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A review by ridgewaygirl
The Other Woman's House: A Zailer and Waterhouse Mystery by Sophie Hannah
3.0
This book begins with such an outrageous series of unlikely events that it seemed impossible that Sophie Hannah could pull it off. She does, though, with each odd happening explained in a way that fit the story. My only complaint is that in order to do so, she is forced to use the old-fashioned trick of having the baddie meticulously explain their nefarious plan as they hold the protagonist hostage.
Connie has been certain that her husband has a lover ever since she found the evidence in his car and nothing he can say or do can convince her otherwise. She obsesses about the woman she thinks he's having the affair with, spending hours following her around. When the woman's house is put up for sale, Connie takes the virtual tour on a real estate website, looking for evidence of her husband's presence in the house. Instead, she sees a murdered woman, briefly visible, in the house.
Hannah's strength is in writing well-plotted mysteries centered around a troubled protagonist. Her heroines aren't always easy to like, but they are always in the middle of something horrible, whether by design or accident. Connie is, by nature, nervous. Her family ties her in knots with their unspoken expectations. She can't leave her husband, but she can't trust him either. She's a mess. And then someone starts playing with her perceptions of things. This is a clever book, sometimes sacrificing authenticity for that cleverness, but it's a diverting and entertaining read.
Connie has been certain that her husband has a lover ever since she found the evidence in his car and nothing he can say or do can convince her otherwise. She obsesses about the woman she thinks he's having the affair with, spending hours following her around. When the woman's house is put up for sale, Connie takes the virtual tour on a real estate website, looking for evidence of her husband's presence in the house. Instead, she sees a murdered woman, briefly visible, in the house.
Hannah's strength is in writing well-plotted mysteries centered around a troubled protagonist. Her heroines aren't always easy to like, but they are always in the middle of something horrible, whether by design or accident. Connie is, by nature, nervous. Her family ties her in knots with their unspoken expectations. She can't leave her husband, but she can't trust him either. She's a mess. And then someone starts playing with her perceptions of things. This is a clever book, sometimes sacrificing authenticity for that cleverness, but it's a diverting and entertaining read.