A wickedly dark debut thriller about three women who’ve all been involved with the same man and realize the one thing they have in common is that they all want revenge against him…Divorces are often messy, and Imogen’s is no exception. Phillip Rochester is controlling, abusive, and determined to make things as difficult as possible. When he shows up without warning demanding that Imogen move … that Imogen move out of their house by the end of the month or he’ll sue for sole custody of their young son, Imogen is ready to snap.
In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable–something that puts her in control for the first time in years. She’s desperate to protect her son and to claim authority over her own life.
But she wasn’t expecting both Phillip’s ex-wife and new girlfriend to get tangled up in her plans. These three very different women–and unlikely allies–reluctantly team up to take revenge against a man who has wronged them all.
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A gripping story, sensitively told but also really funny: no mean feat given the subject matter.
Tight, suspenseful, and satisfyingly dark, The Exes’ Revenge uses its deft characterization and tense plotting to keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. Full of twists and surprises, thrilling and often bleakly funny, this is a book you’ll want to swallow in one white-knuckled reading session.
I was really intrigued by the blurb of The Exes’ Revenge by Jo Jakeman. A story about one man and the three woman he has wronged. Imogen is his current and estranged wife and mother of his child. Ruby is ex-wife number one and Naomi is his current young and beautiful girlfriend. What do they all have in common? Getting back at the man in all their lives!
All Imogen wants is to be rid of Phillip, but now he is demanding she move out of their house or he will fight for custody of their child. She finds unlikely allies in the women that surround Phillip. But can she truly trust them? All she knows is she needs their help.
You see, all three women have secrets. Phillip was never the man he portrayed himself to be. He was cruel and hurtful, but she never had anywhere to turn too, as he was a policeman. Jo Jakeman did an amazing job portraying a difficult subject as well giving us an intriguing story full of the unexpected and suspense. I look forward to reading more of this author.
Happy reading!
3.25-3.5 STARS
Boasting an intriguing premise, I was beyond excited to delve between the pages of “The Exes’ Revenge.” But as promising as this premise is, it ultimately fell short of my lofty expectations. While I like the concept of three women seeking revenge on their ex, the story lacked any real suspense, causing it to drag. Still, the story does have its merits.
Ridiculously over-the-top, this reads a bit like a soap opera–unrealistic, but addictive just the same.
The Exe’s Revenge by Jo Jakeman is an interesting debut thriller. “Originally titled Sticks and Stones”. Ruby, Imogen, and Naomi
A wickedly dark debut thriller about three women….
Ruby, Imogen, and Naomi, all three have been involved with the same man, Phillip Rochester, who was abusive and controlling. The one thing all three have in common, they revenge against him.
A dark and emotional thriller that deals with sensitive issues, domestic violence, abuse, secrets, some dark humor, wit, sadness, and the coming together of three women who become free from their abusive, policeman husband/boyfriend and find a solidarity. Think of the “9 to 5: movie years ago. Traumatic and compelling. “The Exe’s Revenge” may not compel to all readers, I found it to be an interesting story, usual and a bit unpredictable. #NetGalley, #TheExesRevenge, #JoJakeman,
“I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however, these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review.”
Rating: 4
Heat rating: mild
Reviewer: AprilR
This is an emotional, psychological thriller. Three women, 2 wives, and a girlfriend, are forced to show an abuse husband/boyfriend exactly how fed up they are with him. The first wife has her blinders on, the second has a son with the abuser, and the third wants to marry him. From the very beginning, I wasn’t sure who I could trust. While there is never any excuse for abuse I felt like there should be more to the story. There had to be another side to Phillip and the three woman’s story. Boy, did I learn that story.
The Exe’s Revenge is unique in that you know from the very beginning that Phillip dies, that is how the book starts. Now, you have to read the rest of the story to find out the why, when, and how of his death. It is not quite as you would expect. There were the hard parts, the physical abuse parts, but there was also a little bit of dark humor, friendships formed, trust gained or lost, and twists that I didn’t see coming.
I have no doubt that this will not be a book that everyone will enjoy. I personally really liked it. I was pulled in, had to keep reading, and actually just recommending it to a book club group.
This debut thriller had so much potential, and all the elements are there. The problem is that those elements are taken to the extreme at times. The story started off well enough, if a bit different than the norm. We know some key points from the get go, and the book then goes on to give us the details. For about the first third of the book, it was interesting and had me asking all the right questions. However, from there, it starts to spiral and the further it goes, the less believable it becomes. There are some interesting twists along the way – some of which were a little too easy to see coming, but even those did keep me reading to see if I was right. There were also some things in the last part of the book that had me scratching my head. Phillip was already unlikable and the exes had plenty of reason to want revenge, so I didn’t understand the need for extra layers of badness. For me, that part took away from the story more than anything else, and caused the last part of the book to be somewhat messy. Nevertheless, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading. Had the story been tightened up a bit and not gone so far over the top, it would’ve been a much more entertaining read. As it stands, it ended up being just a middle of the road read for me.
“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor Hell no fury like a women scorned.”
Willam Congreve
Phillip has been abusing women and power almost his whole life. Ruby, his first wife, makes excuses, till his true colors come out. Imogene has been cast aside for his newest fling. She’s still mourning the loss of her first child and is a doting mother to their son. Naomi is Phillip’s current fling and she’s finding out what a mistake it is. Until one day events put these 3 women together and they cannot left Phillip get away with one more punch.
This book delves in Domestic Abuse. It’s upsetting to read about. As frustrating as it is to understand why women stay, the author does a great job explaining how men like this can take control over women’s lives, and prey on certain types.
This books starts and ends at a funeral, and then gives you the backstory. You will simultaneously cheer and jeer these women. You will find out how an abuser can work his game, until he can’t.
Well written, dark situations, vivid details. Look forward to reading more of this author’s work.
I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Wow – what a debut novel this is for author Jo Jackman. The villain is so very, very bad. Every time he appeared on a page, I wanted to punch him in the face. The suspense is crazy a real page turner that I stayed up late in the night savoring. Readers of suspense and thrillers, as well as haters of exes, will enjoy this book!
An abusive man, an ex wife, a soon to be ex wife and a current girlfriend. You learn the ending at the beginning of the book followed by the telling of how they got to this point. The three women band together to try and teach the abusive man a lesson and show him he can’t control them any more. While there were aspects that were somewhat far fetched, this was an enjoyable weekend read for me.
This debut novel by British author Jo Jakeman proves that she is a force to contend with in the psychological thriller genre. (Think “9 to 5,” but more evil and with more consequences.) I thoroughly enjoyed The Exes’ Revenge (also known as Sticks and Stones in the UK) and can’t wait to read her next work.
Phillip is a jerk. To be completely honest, he WAS a jerk because he is dead now. His ex-wives are at his funeral, as well as his current wife. But technically she isn’t his legal wife because he and his second wife never finalized the divorce. But all in all it doesn’t matter because he cannot hurt any of them, physically or psychologically ever again. Perhaps the three women have crossed the line of good and evil just like Phillip or maybe their survival instincts just kicked in.
The Exes’ Revenge opens with the funeral, so the reader knows up front the man is dead. But the events that lead to this funeral unfurl in the coming chapters like a flag in a sweet summer breeze that turns into a hurricane.
The three wives are unlikely cohorts, but Phillip and fear bind them together in a way that can never be understood by outsiders. He manipulates them against each other until he crosses the line of no return. But will one of them turn on the other two because deep down she cannot live without him?
Ruby, his first wife has always been a mother figure to him. Even though she has been on the receiving end of his bad temper, she has always forgiven him. But how can she possibly forgive him after finding out one of his best kept secrets?
Naomi, his third wife, is young and beautiful. She is the perfect trophy wife for Phillip to drag around to parties showing off his masculinity to his friends and co-workers. He expects her to keep a perfect home. Of course if she doesn’t there are consequences. She dare not call the police – he is a cop.
Imogen, the second (and not quite divorced) wife is the only one Phillip has a child with. Alistair is young and impressionable. He is happy with Imogen and terrified of his father. How could anyone trust a man like Phillip with her child?
The three women don’t really like each other, but are thrown together because of Phillip. They soon realize that the three of them must work together to get him out of their lives forever before one or more of them dies at his hand. The closer they get, they realize he has taken something from each of them that can never be replaced. He seems to have a knack of finding their greatest vulnerabilities and then somehow look innocent when tragedy strikes. As the novel progresses, the three women find out how cruel he is and it might just be a race to kill or be killed.
Jakeman’s psychological thriller is a page tuner you don’t want to miss. The well-developed characters will pull you into their nightmare because you know them like your favorite neighbor. Pay attention to the easy to read plot because many bits and pieces that may seem irrelevant will turn up in the last chapters fully explaining the means and motives of the main characters.
This is the first book I have read by Jo Jakeman. I really enjoyed her fast-paced writing style. She brings full characters to life and puts them in a plot that twists and turns until the end. This is Jo Jakeman’s second novel. The first, Sticks and Stones, is on my list to read. I can’t get enough of this author.
Copyright © 2018 Laura Hartman
Phillip Rochester is a horrible man who loves to physically and mentally abuse the women in his life. The trouble is, he is a decorated policeman and whenever someone reports his abusive behavior, his friends at the police department will not do anything about it. The story opens at his funeral where his ex-wife Ruby, his estranged wife Imogen and his current girlfriend, Naomi are in attendance. The story is flashbacks of the women and the treatment they received from Phillip, their coming together and developing a friendship and then their revenge on him. This was a fantastic story and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you Good Reads Giveaways for allowing me to review The Exes’ Revenge by Jo Jakeman in paperback format.
This book started out very good, very interesting, and a page turner. It dipped a little in the middle and then picked up again. It is well worth reading and helped keep my interest except for the part mentioned above. The characters are very strong but a little dippy. I love the premise to this story though I mean the ex wife, the wife, and the girlfriend ganging up on the abusive good looking police officer husband. This book comes with twists you won’t see coming and a breathtaking climax.
Imogen has lived her life under the control of her husband, Phillip, from the first day she met him. Even after her left her and their son for a younger woman, their shared past has meant she’s never been able to be truly free of him. But when he suddenly demands she move out her house in two weeks, it start of a series of events that brings Imogen together with Phillip’s first wife and new girlfriend. Together they learn that through Phillip they share a bond no one else can understand, and decide that they will finally no longer allow him to control them.
Sticks and Stones is an amazing debut novel, and an astounding piece of domestic noir. Opening with the Phillip’s funeral, we’re then taken back over the previous two weeks – and the years preceding – to discover exactly what happened that led to his death.
The story is expertly put together. It manages to twist and turn without ever feeling gimmicky or predictable. At no point do you get bored or feel anything is being padded out. Jakeman’s writing is lean and slick, leaving in nothing unnecessary. She perfectly keeps the mystery going without resorting to cheap tricks or cliches, throwing in red herrings and distractions that made it impossible to guess where we’re heading. At times I thought I’d guessed incoming reveals onto to discover I was completely wrong.
But as good as the story is, it’s the characters that really make this book. The concept of the mentally abusive husband and dominated wife is one that could easily become two dimensional, but Jakeman has created a cast of characters who all feel fleshed out and real. You really feel for Imogen, who never comes across as either comically weak or impossibly resolved. When she changes it’s because her character development brought here there, not becuase the plot required it to move forward. She comes across as a real person doing her best to avoid conflict with an ex-husband she knows can control her but can do nothing about, all the while fighting to protect her son over everything else. Phillip, too, is never a pantomime villain. He may be a monster, but he’s a monster of the type we all know is so very real. The kind who hides behind a reputation and knows exactly what they are doing.
Sticks and Stones isn’t any easy read. There are trigger warnings for all aspects of domestic abuse here. But all of it is packaged in an impossibly hard to put down story of one woman discovering how far she is prepared to go to defend her child and get revenge on a man determined to ruin her life.