150 reviews for:

The New Wife

JP Delaney

3.25 AVERAGE

mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

3.5-3.75⭐️


I am a big  fan of this author’s work,i’m always impressed by his unique take and imagination. 

Finn received a phone call from his sister Jess to inform him that their estranged father has died. They are expecting to inherit what they believe to be a run down property in Mallorca as that was the agreement instead of a divorce settlement when their parents separated. 

Finn goes out to Mallorca to find that the Spanish police are asking questions about his father’s death. 

It has more of a domestic suspense feel than a thriller.  The setting is great, almost a character in its own right. 

You think that you know exactly where the book is heading, but no, there’s twists. It felt too slow paced for me. 
I was a bit disappointed with this one. Not sure how I felt about the ending either, it’s quite open. 
dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: N/A
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

 
Jess and Finn are brother and sister. They had a turbulent relationship with their father when they were children. They lived in Mallorca. Their father was a drunk and quite abusive, which ended their mother having a divorce and moving to the UK. 

When they hear the news that their father has passed away from his new wife, they soon realise that they will inherit the Mallorca Fina that their father lived in with his new wife and stepdaughter. Finn remembers it being really run down and the surrounding areas need attending too but when he arrives at the Fina the place had been refurbished and redeveloped as a luxurious business to have people staying there. 

When Finn meets his father third wife Ruensa and daughter Roze to stake his claim. Things doesn’t seem right. Locals think they have something to do with people trafficking and Police comes saying that his father death is not as it seems. What is going on? 

I have read and enjoyed all the authors books and ‘The new wife’ is no exception. This is a great entertaining read and the author is good at taking you on a journey of uncertainty that you always wonder who is telling the truth and who has secretly got other intentions. This will keep you guessing right up to the end. 4 stars from me. 

 

 


A little slow for me, not quite what I expected from J.P. Delaney 

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book 

Finn Hensen gets a call from his sister to say their father Jimmy has died. Finn decides to go to Mallorca to take possession of their inheritance, the house from Jimmy’s widow and stepdaughter who are living there. However, the police believe that Jimmy’s death is suspicious…

This is such a fast paced thriller but the action didn’t happen until around the 70% mark. I really liked how it didn’t give you all of the action at once, it was spoon fed to you bit by bit which made me invested in seeing how the story would end. It definitely focussed more on the setting of the book rather than the characters but the descriptions were so vivid that I could picture it in my mind. Although, it goes give you information about the characters so you to get to know them, flaws included but I would have liked to get to know them more. Whilst what happened to some of the characters and how they were treated was awful, I really didn’t feel much for them. 

The ambiguity of the ending will definitely live in my head rent free for a while. Although, I do prefer when books answer all of my questions and this one didn’t due to the ambiguous ending. It’s a book where not everything is as it seems, which I love books like that. I do think that the last chapter wasn’t necessarily needed, although it did clear up some questions I had. 

⚠️ CWs: derogatory language and slur, grief, death, blood, death by suicide, prostitution, human trafficking, sexual coercion, child death, sexual abuse, vomiting, misogyny, toxic masculinity, profanity, mentions alcohol and drug use, gun use, animal hunting, person with substance use disorder, arranged marriage, harassment, stalking, overdose, rape, grooming ⚠️

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read this book!
challenging slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: N/A
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A
dark sad medium-paced
dark mysterious tense slow-paced

 

"My generation are sometimes mocked for talking about 'my truth' rather than 'the truth' - an easy habit to criticise, but one which accepts, perhaps, that, in a world where so many different versions of the facts are constantly available, it matters not so much what actually happened as who one chooses believe."


I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - JP Delaney is an absolute master of suspense.

This one was a little different than his usual deeply psychological thrillers — more quiet, slow, less about the shock reveals and more about the subtle and silent cues and the thoughts going on. I love seeing this progression in the authors style but at times I did find the pacing quite slow throughout. It did pick up quickly as we approached the big reveal, but I found that while I didn't see it coming, it also wasn't hinted at really throughout so the satisfaction wasn't quite there for me as much as usual. 

The setting was excellent, a beautifully unsuspecting backdrop of sun and sea that harshly contrasts with the secrets and lies that start to cast their shadows. Greed, lust, anger, despair, grief, desperation — every character is a complex mix of big emotions which gives the reader a strange feeling as all these feelings are invoked but we know all our characters are hiding something, not letting us know exactly who to suspect.

In between a suspicious death and an ever-growing mystery, an entire tapestry is made that delves into family politics, war, immigration, extortion and relationships - a complete snapshot of a moment in these peoples lives and the many complicated parts that make up who they are. These many strands slowly come together in a feverish, desperate fervour before it all starts to fall apart in the most disastrous ways.

A highly entertaining and thrilling read perfect for the summer, although it might make you lock your doors one more time. 
dark mysterious tense medium-paced