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The Woman with No Face

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The Woman with No Face – A pulse-pounding psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist. Andrew Malone thought he knew his wife. Then the letters started.

First, a cryptic poem. Then a newspaper clippings. Then a voice from the dead, whispering secrets he was never meant to hear.

The woman sleeping beside him—the woman he’s built a life with—isn’t who she says she is. Meghan’s past was buried so deep it was never meant to resurface. But someone is digging. And they want Andrew to see what’s underneath.

A missing man. Hidden recordings. A remote cabin where nothing is as it seems. As Andrew unravels the truth, one terrifying question haunts how well do you really know the person that you love?

And when the truth finally emerges, will he survive it?

For fans of Gone Girl and The Last Mrs. Parrish, The Woman with No Face is a dark, twist-filled thriller that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

318 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 2025

21 people want to read

About the author

Gwen Michaels

1 book2 followers
Gwen Michaels prefers the shadows to the spotlight. Like the characters she writes, she believes the most interesting stories unfold in the places no one thinks to look. She crafts dark, psychological thrillers that twist through the minds of the lost, the dangerous, and the unseen.

Her debut novel, The Woman With No Face, is a chilling exploration of identity, secrets, and the terrifying things we do to bury the truth.
Little is known about Gwen Michaels—just the way she likes it. But if you look closely, you might find traces of her in the places where stories hide: a dimly lit café, a forgotten town, or the mind of a character you swear you've met before.

Want to uncover more? Follow her here on Goodreads for updates, exclusive content, and the occasional cryptic clue about what’s coming next.

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Chapter Chirp (Jessica).
230 reviews2 followers
September 27, 2025
ARC Review-
The Woman With No Face delivers a high impact, suspenseful, and twisted story that will leave you questioning, “How well do you really know someone?” This story is laid out in an alternating dual POV, that of Meghan Malone and her husband Andrew Malone. Meghan is a seemingly content, agreeable, and one to avoid confrontation especially in her marriage. Andrew, on the other hand seems bored not only in life and his career, but also in his lackluster marriage. When Andrew starts coming to terms that he should probably confront his wife and end his marriage, him and Meghan both begin receiving envelopes addressed to each of them separately with strange riddles. To Meghan, the riddles are accusatory and deeply rooted in secrecy but for Andrew, the riddles seem to allude to information about his wife’s past that was previously unknown. Will this new information destroy what was already damaged, or will it save a struggling marriage? I thought this was an interesting psychological thriller that I honestly didn’t want to put down. I found myself so enthralled within its storyline that I had to keep going until its final page. Megan and Andrew were like any number of couples who’ve lost whatever spark or magic they might have had over time. Not only was their communication minimal but it also seemed like their marriage was more of convenience than love. They never dug deep with one another and didn’t discuss who they were before each other. My favorite part of the story was the mysterious letter sender or senders. The riddles were dark and gave just enough information before pulling back any type of finality, almost as a tease or temptation to continue the game. It was honestly very cat and mouse and I enjoyed this aspect of the plot. Another part of the author’s writing that I thought was top-notch was their ability to paint a scene. No matter where the characters were in the story, I felt like I was right there next to them in these places. The ending left me slack-jawed but I think this was intentional and I’ll be keeping an eye out to see what the author comes out with next. I would recommend to readers who enjoy twisty psychological thrillers that don’t mind a cliffhanger ending.
Profile Image for Lady Georgette.
131 reviews3 followers
September 16, 2025
• ARC READ •

RELEASE DATE : 23RD SEPT 2025!!!

Date : 15th Sept 2025
Book : The Woman With No Face
Author : Gwen Michaels
Genre : Psychological Thriller

(No spoilers)

I was drawn to the cover of the ARC initially, I’m not gonna lie. 😆 Well, this is the story of Andrew Malone who still grieves over his first wife and is now in his second marriage to Meghan Malone, a woman he basically settled for because she understands his need for space and lets him be him without questioning him. Which is sort of messed up in my opinion. (But heyyy..whatever floats their boat!)🤗

In this book, you will get two POV from the main characters. What changes, is that one fine day while Andrew is at work, he receives a mysterious cryptic poem particularly of his current wife. Hidden audios, newspaper clips, letters etc which makes him spiral and then he wonders who is he actually married to?

And now he is paranoid to come back home to face her after everything he found out about her. How does he face his wife when she even hid her real name from him?

I enjoyed this ARC and especially on the creepiness part, specifically the ‘hospital scene’ I thought was well put together👌🏽

Thank you to the author for letting me give my 100% honest review on this ARC. I would still read more of your books as your writing felt very poetic especially in the beginning. The twist was great although I would have preferred a lengthier pre-ending. But that’s just my personal opinion. I would still recommend this book🫶🏽✨
Profile Image for Abby Draper.
132 reviews11 followers
August 3, 2025
“But sometimes, safety is its own kind of prison. And boredom—boredom is the slowest kind of death.”

I was very impressed with this intricate plot, especially from a debut and indie author. There were a lot of surprising twists and turns and I was sucked into the story from early on. It was a fast-paced and thrilling read.

The book followed a few different narratives that were really interesting, but there were some threads that weren’t really tied off by the end. I also had to go back and read some earlier pages to make sense of the ending and it still left me a little confused. I think a couple more hints would have been helpful there.

Overall, it was an exciting read and it seems like it might be set up for a sequel. I would be interested to read that and see if it explains some of the loose ends.
Profile Image for Candice Collins.
31 reviews
May 1, 2025
How well do you know your wife?

Andrew thought he knew everything he needed to about his wife Meghan, but when a cryptic poem, followed by letters, newspaper clippings, and audio files start appearing, he realizes he has way more questions than answers. What has Andrew's wife been hiding from him?

I was lucky to get my hands on an ARC of Gwen Michaels debut novel The Woman With No Face coming out September 23rd. This is a great thriller that keeps you guessing and has some great twists. It's a fast-paced read with short chapters and lots of turns. I loved that it keeps you guessing and gives you a creepy feeling the whole time reading it. Cryptic messages, an eerie house at the lake, and dark secrets. This book is going to be perfect for your fall tbr.
Profile Image for Crystal.
47 reviews4 followers
June 27, 2025
WOWWWW!! This book was so good!! Hooked me right from the start. I am usually someone that can figure out twists and can predict the ending but my oh my Gwen Michaels you had me beat. 🤯🤯 I never saw that coming and the way it ended possible second book??? Or just leaving me with a complete mouth drop haha. I don’t want to say much because I want everyone to go into this book blind so you get the same amazing experience I did.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy and this review is my honest opinion. Definitely 5 ⭐️ read for me because I was eating this book up and thankful this book wasn’t just another basic, obvious plot and predictable ending.

She will definitely be on my top list of authors to read EVERYTHING she writes in the future ❤️❤️❤️❤️
29 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2025
Do you ever wonder how well you REALLY know your spouse??
In The woman with no face, Meagan and Andrew are starting to question each other and the mysterious messages that seem to be somehow coming from the grave. As things start to quickly unravel, and nothing is as it seems, I needed to keep reading to try to figure who was the faceless person?
The beautiful, descriptive imagery that Gwen Michael's uses transported me to another world where I felt like I was on the lake, looking across the ice, left fighting for my life.
If you enjoy a fast-paced thriller, mystery, suspense, some romance and can relate to complicated family dynamics, this book is for you
1 review
May 15, 2025
I absolutely devoured this book. From the very first line, I was hooked. The atmosphere is eerie in all the right ways, icy lakes, silent forests, decaying tunnels, and it all feels so vivid and real that you feel like you’re walking beside the characters, breath steamy in the cold. A perfect fall/winter read!

It’s not just a thriller; it’s a deep dive into identity, trauma, secrecy, and what it means to be truly seen by another person. The characters are flawed, complex, and emotionally compelling.

The structure is also beautifully executed, jumping between perspectives, memories, and journal entries without ever losing momentum. And let’s talk about pacing: the last quarter of the book flies. I tore through those chapters and was completely immersed.

If you love dark psychological thrillers with rich prose, disturbing secrets, and characters you’ll think about long after the final page, this book is for you.


Profile Image for Annie Fernandes.
18 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2025
✨ I'm so glad I got an ARC of this book!
From the very first chapters, I was hooked. I loved how the main character starts off feeling like someone you might know in real life—so ordinary, so relatable—but as the story unfolds, the layers start to peel back... and you’re left wondering: do you really know them at all?
I have this habit of pausing mid-read to imagine my own ending—it’s like a little gamble I play with the book. I did that here too… and I was wrong! 😂 While I did guess a couple of twists, it didn’t spoil the thrill at all.
The short chapters kept things moving fast, and I flew through it. If you're into fast-paced psychological thrillers, this one’s definitely worth picking up. 📖🖤
Profile Image for Crystal.
115 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2025
A slow-burn mystery where the creepiest secrets hide in plain sight.

Mixed bag but I enjoyed it. Creepy, small-town secrets, and slow-burn suspense that kept me turning pages. A few pacing lulls and some “why would you do that?!” moments, but the twists (even the ones I guessed) were satisfying. Not perfect, but worth the read. Will there be a sequel????

This was also an ARC review, and Gwen Michaels was kind enough to send this to me early to review. Thank you so much!

Pub date is: September 2025!!!
Profile Image for Madison.
13 reviews3 followers
September 9, 2025
I really enjoyed the book, especially toward the ending. It was well written and kept me guessing. My only issue was the chapter lengths—they jumped from 5 pages to 15 or more, which I didn’t love. At times it also felt a bit prolonged and could have wrapped up sooner, though I understand why the author chose to stretch it. Overall, it kept me engaged and the ending completely surprised me, which I loved. I’d give it a solid 4.5 stars.
Profile Image for Amanda Kutz.
5 reviews
May 4, 2025
While Meghan and Andrew’s marriage has never been passionate, it’s always been comfortable. Meghan receives an eerie poem that immediately sets her on edge. Next, Andrew starts receiving poems, newspaper articles, recordings and journal that leads him down a dark road in Meghan’s past. This book was excellent. The suspense and twists are so shocking you won’t be able to put the book down.
Profile Image for Stacey Keith.
172 reviews15 followers
May 15, 2025
The Woman with No Face* by Gwen Michaels is a mesmerizing blend of mystery and psychological depth. The haunting prose and gripping plot kept me hooked until the very end. A thought-provoking, unforgettable read, highly recommended for fans of literary suspense!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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