The Perfect Wife

by Hannah Price

She is the wife every man dreams of.

She is the daughter-in-law every mother dreads.

When newlyweds Paul and Emily return from their honeymoon the future looks golden. Then they receive the devastating news that Paul’s father has collapsed and rush to his hospital bedside.

Grief soon draws them into Dorothy Mercer’s grand, suffocating house near Windsor.

Dorothy is ill and exacting, and while Paul works long hours in the city Emily steps in with saintly patience. Neighbours call her a rock. The GP calls her a blessing.

But Dorothy is not ready to give up her home. Or control. And she is determined to make sure everyone sees Emily for who she really is…

Set in a village where everyone knows your business and no one sees the truth, The Perfect Wife is a taut, twisty psychological thriller for readers who devour Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish.

Full of razor-sharp observations, that builds to a chilling reveal it will make you turn the final page and question everything that came before.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2025

Reviews

[Susan Belman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books where I definitely wanted to keep reading — mostly because I needed to know what the endgame was and how we were going to get there. The setup is great: newlyweds Paul and Emily move in with his widowed mother, and on the surface Emily is the dream daughter-in-law. Kind, patient, helpful… honestly a little too perfect. Meanwhile Dorothy (the mom) is an absolute nightmare and Paul is basically clueless and floating through life, so it’s easy to get sucked into the family tension.
But here’s the thing: for a psychological thriller, it didn’t fully deliver on the “thriller” part for me. The manipulation is definitely there — Emily plays her role a little too well, and watching Dorothy spin out is entertaining — but I kept waiting for the payoff. Why was Emily like this? What was her motive? Had she done this before? Who taught her how to play people this way? The book hints at answers but never really gives them, and that left me wanting more.
Overall, it’s a good, engaging domestic drama with solid tension and two women whose power struggle you can’t look away from. I just wish it had followed through on some of its darker threads instead of stopping right before the “aha!” moment I was hoping for.

[Amy Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

A slurry of similes.

[Nancy Cerny · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book to read by Hannah Price. I was not happy with this one, I read it to the end to see how the story played out, I was not impressed. Too much description and little story to tell. Based on other reviews, I selected it. I've read other books based in England, this story just got too much for me. I wanted to finish it before I gave up on it. Sorry, wish I could give it 5 stars, 3 was pushing it.

[Rochelle Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her writing style!

Great saga! Beautiful literary writing, poetic and powerful! I was there with them. characters I’ll miss and think about from time to time! Great winter break read

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch out for the quiet ones!

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burn read that kept me curious and wanting to know how it would end.
Nothing super surprising about it.
Some very poetic insights sprinkled throughout.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too exciting because the ending is no surprise

[Sandra Matthews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Has to be the worst book I’ve ever read - don’t know how I struggled through 😭

[valerie clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Story From Start to Finish

[Annette Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor ending

The ending of the story was inevitable it was disappointing, an anticlimax. Paul was a weak character, more of a bit part player in a play.