Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for providing this arc. The Second Wife by Miranda Rijks

I've read other books by Miranda Rijks before and they never really held my interest until this one. I had trouble putting this down! There were so many unlikable characters in this book that were against Mia that I couldn't help but root for her. In my opinion, the book also had so many twists that it kept me guessing until the end.

Was this review helpful?

Drama thriller showcasing greed and family angst. A typical fast paced read by Miranda, which,as per her usual books, leaves you wondering throughout who's the bad guy.
Robin's family feel his new wife Tamsin is a gold digger, but no-one is more surprised than her that on his death he's left his entire estate to the cleaner. What secrets is Mia hiding and why would Robin leave her everything?
Can the estranged family put aside their differences and work together to contest the will and what will be the final outcome.
I have read a few of Miranda"s books know and just when I think I know what to expect she throws in a few red herrings to completely twist my thought processes, this book is no exception
Many thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, my opinions are my own and I'm under no obligation to leave them

Was this review helpful?

I was really intrigued by the blurb and the cover, and I liked the idea of the husband being a composer for film and television. But sadly, this book wasn't for me. The characters, particularly the second wife, just seem to act out of nowhere with little motivation or logic, which made it hard to care about what was coming next. I also found the dialogue stilted at times. Overall, not a bad book but not to my taste. Others may have a different experience.

Was this review helpful?

I love domestic thrillers so this was everything I wanted and was anticipating. This was so much fun. I loved the premise and I thought while the characters were unlikeable they were still very interesting to read about.

Was this review helpful?

The Second Wife by new to me author M. Rijks, published by Inkubator Books, is an emotional , a book unique, gives all the feels.

It's the story of Tamsin, a 34 year old new bride of Robin. Robin is a 58 year old composer and freshly married to Tamsin. But karma happens and in the blink of an eye everything changes for them, And not only the two, Mia, Robin's employee and musician is entangled too.
I never dreamed this would be a that highly entertaining thriller with just the right amount of everything I love in a good book.
A complex story who never gets boring with the right pace,with twists and turns I never had expected.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller. Complex characters that kept me wanting to turn the page. I loved the story line and execution. Lots of great twists and turns.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Was this review helpful?

The Second Wife by Miranda Rijks is out TODAY!
Thank you so much Netgalley, Incubator Books, and Miranda Rijks for my gifted copy!

Synopsis:
When Mia is employed as a housekeeper by the famous musician Robin after she served time in prison, she couldn't be happier. She's a musician herself, and a big fan. The only downside? Robin's younger second wife Tamsin is jealous. So when Robin dies of a tragic accident and the family discovers that he's left everything to Mia, they ask themselves whether it was an accident at all...

My thoughts?
I absolutely loved Miranda's previous book, The New Neighbor. And as much as I wanted to love this domestic thriller, it just wasn't for me. It felt way too wordy and detailled, too many facts about music and the furniture which made it hard to get into the flow of the story. I did neither relate to nor feel for any of the characters, and some encounters felt forced and unnecessary. The twists were done rather well and I really didn't see them coming. Especially the final one did take me by surprise which I appreciated a lot. I will definitely try more of her books.

This was my second book by this author, and my favorite is The New Neighbor.

Was this review helpful?

Mia, a housekeeper, is left everything when her boss Robin passes away. Robin’s new, much younger wife Tamsin and his adult children are left nothing in his will. Why was Mia the sole recipient of Robin’s fortune? How did Robin die? Who was responsible for his death? Is Tamsin a gold digger, just looking at how to get her hands on Robin’s money? Was his death to hide family secrets? This book is an easy read. Story flows well and the ending ties everything together and is satisfying. This was the first book by this author that I’ve read. I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.

Was this review helpful?

This book was amazing! I enjoyed every single chapter, and it kept me hooked the entire time, which I loved!

Was this review helpful?

This thriller starts out with a interesting storyline that keeps the pages turning but it seems after a few twists that happen, it seems like a forced ending to connect all the dots and fell fall for me. It was still an overall great read and I love being that we were able to get the view points from the maid, Mia, and the 2nd wife, Tamsin.

Was this review helpful?

This really worked for me on a couple of levels. The characters had enough depth to support the story, but you don't have to emotionally tie yourself to them/their outcome. The deflection was noteworthy.

Was this review helpful?

Miranda Rijks writes fast paced psychological page turners and this is yet another one to add to her growing catalogue. Interesting characters, intriguing plots that have you racing through the pages wanting to know what will happen. The author often pushes the realms of reality to the limits but it does make for a very entertaining read.

When Tamsin married composer the much older Robin Featherstone a few eyebrows were raised and others questions her motives, namely Robin’s ex wife and grown up children. Robin enjoyed the company of his assistant Mia who shared a common interest in music.

When Robin dies suddenly his family fear that there reservations were about to be realised with Tamsin inheriting everything. But when the will is read, its contents take everyone by surprise, sparking a feud to who will inherit Robin’s estate.

It soon becomes apparent that the family will go to extreme lengths to stop Mia and Tamsin inheriting any part of the fortune, leaving them fearing for their lives.

I found this a very entertaining read and read it almost in one sitting.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Inkubator books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Mia, who is a violinist, finds a job as a cleaner for Robin Featherstone, a composer, after she has been released from prison for committing fraud.

Robin's much younger second wife, Tamsin fires Mia after she overhears her husband ask Mia's advice about changing his will.

Robin dies tragically soon afterwards, and Mia is set to be the sole heir of his massive fortune, much to the disgust of Tamsin and Robin's adult children, and his ex wife.

Mia is suspicious of Robin's death and sets out to find out the truth, uncovering secrets and lies that affect the whole family.

I really liked this novel, it kept me turning the page to find out what the next twist would reveal. I liked the main character, Mia, who seemed to be genuine, caring and honest, but not many of the other characters who were all conniving and greedy liars.

I really enjoy Miranda Rijks' books and in this psychological thriller, she has not failed to entertain me and keep me engrossed in a great story.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Really enjoyed this book, very engaging and great characters. Had me hooked from the beginning. Great read , really looking forward to more from this author. Fabulous 5 stars

Was this review helpful?

Author Miranda Rijks has written The Second Wife. It is a psychological thriller. How often do you read and wonder what you just read? The prologue of this novel blew me away, and I knew at the outset that this was going to be a page-turner.

Stave House is an impressive home owned by Robin Featherstone, fifty-eight years old and a music composer. It is also where he has his studio. Claudia was Robin’s first wife, and they had two children named Brook and David. After his marriage with Claudia ended in a divorce, Robin has limited contact with his children. Four years later, he began dating Tamsin, who worked in public relations, and she became his second wife. Tamsin is twenty-five years younger than Robin, and everyone is suspicious of her motives.

Pavla Whittaker is originally from Czechoslovakia and has worked as the housekeeper at Stave House for many years. Thomas, her husband, is a gardener and maintenance man, and Marek, their son, helps where he can. Marek is in his early twenties and has a learning disability, but something else may be wrong.

Mia Benton has worked as a cleaner at Stave House for nine months. Despite being a student at the Royal College of Music in London and a violinist, she struggled to find employment.

The Second Wife is extremely well-edited, and I had nothing negative to say about it. It’s an intriguing story with plenty of twists and turns with a surprising ending. I found myself re-reading the prologue. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy psychological thrillers. My rating for this book is five out of five stars, without a doubt.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed reading this book, very hard for me to put it down!
It had a very surprising but also good ending!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 rounded up
Good characters. I was hooked early and it kept my interest throughout; everything ties together nicely by the end. This one kept me guessing.

Was this review helpful?

I am always game for a psychological thriller, but this one didn't grip me. It was slow and had very little dialog between characters. The story follows Tamsin, the second wife of a famous composer, and Mia, a violinist who works as a maid in the composer's house. When he dies under somewhat suspicious circumstances, he leaves all of his money to Mia, leaving Tamsin and his two grown children with absolutely nothing. This sets up an interesting premise and while I liked that the author had both characters be very much less than perfect, it takes far too long for the two of them to start comparing notes. The novel jumps between two characters (Mia and Tamsin) that are trying to figure out what happened to Robin. This drags on for most of the storyline. Overall, a lackluster read.
Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

Such a great read, I was glued to this book from page one, twists and turns galore and kept me guessing right up to the end …

Was this review helpful?

Having read a couple of good books by this author i was not let down with The Second Wife.
We are given snippets of Mia's (the main character) life throughout the book and as the story progress's things become clearer.
I loved the way more characters come into play and its a who done it until almost the end of the book.

A good satisfying read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?