I really enjoyed this book. It had some strong characters with some scenes to make you gasp. A punchy book from start to finish. Couldn’t put it down.

This was a great book.
I couldn't put the book down. It gripped me so quickly I had to keep on reading. Such great writing. Amazing characters with so many twists

wow that book packed a whole lot of punches. full of clever writing and smart plot points it has you in the heart all the way down to the toes as it keeps you on edge all the way through. the balance between a gripping kind of thriller with the added dynamics of family, secrets and lies was fab. then we have woven into it all such heartbreaking turn of events and when things come to light for the whole set of characters it could destroy them all or at least unravel what they have together. or is it what they thought they had together. for no one is telling the truth here and when everyone's lies are exposed it just might be more of a shocker than they thoughts. who can the characters trust? who can the reader trust? i cant wait for you to find out...

Following a Drug Lord and his family, you get to see the violence and betrayal that tears this family apart.

I really really enjoyed this book! It kept me hooked all the way through with little plot twists added in! The plot connected really well with the characters. Very well written!

I did not like any of the characters which I guess was the point, but, due to that, I stuggled to be completely absorbed by the story. I did enjoy it and it was a great read, but I think it just wasnt the absolute best for me

Advanced Reader Copy - Now THIS is my kind of book. If I didn't have kids I reckon I could have read this in one go. From the second I started it I could barely put it down. Brilliant for fans of Kimbery Chambers, Mandasue Heller, Roberta Kray and Martina Cole

I loved this book! A fast paced read with a great storyline played out by very well developed and authentic characters. This story would translate so well on the TV.

OMG! I am totally shook. Just finished this fast paced book and the tears are tripping me! I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down. I’m not sure how
I’m going to move on to another book! This book is right up there with Kimberly Chambers books! Highly recommend! Can’t wait for the next
One!

Praise to Alex Kane, for another fabulous read
Gangster Ricky Fyfe has it all...... when Elle gives birth to Tiegan, things take a disastrous turn, but why? As Tiegan grows up she take an interest in the gangster lifestyle...Danica who is the same age as Tiegan is now engaged to Ricky. ..... what they dont know is that Dannica is hiding one helluv a secret of her own but what,??
As the wedding is only hours away, will all that the families have been hiding come to light? This had left me with no nails left as I couldn't wait to see what happened next. BRILLIANT. a must read

Boom!!! What a book.
A unique twisted thriller.
She's got her man but does she know what he's hiding.
Ricky Fyfe Glasgows Gangster with all his charm and money, finds out his baby daughter Teigan isn't his, as he's been firing blanks, and it's over twenty years before all the truth about what he did will surface.
Preparations are now on going for his second marriage to his second wife Danica Campbell a woman the same age as Teigan who has now become Frank's second in command in the business.
This book has so many twists chapter after chapter with the characters involved all finely getting revenge over notorious Frank Fyfe.
Brilliant absolutely brilliant.
Loved it.

Glasgow criminal underworld in all its darkness just what we've come to expect from Alex Kane,this is an addictive easy read with strong female leads throughout.
Readers are lead to believe they know the truth from the start, but more secrets are revealed as the powerful story unfolds where everyone learns that actions really do have consequences.
A twisty psychological thriller that grips you till its explosive ending.
RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for the Arc.

This is the first book I have read by Alex Kane. I could barely put it down.
There is a bit of everything in here. Murder, crime, emotions,domestic abuse and some shocks. Lots of lies and secrets.
I liked Frank, he seems to be a gangster with a heart.
Ricky was evil through and through.
Fast paced and gripping.
I recommend

Ricky Fyfe wants his wife dead and orders his brother to do the deed Unknown to ricky ella and his brother were briefly involved
Everyone is in fear of ricky anddoes everything he commands even murder.
Some years later ricky is in love with a beautiful woman thirty years younger than him danica but does she have an agenda of her own.
Tiegan ricky daughter does not trust danica .
Then someone comes back from ricky past to cause mayhem
A fast paced rollercoaster of a book with many turns and twists.Alex kane is a real talent in the crime genre a fist class writer.
Thank you netgallery for allowing me to read the copy of this blinding book.

A real page turner.
Well written characters, dark and twisty, all set in Glasgow's criminal underworld.
A thrilling read!
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Absolutely brilliant book, loved the storyline and the outcome, one of my favourite books 2025 so far, looking forward to the next one AAA

Wow this book was fantastic .It was a page turner I couldn't put this down. I can't wait for the next Alex Kane book this could be made into a film . It was just so so good .

this book is a very addictive read, read in a day very fast paced, Elle has to leave everything her husband thinks she is dead, and her brother-in-law promises to bring her daughter to her. Elle ends up being looked after by Frank who is like a father to her, but sadly she Nevers sees her daughter. until one day Teigan walks in to franks club and she gets a sighting of her daughter. now Elle wants to go back to her past, it's so good so recommend

Dark and twisty tale through Glasgow's criminal underworld. Tragic turns of events that keep readers on the edge of their seats to the conclusion. Engaging read.

Review of ‘The Second Wife’ by Alex Kane due for publication on 15 May 2025, by Hera Books.

This book has at its heart strong female protagonists - the daughter who is part of the family organisation, not really knowing all the secrets that her dad has been hiding - the fiancée who is keeping secrets of her own - the ‘first wife’ in fear of her safety.

The dad/fiancé/husband - a drug dealer and gangster, rotten to his core.

Secrets and lies, death and destruction - all waiting to explode sensationally in this dark psychological thriller.

Recommend read.

Release: May 14, 2025
Author: Alex Kane
Publisher: Hera Books

Rating: 4 ★ 

Danica Campbell thinks she has it all — a glamorous life, a wealthy fiancé, and a future she’s always dreamed of. Ricky Fyfe might be thirty years older, but as a powerful club owner in Glasgow, he’s more than able to give her everything she wants. Danica knows Ricky has a complicated past, including a daughter, Teigan, whose mother, Elle, mysteriously vanished years ago. But Danica believes Ricky would do anything for her — and she’s willing to look past whatever history he has.

Everything changes when a woman from Ricky’s past suddenly appears, and the perfect life Danica thought she had starts to unravel. As buried secrets come to light, Danica realizes Ricky isn’t the only one hiding things. And when Ricky discovers what Danica’s been keeping from him, the fallout could destroy them both.

This was such a gripping read — I honestly couldn’t put it down. The story was sharp, fast-paced, and packed with twists that had me flying through the pages. I loved how the book focused on strong women, complicated family dynamics, and how deeply buried secrets can tear lives apart.

Tiegan’s story pulled me in right away. She’s never known the full truth about her mom, Elle, or her family’s dark past. Raised by her dad Ricky — a dangerous Glasgow gangster — Tiegan grows up believing her mom abandoned her. But when Ricky’s about to marry Danica, a woman Tiegan’s age, everything starts unraveling. There’s tension, distrust, and an uneasy feeling that nothing is quite what it seems.

This book has everything: gangsters, betrayal, family secrets, domestic abuse, and a deep, emotional core that hits hard. It’s a brilliant, well-crafted story that hooks you from the very start and doesn’t let go.

Favorite Quote:
"love can be a cage as much as it can be a comfort."

This. Book. Is. Amazing. I dropped everything and read it in two sittings. It’s addictive, dark, and twisty! Suddenly you think you’ve worked out what’s going on and nope goes twisty again!

If you want a hair-raising thriller, then look no further what a rollercoaster, and I was fully invested in the ride! I was gripped from the very first page and I flew through it! Everyone needs to read this.

It was everything a psychological thriller should be pure perfection! Nearly every chapter had my jaw dropping with another twist.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!

Elle is a new mom and in an abusive relationship with a powerful man, Ricky. When Ricky finds out she wants a divorce and that he is not her baby's father he hurts her. Thinking she is disposed of by his brother he lives his life and takes care of the baby as his own. Meanwhile, Elle is alive and stays away for her safety always thinking of her baby that is now bearing 30 years old. Ricky ends up engaged to someone his daughters age, Danica and while she acts like the loving fiance things aren't what they seem and secrets from the past threaten to disrupt his perfect facade of doting dad, loving fiance and tough guy. Will Elle ever see her daughter again? Will she get revenge on the man who ruined her life?

This book was nonstop throughout. It kept attention and I couldn't stop reading. Every character was thought out and interconnected making an amazingly thrilling story of hope, death, love and vengeance. I absolutely would recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley, Alex Kane, and Hera Books for allowing me to review this ARC!!

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

Wow, just wow!

This book captivates you from the very first word with its thrilling storyline, packed with unexpected twists and turns that leave you eager for more. Set in Scotland, the main character, Ricky Fyfe, is a formidable gangster and drug dealer who holds a secret that will shatter his daughter Tegan's heart.

Alex Kane excels in the crime genre, and yet again, she proves her talent with this unforgettable read,

Published - 15th May 2025

Description
She’s got her man. But does she know what he’s hiding?
Young, feisty, and beautiful, heads turn wherever Danica Campbell goes, even if she only has eyes for her fiancé, Ricky Fyfe. He might be thirty years older than her, but his job as a big-time club owner in Glasgow means he can afford to give Danica the life she deserves.

Danica knows he has a history – after all, his adult daughter Teigan works at the club – and she knows that Teigan’s mum, Elle, disappeared decades ago. It doesn’t matter, because Danica knows that Ricky will do anything for her.

Until the day that a woman walks into their lives – and everything that Danica knew about Ricky falls to pieces. Faced with the reality of Ricky’s past, Danica’s got some hard truths to swallow. But what Ricky doesn’t know that Danica might just be keeping some secrets of her own – and when he discovers them, their happy ever after might just come to a shocking end…


Advanced Reading Copy …

Yet again, Alex Kane does not fail to disappoint. Gripping storyline and an excellent book, that shows us what lengths a mother will go to for her child. Even if it does take a number of years. Secrets in a family are never good!!

Thanks Netgalley for my copy of this book.

The Second Wife by Alex Kane was an excellent Scottish crime thriller from start to finish, once I started it I could not put it down it was so addictive. full of brilliant twists and turns. I could not turn the pages quick enough to find out what happens next, it was so good. . . . . . . and I highly recommend all of Alex Kane's books. Another 5 star read

Big Thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Great suspense I love it very much my kind of read page turner will recommend and leave my review on Amazon as well thank you

Wow! What a wild ass ride this was. Set in Glasgow, The Second Wife plunges us into the underbelly of the Glasgow criminal world.

Alex Kane masterfully weaves a web of deception, emotional trauma, and secrets that unravels at the perfect pace. I was completely drawn into the lives of these women each strong in her own way, each navigating Ricky Fyfe’s toxic orbit in very different ways.

There’s Elle, who was forced to leave everything behind, including her weeks old daughter, and live under the radar, because her husband thinks she’s dead.

Tiegan grew up never knowing her mother. Raised by her father, Ricky Fyfe, a notorious Glasgow club owner and drug dealer, she was told that Elle had run off with Ricky’s brother when she was just a baby. Tiegan is set to inherit the Fyfe empire.

Then there’s Danica—young, stunning, and sharp. She’s about to marry Ricky, a man more than twice her age who seems to offer her the perfect life: wealth, stability, and complete devotion. But beneath Ricky’s polished image as a successful club owner lies a dark, dangerous history.

And when Elle suddenly reappears, everything begins to unravel. Long-buried truths come to light, and the carefully constructed lives around Ricky start to fall apart, one secret at a time.

This story has it all: murder, crime, haunting emotions, and the dark shadow of domestic abuse. Shocking revelations lurk around every corner, buried beneath layers of lies and long buried secrets.

This was my first read by Alex Kane, and I’m definitely going to be reading more of her work soon.

Alex Kane’s The Second Wife is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of love, trust, and the shadows of past secrets. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Glasgow’s nightlife, the novel introduces readers to Danica Campbell, a young and spirited woman engaged to the enigmatic club owner, Ricky Fyfe. Their age-gap romance seems idyllic until the sudden reappearance of Ricky’s long-absent first wife, Elle, shatters the illusion, unveiling a web of deceit and hidden truths.

Kane masterfully crafts a narrative filled with suspense and unexpected twists. The story’s strength lies in its intricate character development, particularly Danica’s transformation from a naive fiancée to a woman confronting unsettling revelations. The tension escalates as secrets unravel, keeping readers on edge and questioning the true nature of each character’s intentions.

The novel’s pacing is relentless, with each chapter propelling the story forward and deepening the mystery. Kane’s prose is sharp and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the characters’ emotional turmoil and the dark undercurrents of their relationships. The climax delivers a satisfying payoff, tying together the narrative threads in a way that is both surprising and inevitable.

The Second Wife is a testament to Kane’s prowess in the psychological thriller genre, offering a tale that is as emotionally resonant as it is suspenseful. It’s a must-read for fans seeking a story that explores the darker facets of love and the consequences of buried secrets.

Young, feisty and beautiful, heads turn wherever Dancia Campbell goes., even she only has eyes for her fiance Ricky Fyfe. He might be thirty years older than her, but his job as a big-time club owner in Glasgow means he can afford to give Dancia the life she deserves. Dancia knows he has a history - after all, his adult daughter Tiegan works at the club - and she knows that Tiegan's mum, Elle, disappeared years ago. It doesn't matter, because Dancia knows Ricky will do anything for her. Until the day a woman walks into their lives - and everything that Dancia knew about Ricky falls to pieces/

Ricky, a Glasgow gangster and drug dealer brought up his daughter Tiegan on is own. Tiegan never knew her mother. Ricky told her she had run off with his younger brother Chris. Dancia is about to marry her father, and Tiegan is not happy about it.

Filled with secrets and lies, I found this book hard to put down. Dancis and Tiegan are strong characters. The story covers domestic abuse and murder. in this well-written book. The pace is fast in this cleverly crafted story.

Published 15th May 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HeraBooks and the author #AlexKane for my ARC of #TheSecondWife in exchange for an honest review.

Overview of book:
She’s got her man. But does she know what he’s hiding?

Young, feisty, and beautiful, heads turn wherever Danica Campbell goes, even if she only has eyes for her fiancé, Ricky Fyfe. He might be thirty years older than her, but his job as a big-time club owner in Glasgow means he can afford to give Danica the life she deserves.

Danica knows he has a history – after all, his adult daughter Teigan works at the club – and she knows that Teigan’s mum, Elle, disappeared decades ago. It doesn’t matter, because Danica knows that Ricky will do anything for her.

Until the day that a woman walks into their lives – and everything that Danica knew about Ricky falls to pieces. Faced with the reality of Ricky’s past, Danica’s got some hard truths to swallow. But what Ricky doesn’t know that Danica might just be keeping some secrets of her own – and when he discovers them, their happy ever after might just come to a shocking end….
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My thoughts:
@alexkanewriter you have done it again what a book. From the first chapter I was truly invested . It had my head working over time . The characters you created were just perfect, I doubted everyone at some point . The twists in the book were just a mental rollercoaster. I say this about each and every one of your books , but definitely this has to be my favourite. Such a great psychological thriller that I could not put the book done . I cannot wait to see what else you pull out the bag with your next books.
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