The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton is a gripping psychological thriller about a woman who inherits her best friend's life and secrets.

The story explores themes of obsession, betrayal, loyalty and revenge in a twisted and unpredictable plot

This is more of a domestic drama than a psychological thriller
I didn’t like the characters and felt the storyline was not plausible.
A poor read

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I hadn't read any books by this author before so I went in blind. This couldn't be described as a fast paced novel but I don't think that was detrimental to the read. I'm not sure I felt that it feel into the thriller genre; me more like a family frame with a hint of intrigue.

Marie was a nicely written character, but because you knew she had darker motives, it was difficult to like or feel any empathy towards her, even knowing how those around her were so manipulative.

I'm afraid this wasn't a book for me, although I sincerely how that others will enjoy the read. I gave The Last Wide, by Karen Hamilton, three stars

Absolutely gripping. I read it in one evening and couldn't put it down. Some really good twists. Looking forward to reading more from the author!!

What a great psychological thriller and my first read by Karen Hamilton.
Well written, good characters, and a great plot - I hope Karen writes more books as I have found a new author I want to read more from.

I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait for the next one by this talented author. There was twists and turns galore, keeping me glued until the end. Recommended.

Fantastic psychological thriller. Kept my heart racing at times. The plot was great. The book was very well written and flowed well through out. It was exciting and one of the best reads I’ve had this year

"Nina and Marie were best friends—until Nina was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before she died, Nina asked Marie to fulfill her final wishes.
But her mistake was in thinking Marie was someone she could trust.
What Nina didn’t know was that Marie always wanted her beautiful life, and that Marie has an agenda of her own. She’ll do anything to get what she wants.
Marie thinks she can keep her promise to her friend’s family on her own terms. But what she doesn’t know is that Nina was hiding explosive secrets of her own… "

This book certainly had me on the edge of my seat right from the beginning of this ordinary sounding book, which turned out to be anything but. There is no normal happy suburban family here, there are secrets and lies, friends and enemies, hidden agendas and ultimately Nina a girl who goes after whatever she wants, regardless of the consequences, following in the footsteps of her friend Marie, who surely had it all, didn't she?

The book is quite dark in places, but all that a thriller should be and I read it late into the night, as I did not want to put it down. The Last Wife is a stark reminder about being careful what you wish for, that fairytale might not be everything it seems.

I really enjoyed the author's debut, The Perfect Girlfriend, and Karen Hamilton has created yet another unreliable and to my mind, thoroughly unlikeable, narrator here with the main character, Marie.

Nina and Marie were best friends, all through school days, university and beyond and Marie thought she knew everything about her friend. They were so close that when Nina asked Marie to fulfil her final wishes and look out for her family following her death, Marie didn’t hesitate to agree. What Nina didn’t know was that Marie had always wanted what Nina had and now she had the perfect opportunity to take what she wanted.

The Last Wife is very much character driven, and believe me, a good many of the characters here are thoroughly unlikeable and to some degree untrustworthy – you realise just how much when the layers are gradually revealed. The story is voiced by Marie and the fact that the reader has access to her innermost thoughts (including her many therapist sessions), makes some aspects of her behaviour even more disturbing. Marie is a compulsive liar and manipulates people and situations to get her own way. Much of the time you have no idea whether she is telling the truth or just spinning another line to get sympathy or some personal gain. Against this backdrop however the more history that is disclosed you begin to realise that underneath all this calculated behaviour and deceit is a needy and insecure person, someone who never felt good enough on her own terms, and someone who will now stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Although the plot is intriguing, I would describe this more as domestic suspense than a true psychological thriller. Despite the fact that someone is clearly out to scare Marie with sinister anonymous notes and parcels, I never really got that feeling of fear and tension in worrying about the who and the why, and whether it was someone close to home or not. To be fair, she had upset so many people, it could have been anyone. There are certainly plenty of twists and surprises within the story and it seems that nearly everyone has secrets they are hiding.

I didn’t think that that the author could top The Perfect Girlfriend when it comes to complicated and warped characters but she has certainly smashed the ball out of the park here. There is a saying ‘be careful what you wish for’. Somebody didn’t listen!

A story of obsessive friendships, toxic relationships, deceit and desperation. The Last Wife is an enjoyable and addictive read with some awful flawed characters that will certainly get under your skin. If you love the unlikeable, then this will be for you.

When Nina was diagnosed with a terminal illness, she entrusted her final wishes to her long-standing friend, Marie. Leaving behind her husband, Stuart, and her two children, she wanted to know that Marie would be there to help her family through difficult times.
Marie, though, has wishes and plans of her own. Always envious of her friend’s perfect set up, now she sees her moment to live the life she has always dreamed of. Moving in to support Stuart and the children is just the beginning. What starts as an offer of companionship soon becomes something deeper-rooted, despite the disapproval of friends and family. But if Nina had underestimated her friend’s darker intentions, Marie is to discover that Nina had left behind explosive secrets of her own …
The Last Wife, Karen Hamilton’s second novel, is a seductive psychological thriller that skilfully draws the reader in with a mixture of unsettling atmosphere and razor-sharp plotting.

(Living Magazines, June 2020)

I was eager to read this after reading the perfect girlfriend earlier this year by this author and I really enjoyed it so I was hoping this would live up to that standard. Unfortunately I was disappointed and left wanting a lot more.

The characters were the best part of her last book, but in this they were unpleasant and completely flat. The plot can not be described as a thriller but more a domestic drama and even then it was not ideal.

Tense and twisting, leaving the reader never sure who to believe or where this is going next - rest assured Karen Hamilton has done it again.

I found this book and its characters difficult to engage with and did not finish it.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

A gripping page Turner full of twists you wont see coming, I loved this book!.
The characters were well plotted and really came to life for me in this book. The story really does highlight how far some people are willing to go to get what they believe they want....but the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Well written and perfectly paced, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone!

Loved this book! Full of twists I did not see coming. Shows how far some people will go to get what they want. Very well written! A big fan of this author. Thanks for letting me read this on net galley

I was disappointed as the book failed to live up to the blurb. It may have been that Marie the main character was unlikable but then none of the characters drew any empathy from me.

Best friends Nina and Marie are inseparable until Nina dies from a terminal illness. In her final days she asks Marie to make sure her children, Emily and Felix, are looked after and Marie is only too happy to oblige. But how well did Nina really know Marie and what lengths is Marie prepared to go to in order to achieve her goals?

This was a really twisted psychological thriller, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Marie was perfectly portrayed by Karen Hamilton as the ultimate unreliable and creepy character, and I questioned her integrity from the opening chapters. As she barrelled her way into Nina's life I was given a powerful sense of exactly how manipulating Marie was prepared to be.

Narrator Marie, along with pretty much the whole of the adult cast, was not particularly affable and, in my opinion, was practically insane as well as being quite the scheming manipulator. As the story progressed I found myself pondering about the agendas and mind games of some of the others, particularly Nina's husband, Stuart, not to mention Camilla, the friend of Marie and Nina from their University days who suddenly arrives from Canada. As secrets constantly kept bubbling up to the surface and occurrences clearly weren't as they had first appeared, I began to feel that Marie at least deserved some benefit of doubt, even if I was on tenterhooks wondering what she was going to do next, most of the time.

With buckets of tension, a myriad of twists and different avenues keeps the reader on their toes, building up to an interesting and enthralling conclusion.

The Last Wife is a dark, dubious and chilling family drama with some great characters, and plenty of oomph!

A special thank you to the publisher, the author, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley, Karen Hamilton and Headline publishing for the advanced reader copy of this book.

The story is told from the perspective of Marie, who is determined to keep the promises made to best friend Nina prior to her passing from illness. Marie is instantly unlikeable, a sinister obsession with Nina's life being made clear from the start; however, all is not quite as it seems and there is further complexity to the tale which initially presents as likely to be very predictable. Indeed there are two stories to be read here, of both past and present, and it is the backstory to the present day which is the most twisty. The entire ensemble of characters offers little in the way of likeability, resulting in an initial struggle to become invested in their fates; however, the last third of the book brings forth revelations and drama, increasing the speed with which the pages are turned. What transpires is a tale that showcases the worst of humankind in traits of self-preservation, manipulation and absolution from responsibility. Those looking for triumph and a satisfying conclusion will not find it here but will likely find plenty of fodder for subsequent debate and what happens next scenarios.

Three stars from me with a recommendation added for Hamilton's previous book, The Perfect Girlfriend, which, for me, pipped this one at the post and is a little quicker to draw the reader in.

DNF at 40%.

I was originally drawn to this book because of the synopsis. I tend to walk a fine line of enjoying domestic thrillers and unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. The biggest issue for me was the MC Marie. She was just an absolutely infuriating character, so rather than being sucked in and hanging off every page, I found myself dragging through this and wondering when it would inevitable stop.