Cover Image: As Long As We Both Shall Live

As Long As We Both Shall Live

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Member Reviews

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.

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This was a fairly entertaining read. I’ve seen its comparisons to gone girl, which wouldn’t be wrong to do. Straight away, we are told that it is suspected that Matt has killed his wife while on a hike, and that this is what is being investigated. It was definitely a twisty read, but not one that was my favourite.

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The first part of the book is a bit slow but stick with it as it really picks up in the second part. A very interesting set of characters, which makes it all the more fascinating. Looking forward to reading more from the author!

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A slow burner which definitely got better. I enjoyed the writing style, the characters and the story. I wouldn't give it 5 stars as it was a little hard going at times, but 4 will do!

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Is Matt just unlucky or is there something else going on? He has just lost his second wife in weird circumstances, a bit like wife number one. I read this with my mouth wide open, it was funny, it was bizarre and the characters were absolutely off the wall. Have only given three stars because there was far too much about Detective Loren who at one point seemed to have taken over with his lengthy backstory which added nothing but detracted lots from the novel. Great book for anyone who fancies something quirky!

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I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

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Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'As Long As We Both Shall Live' is an enthralling, twist-packed thriller from the talented, JoAnn Chaney. And whilst it is true that the story starts off a little slowly, the reader's persistence is more than rewarded in the second half of the book, which was quite simply explosive. It starts somewhat predictably, but therein the genius of Chaney lies. We are meant to assume that Matt Evans not only murdered his second wife, but his first, too. Of course, the truth, a rather nebulous concept anyway, is far from straightforward. Both Matt and his current wife, Marie, have secrets, damning secrets, that belie the polished exterior of success, wealth and a happy marriage. Neither are completely innocent in the events that unfold, neither are they completely innocent. This is the great strength of Chaney's meticulously plotted novel - the lack of moral certainties at the heart of the book. The lack of any clear delineation between innocence and culpability for either Matt and Marie. This extraordinary tale is wrapped up in a denouement that is worthy of any first-class thriller. A highly recommended thriller.

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This novel started out as a slow burn. As it continued, it's became a more suspenseful thriller that I enjoyed.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

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This book was enjoyable, and certainly kept the suspense building from the start right through to the end.

The characters were believable, and certainly fulfilled their roles of not always being likeable and the story line was well thought out and flipped between past and present seamlesley.. Although this book was enjoyable enough to read, it wasn't quite my type of story, but I am sure others will enjoy it.

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I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy of As Long as We Both Shall Live, a police procedural set in Denver.

Matt Evans stumbles into a ranger station in the Rockies claiming that his wife, Marie, is dead, having fallen off a cliff, but as Detectives Spengler and Loren investigate they learn that Marie is not first of Matt’s wives to die in mysterious circumstances because before her Janice died in a house fire.

I thoroughly enjoyed As Long as We Both Shall Live which is a gripping read, full of twists and turns. There is much in this novel that normally I don’t like in a read, chiefly different timelines and narrative voices, but this novel really gripped me from the start and these distracting elements actually became the grip. The novel opens with a monologue on the stupidity of men who kill their wives without a plan. It has a cynical, world weary tone that hooked me immediately and made me smile. The next few chapters alternate between Wisconsin 1995 and Denver 2018 in a tale of two marriages in the lead up to death and it’s aftermath. The reader is never told in these chapters exactly what happens as the rest of the novel slowly unravels this. It’s a cracker with twist upon twist. No, it’s not very realistic but, boy, is it clever and fun.


I really liked the investigation and the investigators. Loren is ostensibly an unreconstructed dinosaur, ever ready with a crude put down and a don’t care attitude but he’s much more than that, quixotic, smart and even kind sometimes. His past comes back to haunt him as a subplot and it’s a measure of his character that no one is sure if the accusations are true. Of course, the author does her best to misdirect the reader by drip feeding the information in the most damaging light possible. It’s clever, that word again. Spengler is another smart operator who manages to form a strong working partnership with Loren. She flies under the radar in terms of her personality but her thought processes say much about her. I’d love to read more about this pair.

As Long as We Both Shall Live is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

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Really undecided about this book. It’s not till I got to the end that the twists took off. Throughout, it was just leading up to the uncovering. Didn’t connect to the characters . More so the police officers.
What does come from the pages is that marriage over the years can be 50% love 50% hate. And sometimes we just love to hate!!
I would rate this 3.5 stars but will round up to 4 in fairness.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review

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I’m sorry this book is not for me , I only managed a third of the way in I was so bored . Didn’t grab me with the two stories then started concentrating on the lives of the police officers. Just couldn’t get it to it , sorry I couldn’t stick with it

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Meet Matt and Marie. They are married for 20+ years. Matt has planned a romantic getaway for them. They are both outdoor-ish so they go hiking. But after a day of hiking Matt comes out of the woods crying. Obviously Marie fell down a cliff. But – did she really?

This is an entertaining and fun read. The story is not so unusual. We have a weird couple here and some twisty developments. There is also a bit of police procedure. There are two detectives who are covering this accident and they both have their own story to tell. And of course there is more to Matt and his wives than meets the eye.

When you are an avid reader of psychological thrillers like me you can see some of the twists of this story coming. But when you start reading this book it all sound very straight forward. So it is fun to read were the author is leading us with her story. The writing is very good and all the characters have their own voice. The reason I only give 3,5 stars is because of the last third of the book. Until then the story is told through action and we see those people act. But at the end there is suddenly only telling. One of the characters tells us what really happens. JoAnn Chaney can write, she proofed it for most of this book. I have read similar stories in the past but still this one was very good because it developed slowly into something different. But at the end, all this re-telling, it felt a bit flat for me. I think the author could have handled this better. But it still is a fun read and would absolutely another book from this author.

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I liked the sound of this book but just couldn't get into the story. Sorry but this one isn't for me.I didn't finish it

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I'm afraid that this book just was not for me. While I am aware that it likely lampooned the hardened detective trope with the charming underside of misogyny, it was so over-the-top that it ended up being more of clobbering than a delicate satire, but I digress.

The plot is very reminiscent of Gone Girl but with a bit more of a twist, lending itself to the fact that there is a little bit more of a mystery here. But it doesn't have the same sort of punchy psychopathy necessary to carry a story like that- the characters ended up being more dismally sad than anything else and didn't have the sort of characterisation that would put them in a 'love-to-hate' situation either. The story had some flaws as well, with POV switching and a long discourse at the conclusion of the novel that was heavily cemented as 'tell, don't show', and more derogatory language than would ever be necessary (and I have a remarkably high tolerance- it's just that if I wanted to hear how much of a bitch being AFAB makes me, I'd head down to the local pub rather than read this).

The thing is, the premise is really quite good. The story is interesting, and the twists (while not entirely unexpected) carry over rather well. It just seems to be more of a stylistic problem than anything else that has resulted in this book being rather difficult for me to enjoy. It has a solid core- it is just what happens around it that is a little hard to swallow.

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Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. When I requested it the book sounded really good. By the time I was able to read it I just couldn’t get into it. Gave up fairly early.

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Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book. I have been sent a copy of this book for review purposes. This has not influenced or affected my opinions in this review.

“if you try to kill your wife without a plan, you will fail”

As Long as We Both Shall Live had me well and truly hooked from the beginning. The first line is completely gripping. For me, sometimes crime thrillers can be a little bit hit or miss but personally, this was definitely a hit. There was a lot of back and forth between storylines which often felt a bit confusing at times and there are various storylines piled upon one another. However, I did thoroughly enjoy this book. It is a fast-paced thriller jam packed with twist and turns you won’t see coming. Layer after layer added to this story gives you an undeniable need to get to the end. If you are a fan of thrillers, I beg of you, go out and get this book because I promise you will love it as much as I do.

*4 stars*

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What a find! I really enjoyed this domestic drama and thought that the story flowed seamlessly and kept me engaged throughout the entire journey.

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Struggled to get in to this story set in two different decades,with two horrible,self centred characters.

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#AsLongAsWeBothShallLive #NetGalley
A good read.
My wife! I think she’s dead!’ Matt frantically calls to park rangers, explaining that he and his wife, Marie, were out hiking when she stumbled on a cliff edge and fell into the raging river below. They start a search but aren’t hopeful: no one could have survived that fall.
It’s a tragic accident.
But when police discover Matt’s first wife also died in suspicious circumstances – a fire in their family home – they have a lot more questions for him.
I loved its characters. Its narration is very interesting and entertained me the whole time I read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me an advance copy.

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