The Last Wife: A totally gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist

by Ashley Taylor Jackson

Her dream life is about to become her worst nightmare…

Alice has always gone unnoticed—until she meets Aiden Chandler, a magnetic tech billionaire with a tragic past. When Aiden sweeps her off her feet, Alice is sure she’s found her happily-ever-after.

After agreeing to marry him, Alice moves into Ethan’s sprawling, high-tech mansion, Evermere. But beneath the glossy exterior lies the shadow of Lydia, Aiden’s beautiful first wife who mysteriously vanished.

The more Alice tries to uncover the truth about Lydia’s disappearance, the more she feels the walls closing in.

And the deeper she digs, the clearer it Lydia’s fate might soon be her own…

The Last Wife is a chilling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Frieda McFadden that keeps you guessing until the final shocking revelation.

Genres: Thriller

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2025

Reviews

[Vir · Rating 2 out of 5]

La novela recuerda mucho a "Rebecca" de Daphne du Maurier, aunque no sé si es un retelling consciente o solo una coincidencia excesiva. Lento, repetitivo y demasiado parecido: mansión opresiva, primera esposa ausente, protagonista ingenua y hasta un incendio final que parece calcado de Manderley.
El recurso de la opresión doméstica se repite hasta el cansancio y no logra evolucionar. El final —incluido el incendio de Evermere, demasiado similar al destino de Manderley— era exactamente el que sospechaba. La supuesta sorpresa final no sorprende.

[Armonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tenía algún problema la edición en español “La esposa desaparecida” ( fue la que leí) que el sistema salía error, una y otra vez y no me dejaba guardarla ni evaluarla.
Muy lento y repetitivo en gran parte de la trama ,al final mejora el ritmo. No me resultaron agradables ni cercanos los personajes. Tiene un gran parecido con otra obra conocida, (Rebeca) No me gusto el final, solo me resultó una lectura entretenida.

[Nik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice can hardly believe her luck when she starts a whirlwind romance with billionaire tech mogul Aiden Chandler. But after they marry and she moves into his state-of-the-art mansion, Evermere, Alice wonders if she's made a mistake. She can't shake the sense that she's living in the shadow of Aiden’s first wife, Lydia, who died under mysterious circumstances. As more of Aiden’s past comes to light, Alice becomes determined to uncover the secrets hidden within Evermere and find out what really happened to Lydia.

What I loved most about this book were the short chapters and the consistent pacing. I haven’t read many books this year that kept such steady momentum. From the start, the story moves quickly and stays that way. It’s a relatively short read, but there’s very little filler. The mix of dialogue and action keeps things tense and engaging. The ending didn’t completely surprise me, but I still found it pretty solid and I enjoyed the plot overall.

My biggest critique is the repetitive writing. In fact, a few chapters opened almost exactly the same way. It got noticeable enough that I’d go back and check previous chapters and find that some lines were nearly identical. It wasn’t just noticeable, it was distracting.

It looks like this might be the author’s debut, and if that’s the case, this was a great first attempt at a thriller. With refinement and some added complexity, I think they have a lot of potential in the future! Happy to have received a free copy, and am voluntarily providing my honest opinion.

[Tracy Minto · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't usually write bad reviews. But this book is beyond annoying!! The words the house felt like a cage ... her hands were trembling....her breathe caught in her throat....the waves broke ominously on the rocks below are repeated SO many times it felt like almost every page had the same words on them. I almost gave up but I wanted to know what happened at the end. I have to say that was so silly I wish I hadn't bothered.
Complete waste of time.
That's only my opinion obviously.

[Char Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This suspense filled thriller will have you on the edge of your seat.The character will captivate you.Alice is an artist but when her father Gor sick he told her she needed to put the dreams to the side an fins a way to support herself not by living in a fantasy world.Since he passed she hasn't even tried drawing or painting.She works hard for the art gallery slot of overtime without pay.She was looking forward to meeting her friend for a drink when her boss told her she had to set up the special gallery room for a special exhibit.That even as she was working she heard footsteps behind her and she said we aren't open yet he said you've done an amazing job.When she turned around the man behind her was gorgeous he told her it was the show he sponsored.Asked her out after the exhibit closed.After a world wind romance they got married.There is something about the house its cold and it has the ghost of his dead wife.There are so many twists an turns to this story you will be riveted til the very last page.I can hardly wait to see what's next by this multi talented author

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

When reading the blurb, I was reminded of The Girl Before by JP Delaney. I remember it being one of my first thrillers a few years back, and I really loved it.

So, yes, of course I did have to read The Last Wife as well, and oh boy, it did not disappoint. And yes, a part of me was hoping Alice could just have her happily ever after. But we all know what kind of book this is, so, oh well. I surely did not see the twist in the end coming, either. Very well done!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ellen Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aiden swept Alice off of her feet but after they get married she feels haunted by the presence of his ex wife.
She needs to know all about her, sleepless nights and weird happenings make her need so much more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katherine Cannone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like the book it just dragged very slowly along. The ending was good bringing it all together. I didn’t know how it would end but it was nice.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Wife is a psychological thriller. It is a slow-burn which is why I think I had a hard time getting into it. I am more of a fast-paced on the edge kind of reader. The book had a good ending and was surprising. Not a good book for me, but I am sure others may find it enjoyable!

[HannahBanana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book irritated me- I couldn't stand the main character, Alice. I felt no emotion/empathy for the characters & the situations. Rolled my eyes one to many times. I only gave the book an extra star due to the world's smallest twist at the end that I still saw coming.

[Bob Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable read.
I did get frustrated with Alice's lack of backbone many times but she redeemed herself.
It does have a good plot twist at the end.
Give it a go.

[Divya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable, meandering and uninspired.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not really sure if I even liked this book. It was different

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. It reads like a movie