The Wife Between Us - Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

First Paragraph(s):

She walks briskly down the city sidewalk, her blond hair bouncing against her shoulders, her cheeks flushed, a gym bag looped over her forearm.  When she reaches her apartment building, her hand dips into her purse and pulls out her keys.  The street is loud and busy, with yellow cabs racing by, commuters returning from work, and shoppers entering the deli on the corner.  But my eyes never stray from her.
     She pauses in her entryway and briefly glances back over her shoulder.  An electrical charge seems to pulse through me.  I wonder if she feels my stare.  Gaze detection, it's called--our ability to sense when someone is observing us.  An entire system of the human brain is devoted to this genetic inheritance from our ancestors, who relied on the trait to avoid becoming an animal's prey.  I've cultivated this defense in myself, the sensation of static rising over my skin as my head instinctively lifts to search out a pair of eyes.  I've learned the danger of dismissing that warning.

My Thoughts:

I liked this book quite a bit, though I think I might be hitting my limit for a while with psychological thrillers.  That happened to me last year and I had to take a break from them.  I listened to this book on audio (yes, I really like audio for my walking time) and it was very ably narrated by Julia Whelen.  I've read a couple of other books by Sarah Pekkanen and am a fan.  Greer Hendricks is a debut novelist, but she's been Sarah's editor for most, if not all, of her books.  They know each other well and did a little interview segment at the end of the audio.

So, what can I tell you about the book?  Well, I'm not going to say much at all.  This is one of those that the less you know, the better it will be.  Read the blurb below if you want a couple of hints.  Yes, there were things I guessed.  No, I didn't guess all of them.  I was surprised more than once.  And only annoyed a few times.  One of the authors that blurbed the book said it was like a 'house of mirrors'.  I think that's a good analogy.  If you've ever been to the fair and gone into 'The Fun House', one of those weird walk-through rides where the floor shifts and there are spinning things and a house of mirrors.  You feel a little upside-down.  This book turns up and down and all around more than once.  Enjoy and don't get dizzy!

Blurb:

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

Read between the lies.