Sue Watson delivers another beautifully written and captivating story with His First Wife. The setting in Sicily is lush and evocative, and the mystery unfolds at a steady, gripping pace. From the moment Sophie meets Emilio, there’s a spark—and a creeping sense that not everything is as it seems. As the story twists and darkens, Watson masterfully balances suspense with emotional depth, keeping the reader questioning everyone and everything.

This is an easy yet compelling read—one that had me turning the pages quickly. Watson’s prose is as sharp and immersive as always, and the plot holds plenty of tension, secrets, and psychological intrigue.

That said, this book may not resonate with every reader in the same way. Personally, I struggle with protagonists who are constantly second-guessing themselves or spiraling into self-doubt, and Sophie’s inner monologue occasionally veered into that territory for me. However, that’s a personal taste issue—Watson captures her character with nuance and consistency, and many readers will likely relate more to Sophie’s vulnerability and emotional realism than I did.

Overall, His First Wife is a well-paced psychological thriller with an atmospheric setting, a chilling mystery, and an author who knows exactly how to keep readers hooked. Fans of the genre—and of Watson’s previous work—will find much to enjoy here.

Another brilliant psychological thriller from Sue Watson. I’ve read all of Sue Watson’s novels and have loved every single one and this book was no exception. It was just as gripping and well crafted as her previous books.

The plot had me constantly guessing and second-guessing every character and every twist. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something unexpected would happen, pulling me deeper into the suspense. The writing was sharp, the pacing was spot on, and the atmosphere perfectly tense.
I loved everything about it and will be recommending this to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

A dark and twisty love story set in Taormina (Sicily)

The story follows Sophie, a young woman who arrives in Sicily to teach for the summer. She doesn’t expect to find love, but then she meets Emilio—charming, intelligent, and undeniably magnetic. He seems perfect, everything Sophie has ever wanted. But as their relationship grows, Sophie begins to uncover unsettling details about Emilio’s past, particularly the mysterious disappearance of his first wife, Gina. Soon, Sophie starts feeling like she’s being watched, and with every new piece of information, she questions whether she’s falling into a dangerous web of secrets and obsession.

I picked up His First Wife because the cover caught my eye, and the premise seemed like the perfect blend of romance and suspense. The first few chapters hooked me right in, and I was intrigued by the unfolding story. The setting—right at the foot of Mount Etna—is the star here. The author paints Sicily in such vivid detail that I could practically feel the heat of the island and the tension in the air. The atmosphere was spot on, and I have to give Watson credit for a unique and clever backdrop for her mystery.

The plot promises a thrilling mystery full of secrets, lies, and betrayals. And while it does offer suspenseful moments, the structure of the book doesn’t quite hit the mark. The revelation of Gina’s disappearance doesn’t come until much later in the book, which feels frustrating given the title. For much of the story, Sophie is wrapped up in her relationship with Emilio and the paranoia she experiences from being watched, leaving the plot feeling misaligned with the premise.

What’s worse is that the book’s pacing suffers as a result. For me, the plot begins to drag from 35 up to 70%. What could’ve been a tight, fast-paced thriller stretches out longer than necessary. I found myself constantly checking how much time was left, groaning as the story limped toward its conclusion. Despite the frustration, the ending really surprised me. While I suspected something was off, I didn’t see the final twist coming at all, which made up for some of the predictability earlier on.

Sophie, the protagonist, drove me crazy at times. She’s completely smitten by Emilio and ignores every red flag in sight. She’s a grown woman, yet her blind trust and emotional decisions made her come off as a little too naïve and reckless. I just kept thinking, “How many more signs do you need, Sophie?” It made it hard to connect with her.

As for Emilio, he’s charming, but his mysterious, perfect image felt a little too convenient, and his past was slowly revealed in a way that made me roll my eyes. The other characters didn’t fare much better. I couldn’t figure out if Gina (the ex-wife) was just calm or creepy, and Sabrina was bitter and jealous and Abbi seemed a bit too invested in everything, which just added to the confusion. Marian, however, was a nice breath of fresh air. Her upbeat, friendly personality brought some much-needed levity to the otherwise tense atmosphere.

The book touches on themes of love, trust, and the dangers of burying the past. Sophie’s relationship with Emilio is fraught with secrets that neither of them wants to confront. The book explores how people’s pasts can haunt them, affecting the choices they make in the present. It also raises questions about how far someone will go to protect their secrets, and what happens when you start running from your mistakes rather than facing them head-on.

Ultimately, His First Wife wasn’t my favorite read, but it wasn’t a total miss either. The beautiful setting, the suspenseful atmosphere, and that shocker of an ending gave it a few redeeming qualities.

I kindly received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much Thomas & Mercer!

I definitely found myself feeling uneasy and tense while reading this. Watching the danger Sophie was in and not knowing which way it would turn made for an unsettling and gripping read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

This was my first book by this author. I did enjoy the setting in Silicy, but this story was a bit underwhelming for me.
Sophie, the main character was very annoying and just plain dumb at times. The rest of the cast was not much better.
There was a good twist, but overall the story was just ok to me.

I love Sue Watson's books but I couldn't settle down with this one and it's mainly down to how annoying Sophie is, she's meant to be 36 but acts like a spoilt teenager, the book rose in my estimation when Sabrina and Marian were introduced as they added a new avenue as to who might be behind what was happening. Abi was another great character that added to the storyline as a friend who Sophie didn't deserve .

His First Wife by Sue Watson is another riveting tale from this prolific and talented author.

Sophie is in Sicily teaching at a university for the summer. It is here where she meets professor Emilio, and the sparks fly. But as she begins to build a life with this handsome man, his past is called into question, particularly with regard to his relationship with his first wife. As the signs begin to indicate that something is not quite right, Sophie wonders if she has gotten herself in too deep by taking a spontaneous and romantic leap of faith.

I always enjoy Sue Watson's writing, and this latest offering is no exception. The Sicilian setting was an added bonus.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.

If you tell me a book is inspired by “Rebecca,” I expect moody tension, buried secrets, and a sense of doom so thick it fogs the windows. What I don’t expect is a tepid romance, slow-burn suspense that barely flickers, and red flags treated more like cute accessories than warning signs. “His First Wife” wants to be gothic and haunting, but mostly it just left me a little unengaged.

Sophie arrives in Sicily to teach art for the summer, raw from recent grief and emotionally undercooked for what’s about to unfold. Enter Emilio, brooding volcanology professor, espresso addict, owner of many intense silences. He simmers, he smolders, and he keeps his secrets buried like lava under polished stone. Also, he might still be married. Sophie, predictably, throws logic in the sea and follows her heart directly into a plot full of warning signs and whispered half-truths.

His wife Gina is supposedly off doing science on another continent, but the silence around her whereabouts is less “don’t worry about it” and more “oh no, she’s haunting this book.” Meanwhile, Sophie’s roommate Abbi is basically a sentient alarm bell with strong opinions and no sense of volume control. She might be unhinged, but she’s not wrong. And when Gina’s sister shows to up to the story with a permanent scowl and cryptic comments, it becomes very clear that this trip is not going to end in only postcards.

The pacing is more molasses than menace. The first half leans hard on wishful thinking and romantic delusion while we wait for the thriller to actually show up. When it does, it’s fine. The twists are fine. The ending is fine. But that’s kind of the issue, for a story with dead wives, emotional sabotage, and Mediterranean heat, it never fully ignites. Sophie’s arc never quite lands either. She flinches, doubts, forgives, repeats. The growth is there, but it’s so muted it feels like a shrug.

Three stars. If you’re looking for something broody and propulsive, this probably won’t scratch the itch. But if you enjoy yelling “ma’am, no” at your book while watching a woman ignore every red flag like she’s playing emotional Minesweeper, it delivers on that front.

Whodunity Award: For Smoldering Suspense With All the Heat of a Broken Toaster

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC — and for reminding me that “mysterious professor” is a romance trope, but “mysterious professor with a missing wife” is usually on a therapist’s red flag bingo card.

First, thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

Not gonna lie, Sue Watson will soon by one of my auto-buy authors if things do continue like this. I mean, sure, the story idea itself is not new. But that does not mean it is bad. In my opinion, at least.

Sophie did not expect finding love again when meeting Emilio, and yet, there she is. So, everything could be prefect, right? Well... maybe. Maybe, if this was a different kind of book. But it is not. So, Sophie soon has to wonder who Emilio really is. And if he might me involved into disappearance of his first wife. Or why Sophie suddenly feels like someone is following her...

Could a book be more topical? With Etna erupting and the scenes shown on the news and social media it made imagining this book set in Taoranina, in the foothills of Etna and the characters, sights and sounds therein even more poignant and real

The book though is pure psychological thriller, a woman who falls for a man who obviously has a hidden agenda…..a mysterious first wife, an even more mysterious Sister In Law and a ( fav character for me ) stalkerish if not well meaning neighbour/best friend who is intent on making her feelings, on any situation, known, loudly 😀

You never quite know who you can trust or who is being honest, naïve, crafty, nasty or friendly and until the ending, which is 2 fold, I kept changing my mind

Sue Watson writes a great thriller and this is that bit different set where it is however the tension and suspense is what we have come to expect from the authors books

Great read

Sue Watson was recommended to me by a book friend who raves about her books. This was my first read by her. For me, it started off a bit slow. However, in my opinion made up for it the second half of the book.

This author sure knows how to pull the punches ib the twists and turns in her books. She delivers a thrilling and captivating read that you can not put down. Highly recommend.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was an engaging and well-paced read. I was gripped throughout and the twists were unpredictable. However, I felt Sophie's backstory was too rushed, although I was pleased to see that thread picked up towards the end, as for awhile, it looked like it had been forgotten. The different strands of plot, while interesting, did not all seem to be cohesively woven through the book, with other aspects, mentioned then ignored for many chapters, which meant that the resolving chapters were not as satisfying as they perhaps otherwise would have been.

Amazing psychological thriller suspense. I got hooked from the start, and I couldn't put down this one.

Sue Watson is writing, i'm reading it ASAP.

Another great page turner from this author, slightly different to her previous books in my opinion but with plenty of mystery and lies going on and sometimes a bit spooky.

It was extremely well written which is centered around Sicily, so descriptive in the storyline and I just loved it from the beginning until the great ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing (Thomas & Mercer) for this great ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Here is a tale that envelopes you from every rich description of the beauty of sicily to the intriguing depiction of the characters in this novel. Sophie the leading lady in this thriller is humorous and complicated, the position she finds herself in as addictive as the characters. There's a depth to this but a great sense of fun throughout.

His First Wife is a shorter read, which honestly worked in its favor—I appreciated the quick pace. The characters stirred up a mix of emotions in me, which is always a sign that a story has something going for it.

Sophie, though... whew. I found her frustratingly naïve. More than once, I wanted to reach into the pages and give her a good shake. Her insecurity made it hard for me to really connect with her, even though I was intrigued by the secret she was keeping. That twist added some much-needed intrigue.

But then there’s Emilio. One minute Sophia’s falling head over heels, the next she’s throwing accusations of him keeping secrets, even though she is doing the same. The back-and-forth felt a bit condescending and repetitive, which took me out of the story at times.

Abby, the stalker-ish friend, kept me guessing right from the start. She added a mysterious edge that kept me turning the pages, just to see how her part of the story would unfold.

All in all, this wasn’t a groundbreaking read, but it wasn’t a waste of time either. A solid in-between book when you’re in the mood for some drama and secrets without a huge time commitment.

Thanks to NetGalley and all the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Title: His First Wife
Author: Sue Watson
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas Mercer
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: June 13, 2025
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!
Pages: 300

Sophie wasn’t expecting to find love in Sicily when she accepted a position to work summer term
While having coffee at a sidewalk café with Abbi an English girl she recently met when she sees a man coming out of Dior with a package. Just seeing him causes an amazing feeling in her. Turns out the man is Emilio Ferrante, a Professor of Volcanology at the University of Catania the same university where Sophie will be teaching Art for the summer. When she accepted the position she had hoped the university might extend her contract to the fall. However, after meeting Emilio she is more than hoping that her contract will be extended!!

She discovers that Emilio is married. After getting to know him and he shows an interests in Sophie - he tells her he is married however he and his wife Gina Caprini are separated.
Gina also works with volcanos and has accepted a position in Hawaii for NASA at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. She has been positing pictures on her Instagram page.

We later find out Gina never arrived in Hawaii and the beach photo could have been any beach!

The story slows down a bit but when it picks up I am dizzy with all that is happening. I never expected the ending!!! (I need to find a twisty emoji!)

This is my seventh Sue Watson read ~~books: : The New Wife, The Resort, The Nursery, You, Me. Her, and The Wedding Day] all earned 5 or 4+ stars and I give very few 5 star ratings.
I also liked "Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams" but the genre wasn't as exciting as the others!!

I always enjoy reading the authors Notes and Acknowledgments. Ms. Watson tells us this book was inspired by her visit to Sicily and the book “Rebecca”. She tells us her mother loved author Daphne du Maurier. An author they enjoyed together.
I read " Rebecca]"years ago and I am tempted to read again!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas Mercer for granting me the pleasure of reading this GREAT early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 13, 2025.

I’m a big fan of Sue Watson and usually love her books, but His First Wife wasn’t my favorite. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and found some of their actions hard to believe in the beginning of the book. But then once I got into it about 1/2 of the way in, it picked up speed. That said, the writing was still engaging and the story kept me curious enough to see how it would end. I’m really looking forward to many more books by this talented author. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published June 13, 2025.

This is the kind of domestic thriller you can tear through in a day. The setup is familiar: a young woman starts to suspect the charming older boyfriend who swept her off her feet isn’t telling the whole truth about his former wife. It gave me Jane Eyre vibes, even though (spoiler alert) there’s no wife in the attic. Maybe it’s just the gothic vibes; the author said she was actually inspired by Rebecca.

As befitting a gothic story, there's a big mansion, a creeping sense of dread, and a million points where you want to yell at the main character to be more careful. As the truth slowly unfolds, the source of the drama and danger surprised me, yet made sense.