The Fake Wife by Sharon J. Bolton

So very twisty! Twisty bodies, twisty limbs, twisty mind games, and a world that seems so very small in the way certain people are connected. Everything revolves around a high-profile MP whose first wife died of cancer. Now his second wife is missing, the nurse of his first wife, two women who might know him better than he ever imagined.

My favorite parts of the story feature Garry, the best driver of the police force, as if anyone would strive for such a lowly accolade. He's failed the detective test twice which makes him a major failure in his family of successful law enforcement officers, all the way back to his great great grandfather (maybe there is another great in there, just know Garry brings an inglorious end to the family successes). But Garry did know both of the MP's wives, and he's a bit starstruck by them. So when the second wife goes missing, one of the only people nice to him in his school days, he wants to find her...alive. Garry is a really good guy, with a huge heart. Now he's been lassoed by a young female detective to be her driver during a horrendous snow storm, while she investigates more than one crime.

Revenge is the dish being served but it's up to you to figure out what is in that dish, who is doing the revenging and who is being revenged. I really didn't like most of the people in this story, other than Garry and Lexy, the detective that sees more in Garry than he sees in himself, so it was hard for me to care to untangle the mess of twists, turns, betrayals, couplings and uncouplings. I buddy read this story with friends and several of them think this is 5 star material so be sure to read other reviews.

Thank you to Orion and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 rounded up

Olive Anderson, wife of Labour MP Michael Anderson, is dining alone at a hotel in Hexham when a stranger unexpectedly joins her for dinner and what’s more she pretends they are wives. Olives quiet evening of the solitary contemplation of her life turns into something very different and soon things spin out of control and enter into dangerous territory. Michael reports Olive as missing and DS Lexy Thomas and traffic cop PC Garry Mizon team up to try to solve what increasingly becomes a complex puzzle.

This is an excellent psychological thriller from the talented Sharon Bolton who has created a complex, highly intriguing and well-connected plot which moves at a fast pace. There are multiple twists and turns, a few of which pull me up sharply as they are so unexpected. This is one of the most immersive domestic dramas I have read in a while with situations and events that don’t seem to add up which inevitably has me all in, trying to solve the elusive conundrums. I especially enjoy have some aspects of the plot are kept very close to the author’s chest whilst others are easier to figure out.

The characters involved in these multiple triangles are carrying so many secrets it’s a wonder their spines aren’t curved with the weight and as for the lies…… There is deception heaped upon deception in piles as large as the externally gathering snowdrifts. Some deception could be said to be for the right reasons though vengeful actions may belie that.

The snowy December weather in the north east setting is used to great effect as it brings its own brand of danger, adding extra tension and suspense. Some of these scenes are so good I’m on the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the text.

The characterisation is excellent, and there’s a good variety of those who are most certainly not likeable, to the very colourful, to the extremely likeable characters of Lexy and Garry. The latter is an absolute diamond in my book, he can be my superhero any day of the week. These two are relentless and brave in the race to find Olive and they definitely could be said to go the extra mile. Wouldn’t it be great to see these two feature in another novel?

Overall, this well titled novel is highly entertaining and compelling and keeps my attention throughout. Even though parts of the plot are dark, the author manages to give us laugh or two along the dangerously icy road to an excellent conclusion.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A favourite crime writer, Sharon J. Bolton's latest psychological thriller is her usual trademark gripping and suspenseful read that had me turning the pages as fast as possible. Olive Anderson is a senior oncology nurse, who has been married to Michael for 6 months, an MP with 2 children, living on a farm with his dead wife, Eloise's mother, Gwendoline Warner. The ex-military Michael is a very good looking man, a man known as 'the sexiest man in parliament', so no surprise Olive is envied, but the marriage has turned out to be more difficult than she anticipated. On a work trip, Olive has booked into a Hexham hotel on a winter's night, where she is joined by a stranger for dinner, a woman with a wedding ring, they pretend to be wives, only for events to shock and spiral out of Olive's control.

Olive is reported missing by a frantic and worried Michael, on the case is DS Lexy Thomas, and she insists on bringing in traffic cop, PC Garry Mizon, who secretly loves and grows flowers. He is a man who comes from generations of police officers, has failed the detective tests twice, known for making mistakes, but is the best driver, and had gone to school with the beautiful Olive. Olive had nursed the late Eloise in hospital when she was dying from ovarian cancer. In a narrative that shifts from past to present, we begin to be given a glimpse of small pieces that will begin to give insights over time into the bigger picture. There is the strange disappearance of Maddy Black and oodles of intrigue, all of which will form a dangerous case for Mizon and Thomas amidst the terrors of a freezing wintry background.

Just to warn readers, this holds more sexual content that is usual for Bolton, otherwise there will be much that feels familiar to fans of the author, a twisty, multilayered storyline of murder, gangsters, buried secrets, deceptions, lies, relationships, and revenge. Forming their own close relationship are Thomas and Mizon, forced to be maverick detectives, racing against time as they unearth the clues to try and find out more about Olive and what happened to her. Mizon in particular at long last demonstrates he truly has the skills to become a detective. Fans of Bolton and those who enjoy dark and tense psychological thrillers are likely to enjoy this. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the ultimate revenge based thriller which circles around three women all connected by one man.

Elouise , Olive and Maddy all share connections with Michael Anderson and all three of these women have either disappeared or have questions around their deaths.

The book is told in three parts with each part focusing on one of the women’s stories, With family betrayals and loyalties being questioned continuously in this story.

Started off great with an interesting story. Sadly the formatting made it extremely difficult to follow and i ended up really confused. Sadly i cannot say much more.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my early copy but may have been a bit to early?

Unfortunately, this will be a DNF for me. The Kindle formatting is completely off, and it makes it nearly impossible to make rhyme or reason of what is going on. I think it has two narratives which would eventually intersect but at the moment, the two are co-mingled randomly and it just isn’t making sense. I won’t be rating it on Goodreads.
I wish it had been edited properly before it had been made available as an ARC as I have heard great things about the author and I was eager to give her a try!

This one wasn’t 100% for me. I am not a huge fan of sex scenes and it was a bit spicy for my PG tastes.
Sharon Bolton is always hit and miss for me I haven’t had much luck and I think I will have to try her less commercial thrillers I.e the lacy flint novels.
The writing was her usual standard which is always pretty good but overall I wasn’t completely wowed by this one. The other thing that was super off putting was the formatting. It was really difficult to get into the story when chapters and sentences were mashed together.
Thank you to Orion and NetGalley and the author for an ARC.

Well, I wasn’t expecting that! Sharon Bolton has written another cracker! The twists! The tension! The friendship! I really liked Garry and Lexy’s pairing, I almost feel like they’re a duo in on and of themselves, I don’t want to give any spoilers but you will enjoy this thrill ride, but I will say the snow (the weather) has its own kind of charm and character itself.
I loved some of the characters’ names especially the Tricks’ I wish I were a Trick!

Omg! This book is outstanding! I honestly believe this is one of the best books that ive read this year!

The characters are amazing and they just make this story!

I swear the twists and turns you will not see coming! I felt like screaming at times during this, it was crazy!

I will definitely be reading more from this author because trust me they know how to write a best seller.

I just hope and desperately have my finger's crossed that this becomes a tv show because it would be fantastic.

Should a kept it in his pants…. Now taste her revenge!
Incredibly satisfying thriller of woman scorned - great return to form for Ms. Bolton.