I moved closer to the little girl, afraid that our voices would be caught by the monitor. ‘What happened to you, Lucy? Can you tell me?’When Sophie’s life falls apart, she accepts an invitation from a childhood friend, Caroline, to visit her family’s beautiful beach house, situated at the mouth of an isolated cove, miles from the nearest town. The silence is broken only by the rhythmic crash of … silence is broken only by the rhythmic crash of the waves against the jagged black rocks below.
But when Sophie arrives, she finds her friend much changed. Caroline – who used to be so warm and confident – is secretive and on-edge, spending long, unexplained hours away from her family. And then there’s Caroline’s little daughter Lucy – who stopped speaking soon after they moved in. Caroline assures Sophie that it’s only a phase, but Sophie thinks Lucy looks a little uncared for, a little afraid…
Then one night Sophie is woken by a scream and runs to find Lucy, out of bed and at the attic window, staring in terror at the view below. When Sophie goes to look, her blood runs cold…
What secrets hide behind closed doors in this isolated house by the sea? A compelling domestic drama from the USA Today bestselling author of Gracie’s Secret. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door.
What readers are saying about The First Wife:
‘I loved this book! From the moment I started, I couldn’t stop reading it… The author did an amazing job… Kept me guessing until the very end… I loved it!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘The First Wife is a stunning page-turner I did not want to put down… The ending is so twisted and fascinating… Just WOW! Unbelievably fantastic read. This is the best book I’ve read so far in 2020. Worth more than 5 stars to me.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘What an amazing book by Jill Childs… This story had me hooked from the first chapter and I read it practically in one sitting!… I never saw the twist at the end coming! I cannot wait to recommend this book to all!’ NetGalley reviewer
‘The story draws you in from page one and as soon as the two friends are reunited, it’s clear that it’s a far from happy household… The writing is both descriptive and atmospheric and just as you think you have the whole thing worked out, there’s a totally unexpected twist which I didn’t see coming. A great read and highly recommended – in fact if I could give it more than five stars I would!’ Jo Lambert Books Blog, 5 stars
‘A gripping read.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘A chilling, edge-of-your-seat read that will knock the life right out of you!! A must read!! Another brilliant author that keeps you entertained from the very first page!!’ Goodreads reviewer
‘Love all books from this author and this was a brilliant read… It was definitely a page-turner and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, all with interesting characters and I can certainly recommend. Well done Jill I look forward to your next read.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘The First Wife has an unbelievable twist that I just didn’t see coming!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘Dark, creepy with a dash of gothic charm I was gripped from the beginning. The relationship built between Sophie and Lucy was beautiful and as mentioned the ending shocked me! The perfect thriller / mystery.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘A brilliant mystery/thriller with a lot of awesome characters and a strong domestic plot line! Intriguing and twisty! Does not disappoint!’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 starsmore
“There was something desolate about them. They showed a melancholy sky bleeding into a grey, formless sea. Eternal and unpeopled.”
‘The First Wife’ by Jill Childs, a journalist turned author who lives in London, is a shadowy thriller about a woman who’s life has sort of crumbled.. leaving her alone and adrift.
When her childhood friend asks her to visit, she accepts.. but when she gets there, her arrival seems unexpected. Her friend has changed greatly from what she remembers and her little girl is withdrawn and silent, prone to terrors and seemingly isolated from her family in the home.. and Sophie’s presence sets off a chain of events she never sees coming.
To be fair, I’m typically really intuitive and adept at seeing plot threads as they emerge, so I did have some inklings as to what was happening and where the story might end up. BUT.. that being said, the threads were far from blatant.
“We had treats and outings, paying final visits to the places in Hong Kong she knew, without her even realizing she was saying goodbye to them.”
Childs is a skilled writer, with a knack for subtle foreshadowing. She doesn’t overuse that skill and allow you to grow too accustomed to it either. Occasionally, she might clue you in a bit heavy-handedly, I suspect as a way to draw you in and help you feel secure. However, the most important glimpses of that foreshadowing are handled with all the expertise of a surgeon. Carefully placing them in the least obvious spot, she diverts your attention with other things.
Each time I saw it happen, it was enough to rouse my suspicion, but then I’d read on before focusing on it and it would become more of a nagging buzz at the back of my thoughts. I was engrossed enough that I just wanted to keep reading.. to keep discovering.. rather than giving that buzz any real attention.
As the story developed and new things would come to light, I’d find myself thinking.. ‘I did notice that’ or ‘I considered that possibility’.. but I never dwelt on it long enough to become so certain in my suspicions that I lost interest and didn’t want to read any further. And I think that’s a gift. To welcome the reader in enough as to let them feel as if they’re in on the secret, without ruining the discoveries.
I wasn’t positive I was correct in my assumptions until I was nearly two-thirds of the way through the book and that’s saying a lot for the author’s ability. The twists aren’t really shocking, in fact.. there are one or two too many of them for my liking, but I still enjoyed the book immensely.
“The sea, out there in the darkness, indifferent to us all, ebbed and flowed, its waves breaking and retreating in a rumble of stones.
As invisible as death and just as certain.”
My only complaint came after the climax in the final pages of the novel. I just thing.. considering how the person felt.. and the situation they found themselves in.. it didn’t ring true. The words laid down as you get closer and closer to the end.. are actually rather cruel and it felt like they existed solely for the purpose of some sweeping drama which the story didn’t need. Granted, it worked. Out of the blue, this story left me bawling my eyes out.. and thrillers are never particularly emotional. But, well.. they’re something to be said for relating to a feeling for someone.
Definitely a worthwhile read and I highly suggest it to anyone who’s a fan of thrillers or mysteries.
(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)
A page-turning story by Jill Childs. Like some of her other books, The First Wife is about secrets and lies of ordinary people that chills your blood.
This book was just “meh” for me. Did not enjoy the characters or the plot development; I had figured out the twists and turns right away in the beginning of the book, so just wanted to hurry up and finish.
I did not stop reading, but it was not a page turner for me, and was not as “thrilling” as reviews led me to believe. Would try another book by this author.
Unexpected end
Really enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. It was a quick read as well.
Enjoyed, couldn’t put down a little shocking to me that people would let themselves be treated this way
What if your long-time friend rsn’t who you think she is. What if nothing is as it seems?? I started reading this book and was immediately pulled into a domestic situation I just couldn’t figure out. This book is a page-turner and a can’t put down read.
Some parts predictable, some unexpected. I had a hard time putting this one down. Kept me wondering what would happen next
Great read!!
Without a doubt, this was one of the best psych thrillers I have ever read. It had mystery and maybe even a little bit of supernatural– and ohhhh the mind games (so many and so good). Plus, aside from some excellent twists, it also had one of the best reveals; I absolutely did not see it coming. Do yourself a favor and go grab this one now. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.
Jill Childs writes with a range of emotions that capture you from the beginning and hold on to the stunning end. The First Wife is another hit and well worth the read.
Sophie is thrilled to receive an email from a school friend, Caroline, who she hasn’t seen in 25 years. She’s been invited to spend some time in a beach house, an isolated cove. As her father has recently died, and she desperately needs to find a way to live with no family, she eagerly accepts.
But it’s not quite what she was expecting. Caroline has changed in all ways. She seems secretive. Her husband, Dominic, doesn’t seem to like Sophie at all and he’s gone an awful lot .. mostly during the week, only returning on the weekend. Their 3 year old daughter, Lucy, is a solemn child. She never speaks and rarely smiles.
And Lucy is subject to horrendous nightmares and wakes up screaming night after night.
Sophie thinks it’s time for her to return home … but then she discovers a secret and she knows she cannot leave for any reason.
This was a slow starter for me … descriptions were overly wordy that didn’t contribute much to the story. However, persevering, the story became much more interesting toward the middle of the book. The suspense became palpable with twists and turns leading to an unexpected conclusion.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this domestic thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
3.5 Stars.
Sophie and Caroline couldn’t be more different. But, they’ve been friends for ever. Sophie gets an email from Caroline begging her to visit. Since Sophie is at a huge crossroad in her life, she jumps at the chance. Thus throwing her into a situation filled with lies and deception.
Fast paced, well-written read. First book by this author, will definitely read again. I love books with dual voices, and this one didn’t disappoint. Storyline developed slowly, but didn’t drag. Characters were well developed. Ending was perfect! Can’t say it was a total thriller, with some of the plot being loosely hidden, but it did tease you.
Thanks to Ms. Childs, Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.