The Trapped Wife - Samantha Hayes

Genre: Thriller | Domestic Thriller | Adult Fiction

Released: Expected 8th September 2021

Publisher: Bookouture

CW: Bullying, Cheating, Suicide, Underage Relationships.

Six weeks ago, she lost her husband as he left for a skiing trip he was destined to never return from. Now, everything has fallen apart. He was never going to finish that bloody book he was always writing, they were never going to have couples night with their best friends again, their son would never get to see him again.

But tonight, everything is perfect. Or at least, it looks perfect. She's just got home from work at the local GP surgery, the table is set, dinner is cooking, and her son is talking to him happily in the other room. But he isn't her husband. She doesn't know why he's here, why he won't go away, and just how he managed to get so much leverage over her, she's going to figure it out but for now she'll play along. Because there's one thing she knows - everyone lies, even her.

"I don't believe in fate, just science."

The Trapped Wife was not what I expected. Following the story of Dr Jennifer Miller, her late husband Jeremy and a strange intruder in her life who she met one night months ago but now is holding things over her head to keep her close. Immediately, I was intruiged by this woman who'd lost everything and was trying to hold together some semblance of normality for her teenage son. I empathized with her from the moment we met - but I ranged from adoring her, hating her, being utterly infuriated with her and falling in love with her all over again.

Written from multiple point of views but still easy to follow, we see Jennifers life unfold and get a glimpse into the past of a troubled young boy who we slowly get to know and wait for his place in the puzzle to be revealed.

This Domestic-Noir thriller was slow-paced but always had something happening - and knowing that Samantha Hayes is a master of deception kept me firmly on the edge of my seat as the suspense bubbled over. She almost lets the reader guess some of the twists coming, lulling them into a false sense of security before unleashing one shocking, bloody revelation after another.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Samantha Hayes, Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

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