Saturday, March 2, 2019

The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell


This was a cover buy from Book Outlet some months back and I finally picked it up last month.

I picked this up one evening and read it all in one sitting, I think around 3 or so hours. 

The main reason I got this book was because I thought it was a thriller of sorts. The cover shows what books like a breakfast with lovely plates and cups but if you look closer, there's food splattered on the wall and things aren't quite right. The blurb on the front mentions nail biting suspense.

The back cover talks about this man who's third wife has died under mysterious circumstances and there's underlying secrets around her death. Could it have been suicide? As the man digs into her death, more secrets arise. It appears like someone close to home could have had something to do with her death. The word "psychological" was written on the back.

All of this made me feel like it would be a mysterious, thrilling read that I typically really enjoy.

This wasn't that.

First off, let me tell you what I did like. The writing itself was great. Lisa Jewell is a wonderful writer. I was drawn in and I was glued to the page till about the last 30 pages of this book. I had to know what happened. I didn't like her characters, but I could immerse myself into the story enough that I was swept up by it like every well written book.

My problem? I didn't like the story.

There was no where near enough mystery and thrilling bits for me. It felt more like a permission slip to men who create families and leave families. That it's okay to keep jumping ship and marrying someone new. Everyone's fine, and even when they aren't you can make it better later.

I won't say anymore than that about the storyline, because even though I didn't love it, I don't want to accidentally spoil it.

The end was the worst part to me. The was the story resolved just fell flat and disappointed me. I was so into seeing what would happen next that the ending just made the journey feel cheap.


Recommendation: For the lovers of family stories, for the broken down parts of family life, for those who are into the drama of the perfect looking families. Not for those seeking mystery and thrilling suspense.