One Dead Wife

by Belinda Bennett

While investigating the disappearance of a holidaymaker, DI Brock Clarke makes a startling discovery. Tara Swift had been missing for almost twenty-four hours before anyone thought to raise the alarm. Even more disturbing is the fact that a stalker has made her life a misery for two decades.

Ever since she was wrongly accused of abducting a three-year-old girl, Tara has led a tormented life. Now she has vanished without a trace.

As police comb the cliffs and countryside around a holiday park in Dorset, they are convinced they will find a body. DI Clarke has told everyone to keep an open mind, but his is made up. She is dead.

With two ‘husbands’ and a lifetime of pain, poor, poor Tara is the centre of everyone’s attention.

Just how she likes it.

Buy this book if you enjoy crime fiction with plenty of twists and a hint of wit. It is perfect for anyone who likes detective stories, as well as those who own a motorhome, like camping or is a fan of park homes. Static caravans and lodges are a feature of the plot.

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2018

About the author

Belinda Bennett is a master of the short read. She is the author of the highly-rated novella The Road to Ataco. Other books by Belinda include the brand new thriller You Can't Stop Me and Jackpot Julie.

A former journalist, she launched her career in the British newspaper industry at the Exeter Weekly News in February, 1983.

She went on to work for newspapers as a reporter across the South West of England, including the Sunday Independent, Bridport News and Chard and Ilminster News. But she is best known for her seven-year tenure as Editor of the hugely popular Midweek Herald, in East Devon, which covers her hometown of Honiton.

Belinda retired from the newspaper industry to concentrate on creative writing in June, 2015. She had been working as a copy editor, crafting headlines for daily and weekly newspapers along the south coast.

She lives by the sea in Lyme Regis, Dorset, on the Jurassic Coast. 

Belinda was diagnosed with stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer in 2020 and is currently undergoing TCHP chemotherapy with the aim of progressing to surgery.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara and Adam go away to a caravan park - it all looks a lot like a salesman going away on a dirty weekend, hoping to seduce a reluctant possible conquest but it turns out to be a missing woman, possibly dead or murdered, an unfaithful wife (?), a lying salesman, a stalker. The appearance of this story changes as the reader delves deeper into the mystery and with each chapter, more is revealed to confuse and deceive the reader.

What a great book! Talk about captivating! I thoroughly enjoyed it, admittedly when I first started it, it did not really grab me but as I continued reading, it just got better and better. This is the first book of Belinda Bennet's that I have read and I am very pleased to say that I have discovered a new reader that I like and will be looking out for more of her work. I do agree with other reviewers that the ending was a bit abrupt, although in many ways it did lend more of a mystery to the story.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book as what starts out seeming like it's a simple missing person case, possibly leading to murder, soon turns out to be something far more intriguing. So much so that it kept me hooked right until the very end, with its very spooky end to the action (which makes the mental health patient in me can't help but wonder what's at the root of the family's issue). I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes their mysteries with as many twists and turns as the English country lanes of the book's setting, and I'll certainly be reading more books by this author in future.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cleverly written thriller/police procedural which describes a story which is all too believable, and could be taken from real life. The senior policeman who is charged with resolving the disappearance of a woman from a caravan park, Inspector Brock Clarke is again a very real and relatable character, with human strengths and frailties.
There are lots of twists and turns in the plot, and I enjoyed the way that the story of the woman who has disappeared is gradually revealed as the investigation gains momentum. However, I was quite disappointed with the ending, which felt rather incomplete and rushed.
Overall an intriguing read which really drags you in and keeps you guessing.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC from the author*

A young woman goes missing from a seaside holiday village, and the police find that she's not the only one with secrets. An interesting novella with lots of twists and turns in the story. I enjoyed reading it, but personally I wish it had been a bit longer. This would have given the reader time to get to know the characters in more depth. It was very much like watching an episode of Law & Order, with everything swiftly tied up by the closing credits. Rating: 4 stars.

I am voluntarily giving an honest review.

[A.D. Whittington · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting the way it was written. The plot was a good one, however, the order of events and the way the author wrote it put me off. That does not necessarily mean that is bad, just that this format was not my "cup of tea." The book did go into mental health issues, which I normally find very interesting. I would have liked to have known more about the characters. I am giving this book 3 stars, just because of the formatting of the story.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

From the start you are caught up in the seriousness of a DI searching for a vulnerable woman missing the twists and turns as the investigation unravels a complicated life and how one person's actions can effect so many people.

Brilliant story typical of Belindas writing style can't wait for her next creation xxx

[Karen Ingalls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read with many twists and turns. The author cleverly had each chapter written through the eyes of one of the characters, which was done very smoothly and effectively. I had to give it 4 stars for several editorial issues.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise who done it?

So many twists and turns kept the fast pace
Surprises all along the way. It kept you interested,
Turning page after page.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

many twists