An Instant Bestseller!The New York Times USA Today The Globe and Mail The Toronto StarNew York Times bestselling author Tarryn Fisher delivers a pulse-pounding, fast-paced suspense novel that will leave you breathless. A thriller you won’t be able to put down!Imagine that your husband has two other wives.You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this … wives.
You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.
But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives.
You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever.
Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you be willing to go to find out?
And who is his mysterious third wife?
“Nail-biting, heart-clenchingly good.”—New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Torre
“[A] lightning-fast plot.”—Kirkus
“Suspense fans will be rewarded.”—Publishers Weekly
“Some sharp twists.”—Booklist
Don’t miss The Wrong Family, the next gripping, unputdownable, twist-filled thriller from Tarryn Fisher!
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REVIEW: HOLY. EFFING. ISH.
“It’s strange how perception is altered by bitterness.”
WOW! This was my FIRST read of Tarryn Fisher’s but I can guarantee you it will NOT be my last. I am still smiling at that ending!!! Holy freaking cow!!! *Breathe, Bee. Breathe.* I LOVED THE WIVES!! I loved the rush I got and I loved the look inside her crazy mind. What a deliciously twisted read. I want more of this. This was insanity with a devilishly crooked smile…..on me.
Maybe it was the thrill of reading a well known, very popular, and highly recommended author that gave me the boost I needed to read this book. Maybe it was the different genre that didn’t have any preconceived norms for me to expect that made me turn the pages quicker than I anticipated. Either way, this book worked for me. I feel like Fisher gave me an enormous amount of info, a whirlwind of action, only for it all to come to fruition with a slam of the door. I was left with a gasp and for my first psychological thriller and first Tarryn Fisher book, and this one gave me the best of both worlds.
“But the truth is the heart’s desire is a mere current against the tide of nurture and nature.”
I got to a certain point in the book, and the writing on the wall became very clear in a blurry sort of way – so trying to make sense of it all was interesting. Now I had answers, but I needed the coordinating questions to match them up to. Not totally unpredictable – given the layout, but completely eye-widening because while I clearly don’t read this genre enough, it had just enough suspense and shock to guide me along, making me cling to her every word. I originally read it one way, but then I found myself scrutinizing the words and the implied tones used earlier, the further I got into it.
This was a fresh voice with a differently paced inflection that allowed me to follow along easily. I loved her flow, her voice, and her pace. I was completely engaged in the storyline because I was following along with a concept that I couldn’t imagine myself dealing with, so every turn and every twist had me more and more curious.
I loved that she gave me a character that was so real, in very real form, but had a dynamic that had me OMGosh’ing throughout the book. Also….the fun part about this book was that it was set on my area.
You know all those big words: enraptured, captivated, enthralled. Those overused review words people throw out there for so many books? Yeah, I could throw them out there, but I won’t. I suppose I could also throw around a wow, woah, *wide-eyes* and a few holy cows too. This book, from the minute I opened it until I closed it and had to think it through, it had my undivided attention. All of it.
Do I give it a five star rating because it had me going crazy and turning the pages to the point that I couldn’t stop or do I give it a four and be objective and try to name something that I think maybe could’ve been different, although I really can’t because I don’t have any experience in this genre. I can tell you that it was a thrill from beginning to end, and I didn’t do anything but SIT and READ. I honestly couldn’t find any fault with this simply because it held my attention from the very beginning until the very end. Nothing was as it seemed…. or was it. <-- Not a question, actually. I really enjoyed this one and it just makes me that much more excited to give her other stories a shot. Her voice is so clear, so animated, and she gave me a story that took me on a wild ride - definitely not the same story I’ve read 20 times. It was a rush reading this, trying to figure out the twist and then seeing it change direction. I felt the urgency behind the actions, I felt the fear behind the words, I totally loved this!! So so good!! Argh...I can't wait to read more by her. "Denial is a twisted, perverted soul-thinner." ~BEE Enter here to win an ecopy: http://bit.ly/358QyjA
No one and nothing can make me feel the way Tarryn Fisher’s writing does. The Wives had me on edge from the first chapter, and just when I thought I knew where it was going, I was blindfolded, whipped around, and shoved into a dark cave where I had to find my way out again. The brilliance in Fisher’s writing is that she has the power to illustrate how we’re all a little crazy, or is it that all our crazy is a little normal? Whatever it is, I always close her books and stare at a wall, contemplating my own sanity. The Wives is a crowning jewel on an already impressive and magically twisted backlist of Fisher’s paralizing and perfectly f*cked up fiction. You will question everything until the very last page — and honestly, long thereafter. If I took anything from reading The Wives, it’s that nothing is as it seems, and Tarryn Fisher is a word-crafting witch. I’m completely under her spell, and I never want to be released. Five gripping, heart-pounding stars for The Wives. Prepare to have that top spot on your Favorite Books of 2019 replaced in the final stretch with this magnificent and thrilling masterpiece.
Wow! What a thriller. This book blew my mind. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down and it had twists that I didn’t see coming even though I was searching for them. I recommend this for anyone who loves thrillers and suspense.
Hear that dumbfounded sound from someone over in the corner? That’s still me flabbergasted and trying to keep my jaw off the floor.
I thought I had this one totally figured out. I came up with so many awesome ideas and read into everything so perfectly that I was certain I nailed this one. Nope. I get to the ending and I’m left there with my mouth gaping open, nothing left to read in the book, saying “ who the hell are these people and what the hell just happened?’
Sometimes I wonder about the people who come up with these plots.
What a way to end my reading for 2019 than with an amazing psychological thriller. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is an unusual story about the relationship between a husband, his wife, and his two other wives. (Yes, you read that correctly). I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, the back cover is kind of vague (though the truth is I kinda like my books that way – no expectations).
I have all this stuff to say. When I finished there was just so much stuff I needed to say, so much I still want to say, but there are no words. I kept thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking and then the ICU nurse in me kicked in, and I kept thinking some more. And the thing is, the only thing I could come up with was this: That was really messed up. Really totally just messed up and I loved it. I loved that I couldn’t figure it out. I trusted and believed and felt what I did, and I was still wrong. And the ending, the ending just WAS.
Jesus
WTF was that. I may need therapy myself.
{insert overwhelming sigh of just WOW at this point}
Simplicity has dominated the psychological thriller and Tarryn Fisher wins. It’s no wonder I couldn’t pick my favorite book of 2019, because by December 31, I still wasn’t finished reading it yet. I still can not let this one go, it still dominates my thoughts. Read it. Just read it.
My Rating 5 well deserved stars Amazing Book.
“A woman’s greatest foe is sometimes her hope that she’s imagined it all. That she herself is crazy rather than the circumstances of her life.”
What a twisted, mind warp, up is down, down is up, dizzying, what did I just read, absolute MAGIC! I had no idea what to expect, went in blind, and couldn’t put it down, I disappeared into the pages and never wanted to come out. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the Author threw a masterful wrench in my guess, and blew each and every theory I had completely apart. At no time was I correct in ANY of my guesses and that was what made it utterly and completely jaw-dropping, and unpredictable. You need to read it yourself in order to experience it, because I will never find the right words. Bravo to the Author!!!
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
A dark, twisted web…
Oh man, I loved this book. The further into Thursday’s twisted world I got, the more I couldn’t turn away. I watched this story unfold like a train wreck, devouring each and every delicious word.
Fisher expertly leads you to follow her hand in one direction all while slowly slipping the other hand—the one with the truth deep inside its palm—behind her back. It’s genius and completely unique and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough to get to the insane twist.
Love, love, loved it!
Very intriguing and unique. A page turner indeed.
I’ve been a fan of Tarryn Fisher’s writing and her independent books for awhile. Each book appeals to me for different reasons, but when I heard that she was going to traditionally publish a psychological thriller, I was all in. Thrillers are a favorite of mine.
This story was a unique take on the presently popular “Wife” titles and I have to say that I think she absolutely nailed her characters, plot and story. I could see it playing out on the big screen. Each word was important and led a hand in the progression of the story and each character. From the unreliable narrator (which is a favorite of mine) to supporting characters that you aren’t 100% sure about, this book kept me captivated all throughout. The twists and turns were well played and well executed. The situational themes do run a bit dark, but that’s what I enjoyed most. Just take caution when stepping in to this thriller.
I’m currently doing a reread since I read this book early, but I am already catching different nuances in the characters than I did before. The characters aren’t exactly lovable, but I can tell you I like to root for an underdog. #RiseOfTheVillain
“I am helping. I’m helping myself.”
Confessions Of A Twisted Mind- “When things are that perfect, something is wrong.”
TF is a self-confessed “Swirler of Emotions” and the longer the swirl, the tougher it becomes to separate one from the rest. Much like Thursday, whose life is spinning so fast, that events, accidents, emotions and reality is blurring right in front of her eyes. She’s in a consensual relationship with a polygamist and totally acceptable of the Other Two Wives called Monday and Tuesday.
“How have I become this docile person, living for Thursdays and the love of a man who divides himself so thinly among three women?”
Typical of TF to pick a controversial and unrelatable topic for majority of readers and yet keep us engrossed till the very end. She’s a master of creating layered stories with a seemingly placid surface but her loyal readers can always expect the roiling emotions which swallow you whole in its vortex. Insidious and deceptive, it’s a smoke and mirrors story. Secretive clues are scattered like bread crumbs and deciphering them is a full book job. I believe Traci Finlay was TF’s sounding board for this particular book and Traci is as mindfuck as they come. And I’d love to see this combo in the near future collaborating on a novel
Back to this one, TF created a strong female protagonist but her psyche has a wrinkle, a fold somewhere deep down. Her reality is askew and vision distorted due to her deep craving for Seth’s love and attention. Jealousy giving her a heartburn & she is on a mission to put faces to the names.
As they say- Curiosity killed the cat, things start to go horribly wrong for her as she descends the ladder to the heart of the truth and then for the readers as they watch her go down the unfathomable sinkhole
Throughout the entire story, my heart was pounding hard. I was right next to Thursday in the car, running around Portland and Seattle. I was shocked at what she finds, astounded at what was happening around her, I was swept away by the maelstrom that hits her life and my soul was in tatters as her house crumpled.
The ending was a bit anti- climatic for me.I had figured out the gist of it but was in complete denial, much like Thursday herself.
Seth was always under my microscope and I monitored his movements acutely.
The surprise twist just comes of left and wollops me in the face
“It was like being halfway down a guy’s pants when he told you he was really a woman.”
The thrill never wanes, the dread never diminishes and pulse never slows down. The first chapter tells you it’s going to be a disaster of epic proportions, but a train-wreck is always morbidly fascinating to watch…..and so was reading this book
I’m waiting eagerly for the “crawlspace” to go hide in next
4.5 stars for Loony Toon In Tonker Town
The writing is exquisite, the dissection of the female psyche is sharp and observant. This is Fisher at her very best.
A twisty thriller that immediately hooked me and I couldn’t put down.
I couldn’t put it down. You’ll never guess the ending!
Great story. Very original story line and highly unpredictable to the very end. I highly recommend.
What a page turner! This was a fast read because I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next. Great book!
I’ve only read one other book by Tarryn Fisher and while I enjoyed it, this book blew me away. Psychological thriller is her genre. There were parts that were predictable, but it never distracted from the story and every chapter kept me questioning the characters. Overall a phenomenal read.
I wish I could review the first and second halves of this book separately. The first half would get 5 stars. The second half would be lucky to get 3. That’s why I’ve settled on a 4 even though I’m leaning towards the 3. This book started out great. It caught my attention and had me clinging to the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. There were hints early on that everything was not as it seemed so by the time the first big shock came I’d pretty well figured out that much. I won’t go into too many details because I hate spoiler reviews but it gets hard to explain the second half without them so if you don’t want even a hint, stop reading here. For those that are still interested for whatever reason in my humble opinion, read on. I feel like this book should have come with a trigger warning about all of the gas-lighting and emotional abuse. As someone who has dealt with both it put me on edge and had we almost physically sick in places. I presume this was Fisher’s intention, to made people uncomfortable, and in that way I suppose she succeeds. Having a trigger warning wouldn’t have kept me from reading it but it would have been nice to know it was coming so I could prepare myself. My other problem with the second half of the book is that it chalks everything up to “She’s crazy” as the problem for everything. I don’t like that term or that saying since it is so often used to belittle women and their attitudes and opinions. There are clear mental health issues for these characters but it’s never discussed how the husband contributed to these issues, or dealt with his own which I feel like must have been just as severe to do the things he did. I don’t know. Overall, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth by the end and after such an amazing start, I had hoped for more of a thrilling end than blaming everything on a woman that suffered a breakdown and was living in her own little dream world.
Ummmmm….WHAT DID I JUST READ?! Tarryn took me on a journey that I wasn’t expecting. This was my first Tarryn book and normally I don’t go for books that will take me on a “trippy” journey, but Thursday and the other wives made it almost impossible to put the book down. I seriously had to see what happened next and how this story would end!!!
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but if you’re a fan of Tarryn Fisher, psychological thrillers, and have a solid chunk of time to read….GO FOR IT!!!
Lord another book that has consumed my life!!!
I listened to the audio version of The Wives and it couldn’t have made my reading experience any better..OMG the narrator did such a FANTASTIC Job!!!
I hope you go in blind.
I hope you were able to stay away from all the talking going on about this book so nothing blew your reading experience!
I LOVE when an author catches you off guard, makes you lay the book down and say..what the HELL? lol. I actually started listening to the audio, got to chapter 5 and started it all over again lol I was blown away!! It was that freaking good to do a repeat. Lol. Actually I did this several times while listening. I needed to hear all that craziness again cuz the first time just wasn’t enough!!! lol
*Clap..Clap..Clap* Thanks for another AMAZING read Tarryn!!!
This is my first book from Tarryn Fisher and holy wow it was definitely a book that will have you intrigued and invested until the end! This story was filled with suspense, twists and turns that had me so consumed with the need to know what happens that I didn’t want to put it down. Each time I thought I knew what would happen or figured something out I was thrown for a loop and it would have me so invested in the story that I didn’t want it to end! I’ll definitely be looking for more books by this author!
I was totally blown away by this crazy, dark, mysterious tale. The twists and turns, the suspense, the mind-boggling moments had my head spinning and heart racing. This unique story was completely unexpected and mind-gripping.
Thursday was an interesting character with an unconventional marriage arrangement. I was so invested into her story and was riding along closely with her on her journey to discovery for the first half of the book. Things went crazy, or crazier, after 50%. I started questioning what I’ve read so far and doubting everyone. Every character in the book lied at some point. I got pulled deeper and deeper trying to decipher the truth. I was confused and my mind was churning. The truth of the story was not revealed until the end of the book and by that point I had no words.
I truly enjoyed this unique and unpredictable thriller. My suggestion is to go in blind with as little information as possible to feel the full impact of the story. Thanks to this book, I’m now a lover of psychological thrillers and I’m searching high and low for my next mind twist.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have read quite a few of her books, but this one had my jaw dropping to the floor. The suspense nearly killed me, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I would definitely recommend this book