Imagine you have the perfect life: money, position, influence, an enviable marriage. Then you awake in a hotel room – alone, unclothed, a splitting headache, and no idea how you got there. Welcome to Madeline’s world…Madeline Ridley had all she’d ever dreamed of: a handsome, successful husband, a place at the top of Santa Barbara society, every luxury money could buy. In all respects, her world … respects, her world was perfect…until one horrible night when everything unraveled.
When Steven Ridley comes home in the middle of a weekday and throws a sheaf of damning photos at her, Madeline’s comfortable world collapses in a swirl of blackmail, sabotage and deceit. Hoping to convince Steven of her innocence, Madeline drives to his office and unwittingly stumbles onto a scene that makes her realize who the real enemy is.
From that point on, Madeline Ridley deconstructs herself, reverting back to Madeline Dawkins in order to salvage what’s left of her life. In the process, she discovers where her true strengths lay, and with those, she steels herself for the battle of a lifetime.
YOU’LL HATE TO PUT THIS ONE DOWN! D. Paugh
Spouse Trap is the prequel to the Madeline Dawkins Mystery series.
more
Spouse Trap
By Cynthia Hamilton
4 stars
Spouse Trap was a really great read! I haven’t read anything by this author previously but I absolutely will after really enjoying this book! I was hooked into the story quite quickly and I liked that I felt like I was living the story along with Madeline as she tried to unravel the events of the night she cannot remember! I admired her for the resilience she built up after everything she went through. She was a really strong main character! I found that I wanted to keep turning the pages just so I could find out what was going to happen to Madeline, would she finally find out what happened and what it meant for her marriage!
I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series and I highly recommend this one!
Spouse Trap: A Madeline Dawkins Mystery by Cynthia Hamilton is the first of three books in the Madeline Dawkins series. Madeline lives the perfect life until one fateful night. When her husband presents evidence to her of the night she loses everything she has in one swoop. Will Madeline figure out what and who is sabotaging her life?
This is a well-written story where I was able to imagine the scenery, characters, and story. The characters are well developed and I was rooting for Madeline to figure out everything and get her life back in order. I want to say more but do not want to take away from anyone’s experience. I really enjoyed this overall and look forward to reading more from this series.
Spouse Trap: A Madeline Dawkins Mystery (The Madeline Dawkins Series Book 1) by Cynthia Hamilton. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I loved it! It was a very suspenseful read. Its the story of Madeline Ridley who has the life we all dream of. Fancy house, successful rich husband, a top lady in Santa Barbara Society and anything else money can buy. Madeline works as and Event Planner for high society events and during one of these events her whole world turns upside down. She ends up waking up in a strangers bed, naked with a horrible headache and no memory of the night before. The next day her husband comes in with pictures of her infidelity and kicks her out. The only clause in their pre nup is infidelity. She drives to his office the next morning wanting to make up but walks in on the worst scene she could imagine. She then hires a Private Detective Burt and is about to get to the bottom of the whole weird mess. Will Madeline survive getting the answers she is searching for or will it cost her, her life? Read Spouse Trap to find out but be prepared to read til the finish. You won’t want to put it down!
I really enjoyed the story of how Madeline Ridley became Madeline Dawkins; how she went from a high society wife who handled plenty of charity events and a life of leisure to a woman who could handle almost anything life threw at her. Ms Hamilton definitely knows how to write characters that you really like and characters that you REALLY hate. There is plenty of action as Madeline deals with one disaster after another. The only issue I had with the book was the ending. I really wanted the “bad guy” to get his just desserts. I wanted to see his reaction and the reaction of those around him when his crimes came home to roost. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. The book ended and then there was basically an epilogue. I felt like there were at least 3 chapters missing. And it was so disappointing. The blurb says “the book you will hate to have to put down” and they were telling the truth, until I got to the ending. It could have been so much better. Oh, well, it was a great read anyway until then.
The Spouse Trap is a great read! It was a little fast to start for me but Cynthia Hamilton threw me curve after curve and kept me enthralled! I’m so excited to read the next one! Thank you Cynthia Hamilton for such a good book.
Madeline Ridley is living a life that is perfect, or so she thinks. After a charity event she finds herself alone and naked in a motel room. She has no memory of how she got there or what happened to her. Upon returning home she is confronted by her husband, Steven, and accused of adulatory when pictures were delivered to him of Madeline in a compromising position. Madeline wants to prove to Steven that she didn’t willingly cheat on him, but he doesn’t give her a chance to explain. In a matter of days she will be homeless, divorced and penniless if she can’t figure out who was behind the photos. She hires a PI by the name of Burt Latham who works diligently to find the culprit. During the course of the investigation many secrets about her husband Steven come to light that make Madeline question whether her marriage was even real. How do you even know if you really truly know a person? A trail of lies and deceit follow Steven and he will do anything to keep the law from finding out. The only question is, will Madeline be a victim for digging into his past or will she be a hero for turning him in?
Cynthia Hamilton is an excellent writer who knows how to keep a reader on the edge of their seats. Spouse Trap is about one of the most intriguing novels I have had the pleasure of reading of late. Not only can you follow along with the story, but you can also understand the plot that she has created. Full of twists and turns that you may or may not see coming and will have you wanting to read the entire book in one sitting. Spouse Trap is the first of the Madeline Dawkins books and will have you wanting to read more.
Spouse Trap is the first book in the Madeline Dawkins series by Cynthia Hamilton. It is the first time that I have read any of this author’s work and I this book is anything to go by then I’ll definitely be reading more as I absolutely loved this book.
Spouse Trap is a fantastic mystery novel that grabs you from the very first page and does not let you go until the very end. I was totally hooked on this story and could not put it down.
Madeline Ridley has it all. She has a perfect life in a perfect house with a perfect husband. Or does she? When she wakens up in a strange hotel room with no recollection of how she got there or what happened in the room, her life takes a dramatic turn she could never have envisaged. To make matters worse her husband produces damning photographs of the night in the hotel and demands a divorce.
This book has a fantastic storyline with amazing characters. I just loved Madeline and the way she took control of the situation and did everything she could to get to the bottom of the situation and turn the tables on Steven with the help of a private investigator.
This story builds up towards Madeline becoming a private investigator herself, aided and abetted by long term friend Mike which I am sure we will read much more of in the future books in this series. I for one, can’t wait to read more of Madeline and Mike’s adventures.
Spouse Trap: Madeline Dawkins Mysteries (The Madeline Dawkins Series Book 1) by Cynthia Hamilton. This author isn’t new to me and I find myself draw to anything I can find she’s written. I find it refreshing to see a author who can write different types of stories. This book took me a little bit to sink into but once I did I was completely hooked and couldn’t put it down. The characters are probably where I had a bit of trouble connecting but I’ll be honest I couldn’t think they would be better any other way, sometimes characters are exactly how the story should have them be and it’s by no fault of the author I couldn’t connect with them right away. So while the characters weren’t my favorite they still were exactly what the story called for and the storyline really drew me in and kept me turning the pages. It’s well written and paced nicely never feeling rushed or lacking anything. Four stars and highly recommended.
A crazy ride through a wife’s worst nightmare…
Madeline is a typical woman living in Santa Barbara with her husband and has all she could ever want, until she wakes up in a hotel room naked with no idea how she got there. The tale that follows is unbelievable with a surprise around every turn.
Oh my God. I got the chills so many times while reading this book. It completely blew my mind and managed to surpass my expectations.
I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the first book of the Madeline Dawkins series.
Spouse Trap: Madeline Dawkins Mysteries by Cynthia Hamilton is the first book in her Madeline Dawkins series. I was not sure about this book when I first picked it up but wanted to give it a shot because I love detective books. This book did not disappoint, I was hooked from the beginning and was left wanting more. It is an interesting book and it follows Madeline Ridler who is married to a wealthy man and has her life thrown upside down. The way this woman grows throughout the book and overcomes everything thrown at her is amazing. I personally hated her character at first but loved her by the end of the book. I recommend this book!
Imagine waking up in a hotel room alone and naked, not knowing how you got there. You manage to figure out where you are and find your way to your beach house. A few days later, your husband shows up with compromising pictures of you and demands a divorce.
Madeline Dawkins, the main character, finds herself in this harsh reality! Through her tears, frustration, overwhelming deceit, and everything else thrown her way, Madeline finds her inner strength.
Spouse Trap by Cynthia Hamilton was a great read! It was a very intriguing, mysterious, suspenseful, edge-of-your seat read! I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I felt a little off about it reading the first couple of chapters, but by chapter 4 I was completely enthralled and couldn’t stop reading. This is the first novel I’ve read my Hamilton before, and I can’t wait to read more from her, and more of this series!
Spouse trap
By
Cynthia Hamilton
Cynthia has done it again, Spouse Trap is an engaging book. Madeline thinks she is happily married until unexpected things happen to her and she has to learn how deceitful her husband is and in turn she has to learn how to deceive him in order to prove her incense and her husband’s guilt. Thinking on her feet she accomplishes this and comes out the winner, finding herself along the way and a new career. You will not be disappointed with this book. It has a little bit of everything, adventure,love,encouragement. I love this author and can not wait to read more from her.
Spouse Trap: Madeline Dawkins Mysteries (The Madeline Dawkins Series Book 1) by Cynthia Hamilton
This book was everything the synopsis said and more. So often I read about the book and it doesn’t quite deliver the way I expected, which is on me.
Madeleine did everything a woman in her situation would have done in the beginning, but as she started processing and thinking with her brain instead of emotions she wanted answers and dis she get them or what?
The emotions were flying all around during this book. Grief, anger, pain, humor are just a few and I could feel some of them with Madeleine.
There are a few things I felt like were left hanging, but since it’s a series and I have only just completed reading this book I’ll wait to see if some of my loose ends get tied up.
I highly recommend giving this book a try, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Spouse Trap is the first book in the Madeline Dawkins Mysteries. This book had me at a heightened state throughout, it was so good. After Madeline wakes up one morning in a strange hotel room, after the biggest night of her career, her life starts to fall apart. Her husband states that he wants a divorce and he has proof of her actions. Madeline sets out to prove her innocence, but things aren’t straightforward. Every time Madeline thinks she has a plan something happens to derail her (and the reader!) I truly felt the emotion in this story, my heart ached for Madeline. I could feel her panic, frustration and anger. I really enjoyed this book. Looking forward to continuing with the series.
Spouse Trap: Madeline Dawkins Mysteries (The Madeline Dawkins Series Book 1) by Cynthia Hamilton is a book that I just couldn’t put down! It’s a story about a woman who has it all, until she is accused of having an affair. I loved watching Madeline investigate her way through everything, she is a remarkable character and has so much strength with everything she is going through. Cynthia Hamilton did a great job creating a story I hadn’t ever read before, or at least felt like a new concept. I really enjoyed how well-written and detailed she was throughout the story. I can’t wait to read the next one!
I really enjoyed this story and I couldn’t pinpoint a favorite part or when I got sucked in, even if I tried.
This has such an interesting story and Madeline is trying so hard to figure out what really happened among other lifes punches.
I can’t wait for A High Price to Pay, this is going to be a great series I just know it!
This is my first read by this author, and not knowing what to expect, I dove into this read with an open mind and thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a well-written read with a brilliant storyline and great characters to go alongside it. It is suspenseful and has you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series, but I highly recommend this read!
Spouse Trap:
Madeline Dawkins Mysteries
Book 1
By Cynthia Hamilton
Take a ride on this rollercoaster of Mystery. It will not disappoint! Just know there are no spoilers in this review.
Madeline Ridley had it all, or so she thought. One earth shattering morning she awakes to stuff she can’t explain. Who? What? Where? Why? Those are powerful questions she must find answers to. Before her life crumbles. You will find Madeline to be a very strong willed woman. She will get to the bottom of all that has transpired.
Cynthia Hamilton really got this series running. It is well written and loaded with twists and turns. Her main characters are go getters, and that they will! No detail was overlooked! She took you with her in this well written mystery. This is only the beginning, as I look forward to the next book in this exciting series. Well done Cynthia Hamilton! Well done!