has written for magazines including New Woman, Company, B, Glamour, Marie Claire, Grazia and More (where she was their no nonsense agony aunt). She has also contributed to titles such as Arena, FHM, Loaded and NME.

She previously wrote women’s fiction before moving into the crime/thriller genre with Black Heart and bestseller The Couple on Cedar Close.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Stranger's Wife by Anna-Lou Weatherly for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

Following two women with seemingly nothing in common but the story has them connect in the most clever way. A great thriller with lots of twists and turns. Good, strong characters with heart wrenching back stories. I really enjoyed.

the third book in Detective Dan Riley series however it can be red as a stand alone.

Our first protagonist is Beth, a wealthy woman stuck in a loveless marriage who is having an affair with a local landscaper who is a kind and loving man, everything her husband is not.
Our second protagonist is Cath who lives in poverty who is psychically and mentally abused by her drug addicted partner.
These woman couldn't possibly have anything in common but as they cross paths one day on a train from London to Bristol they will learn that they do have something in common and they could potentially help each other.

This book is mostly told from Beth and the detectives perspective with a few chapters here and there from Cath and if I am being completely honest Cath had no real part in this story. It is hard to explain without giving details. This book did not go in the direction I thought it would and overall this book just didn't do it for me.

An excellent book club title. Would be perfect for book club kits as well. A fantastic journey into the heart of marriage, frustration, and desperation.