Sarah Pekkanen

With a synopsis like the one quoted, I went into The Wife Between Us intrigued but worried that it would be too predictable. After all, the synopsis tells us that nothing is as it seems. In addition, it made sure I closely read each line and actively searched for clues that would let me know just how the story being told differs from the truth. I thought I was wise; I thought I had figured out the plot in its entirety. Then I got to a chapter that I had to read twice in order to make sure I show more understood the ramifications of what it was telling me. It turns out that no matter how deductive my thinking, no matter how carefully I read, I was so far off in my predictions that the truth made me more than a little slack-jawed. Well done, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen!

This is yet another novel in which it is best to start reading it with no previous information of the story outside of what the publisher tells you. Any additional information may spoil the surprise, and it is too good a surprise to spoil. Instead, just enjoy the intricate weaving of the plot and the vulnerable characters as they lay bare their souls. Also, go ahead and try to avoid assumptions, as instructed by the publisher. I guarantee that you will not succeed. show less

Solid Suspense Takes Atypical Turns. This is one of those tales that almost seems destined for at least a sequel, if not a series of some level. There's more than enough here to justify it, and yet this story itself is fully complete as is. In other words, coming back to this world would be interesting and compelling... but not necessarily *necessary*.

I love the way that certain elements are played in an all-too-real-yet-not-usually-shown-in-fiction manner, and the specific construction of show more how Stella's past and present collide is particularly well done - and perhaps indicative that no sequel is expected here, as that particular sub plot could have been spread across a small series - while not feeling rushed or out of place fully happening within this story itself.

There *is* one particular element that could throw at least some readers off, and that is the (minor) romance subplot and specifically that it introduces an LGBT element not otherwise present in the story. Minor spoiler there, apologies, but I'd rather avoid 1*s (which I've seen already) specifically because of this. So just know it going forward, and yes, I know that others will praise this book specifically for that very point. *In the context of this particular story as told*, to me it felt refreshing that the author would choose to go that direction rather than feeling forced in just to have that "representation" in the book, but it is also a point where I could see others feeling that it was a touch forced, and they wouldn't get much pushback from me beyond what I just stated - it didn't feel that way *to me*.

Overall a truly well told, suspenseful, complex tale with a more-fleshed-out-than-many main character that clearly has a lot going on, and a tale whose world seems ripe for exploring more of. So here's hoping we get a chance to, and here's hoping it will be soonish.

Very much recommended. show less

Second person! Yes!
Never before has a book not only made me think about moral quandaries, but outright ask me to like this one has. But the problem with that is that I was much too busy trying to really figure out my answers to these moral quandaries because I was reading so fast. This thriller gives me what I like in a thriller: a mysterious story that does not fall apart at the twist, with a main character that isn’t an ass.
Jess is a makeup artist working for a company that connects show more clients to artists who come right to their door to do their makeup in New York City. While she is doing a client’s makeup at NYU, she sees that the client was going to go to a psych study that would pay $500, but she was going to skip because it was too early in the morning. On impulse, and on hearing of the $500, Jess decides to secretly go in her place.
Jess joins Dr. Shields’ study as Subject 52. She is asked moral questions, on a computer in an empty classroom. But soon, Dr. Shields grows more interested in her, and Jess gets in deep with the doctor. Soon, she doesn’t know who to trust, what to trust, or how far Dr. Shields will go.
This book captured me from the first line. It starts in second person, which I think is a wonderful, underused tool that authors have. There is nothing more immersive than the second person. The use of “you” pulls the reader into the story, and I kept thinking what I would do if I were Jessica (which is honestly none of it!).
The characters in this story are wonderful. Jess is a well rounded character with very believable flaws. Her life is complicated by her sister Becky, who had an accident that affected her mental ability. This brings Jess guilt, responsibility, and anxiety, all which spills into the rest of her relationships. But it never feels forced. Dr. Shields takes a long time to unravel, but her character is very interesting as well, especially in how she uses her field to assess her own life.
The twists in this book spin the reader around. They are all well executed and make sense. There is no need for forced shock value because it is more figuring out why things are the way they are without the whole book feeling like a lie. This thriller is tight and well executed on all levels. I am not going to have a spoiler section in this review because all I have is praise, and I am begging you to read it for yourself.
If you want some chills and some thrills, I highly recommend this book. It was a fun thriller to read, and it made me more confident in selecting books in the genre in the future. show less

After a promising start and a twisty journey, this novel sadly loses points with a conclusion that deflates like a bad souffle, and adds a final "twist" that seems totally out of character for its protagonist.

Jessica Farris is a professional makeup artist who has left the theater world after a #MeToo-worthy encounter with a slimy director. Since this leaves her few other career options, she's living a hand-to-mouth existence doing at-home makeup gigs through a cosmetic company. So when she show more sees a chance to grab some easy money by participating in a research study, she grabs it -- even though it means lying about who she is in order to get in.

Ironically, the study is about ethics and morality -- what kinds of falsehoods do we tell to make our lives easier, and what should the consequences be?

Slowly but inescapably, it becomes apparent that Jessica has been singled out for a much deeper, much more personal kind of study. Even as she is drawn in by the beautiful and enigmatic Dr. Lydia Shields, Jessica starts dragging her feet, only to find that she is enmeshed in something that could be fatal.

There's a good sense here of escalating danger, even though the reader quickly realizes something is not quite kosher. (Half the fun of suspense novels is that sense of superiority -- jeeze, girl, don't go down into that cellar!) Reluctant to give up the benefits Dr. Shields is offering, Jessica allows herself and ultimately her family, to be drawn into the web. Her attempts to extricate herself form the last quarter of the book, along with the sometimes-questionable help of the man with whom Shields is obsessed. There's lots of cat-and-mouse excitement here, but the climax is less than satisfying, and the promised end-twist seems almost to be just tacked on for word count.

All in all, the novel is like a thrill ride that ends not on the carnival midway, but in a supermarket parking lot. show less