When Fig Coxbury buys a house on West Barrett Street, it’s not because she likes the neighborhood, or even because she likes the house. It’s because everything she desires is next door: The husband, the child, and the life that belongs to someone else.
Fisher’s books explore the darker side of the human condition. Her characters leap off the page and the words she weaves around them are brilliant. This one will leave you thinking about the story long after you’ve reached the end.
Brilliant piece of work, From start to finish, it had me in a vice like grip. Nobody writes narcissistic psychopaths better than Tarryn. Her bravado in voluntarily venturing into the darker side of human psyche, and not only exploring it, but camping there to observe for days is noteworthy.
Contrary to her social media portrayal of self-confessed narcissism, I belive tarryn loves to throw her followers off the trail. cause she’s acute observer of all things human. Her over analytical brain, in depth analysis, her on the dot diagnosis of paranoia and sociopath amazes me by every book. For such a young person to be this acutely perceptive and attentive is commendable.
She creates flawed people. Broken, obsessive people. And one such woman is Fig Coxbury. She’s believed in her mind that somebody stole her life, her family.
This schizophrenic misconception propels her towards stalking a perfectly normal family of a psychiatrist, his author wife and their daughter.
Narrated in 3 POVs, this book offers a ringside seat to the suburbian circus much like a tv series full of twists and turns. People involved are liars, cheats, backstabbers and master manipulators to a degree that would leave your mouth hanging open in every chapter.
Brittany Presley, Lance Greenfield & Carly Robbins have done an outstanding job of audio narration and my devotion for this wizard of an author grows tenfold with every book of hers.
5 stars for A Desperate Housewife
Published: December 24, 2016
Tarryn Fisher
I purchased this book on Audible.
Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of ten novels. Born a sun hater, she currently makes her home in Seattle, Washington, with her children, husband, and psychotic husky. Tarryn writes about villains.
“I always liked the name Tarryn.”
Fig believes she deserves everything she wants. And what she wants more than anything is a baby. When she miscarried her miracle baby, she feels herself slipping. Her therapist tells her that one day she will find the soul of her daughter in someone else. So naturally, Fig went searching for her child.
Darius is a master manipulator and incredible liar. He has a charmed life, a beautiful wife, and a precious daughter. He appears to have it all. Yet, it’s not enough. He also has an ego. A monster out ego that he enjoys feeding with the insecurities and desire to be wanted.
Jolene knows who she is. She is confident, intelligent, and a good person. She adores her daughter and has a great husband. Then one day, Jolene gets a new neighbor. If only she knew just how crazy her life was about to become.
Holy hell. This was twisted in so many ways. This book is now known as “I Can Be a Better You,” but wowza. Tarryn Fisher did not hold back her ability to write about humanity in this one.
I enjoyed the way this story was told. We get three perspectives on a situation, and it shows how different people view things.
The characters in this book aren’t very likable- but there is such honesty to how they are written. The vulnerability and truth are hidden between the lines. No one is perfect. The flaws run deep.
This is a dark and raw work. Tarryn writes with such a unique ability, and this story is told differently.
I wouldn’t say I liked Fig from the beginning. She isn’t a nice person. Deeply flawed, wildly selfish, and somewhat unhinged- this character is such a dark reflection of something I think we all possess.
Darius starts off being a likable guy. We hear all about what makes him good. Until he tells us himself all the things that truly make him a monster, he is disgusting and vile and all too human.
Jolene is the only character I liked at the end of the book. And that was only a little. She is the embodiment of confidence and love, insecurity and confusion. Her character brings such a balance to this prickly tale and keeps humanity alive.
Jolene is a good person. But she tries to love people through their faults, which ultimately leaves her alone and broken.
This was a ride. Emotional and gritty, dark and seductive, the depth and themes inside this book will haunt your dreams.
Loved it!!! Loved the perspectives, the way each twisted the story!
One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in years! Holy moly this book grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go!!
The story is narrated by 3 people; the first is Fig Coxbury who is….”unbalanced” to say the least. Fig purposely buys and moves into a house next door to a little girl who Fig believes is the embodiment of her miscarried child. To be closer to the child she befriends her parents Jolene and Darius (who narrate the final two parts of the story). Believing Fig is just the friendly new neighbor they invite her into their lives; unknowingly revealing a web of lies and deception.
This is my 2nd Tarryn Fisher novel; and after this it DEFINITELY won’t be my last.
I always turn to Taryn Fisher when I fancy reading something way out and different. A book where you have no idea if it’ll be an HEA or how the story will play out. This was no different. From the get go Fig was just a complete and utter nutcase… or was she?! I’m still trying to piece this jigsaw together days after I’ve finished it.
The husband Darius…. was completely not what I was expecting and that’s the beauty of this author. The characters have so many facets you just never know which one will see the light of day.
Then there’s the wife, still not sure which of the three characters was the craziest. I think they all had sociopathic traits with a touch of psycho thrown in. Great story but the ending I was left feeling what the hell was that all about….. so much thought provoking!
This book… where do I start? Pure, unadulterated insanity. Jealousy, obsession, twists and turns, this book has all of it. This book is one of those that will leave you wondering exactly what it is you just read, in a fabulous way.
There are shades of Single White Female in this book, with the themes of obsession and wanting of someone else’s life. But in a lot of ways, Fig also reminded me of Joe from Carolyn Kepnes’ You. It was in the way her feelings for Jolene and Darius (a married couple upon whom she’s fixated) changed from moment to moment. From envy to resentment to almost hatred, always with the thread of obsession.
Although the story was told in three parts from the perspectives of each of them, I found Fig’s own part to be the most chilling, even as she described her own behavior. There was such a disconnect with her character, and that made the story that much more intense.
There is so much more I want to say, but I don’t want to spoil the ride for anyone else!
My recommendation: If you like a dark, twisted psychological thriller, this is a fantastic book to read!
Ladies and gentlemen; let me introduce you to Tarryn Fisher, she’s an author who’s “doing it right.” I just finished reading one of her novels Bad Mommy, and it blew away me.
The story is straightforward, a psychopath, by the name is Fig is on a mission to destroy the perfect life of a happy family. Cliché, right? We’ve seen that in movies, on TV, we’ve even read about them countless times. I picked up that book in my hands expecting something boring, but I never realized that I would soon put it on my “favorite books shelf.” Yes people, it’s that good.
Fig is a crazy person who does evil things yet gives excuses for them. And you know what’s funny? Is that you believe her, she gets into your head trust me. Sometimes I hate her, but honestly, I’m afraid of her. She’s just creepy. Then sometimes, I would feel sympathy for her, hoping that she’d change for the better.
Tarryn Fisher, where have you been hiding all this time? She’s just incredible that I promised myself to read all her novels. Her style of writing is so gripping that you cannot let go of that book. I was so into the lives of these characters they roamed in my head even when I wasn’t reading the book. I would think about Fig whenever I took my kids out, when I’m driving, literally everywhere. I was waiting for so long for a book that could have a substantial effect on me, and Bad Mommy succeeded in doing so.
Self-published authors keep doing what you’re doing because you’re great at it.
Tarryn Fisher, you’re an inspiration.
And for the rest of you, if you ever meet someone like Fig, never invite her into your lives.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I was intrigued by the blurb, I was strangely fascinated. It felt like a ‘imma going to steal your life and kill you’ type deal. I wanted to know how she was going to achieve this and if my feeling was correct. She’s not downright manipulative she’s quite subtle not in your face.
I kinda lost my way a little when the POV changed. I like Darius you found out things about him that’s kinda sexy and then kinda not. This is a three way POV which i found interesting. The last POV was really good, sold me on the story. The thing I like about this author her writing is out there and different and unique.
All the hearts. All The stars. I got so lost in the terrifying inner thoughts of these characters. I thought the story was definitely headed a certain direction and Tarryn was like oh, simple human stop trying it’s not cute. The writing is stellar. The dialogue made my world weary soul smile. And the ending was perfect.
Tarryn Fisher is exactly my brand of twisted. She is obviously the coolest person on the planet. And I just realized I’m starting to sound like a total Fig.
I am so excited to read another of her books. And I could throat punch myself that it took me this long to start.
Loved this book. Love the way she writes!
I couldn’t put this book away! I listened to it in 2 days!
Bad Mommy was another great read by Tarryn Fisher. Bad Mommy is a book that you will fall in love with and also be creeped out about. Fig Coxbury is obsessed with the woman that she calls “bad mommy” as well as her young daughter. When the house next to bad mommy goes on the market, Fig decides to buy it. Now that Fig is closer, she becomes obsessed with bad mommy’s husband. This is a great look into the twisted mind of Fig. I loved that the story was broken into three parts where you get each main characters perspective. I loved this book by Tarryn Fisher and can’t wait to read more by the author.
Unsettling and witty – story is told from the perspective of the 3 main characters.
Bad Mommy by Tarryn Fisher is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read in years of reading psychological thrillers. It is a five-star plus Amazon read which I highly recommend. I didn’t even mind paying the full Amazon price of USD 3.99. It has a very different organizational style which almost makes it three novels in one while still having one easily recognized theme and story. The three parts; The Psychopath, The Sociopath, and The Writer, tell one disturbing and twisted story in fifty-two chapters from three points of view. I liked the title of Chapter fifty-two; Chapter One.
I listened to one-third of the book on Audible.com while traveling to and from work. The narration, by Brittany Pressley, Lance Greenfield, and Carly Robins is superb. But the story was so interesting I switched to reading it because I became impatient with the speed of the narration. I read faster than the narrators speak. Yes, there is a handy little button in Audible that allows me to speed up the reading but then the sound would have been distorted. In the 1x narration speed, the story is creepy.
Fig is the psychopath. She is married to George and they had tried to have a child. She blamed the miscarriage on George. Not that he had anything to do with the miscarriage physically, it just seemed to Fig that he got over it quickly, didn’t want to talk about it, and did not pay attention to Fig’s feelings. Luckily, Fig had a series of therapists to help her get over the tragedy. Her favorite therapist convinced Fig that her baby was alive but in another body. When Fig found her baby, their two souls would recognize each other and Fig would able to reclaim her baby and be the good mother she knew she could be.
Darius is the sociopath. He might be able to diagnose himself as one since he is a counselor/therapist/psychologist; his credential is a bit unclear. Darius has no interest in self-diagnosis and would never believe himself to be a sociopath. He is too busy dealing with his sex addiction. Among other things, he must conceal his activities from his wife. Then he must conceal his sexual activities with his patients from investigations by ethics boards and police. Darius recognizes that Fig is a psychopath and a danger to Jolene. But he is also fascinated by Fig and the possibilities that the manipulation of Fig might bring to the satisfaction of his addiction.
This is the second novel I have read/listened to by Tarryn Fisher. The first one I reviewed, The Opportunist, was underwhelming. I couldn’t believe I finished it. In that review, I mentioned that Fisher might be a “pendulum” writer who produced both really good and much less-than-good novels. This novel was so much the polar opposite that my view is confirmed but now I have to go read more from her to see where other of her novels fit on the scale of from mediocre to great. Bad Mommy is great.
There are a couple of plot holes here and there but the overall quality of story and writing make it easy for the reader mind to gloss over minor imperfections. There is probably language that is offensive to some, especially females. I found this interesting since the author is female. Her female characters (not Darius the sex addict) use the forbidden “c***” word. No, this does not refer to a male appendage. But, there are female artists such as Sally Fields who have a very different take on the use of the word. I digress.
The three main characters of the novel offer the reader many surprises. There are action events, such as who is doing what to whom but the real surprises come with the development or degeneration of the thinking and minds of the Sociopath and the Writer. Those two characters are developed very well. Darius seems sort of stuck as far as character development but, again, the excellence of the story via the other two main characters make this a very enjoyable and even addictive (sorry Darius) reading experience. Once I switched from Audible to Kindle print, I didn’t stop reading until the end. And the end is simply clever. Not cerebral, but clever.
On to read more Tarryn Fisher novels.
I had heard a lot of great things about this author, however I hadn’t yet read any of her books until now. This book was chosen for my Book Club and I’m glad it pushed me into reading one of Fisher’s books. Even though it’s not my normal genre, I found myself pulled in and unwilling to put the book down. Finishing it in less than 24 hours when it’s not a book that I would normally pull from the shelves is really saying something!
The book is told in three parts and I really liked that way of telling it. It was interesting to read the book from three different points of view, but doing it in the three parts made it much less confusing than if it had been an every other chapter kind of story. Each part was told from the POV of one of the main three characters in the book. I have to be honest and say that I related to part three the most and it was probably my favorite POV to read. The first two parts, while interesting and keeping me reading, were harder to relate to on a personal level because of the types of personality they are. I think that’s what the author was going for, though, when writing.
It definitely reads like a thriller type book. It’s dark and mysterious and you’re constantly wondering when something is going to go awry and when certain people are going to “catch on” to other people in the story. You just have to keep reading to see how twisted the story will get and how far some things will go. And though it’s told from three different perspectives, it’s not three separate perspectives of the same events. Where the first part leaves off, the next perspective picks up and goes on from there, and so on. This makes the storytelling itself very unique among other books in this genre I’ve read.
If you like psychological thriller type books, or dark fiction, or if you’re a fan of the author, I’m sure you’d enjoy this book.
I Iiked this book. I hadn’t read anything about this story, I just happen to pick it up on a whim. I was pleasantly surprised. It held my interest and was easy to read.