The first part of this book held my attention and was really good. But it really feel south quickly. I had a hard time keeping up with who was who and the story become laborious rather than enjoyable.

And Breathe!!!!

The Pastor's Wife by LynDee Walker and narrated by Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez was an excellent audiobook/book, it was a totally gripping psychological thriller packed with great twists and turns throughout that just took my breath away! It has great characters, and they all have dark secrets which will have a way of coming out into the open. . . . . Once I started to listen to The Pastor's Wife was just what I needed to listen to and I could not turn it off! Great for a hot summers day,

The narrators Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez were excellent and brought the Pastor's Wife alive.

Another 5 ⭐️ read I highly recommend, Great Holiday read.

Big Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my audiobook.

I picked this one up from NetGalley and went in completely blind. I honestly wasn’t expecting a five-star read from an author I hadn’t heard of before, but "The Pastor’s Wife" by Lyndee Walker surprised me in the best way. This was my first book by her, but definitely won’t be my last.

Set in a small southern town full of secrets, gossip, and tangled relationships, this story has all the things I love in a psychological thriller: small church politics, messy friendships, and the kind of drama that simmers just under the surface until it finally explodes. The southern charm and tension are layered in beautifully, and it really captured that tight-knit community vibe where everyone knows just enough about each other to be dangerous.

The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez, and they are both incredible. Their voices bring the dual POVs to life with strong emotional nuance and distinct delivery. The southern accents were natural and never overdone, which added a strong sense of place without pulling me out of the story. I especially appreciated the way they handled tone during high-stakes scenes—measured but impactful, with just the right amount of tension. The pacing was also steady, especially considering it’s a tad of a slow burn. It takes a bit of time to build, but once the pieces start falling into place, I couldn’t stop listening.

The dual timelines and shifting perspectives were handled smoothly in audio format. I never felt confused about where I was in the story, which isn’t always the case with nonlinear thrillers. The structure worked really well here and added to the tension without sacrificing clarity.

I listened to this over just two days because I had to know what was going to happen. I was fully locked in. My only tiny wish? An epilogue. But honestly, the way it ended has me hoping we might get a sequel or companion story someday.

If you're an audiobook lover who enjoys a slow-burn psychological thriller with unhinged characters and a twisty plot, add "The Pastor’s Wife" to your TBR list. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a good one. I did the audiobook version so the southern accent fit perfect. This is obviously a small town community that has church as the center of their lives. There are lots of secrets, lies, and sin😈

This book left me with more questions than answers. I want to know the fall out where did they land? What's her full name? Did the girls get rescued? Is she actually dead? I know that's the point of a thriller but it leaves you with spicy armpits


Dual pov alternating. I liked the narrators but they kind of had the same fake male voice for every male even though there were like 4 male characters that spoke regularly.

I never knew what was going to happen or what was reality through this entire book, and I LOVED IT!

The dual POV and scattered timelines really added to the tension and story building of Mary + Martha, and I finished this book in a single day because I just had to know what was happening. As a baptist pastor's wife (but not *this* kind of pastor's wife, I promise), I immediately could identify the side character stereotypes and they felt very true to life for me.

This book was twisty, shocking, + altogether a great story!

This book was a fun, twisty ride with just the right mix of suspense sprinkled with Southern flair. I listened to the audiobook and REALLY enjoyed both narrators—they did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and capturing the tone of the story.

The plot unfolded at a great pace, with a few solid twists that kept things interesting. I especially appreciated how the story or shall I say lives unraveled.

One character in particular had me chuckling at times with her ability to turn on that good ol’ Southern charm at the drop of a hat. More than once I caught myself thinking, “What in the Southern Wisteria Lane is going on here?” 😂 That unexpected bit of humor made the story even more enjoyable.

That said, it was a bit of a letdown that we never got the full backstory on one of the main characters. I kept waiting for that reveal, but it never came. Maybe that was intentional—possibly a setup for a sequel????? I sure hope so, because I still have questions!

I also wish we had been given an epilogue. I would’ve appreciated just a little more closure.

Overall, this was an entertaining listen—layered with secrets, some never revealed 🥴. I’ll keep an eye out for more from Lyndee Walker, and hopefully, a follow-up to this one!

Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley and for the advanced audio version.

Rewind that—because wait, how can that be?! That was me, not once but three times, while listening to this twisty, expertly crafted audiobook.

It starts off a bit slow, but the payoff is absolutely worth it. As the plot unfolds, you’ll find yourself rethinking everything you heard earlier. No spoilers, but… hogs will never mean the same thing again.

The narration is top-notch—every emotion, every twist, every gasp-worthy moment is delivered with such precision that I had to pause and give it my full attention more than once. Perfect for audio thriller fans who love smart, layered storytelling. Highly recommend.

Once again, I am begging Goodreads to allow half stars. The Pastor's Wife was a good, solid domestic thriller which had me guessing. Better than a 3, not quite a 4, but tie goes to the author so I'm rounding up. It was a slower burn than I'd prefer, but the premise was solid - new Pastor, his wife, new friend.....weirdness. I struggled with the Mary/Martha names/connection, but perhaps that was on purpose?

Overall a solid, easy read perfect to throw in your beach bag this summer.

This one was a wild ride! Whitney Falls’ new pastor and his wife seem perfect. Everyone loves Pastor Tim and his wife, Mary. Before long, Mary befriends Martha, an attractive young cashier, but of course, not everything is as it seems.

Whitney Falls is full of secrets, and so are some of its residents.

The story touches on some dark subject matter I didn’t expect. I was hooked from the beginning. The plot was engaging, the twists kept coming, and when the truth started to unravel, I wasn’t ready. It didn’t go the way I thought it would, and I enjoyed the ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the free audio copy of the book.

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Pub Date: June 16, 2025
How I Read It: 🎧

Synopsis
Whitney Falls was supposed to be the perfect small town for Martha to disappear to. She wasn’t supposed to make any new friends, but when the pastor’s wife saves her from an accident, and covers for her, she befriends her, becomes a regular at church, and the pastor and his wife welcome her into their home with open arms. But something is off about Pastor Tim and his wife, Mary. There’s also a strange black car that’s been watching Martha every time she visits Mary. Martha eventually makes a discovery that has her wondering if her friendship with Mary was real or planned. Everyone thinks Tim and Mary are saints, but they may actually be sinners, and Mary knows their secret.

My Thoughts
Well, I didn’t see that coming! I knew the Pastor seemed weird, like he was hiding something, and I didn’t trust Mary one bit, but was not expecting where the storyline went! I picked this book up because it was set in the south and I loved a good southern read. The narrators on the audiobook did a great job with the female voices, but I was a little confused with the male voice because it sounded more like an old man than the handsome young man Pastor Tim was supposed to be. This was a pretty decent thriller, that had my attention for most of the book because I couldn’t wait to see what Tim and Mary were hiding and what Mary was trying to run from in her past.

Themes
🫣 Suspense
🔪 Murder
Kidnapping
Multiple POVs

Ratings
Characters: 4 ⭐️
Pace: 3 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 4 ⭐️
Narrator: 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This was not a “totally gripping psychological thriller packed with twists”. The premise of this book really hooked me and I was looking forward to a thrilling read, but unfortunately this book fell flat.

Most of the book was like a slow family drama, which is a trap a lot of thrillers fall into. We don’t know much about either of our main characters and Martha will hint at her background being so mysterious, but we don’t actually find out any further information until pretty far into the book. By that time, I didn’t really care about her past.

The book switches timelines and narrators. I listened to the book, which made it easy to follow who was speaking. The narrator for Martha was fine, although I didn’t like the voice used for the Pastor. It made him seem like an old man, not the young 30s ridiculously handsome man he was supposed to be.

All of the action happens in the last quarter of the book, which is too far in my opinion. I didn’t think the twists were all that shocking. The very very end was ridiculous and didn’t make sense. There’s no reason things needed to play out that way. It seems like the author decided there wasn’t enough drama, so the story was drug out for another chapter.

I would have DNFd this book if I hadn’t received a copy from NetGalley. I wanted to give an honest and complete review, since I knew there were expected twists at the end.

My first book by LynDee Walker (love the name!), and I was pleasantly satisfied with her writing. The story starts innocently enough, giving you that feeling of wonder about what's about to happen. It turns dark and twisty fast, and as much as I had my suspicions on what was going on, the ending had my jaw drop! The story moves at a nice pace, and the dual POV was delivered flawlessly. The narrators did a fantastic job. Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for approving the audiobook for an honest review. I am definitely going to check out more books by LynDee

twists and turns on twists and turns! Very much enjoyed this ride. The characters were unique and had a great development through the story. I seriously could not stop listening. There were a few times I looked at the progression and felt as though the story should be further along, but I honestly enjoyed all of it. AND JUST WAIT FOR THAT ENDING. Thank you Netgalley, LynDee Walker, and Bookouture Audio for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the author, narrators, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

This book - wow, what a combination! The story started off strong and you could really feel the eerie, creepy coming up. The last half felt - forced. IT didn't really all fit together and mesh. Changing POV's and time lines got to be rather confusing. I'll admit, I didn't fully see the ending - that was a bit of a shock - but this does feel a lot like many other thrillers out. Very much the feel of a certain very popular author that I'm not a fan of.

This was my first book by LynDee Walker. I would try another one by this author.

3 stars - Recommend to readers of other popular thriller/suspense female authors. And do try the audio - it was good to listen to.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Once my British ears had got used to the accents and I had upped the speed a little, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and it helped get me through some backbreaking gardening days! I was grateful for the excellent recording and clear narration. Told via dual POVs and timelines which I found easy to follow, it was a dark and thrilling story with lots of red herrings. The pace was good and the twists clever but I did find the ending a tad rushed and the tension didn’t mount to the crescendo I thought it would. With so many good ruses along the way, the end wasn’t as imaginative as I felt the rest of the book deserved . No spoilers, but there were also a couple of loose ends at the end that frustrated me. However, overall it kept me entertained and I’m definitely keen to read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an audiobook ARC of The Pastor’s Wife.

The Pastor’s Wife by Lyndee Walker

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley , #BookoutureAudio and the author for sending me this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

About the book: Told from the POV of two main female characters, Martha and Mary. Martha is a young woman that has a terrible secret and is running from her past. She feels like Whitney Falls is the perfect little town for her to escape and disappear. She intends to keep quiet and keep to herself, go unnoticed.
But after a little accident, she ends up making friends with the pastor’s wife, Mary.
Mary is so so kind to Martha. The type of person you just can’t help liking and wanting to be around. Very soon after meeting they become great friends and Martha starts attending church regularly and she is welcomed in their home with open arms. She even gets a job as their church secretary. Everything seems perfect, until it isn’t.
The more time Martha spends with Mary and her husband, the more she just can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. It’s not just that Mary looks really uncomfortable when Tim kisses her, or the fact that he seems to control what she eats. It’s much more than that. And on top of all this there’s a strange black car that’s been following Martha around.
After creeping through their house one night, Martha discovers something she wishes she never would’ve discovered.
Everyone thinks the pastor and is wife are saints but Martha knows the truth. What will they do when they discover Martha knows their terrible secret?

What I thought: This started off pretty strong for me. It really grabbed me and I didn’t want to stop listening, but then it got to about the half way point and I just felt like it was dragging a bit. All in all though it held my attention pretty well, and I was satisfied with the conclusion. I would rate this book 3 out 5 stars.

Narrators Stephanie Cannon, Patricia Rodriguez did an amazing job bring this story to life!

This book released July 16, 2025

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and LynDee Walker for the audio Arc of The Pastors Wife
Narrated by Stephanie Cannon, Patricia Rodriguez

The Pastor's Wife is a duel POV of two women who seemingly come together randomly after Martha delivers some shopping to Mary, the Pastors Wife and strike up a friendship. Through the two POV's we get to see what these two friends really feel about each other. Martha notices all is not what it seems with Mary and feels her Husband maybe into something unsavoury. Mary, has other motivations for having Martha onside. As the plot unravels, there's some good foreshadowing and a great twist near the end. This makes for a very engaging listen and before I knew it, I was near the end as I didn't want to stop listening.

Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez did a great job narrating both our FMC's and the side character's. They did however sound very alike to begin with but I did manage to tell them apart after a few chapters.

4 stars

In the book The Pastor's Wife, author LynDee Walker writes about Martha who shows up in the small town of Whitney Falls. She decides to go to the only church in town which has a new pastor – Pastor Tim and his wife Mary. The new pastor and his wife are like movie stars and wield a lot of power in this small community. After becoming friends with Mary, she begins finding out things are not as great as they appear on the surface. But that’s ok, because Martha’s own life is not what it appears to be either. This could have been a great story but it was too predictable and the story was disjointed at times. The audio-book narration started poor but got better as the book went on. If you can’t do a good accent reading, don’t do one. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me.
I was so drawn in by the title and blurb—it felt like it had so much promise. But once I started listening, it turned out to be very different from what I expected. I kept hoping it would pick up, but ultimately, I ended up disappointed and decided to DNF.