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!
more
I am not sure what I just read!! WOW!!!! I didn’t want to put this book down! What a roller coaster of a ride … and the ENDING! I didn’t see that coming … Very well written!! I can’t wait to read another of this authors books!!!!!! This is a must read … You won’t be disappointed … My mind is numb after this!!!!
Well it went a way I didn’t expect.
How polygamy affects all people involved in such a negative way. It is difficult to understand how women can endure such unfaithfulness.
2.5 stars
Hmmmm. What to say….what to say..? (fingers hovering over computer keys)
I had REALLY high hopes for this novel. To be honest, those high hopes were met but not in the way I thought. My “ooooohhh” turned into “Wow!” which turned into “wait…” and ended with “huh?”
The marketing blurb used to promote this book was, “…the less you know about the plot of this story in advance, the better!” and while that is true, a big part of that might be the fact that the plot is hard to describe.
A polygamist man is married to 3 women who live in 3 separate locations and know very little about each other. One of the wives becomes curious about her marital rivals and against her husband’s wishes decides to do a little digging to learn more about the other two wives. From there the story gets…..weird.
Umm, what?!? What a book! It had me questioning so many things through most of it and yet I couldn’t stop listening! This is such a good listen that will stay with me for quite a while.
Masterpiece with her words!
Mind blown! This book was crazy! Just when I thought I had it figured out, more twists and turns! I truly did not expect that ending!
I rarely don’t give a book a rating, but I have to leave a star rating off The Wives (I will provide a 3-star rating on Amazon since you can’t leave a review without a rating there). There were plenty of things I loved about this book, but there were also a lot of things I couldn’t abide, and that made me feel any rating I gave would be unfair.
Firstly, Tarryn’s writing in The Wives is phenomenal. I was hooked from the first page and hated any time I had to put the book down. The concept was fascinating; I was riveted by all things Thursday, Seth, and the other wives. I found it intriguing that he could find three women who would be so complacent with the incredibly bizarre arrangement he required of them and NEEDED to know all of the hows, whys, and what fors. I felt the same passion for discovery for the first half of the book or so, then it all started to shift.
It was around that point I mostly figured out what the twist was going to be, though there were a few far-reaching surprises I didn’t see coming, and desperately hoped the answer that seemed so obvious to me was a giant red herring. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. After that, I kept trucking because the writing was still engaging, but every bit of hope I grasped onto that the end I saw coming wasn’t right was quickly dimmed. I think I was especially let-down by the way the book ended because I am so familiar with the beliefs Ms. Fisher posts online, and this ending seemed so out of line with who I know her to be. Or maybe, just maybe, it was a commentary on who and what society holds women to be. I’m leaning toward the latter because it seems a very Tarryn Fisher thing to do. Lead us in one direction, then hold a mirror up to it and show us just how ugly those things we’ve clung to as normal – and conversely how beautiful the things we deem abhorrent – actually are.
Had I read this book a decade earlier or with different life experiences, I would have likely been quite happy with it. Still, as it’s said, ‘no two people read the same book,’ since we each take our views, opinions, and histories into the understanding. And my past colors my view of this book in a harsher light than others might view it through. So, give it a try; at the very least the phenomenal writing is something to bring pleasure, and the story itself will evoke passion, in some form, to each person who reads The Wives.
Tarryn Fisher has blown my mind!!!! I love the way her mind works!!!!! This books was a mind screw from page one to “the end” and I loved every second of it!!!! I can’t wait to re-read it over and over!!!! #PLN #RiseOfTheVillans
3.5
I was intrigued by this story. I was curious how a man could act differently to each wife. I’m not sure how I feel tbh. The mind fuck is cleverly written and has you turning the page right to the very end. My one gripe with this story is the ending. I was left disappointed. Great build up in the beginning, you’re turning the pages as quickly as you can then it just stops, story over. The ending is just strange imo. Tbh how this story was pegged isn’t what it was in the end. I guess with mind fuck reads it’s left up to the readers interpretation to decipher what was real and what was made up.
The life of Seth Arnold Ellington is extremely complicated. The story is told via a first-person narration from Thursday, Seth’s second wife — the one he spends Thursday nights with. She relates how they came to be in what she describes as a polygamist relationship. His first wife never wanted children. But Thursday lost the child she was carrying, and she cannot get pregnant again. So, since Seth wants children, he has taken a third wife who is pregnant with their first child. The other two wives lives in Portland, Oregon, but Thursday, a nurse, resides in Seattle, Washington. Seth divides his time between the two cities as he runs a construction firm with his partner, Alex.
Thursday describes how she prepares for and anticipates the nights she spends with Seth, devoting herself totally to him, his needs, and pleasing him. Fisher explores how stressful and unsettling plural marriage can be. Thursday compares herself to Seth’s other wives, and worries about how she measures up. She acknowledges that she “chose this life and it’s not about competing, it’s about providing, but one can’t help but keep a tally when other women are involved.” She feels that she “shouldn’t wonder, but I do. How does a man love so many women? A different woman almost every other day. And where do I fall in the category of favor?”
Thursday’s anxiety is magnified by the fact that there are no sister wives in this family. Seth has decreed that his wives must have no knowledge of each other. But Thursday looks forward to hearing about the others — it is “the highlight” of her week — and it her curiosity that propels the story forward. She has thus far “respected his wishes not to snoop.” However, she finds a scrap of paper. It’s a doctor’s bill made out to Hannah Ovark in Portland and Thursday begins investigating to determine if, in fact, Hannah’s is Seth’s pregnant third wife.
Fisher slyly and cleverly lays the groundwork, but abruptly brings everything Thursday has revealed into question, suggesting that nothing is as it has thus far been portrayed. Is Thursday a reliable narrator? Or is something else entirely going on with Fisher’s characters? The story takes off at a dizzying pace as Thursday embarks on her quest for information about Seth’s other wives. Suddenly she is on a quest for the truth about Seth’s background, admitting that she foolishly asked few questions about his history because she was so smitten with and eager to marry him. She seeks details about his relationships with the other wives, his true feelings about her, and his motivations for his surprising behavior. She strikes up a friendship with Hannah which becomes unsettling when she notices that Hannah has bruises on her wrists. Seth has never exhibited any propensity for violence, but events push Thursday to fear for Hannah’s safety, as well as that of her unborn child. She also seeks out Regina, Seth’s first wife, in an effort to confirm what Seth has told her about their marriage.
The Wives is replete with surprising plot twists. Fisher includes expertly-timed clues about the real nature of Thursday’s relationship with Seth, as well as his machinations and manipulation of Thursday and his other wives, along with plenty of red herrings. Fisher’s storytelling is meticulously planned and executed, and her characters intriguing and compelling, if not particularly likable. Thursday is, in many ways, empathetic and identifiable. She is intelligent, independent, and accomplished, yet still insecure and full of self-doubt. She feels that she needs Seth’s love in order to be complete, even though she is repulsed by the way her mother dotes on, takes care of, and subjugates her own needs to please Thursday’s father. Thursday sees herself as deeply flawed and damaged . . . yet uncontrollably mired in her devotion to Seth. She recognizes that she was detached from her family, devoted to her studies, and “secretly longing for a connection” when she met Seth. “I was waiting for someone to see me. . . . I was willing to accept anything he had to offer just to be loved by him. I’m ashamed to think about it.” Fisher says notes that was “breastfed into the patriarchal model” that women are rebelling against. “But in order to collectively gather our female voices we had to be pushed to a breaking point.” Fisher intentionally pushes Thursday into “uncomfortable realities” until she reaches a breaking point. And then delivers a shocking conclusion to her creative, absorbing, and highly entertaining first thriller.
Thank to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Wives
By: Tarryn Fisher
*REVIEW*
The Wives has so much hype that I have been hesitant to read it because hype often disappoints. This book, however, definitely delivered the promised allotment of crazy and what just happened moments. If your husband had two other wives that you knew about, would you want to meet them? Thursday decides to find out all she can about the other two wives of her husband. Her quest for truth and clarity turns into a psychologically thrilling crazy train that goes off the rails and nosedives into a deep ravine where it then explodes. It’s just bizarre insanity at every turn that will keep you riveted. I was slightly disappointed with the ending, but my overall impression remains favorable. This story is a strange experience that stays with the reader. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Seriously, just read it for yourself.
Audio Version
I would describe The Wives as being similar to a dark, bendy, twisty road where you have no idea what’s around the corner. You know it’s going to be a good one when you listen or read the first little bit of the book and time disappears. That’s exactly what happened. It was crazy town with “I did not see that coming” moments throughout the book. The writing was superb and it came together beautifully…like wow. Way to go Ms. Fisher…you have been added to my buy before I even read the synopsis list.
This is one crazy psychological thriller. It leads you down one path only to twist in another direction, you get comfortable then bam it goes bizarre. Dark, gritty, and unforgettable I have the feeling I will be thinking about this story, especially the ending for days to come.
Lauren did an excellent job narrating.
This is the first Tarryn Fisher book I’ve read. Maybe, it wasn’t the best way to jump in. The Wives is a psychological thriller and one that you have no idea what’s real or what’s not.
“Thursday” is in a relationship with a man that has two other wives. Or does he? I have this thing about reading, and I like to connect with characters, and that’s probably why I tend to steer towards romance books. Because it engrosses you into the story. The Wives did take me a bit to get through. I didn’t feel anything for Thursday, and I basically felt that she had quite the imagination, and her imagination was in overdrive. Since this is a psychological thriller, obviously, I don’t want to give the whole story away. Which can be hard when you’re reviewing a book.
Maybe keeping a character at arm’s length is the intention. Since I don’t usually read this genre, there’s no way for me to compare.
Overall, I do feel it was worth the read. And even if this is not your usual genre, you may like it as well.
Holy WOW!!!! The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is a top read for me! If you are looking for a book that will absolutely blow your mind, this book is for you!!
It had it all…unbelievably good writing, complex characters, a plot that moves at breakneck speed, and twists to make your head turn. Thursday is Seth’s second wife. He has three others. She agreed to this unconventional marriage, but is beginning to question her marriage and herself. When she takes the first step to discovering who the two women really are, she has no clue the dark rabbit hole she is going down.
The story is narrated by Thursday, and I have to be honest, I’m not sure how I felt about her. She is very complicated and complex. She is most definitely flawed; however, I couldn’t help rooting for her. She somehow lost her identity in her relationship to Seth, and she questions everything, even her very sanity. Honestly, I was right there with her, wondering what secret was going to be revealed next.
The other characters were just as complex. Each of them had a darkness to them. I wasn’t quite sure who the true villain was, and I’m still not quite sure.
This book is brilliant, and Tarryn Fisher is a genius!!!! However, these rare books are so hard to write reviews for because you don’t want to ruin anything yet you want others to know how phenomenal it is! So, I hope I have been able to adequately express how fantastic and out-of-the-box this book truly is! You may be like me when you finish the last page…going back and re-reading things to discover things you might have missed! When I have to do that, the book and the writer has far surpassed my expectations! And, Tarryn Fisher definitely did that!!!!!
So to me this was pretty avg. story based on the subject (nothing new, run of the mill etc)…..until I got the end had me at “WHAT?!” Therefore I had to replay the last few chapters again.
Audiobook was good.
My husband’s favorite joke is that he needs me to get another husband for the 50% of me that he can’t handle. He says I am too much feisty for one person.**
He needs to read this book…
It’s a little far-fetched and a lot entertaining. It’s a very fast read and I have to admit I was absorbed the whole time.
Probably 3 stars but it’s Christmas and I’m feeling all generous and stuff.
Thank you to my GR friend, Denise Reed, for sharing her copy with me. I will pay it forward and mail it to the first US resident who mentions in the comments that they want it and is also willing to share it. (PM me your address.)
**Not currently taking applications.
4.5 stars
There is a point, late in this book, when Tarryn Fisher makes you fall back in your chair, gasping in shock. Did she … was that all … is this really happening?
And then you realize what Tarryn Fisher has done: she gave you all the hints you needed. She showed you her characters. She set the table, bade you dine, and then whipped the tablecloth out from under the plates, sending cutlery spinning and plates clattering.
I can’t tell you very much about this book because to do so is to ruin the experience for you. In fact, if I were you, I’d go in as cold as you can. The Wives definitely is one of those “let yourself be stunned and amazed” reading experiences.
Here is what I can tell you: Tarryn Fisher writes damaged women who find their peace exceptionally well. Whether through violence, loss, self-reliance, or love, Fisher’s women learn, as the main character in this book does, to help themselves.
You will need to talk about this book when you finish it, and I am here for you. Please come back and let me know your thoughts. Did you see any of it coming? Did you anticipate any of Tarryn Fisher’s twists and turns?
I’m still processing The Wives, still figuring out how I feel about it. I loved the adventure. I loved the pain. I loved the weirdness and hopefulness, the sexiness and sadness. I loved the crazy. I’ve come to discover that I particularly love Tarryn Fisher’s brand of crazy very, very much.
This is one of those mind blowing books you read once in a blue moon! The Wives is an enthralling, catching story that will have you reeling and reading the pages so fast you won’t know what hit you! Tarryn’s writing isn’t for everyone from what I have read in other reviews and I thought I would be one of those people. However I did really enjoy getting to know her work and I’m looking forward to reading more from her when I need something that has a HUGE WOW factor and a story with twist and turns you just didn’t see coming!