The Fourth Wife

by Linda Hamilton

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas meets “Sister Wives” in a deliciously chilling, darkly romantic, historical gothic horror with a feminist slant, as a young Mormon woman is haunted by a malevolent presence in the decrepit Salt Lake City mansion she shares with her new husband and his other wives…

Hazel Russon’s life in 1879 Utah territory is defined by three the Mormon church, polygamy, and the men who control both. She knows she’s supposed to suppress her sinful dreams of a monogamous life with her sweetheart, and her desire for the freedom to play her beloved piano. Every Mormon woman’s duty is to live obediently and meekly, devoted to her husband and her calling as a sister wife. Her eternal salvation depends upon it.

Commanded to become the fourth wife of a man she’s never met, Hazel is relieved that Jacob Manwaring is attentive and handsome. However, she is shocked to discover that instead of living separately as is custom, all of Jacob’s wives and children live in the same house—a large, dilapidated manor that inexplicably fills Hazel with dread. 

Despite Jacob’s tenderness, Hazel senses dark secrets and resentments among her sister wives. She hears strange music, sees blood oozing from the very walls, and glimpses apparitions that grow more terrifying every day. And as her nightmares worsen, Hazel can’t be sure if she has more to fear from the living—including her mysterious husband—or from a sinister presence that seems to animate the house itself . . .

Drawing on little-known Mormon folklore and the author’s own polygamous ancestors, this fascinating, suspense-filled historical novel debut is by turns darkly romantic, spine-tingling, and wholly unforgettable.

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Adult

304 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 31, 2026

Reviews

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 🌟

Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington Publishing, for the ARC of The Fourth Wife!

When I read the summary, I was immediately sold! (Little fact about me, I'm very intrigued about everything Mormon/LDS). So when I read that this was a little horror book with polygamy at the forefront, I was instantly down. I let out a little yelp when I received the approving email from Netgalley 😅

So yeah, as you can see by my rating, I was a little bit disappointed. The story wasn't bad at all! Don't get me wrong. I just think that I understood a lot about the reference because of all the documentaries I have seen about LDS. I felt like the descriptions about the faith were lacking, and there could be a little more information about the faith in that time period. There is one scene where they touch the subjects about the sacred garments, but just by name. There's no discrip, no back story, and no information.

I felt like there could be a lot more depth to it.

The horror elements were so fun! I'm very glad I read this story during the Halloween season 🖤

The plot was okay. After a few chapters, I guessed the ending at about 95% accuracy.

The writing is very easy to follow! The suspense was just right!

So, overall, it was a fun story, but I also felt a little letdown.

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Sister Wives had a mid-life crisis and decided to move into the Murder House from American Horror Story, this would be the result. And honestly, I’m not entirely mad about it.

Linda Hamilton serves up a gothic horror set in 1882 Utah, and the true horror isn't the ghost, it's Jacob Manwaring, the husband. Our main gal, Hazel Russon, is wife number four, which is already a nightmare scenario before she even steps inside the dilapidated mansion where she has to live with three other women and a man who thinks having four wives is a personality trait. Hazel’s dreams of playing the piano are considered sinful and her new home? It's basically a monument to patriarchal repression, and it's understandably ticked off.

The vibe here is fantastic. The historical context of polygamy provides a genuinely unsettling backdrop, and the atmosphere of the crumbling manor is oppressive. You can practically smell the dust, the resentment, and the spiritual dread coming off the pages. The sister wives themselves were my favorite element, all side-eye and simmering resentment, making me wish the ghost would just skip the theatrics and start hosting mandatory, brutally honest group therapy sessions.

However the book struggles a bit to balance the jump-scare-worthy paranormal activity with the dense exploration of 19th-century religious trauma and sometimes the pacing drags like a tired funeral procession, which is the main reason I docked it some. When the house is being actively malicious, it's brilliant, but sometimes the plot pauses for a very long lecture on duty, and I found myself wishing Jacob would accidentally trip down the massive, spooky staircase just to move things along.

Overall it’s a decent concept, wonderfully creepy atmosphere, but the horror and the historical fiction felt like they were arguing over who got the biggest slice of the plot pie. Recommended if you like your period dramas with a side of "maybe this mansion needs an exorcist, or maybe just a competent marriage counselor."

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Utah in the 1870's, we meet Hazel. Newly married to Jacob in the Morman faith, she comes to a new home as the Fourth Wife. A house that likes silence and calm, even moods. A house with ghosts and an oppressive mood.

Firstly, the 'gothic' tension in this house is perfect. Not really terrifying, more subtle than that? This house feels heavy and unsatisfied in its nature.

As the tale unfolds, we learn why the house has its unsettling feel.

Add onto that the tension within the house placed upon it by the four wives, who all have their own problems with their faith in the Mormon church.

Based upon quasi facts concerning polygamy, this author weaves a tale that feels like it portrays the reality of poly marriage along side the ficticious thoughts of the women involved. This was a really interesting read.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one pulled me right in. The atmosphere was haunting, the writing beautiful, and the gothic tension built perfectly from start to finish. I loved the mix of historical detail and horror, and the author did an incredible job capturing the eerie mood of the house and the unease between the sister wives. Hazel’s story was heartbreaking and powerful, and I couldn’t look away as everything slowly unraveled. Dark, haunting, and beautifully written. This one completely delivered.

[Lotta Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC! All thoughts are my own!

🎉 Publication Date: 31st of March 2026 🎉

🤍 Tropes 🤍

✞ Faith - Mormonism
♀♂♀ Polygamy
🫂 'Wife/Sisterhood'
💚 Jealousy/Possessiveness
🖤Dysfunction Family
🤥 All the Secrets and Lies!
🩷 Romance
💔Lost Love
🦇 Haunted House
🕯️Gothic House Vibes
👻Ghost
🗡️Revenge

⚠️ Warnings ⚠️ 
╰➤ Polygamy
╰➤ Mormonism
╰➤ Anxiety/Panic Attacks
╰➤ Abuses of Power
╰➤ Loss of a Family Member - including Stillbirth
╰➤ Indoctrination
╰➤ Arranged Marriage
╰➤ Explicit Sexual Content
╰➤ Death
╰➤ Domestic Violence
╰➤ Emotional Abuse and Manipulation
╰➤ Swearing
╰➤ Murder
╰➤ Thoughts of Suicide

This books had great vibes. I love a haunted, Gothic house and the new element of a big polygamous family living there was a really good mix I thought. Ever since I watched the series Big Love years ago I have had an interest in Mormons and how an earth their families function/don’t function! This book is written from a Mormon woman’s perspective who is in a polygamous marriage, so just to make you aware of that going into the text. Hazel (FMC) is heavily indoctrinated with this world view, which I personally found fascinating, if not at times deeply disturbing. The writing is really great with regard to how the FMC is thinking.

The FMC comes from a polygamous home but she doesn't seem that interested in getting into a polygamous marriage herself. I really felt a lot of sympathy for Hazel. She suffers with anxiety attacks and constant fear. She feels out of place within her society and is worried that she is unlovable and a failure. Her panic attacks are described as the devil attacking her. She is ashamed of her struggles with this and I think the writer did such a great job with her.

There are some truly tragic things that happen to Hazel but if you are interested in Mormon society this would be a great book to try out. I know I will definitely be keeping a look out for further books from this author.

Can only recommend!

Thanks all for reading!

🤍🤍🤍

[Miss Murder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real rating: 4.5 stars, rounded down

As you’ve probably guessed from my frantic additions to my TBR that all include Mormon polygamy - no, I am not reconsidering my relationship structure, I am simply academically curious.

So, what is The Fourth Wife? It is the telling of one young woman’s short marriage to Jacob, a Mormon polygamist in the 1870s, in the advent of the Mormon faith and polygamous practice. Young Hazel is whisked away to be with Jacob after hearing terrible news about her lifelong crush on his mission. While Jacob isn’t what she pictured her husband would be, he’s still charming, kind, and loving - with a large house and plenty of money for her to feel at home. That is, until the day of her marriage when she finally visits Jacob’s house for the first time, and discovers that things are not what they seem…

I loved the supernatural element to this story. I usually roll my eyes a bit when they’re incorporated into these types of historical fiction novels (ever the realist I guess), but it was incorporated slowly and hauntingly that I first wondered if it was simply one way of the novel showing Hazel’s inner thoughts and feelings. Not quite! I also appreciated that the story was not very predictable. Yes, Hazel is obviously struggling and so are the other wives and something has to give, but you’re not quite sure where this tension is going to become untenable.

The only negative for me was Hazel’s anxiety at points in the novel. The author herself states that she characterized her as overly anxious about her piety, worthiness, and spirituality to demonstrate her own feelings in the LDS church, but sometimes it just really ground my gears. This is coming from someone who is overly anxious as well. I’m sure my inner thoughts would probably also read terribly in a novel, but the reactions to certain situations infantilized Hazel a little bit and I wanted to be on her side. Thankfully, much of that disappears when the going gets good in the story.

A unique spin to a unique culture that I will probably read again at some point, or at least, read all the other Mormonism-adjacent novels that are on my TBR list now.

[emma goeser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I requested this book purely out of curiosity and let me tell you it did not disappoint at all. What’s scarier than being married to a man? Being married to a man with multiple wife’s, one of which has gone missing.

This book was an interesting spin on a thriller while also talking about the horrors of plural marriages and Mormon culture. It gives you insight to how little women got to choose in heavily religious cultures which would be scary enough on its own without the ghosts and creepy old house to add to the story.

This story definitely gives off mormon Monster House vibes in the best way possible. I was entertained throughout the story and absolutely loved our main character getting her happy ending because wow. All but one man really sucks in this story and it adds to the spook factor of you never really know what people are hiding until it’s too late.

[paula a · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5 🌟

First of all, thank you netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this eARC!

The book itself was good. I really enjoyed it, you could clearly understand and know where Hazel stood and how she understood the world. Throughout the book, you can see and feel her worldview and her relationship with all her sister-wives changing. I liked that aspect the most. Horror and mystery could hold on through the book, very interesting and it did made me shiver once or twice. I did miss the children being more involved.

The thing is I don't know how comfortable I am knowing the stance of the author – it is a good representation of the history of certain groups and I did enjoy its realism. It is a good book.

Overall, the book holds up to its gothic idea and it is a good book. If you like terror and gothic novels, it is a good one! Take into account the religion it is based to check if you're comfortable with it or not!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 Stars ⭐️

First off, thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton ahead of its March 2026 release!

The premise here is incredibly original. If you know me, you know I find Mormon history fascinating because it is nothing short of TRULY WILD. So when I saw this book was a horror-lite tale about an 1800s Mormon woman forced into plural marriage and sent to live in a Gothic-style haunted house? I was immediately in.

What I liked:
The concept felt fresh. The length was just right, fast-paced without feeling rushed, and long enough to actually connect with the characters. The protagonist was not a child bride, which made the subject matter heavy but not unbearable, though she was young enough to grow into her defiance against her faith. I appreciated that the sister wives were distinct personalities, even though the story stuck to a single POV.

What I didn’t like:
In the author’s note, it was not clear whether she is still LDS, but either way, I wish the book had more explicit criticism of the church’s history, especially around plural marriage. There were hints of discomfort with LDS teachings, and the very premise goes against a lot of what the church would endorse (ghosts and murder are not exactly standard doctrine). And while our heroine does rebel, I never felt the story went deep enough into condemning those darker elements. I also did not love how little the children of the sister wives factored into the plot. They felt like an afterthought, which made the household feel less layered and real. My biggest issue, though, was the ghost story itself. The final quarter, especially the reveal of how the ghost came to be, fell flat. Without spoiling, I will just say I expected Jacob, our villain, to play a much bigger role in the haunting.

Final thoughts:
If you like horror-lite, this is worth picking up. It reminded me of Simone St. James, atmospheric and eerie without being too scary, gory, or disturbing for more sensitive readers. The Fourth Wife lands in that sweet spot: spooky without nightmares. Also, I love the cover of this one. Add it to your list for March 2026!

[saheefa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Kensington publishing via NetGalley for the EBook ARC of this book.

Set in 1882 Utah territory, The Fourth Wife follows Hazel Russon. Her life is defined by Mormonism, and her very existence has led up to the knowledge that one day, she will become a sister wife for a polygamist man. Hazel, however, has doubts, she has a passion for music, a childhood sweetheart and crippling anxiety, these three facts jeopardize her chance at being a pliant, devoted woman of God. Hazel’s life spins out of control when she is commanded by an Elder to marry a man she has never met, she is promised that Jacob Manwaring is wealthy, attentive, and a man of God. Quickly, Hazel’s life is uprooted, she gets married to Jacob and moves into his rotting, decrepit home alongside his three other wives. The manor is not the only source of Hazel’s discomfort, she was promised her own home as it is not custom for a polygamist man to keep all his wives in one home, still, these warnings are just the beginning.
Though she is fond of Jacob, Hazel cannot shake the knowing that something is not quite right, her sister wives resent her, she hears music that seemingly no one else can hear, and her nightmares refuse to cease. Teetering on the edge of insanity, Hazel realises her husband is more mysterious than she thought, and his manor holds more secrets than she knows.

This novel threatened to lose me at many points. The beginning was fast-paced, however I found the entire middle section began to lull and slow down to a point where it felt as though nothing was happening. Some phrases were repeated far too often, for a debut I can usually look past this but in this instance it was just too much. As a character, I found Hazel entirely confusing. She is naive, which is not a flaw in itself but when paired with her thoughts that veered on blasphemous and her love for her ex-lover, Elijah, her ignorance seemed disingenuous. I realise that Hazel was supposed to be quite clueless, given that she has been trapped under religious values and men that control her entire life, but she was not entirely sheltered to her own feelings and thoughts. Her lack of self preservation skills at times seemed too convenient for the plot, particularly when she would unravel a whole list of lies and yet still not question other things she has been told. Although I did enjoy the change she took on in the direction of anger toward the latter half of the novel, her behaviour towards Abigail post-reveal-that-I will-not-spoil bothered me to no end. In the vaguest terms, her hypocrisy at such a crucial point entirely threw me off. Aside from Abigail herself (who I am enchanted by), the characters fell quite flat in my view.

One of my largest gripes was with Elijah and Hazel’s relationship. There was an overarching element of show and not tell that left the two feeling quite unbelievable to me. Their interactions are written beautifully, like much of the book, however I could not get behind them when Hazel was so easily swayed against him and his love for her at the beginning. Thematically, I appreciate the dichotomy of Jacob versus Elijah, religious oppression versus freedom. As symbolism for the cycle of abuse the two characters represent a far greater philosophical idea than simply man versus man, but I do not think the two were fleshed out enough as they could have been.

The last 50 pages and the author’s note bumped this rating from a 2.5 to a 3. Throughout the book, the atmosphere is incredible, dark, gothic, full of lush descriptions and very fascinating points surrounding Feminism in spaces where women are not allowed to thrive. The plot-twists in this book were fairly easy to predict until the last stretch, where the revelations gripped me. When the final truths came to light I was unable to put the book down, I, obviously, cannot spoil but that specific turn of events strengthened my enjoyment of the story. The true story behind this was intriguing and I am overall glad to have read a book on the hidden Mormon folklore regarding polygamy. Certainly not my favourite horror read, but worth my time, nonetheless.

[BansheeBibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am extremely grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the privilege of reviewing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Fourth Wife is set in 1879 Utah Territory - a land ruled by the patriarchal Mormon church. Polygamy, despite being a divine decree of the church, is that last thing that 20-year-old Hazel Russon wants for her life. She dreams of marrying her childhood sweetheard, Elijah, and fulfilling her dream of living in monogamy with him. While Elijah is away on a mission in London, Hazel is commanded to become the fourth wife of a man she's never even met. She has little choice but to accept the betrothal because her mortal soul depends on her following the divine revelation she has been given...by a man.

Thus follows the story of Hazel and her new sister wives and the mysterious new husband who isn't quite everything he was promised to be. There is a spooky house in disrepair, a piano that plays itself, a study full of old books and forbidden liqour and furniture that seems to move of its own accord. Sadly, the haunted house aspect wasn't really played up until the very end. I wanted so badly to explore things that were mentioned once and then never brought up again - specific rooms, items, people. I wanted more of the history and places and wish the tie in of goverment interference into the practive of polygamy had been given more than just a tease.

The things that were addressed at length were the dreams of Hazel, particularly regarding her lost love. I think some of the dreams were meant to illustrate her struggles with mental illness but they got repetitive for me.

While some of the myriad abuses of polygamy were examined, I couldn't help but feel that the depiction was quite sanitized. In her author's note, the writer explains that she wanted to use her novel to dispel the "whitewashed" version of polygamy that she was taught as a sixth generation Mormon. Some of the abuses of a high-control, high-demand religion were addressed, such as neglect, power struggles, poverty and emotional and physical abuse. However, the plural family in The Fourth Wife seem to have only very surface problems with those things, even when being abandoned by their husband and father. The children - only six between four wives? - are very conveniently absent for almost all of the narrative. The women seem to do as they please most of the time, which I highly doubt would have been allowed. They curse and keep house somewhat lackadaisically and some dress immodestly.

The villains of the book were clear from the start so I never felt a real sense of tension. I think it would have been very realistic to have the wives be far more contentious but I can also see that they would have been fully indoctrinated in their subservient roles and the requirement to keep sweet.

One thing I do think the author does very well is illustrate the painful struggle of a woman who has been taught to equate her perceived shortcomings with sin. Hazel is suffering from symptoms of anxiety, depression and obsessive, intrusive thoughts. Of course, mental illness would not have been understood during this time and especially in the case of a woman - this all would have been chalked up to demons or hysteria. Hazel even chastises herself for allowing the devil such control over her thoughts. It is inspiring when Hazel is finally able to have a bit of a reckoning with how her shortcomings might actually be lies that have been fed to her by the leaders of her faith.

I was expecting more of a feminist take and a harsher look at the reality of the terrible damange done to women in plural marriage. The Fourth Wife was mostly a romance with some mild level of spice, probably tame enough even for the women in the book. There was some lip service paid to women's suffrage and standing up to the patriarchy but in the end, everyone still wants a man and there is no mention of anyone abandoning the faith.

If you enjoy period romance and mild gothic horror, this would be an easy read. It wasn't a bad book but I was left wanting more. 3 stars

[Krystelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Mormonism and plural wives are something that clearly hold a level of appeal from the side of academic curiosity for many. The idea of polygamy where there are parties who are less than willing or, at least, more than a little repressed are justifiably appalling to many, and I appreciate that this book was intended to make a statement around those issues.

First, the good. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the house, and I found the glimpses we got at the reality of the situation quite sobering. There’s a definite creepiness about this book that hard to pin down, and it works in favour of the story. There’s also a certain horror in how easily the protagonist and her sister wives are manipulated, which I appreciated was stark and realistic.

On the less good side, I did find the narrative a bit repetitive, and there was a lot of stuff in here that read as more romance than horror. That’s okay, but for the subject matter I felt the latter was more critical. I didn’t think it suited the book overly well to involve the lost love storyline as heavily as it did, and I felt it would have been a little better without it. I did think the writing could have been edited a little heavier too to prevent repetitions.

This is an interesting introduction to a very scary world, but it’s definitely not quite as much in the realistic horror genre as I would have enjoyed!

[Rachaelbookhunter]

1879, Utah Territory. Hazel Russon, a memb3r of the Mormon church, is married to Jacob Manwaring. Hazel isn't happy to be his fourth wife, but it's her duty. And she needs to forget about the man she truly loves. Wanting to make rhe best of her situation Hazel looks forward to her new home, but that new home will be shared with three other women who are not happy to see her. That's not all. Strange sounds and sights in the rundown mansion reek of something else going on.

The Fourth Wife is well written. There are many beautiful passages. This historical horror gives the reader some insight into a not often talked about subject.

I wasn't scared by any of the creepy goings on, but there are great ghostly vibes. Hazel is easy to root for. The other wives are as well.

As the story nears its conclusion the sense of urgency and danger is greatly felt. There is a great twist I didn't figure out.

Read The Fourth Wife if you like horror, especially ghost stories.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the chance to read. All opinions are my own.

[Елена · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thought-provoking story drenched with spine-chilling claustrophobia, the Fourth Wife was just as disturbing as I imagined it would be. It wasn't the paranormal happenings that made it irksome, the monster in this novel was human, and those are the worst kind.

The book starts strong, I was immediately sucked in a deprived, but a very real world of a young girl who is brought up to believe that not only plural marriage was normal, but holy and necessary. But the tension deteriorates around 30% in as things unfold in the most predictable way.

[Ladz · Rating 5 out of 5]

More words coming later, but wow I really enjoyed this

[Reading Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be and I really enjoyed it! I wanted a sister wife sort of ghost story and that's what I got. This is a full haunted house experience.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel which is set to release next year is truly an interesting work of art. Not only does it explore the topics of polygamy and the mormon faith but it also deals with some supernatural elements as well. I will admit I wasn't sure what I was going to expect when going into this novel but I really enjoyed how it turned. The plot and the characters were truly on point.

In the nineteenth century we are introduced to Hazel who has grown up in the Mormon faith so she knows what is expected of her. However she is in love with Elijah who is also of the same faith but they believe that marriage should be between just the two of him. Soon after Elijah goes away a marriage is arranged for Hazel. She marries a man named Jacob who already has three wives and various children.

However, shortly after Hazel moves into the house strange things start to happen. She experiences horrible vivid nightmares. One of her sister wives displays some peculiar behavior and it seems like there is something evil in the house. Worse of all is a secret that her husband is keeping from her. Will Hazel be able to uncover the truth without losing herself in the process?

I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

[Gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton is a debut Gothic horror set in 1870s Mormon Utah. It follows Hazel Russon as she marries Jacob Manwaring, though she is shocked to discover he lives with all his wives as it was more common at the time to keep each wife and household separate. The bulk of the novel is Hazel learning to navigate life in the house. Jacob is rarely home, leaving her in the company of her three sister-wives - strict, devout Flora, kind pregnant Prudence and enigmatic, combative Abby. Hazel starts to experience dark dreams and noticing paranormal happenings around the house - like books falling, a piano playing itself, and the house creaking and shaking. All the while, she is battling her own forbidden desires for her past lover and trying to keep her anxiety and panic attacks at bay.

I lived with my head drowning in a sea of worries I couldn't drag myself from, and then all at once, this raging panic would overcome me - Satan and his legion ripping through me. I was nothing but an abominable young woman and these attacks only proved it.

The book explores themes of religious trauma, particularly in how women and their mental health are treated, patriarchal power and misogyny. It taught me a lot more about Mormon history and beliefs while showing how controlling and suffocating the culture can be for women. However, I feel like it didn't go hard enough. As other reviews have mentioned, the children are hardly present. Jacob has six children total from his other wives, while the author's own ancestors who she was inspired by were two sisters married to the same man who had 22 children between them. 22!! I feel like we needed to see more of how the burden of so many children stretches the women thin, and the financial strain and poverty and neglect that comes from having so many children. Poverty in polygamy is mentioned in the novel, but we hardly see the impacts of it.

Deep in my belly I knew the inescapable truth that my husband was all I ultimately had; my claim on him in this life and the next would exalt and save me. What were temporary pianos and ghosts compared to an eternity of hellfire?

Ultimately, I just wish the story had some better writing. I didn't feel immersed as I could have been and I think this is because I could sense the author's modern lens even through Hazel's point of view at times. Some of the events were also predictable to the audience - for example, it's extremely obvious that Elder Crowther is dodgy, and that Jacob is isolating Hazel from her family by hiding their letters to her. The end twists felt like they leaned a bit too much on melodrama, but it did create a lot of tension. I would still recommend this to readers who are interested by the premise and are fans of mild Gothic horror.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The Fourth Wife is a book about a young woman named Hazel in 19th-century Utah who appears to be abandoned by her lover Elijah and then marries Jacob as his fourth wife. From then on, Hazel lives in a polygamous relationship with the other women, children, and her husband in one house and soon realizes that her husband may not be as kind as he seems. In her new family, there are secrets, mysterious occurrences, and ghostly apparitions, and Hazel asks herself the urgent question of what happened to her predecessor.

The story conveys historic Gothic horror with spine-tingling moments in the original setting of a 19th-century Mormon family. You definitely find yourself rooting for the protagonist as her life in her new family unfolds and her marriage to Jakob develops. The story centers on the expectations of a “good wife” in this religious community in the 19th century, in contrast to her desires and her true love. Ultimately, I felt sympathy for all the women in a certain way. Add to that the gothic horror of an enchanted house, and you experience a couple of spine-tingling moments in which the protagonist ultimately doubts her own sanity.

I myself am not very familiar with the (earlier) teachings of LDS. Because of this, I found the subject matter and the resulting experiences of the protagonist and other women very exciting, relatable, and definitely thought-provoking. Particularly noteworthy is the author's afterword, in which she writes about her own experiences. However, I found the book not quite as critical as I had initially expected and, in some aspects, such as the children, somewhat shallow.

The book is recommended for fans of “La Hacienda,” “Mexican Gothic,” and “Our Gifted Hearts” with an original historical-religious twist.

Many thanks to the team at Hamilton, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the digital review copy. This in no way influenced my rating and opinion.

I saw this book a couple months ago on a list of books to look out for, so when I saw it available to request, I went for it straight away and was pleasantly surprised and really happy that I got it.

The Fourth Wife is the story of Hazel, a young Mormon woman planning to marry her best friend and lover Elijah, but his father had other ideas. He and Jacob - her future husband - trick Hazel into marriage, promising her all she asks for. What she ends up getting though, is not even close to that and it isn’t how she imagined her life at all.
Whisked away to the middle of the woods to a creepy, dilapidated mansion, she is forced to share it and her husband with Jacob’s three other wives and their kids. She tries her best to fit in with them, despite the house’s weirdness and the hostility and unfriendliness of the first two wives. As the story unfolds and we get to know Jacob and the sister wives better, Hazel’s life feels like it’s getting more and more confusing by the day.

Despite not being able to relate to the religious aspect of this book - as I’m an agnostic-atheist - I still knew a bit about the Mormon faith and polygamy, having met some practitioners before. I did actually learn some new things like expressions I hadn’t heard before, like plural marriage and sister wives. Just as Hazel, I didn’t realized that sometimes they all live in the same house.

Usually I am quite good at figuring out the plot early on mystery books, but this one surprised me completely in a way I didn’t expect. The obvious villain - while not turning out to be innocent at all - isn’t as evil as I thought so, he was influenced and changed by his circumstances. The plot twist was excellent and I gasped when I got to it.

While I didn’t find this book scary at all, I really liked the gothic elements of it. I’m a big fan of stories involving ghosts and haunted houses and this book delivered them well. It was exciting to learn the truth about the house and the why of its creepy nature.

Overall, it was a fairly interesting take on the Mormon culture during the 1870s. I enjoyed it immensely, despite the religious parts which I really couldn’t relate to. If you like gothic and supernatural elements in historical settings, I definitely recommend The Fourth Wife.

[Alyssa Blackwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plural marriages, Mormonism and a haunted house? The Fourth Wife by Linda Hamilton has all of this and more.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing for this ARC via netgalley! 🫶

Set in 1800’s Utah, Hazel has always known she will get married. She just doesn’t know if she will be her husbands only wife.
As a Mormon woman, it’s her responsibility to obey her husband and live in harmony with her sister wives, even if what she really wants is a monogamous relationship with her childhood sweetheart.
When he rejects her, Hazel is married off to Jacob and discovers she is his fourth wife.
And as soon as she arrives at the house, she realises things are not what they seem.
Jacob isn’t as wealthy as believed, his house is dilapidated, and the other wives aren’t exactly keen on a new addition.
Not to mention the mysterious music coming from nowhere, Hazel’s terrifying nightmares and the furniture that moves itself..

This was a super intriguing read!
Everything I’ve learnt about Mormonism has been via popculture, so not only was the story interesting but it was also informative about the religions history.
The concept of plural wives but also the pushback they faced by non-Mormon society is explored and cast a new light on this topic for me.

This book starts off very promising - I was messaging friends around the halfway mark saying they had to read this book and I was SO invested it what was going to happen.
Trying to unravel the mystery of Jacob, the wives, and the houses peculiarities had me wanting to stay up all night.
The pacing does drop off a little bit after the halfway mark and I found myself waiting for it to pick up again - and it does!
The twist was good and fit well with the story, and the ending wraps it all up quite well.

I also really loved the additional authors note at the end of the book which added some extra depth to the story and history.

I’m going to be very specific with this rating and say it’s a 3.75 - if not for the pacing drop off this would’ve been a 4 ⭐️ for sure!

If you’re interested in creepy haunted houses and Mormonism, check this one out!

The Fourth Wife ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75)

[Laci Rambo · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How could it be that our Creator cared more for the satisfaction and increase of men than the broken and torn bodies of women?”

Mexican Gotchic, but make it Mormon Gothic. Anxiety riddled, Hazel, is a new sister-wife to husband Jacob. After a suspicious “breakup” from her would-be husband, delivered by his father, Hazel is pretty much thrust into a plural family with someone she’s never even met before. She’s told nothing but good things about this new man and his finances and status in society, it gives her some hope after heartbreak for her future. She soon finds out that much that was promised to her is simply not true. Her home isn’t grand, she’s not living alone and away from the other wives, and her sister-wives are less than thrilled to invite her in to their lives. Her new home is also… wrong. She sees ripples in the wallpaper, shadows dance just out of her line of sight, and she has bloody nightmares. She’s alone with her troubles even in a house full of people. This gothic novel dives deep into Mormonism and Polygamy and is somewhat a Historical Fiction come to think of it. The author put so much time and research into this book as well as her own ancestral and religious influences. If you’re looking for a “death to the patriarchy”, feminine rage, religious trauma filled book, this is it.

[Sandrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
So I was very intrigued by this book since it was described as having the same atmosphere as the Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, and I loved this book.
Unfortunately, I did not have the same chilling and tense feeling while reading this book. I liked the exploration of faith, especially in an era where it was so hard to be a woman. However, I didn’t feel frightened by the events.
The real villain was clear from the beginning so there was not real shocker. I feel like Hazel didn’t really wonder or really tried to find answer until they were given to her. Then again, Hazel and the other wives are indoctrinated. It was an interesting read. I could tell that the author made some research to make it as historically accurate as possible and I really enjoyed that. I can see what the author tried to do, but it felt flat for me. I was still intrigued to know the ending, and it did satisfy me.

Overall, it’s a good book. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted, but perhaps others will ! A more suffocating atmosphere where Hazel is wondering if she’s losing her mind would’ve made it more enjoyable for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book. Opinions are my own.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher

Hazel wishes for nothing more than to be a good Mormon woman, but her doubts about certain beliefs of the church and her rejection of polygamous marriage make this a difficult task. While waiting for her sweetheart to come back, and with plans to join him in a monogamous marriage, a sudden betrayal changes everything and she's ordered to become the fourth wife of Jacob Manwaring. At least her new husband seems kind, so it comes as a surprise after the wedding when she discovers that all the wives and children don't live separately, as is customary, but under the same roof. Something is rotten in the dilapidated mansion the Manwarings call home, and it's not just the jealousy and friction between the wives. Soon Hazel starts hearing voices and seeing apparitions, and as her relationship with Jacob unravels so do the secrets the manor holds.

An atmospheric gothic mystery with supernatural elements that draws inspiration from the Mormon church's beginnings and the, now disavowed, practice of polygamous marriage. I thought the ambiance was quite solid, the manor was spooky and oppressing with Hazel's nightmares full of symbolism and trepidation. The concept of the book is different and fresh, I don't think I've ever read a Mormon horror story before and I quite liked how the author wrote this in part to reckon with the murky and dark past of the church and of her own family. Other than that the plot didn't blow my mind, the twist was easy to discern and the flow of the story slowed down a lot around the middle of the book. I would have also liked to see more depth to the characters, I only really connected with Hazel and didn't quite care for the other wives.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this e-arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The fourth wife is an unflinching historical drama come gothic horror set in the background of Mormonism in Utah in the late 1800s.

As a polyamorous person (not polygamous), I was a bit nervous about how I would feel reading such a monogamous coded novel where a major tension was between the FMC’s desire for a monogamous relationship and her role as a Mormon woman of the time period, but to be honest, this bothered me less as time went on.

The vehicle of a gothic horror was the perfect choice to explore the issue of a patriarchal society and it absolutely has “good for her” vibes which I always appreciate.

The author’s personal upbringing with the Mormon community certainly lent an authenticity to the setting and content matter which otherwise may have been trite or preachy, which something this book wasn’t.

Overall, I was really drawn into this book and had a great time reading it.

[cameron b · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 -
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own!

The Fourth Wife is a gothic tale following Hazel, a young Mormon girl living in the Utah territory in the late 1800s. Though she is originally against the idea of becoming a part of a plural marriage, she finds herself as the fourth wife to an older man named Jacob after being deceived by a leadership figure in the church. Hazel moves into Jacob's dilapidated house, which we immediately know is more than meets the eye. this story follows her journey of becoming a plural wife, learning the mystery of the house, and finding her true self and her own beliefs.

I found this book to be really interesting and engaging! Great writing and an easy read, but I found myself wanting even more from it. I would have loved more historical details. And, I actually would have enjoyed the gothic parts of this story to be even darker.

Overall, I would recommend this book!

[Kiersten Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 | Someone needs to buy the movie rights to this NOW because it has all the makings of a perfect horror film: a haunted mansion, patriarchal oppression, stockholm syndrome, and women supporting women’s wrongs. There’s even a hint of romance…

This story is deeply feminist and is strangely uplifting despite the dark and violent setting it spawns from. Enterprising women have found their way through impossible situations and Hazel, Abby, Prudence and Flora are (fictional) attestations to that.

I really admired the depiction of Hazel’s anxiety disorder, and how it intermingled with her faith and self-confidence. It also added to my own fear when reading tense scenes; the main character having such physical reactions to metaphysical encounters seized my own heart right through the pages.

My only qualm is the main character can be painfully oblivious- specifically about the letters. Although, that may just be the ~main girl in a horror story~ curse.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me. I liked the combining of historical fiction, Gothic horror and feminism, but I would have loved a bit more horror and a bit less romance throughout the book for my personal preference. I do think it’s interesting how Linda Hamilton paints a picture of polygamy in the 19th century and I feel she she managed to make the oppressive atmosphere in the Manwaring household come to life. I also loved seeing how our main character increasingly realizes how she is oppressed by the norms and values ​​of Mormon culture/19th century, however it is quite painful that we haven’t fully managed to rid ourselves of the inequality between men and women hundreds of years later. All in all I thought it was an interesting read!

Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for the ARC 🫶

[Katrina G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this! Other than knowing that the men were a bunch of filthy liars, I can't say I ever really knew what direction this was going to go. I couldn't tell if the spooky things were really happening or if Hazel was just going crazy and it was a breath of fresh air to be so unsure of where the plot was going most of the time. I really liked the touch of feminism this had, which I wasn't expecting when picking up a book centered around polygamy.

The author's note was also very enlightening to learn the author's connection to the plot overall.

This was a quick and fun spooky read, perfect for the October season!

[Zoe Sounness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel.

The fourth wife was unlike anything i’ve ever read - the author has written a great historical fiction piece about the life of Hazel - a mormon “plural wife”

Overall, I really liked this - the pacing was great and the characters were well-written with decent development over the course of the novel. I noticed a few repeating phrases and over-explanation in certain parts but otherwise thought it was fantastic.