The First Wife

by Emily Barr

What if the man you love isn't the man you think he is?

Lily, a young woman left alone in the world on the death of her grandparents, finds purpose when she befriends Harry Summers, a grieving widower, whose wife Sarah recently took her own life in Barcelona. The pair fall in love and Lily finally finds the security she has never had. But Lily's life takes a darker turn when she realises there may be more to Sarah's death than meets the eye.

Anxious to find the truth before she marries her beloved Harry, Lily sets off to Barcelona in search of answers. What she discovers is more shocking than she could ever have imagined...

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Novels, Womens Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary

309 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Emily Barr worked as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, writing a column in the Guardian about it as she went, and it was there that she had an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, which won the WH Smith New Talent Award. She has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world, and a novella, Blackout, for the Quick Reads series. Her twelfth novel, The Sleeper, is a psychological thriller set on the London to Cornwall sleeper train.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant, un-putdownable novel from Emily Barr. This one tells the stoy of Lily Button, 20 years old and all alone after the deaths of her grandparents whom she has looked after for years. Lily has no family and no friends and no idea how to get on in the world. Acting on the advise of the CAB she finds a room, her first ever friends and work as a cleaner. Amongst her clients are Harry and Sarah Summer, a glamorous couple that she meets briefly before the shocking death of Sarah. Lily continues to clean for Harry and months later he and Lily become more friendly and soon Lily is set to become the Second Mrs Summers and then she uncovers something that could mean all is not as it should be...Lily is sweet and innocent with not much experience of the real world but from somewhere she pulls together the confidence to try to unscramble the mystery...but will she put herself in danger?
A very believable story that grips you from the very first page and keeps its hooks in you right to the end. Not as dark as some of her previous novels, this nethertheless keeps up the momentum and has our hearts racing because despite a certain inevitability towards the end, you are only given a hint or two in passing about what could be amiss; the reader is taken in as much as Lily and lulled into a certain sense of security before having it ripped away with an exciting if not totally unexpected climax.
With the beautiful and very true descriptions of Cornwall interlaced with the subtle ensnaring of Lily and the engaging tale of her finding her way in life, this novel has it all, you won't want to put it down.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily Button was abandoned by her feckless parents when she was very young. Her grandparents took her in, and gave her a stable, traditional upbringing in the Cornish countryside. But as Lily grew up her grandparents became increasingly frail, and the balance shifted. Lily had to look after them.

When her grandparents died Lily found herself alone in the world. And she found herself homeless. The family home was heavily mortgaged, there were debts to pay, and Lily was left with nothing.

She was devastated, and so was I. Because Lily was lovely, and she had charmed me from the very first page.

Lily realised that she had to move on, had to make a new life for herself. She moved to Falmouth, the nearest town. She finds a friend, and he helps her to find lodgings with a local family and a job with a cleaning agency.

And so Lily takes her first steps into a new future. It was lovely to watch her making friends, making plans to go to college, and simply enjoying life in a lovely seaside town. She realised that her life held so many possibilities.

I was happy watching Lily moving through life, until she took what I was sure was a wrong turn.

One of her cleaning jobs was at the home of local celebrity couple, Harry and Sarah Summers. They had a lovely home, a wonderful life, and they had taken an interest in the young woman who wasn’t your typical “woman who does.”

Harry and Sarah went to Spain on holiday and Harry came back alone, a grieving widower. Lily’s natural compassion pulled her towards Harry, and his charm drew her in. A relationship blossomed.

I worried. Lily was terribly inexperienced, and I had a very bad feeling about Harry. There was nothing concrete, but there were a lot of worrying signs.

The story dipped a little here. I missed Lily’s old life, and I didn’t believe that Harry would give her the happy ending she deserved.

I was relieved when Lily began to have doubts, when she decided to take a trip to Barcelona to Spain to find out just what had happened there.

The story moved up a gear, and turned into a thriller. What happened was a little predictable but I didn’t mind, because it was right.

I very nearly got the ending I wanted – it was just a little too quick and the loose ends were tied up a little too neatly.

Along the way I met some lovely, and believable, characters. I saw some wonderful places. And I enjoyed some very nice sub-plots that really complemented the main storyline.

All of the details were right.

There were elements of chick lit, strands of a psychological thriller, and echoes of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. Emily Barr made them work together, and I have to say that she writes very well.

I was charmed by her heroine, and by her story.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Emily Barr, though she's hard to find in the states, a good combo of travel and chick lit. This wasn't as interesting as her early works (I think Cuba/Cuban Heels was best), it's still a fun read with a nice bit of mystery. The pacing was a bit weird, with all the action happening very quickly at the end, but really enjoyed the first half and glad I hadn't read the cover before starting.

[Helena Wildsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a feeling of Du Maurier's Rebecca and I absolutely loved it! The characters all felt so real and its menacing air kept me gripped. I'll definitely be looking for more books by Emily Barr.

[Jacki (Julia Flyte) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily Button is 20, and has lived a very sheltered life, raised by her grandparents. When they die she finds work as a cleaner and is employed by local celebrity couple, Harry and Sarah Summer. After the death of Mrs Summer, Lily grows closer to Harry, but gradually she starts to have suspicions that Harry is not being entirely truthful with her about events in his marriage.

This is a strange book to get into. It feels reminiscent of Victoria Holt's novels (even the Cornish setting) about innocent young women straying into the path of widowers with secrets. It could equally be a Hitchcock film, with Cary Grant as the handsome Harry and perhaps a young Katherine Ross as Lily. It doesn't feel like a book written in 2011, even though it is indisputably set in the present day. Lily's innocence and naivety is also hard to believe in - although really, there isn't a character in the book that feels like a real person.

So I spent the first half of the book being vaguely irritated by it and really, just continuing because I was curious to see what was going to happen. In the second half things start to come together and the final hundred pages are genuinely "can't put down" reading. So an intriguing plot, but a less than compelling narrative.

[Cláudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of Emily Barr, in each book I read. This is another one, page turning, hard to let go, a quick and satisfying read.
We always find nasty and horrible persons in her books, and the endings are not always as happy as we would like, but isn't that life?
I loved following Lily's growth, and even though we see from the start what she can't see herself about Harry, we are one her side, and we are surprised with the conclusions.
Great day when I found about Emily Barr, in September 2009 at a friend's house in London :)

[Donna Patterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Emily Barr and have read all her books, but I couldn't be bothered to finish this one. I found it disappointing. Not a page turner like her others.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel, not least because there was a reason for Lily Button's mistakes about people. So many novels of this type ask us to believe that a well adjusted, bright, capable woman is led into a life threatening situation despite her abilities and experiences. I don't reject that idea that this can happen. However, to me Emily Barr gave us a character whose ideas and ideals were based in her experiences.

Lily Button has led a sheltered life in many ways, as the cared for grand daughter of an elderly couple. She has gone from cared for to carer, and when her grandparents die finds an outlet for her love in a couple for whom she works. She has had to master not only her grandparents' deaths, but having been left destitute. The money she thought would be hers is not there.

This scenario sets up a situation in which Lily is alone without adult support, but also one in which she can make her own rules for living. When charismatic Harry's wife dies Lily can indulge her attraction for him, falls in love and marries him. I like that as well as her passion for Harry she also has a rather realistic hankering after the nice house, clothing and food which she can now have as her own instead of being the cleaner.

I haven't given this novel the four stars I gave Barr's The Sleeper. Perhaps it is not quite so clever, or maybe it just didn't grab me in the same way. However, I certainly recommend The First Wife as a good read, and a worthwhile addition to Emily Barr's undoubtedly very readable and thoughtful writing. To me, Barr combines well realised characters, a good plot, some social commentary and accessible grammatical writing. Terrific for quick relatively engrossing reads and thinking about afterwards.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this in a charity shop and was delighted as i like Emily Barr's writing and yet again she didn't disappoint.
Firstly it's lovely that it's set in my home county of Cornwall , and in the towns of Falmouth , St Ives and Truro - all places i know well . I recognised so many places and have been to some of them
, which gave the novel a nice familiarity.
Lily is such an intriguing character , too nice who had fell on hard times after her grandparents die. Eve then she never imagined what would happen next . Her life completely changes when she meets Harry and Sarah .
i liked the ending , it worked well and i'm
glad that lily found her happiness .

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

New to this author. I loved the feeling of being wrapped up in the story and the characters. Perfect for a before bedtime read.
Interesting that the 2 story lines involved where I live (NZ, 10 minutes from Mt Eden) and where I am about to travel (Cornwall, UK).
Thanks to reviewers here I am on my way to the library for the recommended books by this author.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were aspects of this book that worked well and others where the plot was a bit thin. Generally, some of the characters were a bit wearying - particularly Lily and her gullibility. However, despite this I enjoyed the book.

[Fyrephoenix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't stand Lilly. ..just yuck

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was pretty ok but the main character was really annoying.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charming fluff, followed by "seriously?" and all's well in the end.

[Breda Burchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as some of Emily's other books, a bit predictable.

[Firefly94 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 stars

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and the plot. It was a bit rushed at the end but not enough to take away my enjoyment.

[June Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. Would recommend

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge Emily Barr fan, I wasn’t able to get into her earlier work, but since The Sisterhood came out I’ve been hooked. I eagerly read The Sisterhood, followed by The Life You Want and The Perfect Lie. Emily is undoubtedly the Queen of suspense with her novels having brilliantly spooky plots with many twists and turns so I was thrilled when I received a proof copy of her new novel The First Wife. It’s billed as a modern-day Rebecca, but having not read Rebecca I have no idea how accurate that description actually is. The book actually sounded similar to Dorothy Koomson’s novel The Woman He Loved Before, not in style (they’re two entirely different authors), but plot-wise, about being the “second” wife, if you will.

The First Wife is an interesting novel. Like Barr’s previous novels, there’s an edge of suspense to it. An edge that it isn’t all as it seems and there’s a certain aura to the novel where you wonder when the bottom is going to drop out and it’s all going to go bonkers, it’s all going to implode. I thought the initial plot was excellent. I was entranced by Lily Button, entranced that this young girl didn’t know life, that her life revolved around her grandparents until they died and she was suddenly thrust into the world. I found Lily’s naivete charming, rather than annoying, and I liked seeing how Lily became somewhat smitten with Harry Summers and how their relationship evolved once his wife, Sarah, killed herself in Barcelona.

I admit, I did find the suspense lacking a bit. Don’t get me wrong, it was there, and like I said, I was waiting for it all to drop, but it was miles more sedate than The Sisterhood. The synopsis makes a big mention of a ‘shocking discovery’ about Harry’s wife Sarah but the action of the novel is relegated to those final 50/75 pages. Up until then, it’s a fairly pedestrian novel. Very readable, but not what I expect from an Emily Barr novel. I still enjoyed it, mind, because Lily’s story and how she goes from a practical hermit to being out in the world and making her own money is indeed very interesting. I liked the house where she lodged, I thought the family was lovely, and I liked her friendship with Al, and her burgeoning relationship with the Summer’s. I also liked the story about Jack, a New Zealander fed up with his life and wanting to break free and visit Europe. It was all done very well, it just didn’t make my heart race as much as The Perfect Lie did.

The characters were very intriguing people. I liked Lily, I liked her naivete, as I’ve mentioned. I found her fascinating and although she’s probably not the most affluent heroine ever, I felt she carried the book nicely. I wanted her to get a life she deserved, because if anyone deserved a nice life, it was Lily. I really liked the family she lodged with, Julia and John and their four kids, particularly Mia, who was close to Lily’s age and who was close to Lily. I never really clicked with Harry Summers. Obviously, the synopsis hints to something dangerous/shocking having happened to Sarah and I just felt suspicious of both of them and couldn’t really get a proper hold on either of their characters. All I wanted to tell Lily to do was run away as fast as she could. Not only because they were suspicious but because Harry was, frankly, old enough to be her father which made me feel very icky indeed. Jack was one of my favourite characters, his storyline did seem a bit strange, coming out of the blue, but I really liked him and I admired the fact he was willing to leave New Zealand to fulfill his dream of seeing Spain.

I must admit, I did find the latter stages of the book to be beyond the realms of believability. Lily takes off to Barcelona and I just felt that from what we knew of her thus far, it wouldn’t be in her make-up to do that. I found it hard to believe that Lily would survive the bustle of an airport and the flight to Barcelona and the enormity of being in a city where people speak a different language. It might have been necessary to the plot, but it was entirely out of characters for me and it sort of spoiled it a little bit. You don’t give us a character who in all of her 21 years has only ever left Cornwall a couple of times and then have her, on a whim (suspicious, or no) head to Barcelona. Nevertheless, the ending was very fast-paced and frantic and everything all sort of spilled out in one long shocking confession. I’d rather guessed most of it, I will admit, about Sarah, about Harry so it was rather anti-climatic in a sense, but still dramatic in others. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The First Wife. I don’t personally believe it was as good as The Sisterhood, but it was good enough and I struggled to put it down!

[PrettyFlamingo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about 20 year old Lily, left all alone in the world following the death of her grandparents. She has lived with them in Cornwall from being a small child and knows very little else, having lived a sheltered life without many of the modern trappings of internet, phones and so on. She’s discovered that the house has to be sold to pay off all her grandparents’ debts and is left homeless, jobless and friendless. This is a story of a journey of development, finding out who you are and how far you can move on in life.

Lily visits the Citizens’ Advice Bureau where she makes a friend of her advisor, becomes a lodger and occasional babysitter for a family and cleaning work. I really enjoyed the Cornish setting, as it is one of my favourite places and I was willing Lily to make a success of her life. The cleaning takes her to the home of a glamorous local couple, the husband of which is a former soap star and who Lily develops a serious crush on, which he plays upon when his wife Sarah dies during a holiday in Barcelona.

At the same time there is the parallel storyline of Jack, a New Zealander with a failed marriage who becomes a teacher of English as a foreign language. When Jack is first introduced the reader is aware that there is some connection to Lily but not what. This was eventually revealed but I found it to be too contrived. I did like Jack and hoped for good things for him.

The best part of this book is the personal and character development of Lily. She goes from being friendless to being engaged to Harry Summers and meeting his family, planning the wedding and supporting her new mate Al. Once she becomes aware that all is not what it seems to be with Harry, and has her suspicions about Sarah’s death, Lily turns her hand to ferreting out all the details and becomes a detective. I had difficulty with that part; a naive girl who was once scared to get on the bus to Penzance suddenly decides to fly all by herself to Barcelona to face a hazardous situation? I know she had changed, but as much as that?

The story ends full of hope and with Lily having grown up, experiencing a seismic life change and with a positive future ahead. A good read.

[Glynis · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read. I had to suspend belief quite a lot of the time. A famous actor ...why wouldn't you just google!

[Lisbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I picked up at this year's book festival. The theme made me think of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, but it is nothing like it. Lily Button grew up with her grand parents after her own parents deserted her at a young age and emigrated to New Zealand. When they die she is on her own, without much experience of either life and other people.

She ends up in a city nearby and is happy to run into Al who is working for a municipality center, advising and helping people in need. He inspires her to get a job, guides her in educational matters and finding a place to live. She ends up in a family with divorced parents and children from their different marriages. It is a total new daily life for Lily compared to the quiet life she had with her grand parents. Slowly, slowly she starts embrace a normal life. She finds several jobs cleaning people's house. One house belongs to Harry and Sarah Summer. He is a lawyer and famous TV personality. She gets enthralled by their house and their life. When Sarah dies during a holiday in Barcelona, she is there to comfort the devastated widower.

It is a rather slow book as far as action is concerned, at least in the beginning. But it really helps building up the characters and gives us time to get to know Lily and her world. The story develops nevertheless all right and in the last part of the book it speeds up. Lily is charming and you really feel with her and you are happy when she is doing well. It is not just an ordinary love story, but mixed with a little bit of a mystery. Not all people are what they seem to be. It is a very well written and easily read story which also makes you think about life and its relations.

Review from my blog thecontentreader.blogspot.com

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Button has lost both her Grandparents, she has no friends, family, or money she was abandoned at 8 years old and has lived with her Grandparents since. She is feeling empty and is grieving for them both. Lily manages to find a room in a family home where she gets reduced rates for babysitting. Lily finds a job cleaning for Harry and Sarah Summer, Harry is a local celebrity she is really happy they have a gorgeous home; she also manages to get another 2 cleaning jobs she has never worked in her life however she struggles as she feels lonely. Harry and Sarah sound like the perfect couple they go away to Barcelona for Christmas so why does Sarah jump in to the sea and drown on purpose? Lily finds herself attracted to Harry and is helping him come to terms with his loss; however are things all they seem? Is Harry telling the truth about the disappearance?
This book is told in parts, I have read other books by this Author and not really liked them, I thought this was Emily’s best book so far, I found it easy to read and follow, I would definitely recommend.

[Hannah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first – Emily Barr is one of my favourite authors. I discovered her work nearly five years ago whereupon I hungrily read through all her then-available books, and ever since I’ve always looked forward to her next offering. This wasn’t my favourite book of hers (that accolade is shared between Out Of My Depth, Baggage and Backpack, through I’ve not disliked a single novel she’s written) but nevertheless it was very enjoyable. Sometimes I see Emily Barr’s work filed under “chick lit” but I feel that’s a misnomer – I know her novels are unlikely to win any literature prizes but they are well-plotted and about much more than shopping (which barely ever features) or romance. Most importantly though, they are always a good, suspenseful read, with likeable-and-realistically-flawed characters and difficult to put down – The First Wife being no exception.

For my full review, please click here to read it on my book blog.

[Mandy Chrystie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hm....I have read most of Emily Barr's books since I love reading books which involve travel (and romance). But I was disappointed in this one. It's still entertaining enough, a pleasant enough read, but not gripping, and in parts, not even that particularly well written, I thought. It seems Emily is 'going through the motions' with this book. I found some of the story lines and characters a little contrived and not all that realistic. The handsome movie star meets the attractive lonely cleaner etc etc....a bit Mills and Boon and not convincing. You could see the twist coming a mile away. As far as intrigue is concerned, some of the other writers out there at the moment are simply doing it much much better. ( I am thinking about Paula Hawkins, Holly Seddon, Mary Kubica). I didn't read all of this book since I got a little bored with it to be honest.

[Hiep Huynh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.

I haven't read any Emily Barr books before, so wasn't expecting anything this suspenseful and, at times, downright frightening!

The first bit of the book is a bit slow, but there's still so much development and exploration of the characters that it isn't boring. Lily Button is a sweet girl, and although it's a bit unbelievable, it's never cloying or annoying.

The second bit feels a bit rushed, but I guess there was no way really to slow down the events. Suddenly other events in the book start making sense, and there are a few very clever twists.

I felt it wrapped up too neatly, a bit too 'happily ever after', but other than that, a very entertaining read.

[Lucy Blunden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started well and although it seemed rather implausible, I liked the early years of the main character's life. Some quirks of up-bringing in an isolated life with ailing grandparents in Cornwall. The love-story second half fell very hard into the chic-lit genre which I had thought from reading the back, that this was not going to be. It was gushy and teen in its nonsense. I finished it but was not riveted nor could I believe in it. The 'surprise' twist was trite and on the predictable side.
Shame as the key ingredients of the story were good.

[Karen Seal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was given to me by a friend who definitely knows the kinds of books I enjoy! The main character, Lily, you get to know very well. Although naive, she found an inner strength when she needed it, which I really liked. There was a suspense to the book that made me want to keep reading it but I did feel I knew where it was heading. Intertwining stories were all settled by the end, so you knew where all the characters lives were.

[Ira Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last, a book I really enjoyed and did not want to put down!

I liked the character of Lily and could relate to her upbringing and early experiences of living with her grandparents. The description of this reminded me of an old boyfriend's grandparents and made me smile.

Although Lily is rather innocent and the ending predictable, it was fun to read and an escapism, which is what I require from the books I read!

[Asha KRISHNA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up with trepdition for I have never read Barr before. But she writes well and keeps you interested throughout. Although the book is compared to rebecca, I wouldnt say the same, but yes the underlying theme is similar to the du maurier novel but far more contemporary and less complex.

An enjoyable read. Would recommend.