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A review by bookrantreviews
Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle
4.0
Three well-developed characters. Two unreliable narrators. A story brimming with suspense. Hot damn, Kimberly Bell has done it again with “Dear Wife”.
To be fair, I picked up “Dear Wife” simply because I read “The Marriage Lie” a few years back — and loved it. I knew nothing about “Dear Wife” going into it. I didn’t even read the blurb. The only thing I knew was Belle was the author. That was enough. I already convinced myself it would be good. At the same time, I also feared I’d set my expectations for Belle too high, and “Dear Wife” would be a let down. I’m glad it wasn’t.
What I love most about “Dear Wife” is the same thing I loved about “The Marriage Lie”. The characters she creates aren’t cardboard cutouts that are there simply to drive the plot forward. Beth, Jeffrey, and Marcus are so well fleshed out that they could easily be the people who live next door. You might want to sell your house and move if that were the case, but still…
The story starts off seeming somewhat straight forward. A woman goes missing. While she’s on the run, she divulges the horrific details of her marriage. Meanwhile, her abusive husband is the main suspect with an alibi and perhaps a knack for the downplay. But neither are a match for the detective on the case who seems to quickly get everybody’s number.
Yet, nothing in a psychological thriller is ever straight forward. The small, well placed twists continually make you doubt the characters, as well as their versions of events. Kimberly Belle is an ace. She drops clues like Easter eggs, but they are well disguised.
Will Beth’s husband find her?
Will Marcus reveal the truth about what happened to Sabine?
“Dear Wife” is a butt clenching, page turner with a conclusion that’ll turn you on your ear.
You’ll want to read it…
…with the lights on.
To be fair, I picked up “Dear Wife” simply because I read “The Marriage Lie” a few years back — and loved it. I knew nothing about “Dear Wife” going into it. I didn’t even read the blurb. The only thing I knew was Belle was the author. That was enough. I already convinced myself it would be good. At the same time, I also feared I’d set my expectations for Belle too high, and “Dear Wife” would be a let down. I’m glad it wasn’t.
What I love most about “Dear Wife” is the same thing I loved about “The Marriage Lie”. The characters she creates aren’t cardboard cutouts that are there simply to drive the plot forward. Beth, Jeffrey, and Marcus are so well fleshed out that they could easily be the people who live next door. You might want to sell your house and move if that were the case, but still…
The story starts off seeming somewhat straight forward. A woman goes missing. While she’s on the run, she divulges the horrific details of her marriage. Meanwhile, her abusive husband is the main suspect with an alibi and perhaps a knack for the downplay. But neither are a match for the detective on the case who seems to quickly get everybody’s number.
Yet, nothing in a psychological thriller is ever straight forward. The small, well placed twists continually make you doubt the characters, as well as their versions of events. Kimberly Belle is an ace. She drops clues like Easter eggs, but they are well disguised.
Will Beth’s husband find her?
Will Marcus reveal the truth about what happened to Sabine?
“Dear Wife” is a butt clenching, page turner with a conclusion that’ll turn you on your ear.
You’ll want to read it…
…with the lights on.