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The Housewife
“There’s no place like home” – that’s what I tell myself as I pull another flawless meal from the oven. This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
One of the most gripping and heart-pounding psychological thrillers you’ll ever read! If you were totally hooked by, The Wife Between Us, The Girl on the Train or The Woman in the Window you won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping thriller down until it’s finished.
What readers are saying about Valerie
‘FABULOUS! TEN STARS! The writing is wonderful, the story mesmerizing, and the characters realistic and believable. I had to rush through the final few pages at the end because I couldn't stand the suspense and just had to know the ending… I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘This was one heck of a ride from midnight to 3am. I couldn't seem to stop reading, I tried really hard to shut down my kindle, but I had to get to the ending… An addicting ride… I literally felt like a fly stuck in a spider's web who had to keep reading to escape. The scenes caused a tidal wave of emotions to arise, it had me going OMG constantly… can be called nothing but addictive, unputdownable, and a joyride!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘WOW!!! This was a gripping psychological thriller, the twists were Unreal!!! I Absolutely could NOT put this book down, Amazing… a Phenomenal book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘An intense, crazy awesome psychological thriller! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it had me up most of the night reading! My husband slept soundly beside me and at times I wished he was up, the book is so SO CREEPY. It’s that uneasy feeling!... I genuinely enjoyed reading Secrets Between Us!’ Cloud of Thoughts, 5 stars
‘I would give this book more stars if I could!!!! Holy cow was this a thrilling book!… I really loved this book and recommend reading if you love a great thriller!’ Dawn Mequio, 5 stars
‘The ending is superb, brilliant even and left me with the book-hangover from hell… I still can’t get that ending out of my head.
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
One of the most gripping and heart-pounding psychological thrillers you’ll ever read! If you were totally hooked by, The Wife Between Us, The Girl on the Train or The Woman in the Window you won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping thriller down until it’s finished.
What readers are saying about Valerie
‘FABULOUS! TEN STARS! The writing is wonderful, the story mesmerizing, and the characters realistic and believable. I had to rush through the final few pages at the end because I couldn't stand the suspense and just had to know the ending… I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘This was one heck of a ride from midnight to 3am. I couldn't seem to stop reading, I tried really hard to shut down my kindle, but I had to get to the ending… An addicting ride… I literally felt like a fly stuck in a spider's web who had to keep reading to escape. The scenes caused a tidal wave of emotions to arise, it had me going OMG constantly… can be called nothing but addictive, unputdownable, and a joyride!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘WOW!!! This was a gripping psychological thriller, the twists were Unreal!!! I Absolutely could NOT put this book down, Amazing… a Phenomenal book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘An intense, crazy awesome psychological thriller! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it had me up most of the night reading! My husband slept soundly beside me and at times I wished he was up, the book is so SO CREEPY. It’s that uneasy feeling!... I genuinely enjoyed reading Secrets Between Us!’ Cloud of Thoughts, 5 stars
‘I would give this book more stars if I could!!!! Holy cow was this a thrilling book!… I really loved this book and recommend reading if you love a great thriller!’ Dawn Mequio, 5 stars
‘The ending is superb, brilliant even and left me with the book-hangover from hell… I still can’t get that ending out of my head.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2019
2231 people are currently reading
1873 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Keogh
50 books884 followersValerie started to write several years ago. She self-published eight crime novels and one psychological thriller before signing a two book contract with Bookouture in March 2018. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is available now and the second is due in Feb 2019. She is a registered nurse with a degree in English and a Masters in American Literature. Recently she has given up nursing to concentrate on her writing career.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
March 11, 2019
A compelling story brimming with an impending sense of doom!
Valerie Keogh has constructed a tale fraught with tension and deceit. A slow burnner page Turner with an addictive storyline. Lost memories? A stalker? I am in!
Diane is the seemingly perfect housewife, loving husband, adorable daughter, beautiful home. BUT as we all know nothing ever is quite as it seems. Diane has just recovered from a psychological breakdown and still is missing pieces of her memory. As Diane takes care of her home and her young daughter she is hopeful that her memories will return. BUT strange things are happening, she is absolutely terrified to go into the lounge in her home, she thinks she keeps hearing a baby crying, and she is certain there is somebody following her. Is somebody trying to drive Diane insane? Or is she already there?
I spent the majority of the story trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. not only had Diane just got out of a psychiatric clinic, she also was constantly popping pills and sipping wine, I’m sure that did not help her mental state. Diane was strung tight and I thought she was going to snap at any minute, I never knew whether I should sympathize with her or be suspicious of her. This Book kept me off balance the entire time.
An addictive story with a surprising and unsettling end, recommend!
*** Big thank you too Bookouture for my copy of this book ***
Valerie Keogh has constructed a tale fraught with tension and deceit. A slow burnner page Turner with an addictive storyline. Lost memories? A stalker? I am in!
Diane is the seemingly perfect housewife, loving husband, adorable daughter, beautiful home. BUT as we all know nothing ever is quite as it seems. Diane has just recovered from a psychological breakdown and still is missing pieces of her memory. As Diane takes care of her home and her young daughter she is hopeful that her memories will return. BUT strange things are happening, she is absolutely terrified to go into the lounge in her home, she thinks she keeps hearing a baby crying, and she is certain there is somebody following her. Is somebody trying to drive Diane insane? Or is she already there?
I spent the majority of the story trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t. not only had Diane just got out of a psychiatric clinic, she also was constantly popping pills and sipping wine, I’m sure that did not help her mental state. Diane was strung tight and I thought she was going to snap at any minute, I never knew whether I should sympathize with her or be suspicious of her. This Book kept me off balance the entire time.
An addictive story with a surprising and unsettling end, recommend!
*** Big thank you too Bookouture for my copy of this book ***
March 4, 2019
EXCERPT: She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. This wasn't possible. Opening them, she looked across the road, squinting to make out the details. It was her, the woman from the shop, staring directly at her; the same navy coat, the same sleek bob she had admired. It was definitely her.
Disbelief and a sudden choking fear made her jerk back, the mug falling from her hands, hot coffee spilling as it fell. Ignoring it, and swallowing the lump in her throat, she reached for the blind cord with shaking fingers and closed them with a snap. But she didn't move away. She was imagining it, she had to be. Holding her breath, she lifted one slat and peered through. She was still there.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: "There’s no place like home” – that’s what I tell myself as I pull another flawless meal from the oven. This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
MY THOUGHTS: Another book that failed to live up to the hype of 'a completely addictive and gripping psychological thriller'.
The writing is not terrible, and the general idea is good, but it never quite all pulled together. In places it is a messy and frustrating read.
The characters are not well developed. A lot of chances to develop this into a deeper, more substantial story were missed. Implausible and improbable were two words that were constantly in my head as I read, and I did seriously consider, more than once, abandoning this read, hence the two star rating.
There are a lot more things I would like to say, but to do so would create spoilers for others.
A disappointing read.
Love the cover, though I cannot recall the main character (not even 24 hours since I finished reading The Housewife, and I can't remember the name of the main character!) sewing on buttons. . . and I do like the cover to be relevant.
It was not until I checked out the author's profile while writing this review that I realized that Valerie Keogh is quite a prolific author and that I have previously read two other books by her, and rated both two stars. Not an author I will be reading again.
😕😕
THE AUTHOR: Valerie Keogh is a qualified nurse with a BA in English and an MA in American Literature. She qualified as a nurse but nowadays writes full-time. She has written two different series.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Housewife by Valerie Keogh. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my webpage sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://wordpress.com/post/sandysbook...
Disbelief and a sudden choking fear made her jerk back, the mug falling from her hands, hot coffee spilling as it fell. Ignoring it, and swallowing the lump in her throat, she reached for the blind cord with shaking fingers and closed them with a snap. But she didn't move away. She was imagining it, she had to be. Holding her breath, she lifted one slat and peered through. She was still there.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: "There’s no place like home” – that’s what I tell myself as I pull another flawless meal from the oven. This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
MY THOUGHTS: Another book that failed to live up to the hype of 'a completely addictive and gripping psychological thriller'.
The writing is not terrible, and the general idea is good, but it never quite all pulled together. In places it is a messy and frustrating read.
The characters are not well developed. A lot of chances to develop this into a deeper, more substantial story were missed. Implausible and improbable were two words that were constantly in my head as I read, and I did seriously consider, more than once, abandoning this read, hence the two star rating.
There are a lot more things I would like to say, but to do so would create spoilers for others.
A disappointing read.
Love the cover, though I cannot recall the main character (not even 24 hours since I finished reading The Housewife, and I can't remember the name of the main character!) sewing on buttons. . . and I do like the cover to be relevant.
It was not until I checked out the author's profile while writing this review that I realized that Valerie Keogh is quite a prolific author and that I have previously read two other books by her, and rated both two stars. Not an author I will be reading again.
😕😕
THE AUTHOR: Valerie Keogh is a qualified nurse with a BA in English and an MA in American Literature. She qualified as a nurse but nowadays writes full-time. She has written two different series.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Housewife by Valerie Keogh. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my webpage sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://wordpress.com/post/sandysbook...
February 13, 2019
Being someone who reads a ton of books sometimes I find that while a story seems a bit familiar it still ends up being an extremely entertaining read. The Housewife by Valerie Keogh is one of those psychological thrillers that may not have seemed overly original but still pulled me in and kept the pages turning.
What we begin with is Diane who to a stranger would be a housewife with a wonderful life but things are not always what they seem. Diane is actually recovering from a break down that she really can’t even remember much about but after a few weeks in therapy she and her husband hope that she is on the mend.
As Diane goes about her day to day caring for her child and trying to get back out and start living her life again she begins to notice signs of things not quite being right. When she encounters a mystery woman that keeps showing up in various places she begins to wonder if she is slowly losing her mind.
Even though as I said before that I’ve read novels similar to this set up the characters and plot stilled pulled me in. While it does progress somewhat slowly it has that air of distrust that kept my attention which is a plus as I’m one to begin to lose interest if things are moving too slowly. After finishing this story I would definitely try another book from this author in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
What we begin with is Diane who to a stranger would be a housewife with a wonderful life but things are not always what they seem. Diane is actually recovering from a break down that she really can’t even remember much about but after a few weeks in therapy she and her husband hope that she is on the mend.
As Diane goes about her day to day caring for her child and trying to get back out and start living her life again she begins to notice signs of things not quite being right. When she encounters a mystery woman that keeps showing up in various places she begins to wonder if she is slowly losing her mind.
Even though as I said before that I’ve read novels similar to this set up the characters and plot stilled pulled me in. While it does progress somewhat slowly it has that air of distrust that kept my attention which is a plus as I’m one to begin to lose interest if things are moving too slowly. After finishing this story I would definitely try another book from this author in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
February 27, 2019
The Housewife by Valerie Keogh is an interesting book, a bit different which is nice. First of all it has a gorgeous cover! I really got into this story of mental illness, family and trust. It wasn't completely obvious who was messing with Diane's Mandy mind. My only real complaint was that the ending was a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. But other than that I really liked it.
Diane and Paul used to be a happy couple. They have their daughter and a lovely home and Paul makes good money. But things changed when Diane had a breakdown and spent some time in hospital recovering. SInce she has come home things have not been the same. She has started to drink more and is starting to hear and see things. Her memory is not what it used to be and her life seems to be a series of disasters. She isn't even sure she can trust her husband. Is she losing her mind again or is somebody out to get her?
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Diane and Paul used to be a happy couple. They have their daughter and a lovely home and Paul makes good money. But things changed when Diane had a breakdown and spent some time in hospital recovering. SInce she has come home things have not been the same. She has started to drink more and is starting to hear and see things. Her memory is not what it used to be and her life seems to be a series of disasters. She isn't even sure she can trust her husband. Is she losing her mind again or is somebody out to get her?
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
March 5, 2019
The Housewife by
Short Summary:
A thrilling plunge into a domestic nightmare...packed with lies and betrayal!
My thoughts:
Welcome to my stop on the *Review Only* Tour! I jumped at the opportunity to read THE HOUSEWIFE and I’m so excited to be part of this #PromoTour!
Thanks to @nholten40 @bookouture and @ValerieKeogh1 for this opportunity, in exchange for my honest review!
This story centers around Diane—a woman who is trying to hold her life together after a breakdown and brief stay at a clinic. On the outside, she looks like she has it all—a beautiful house, adorable daughter and devoted husband. But she has no memory of what lead up to and caused her breakdown.
Because of the lack of information around Diane’s breakdown, the story has a very mysterious vibe. I had my suspicions, but I was dying to find out if I was correct!
Diane starts to become suspicious of her husband, who doesn’t seem to be as devoted and loving as usual. She begins to suspect him of trying to push her back over the edge and she’s no longer sure what is real and what she’s imagining.
There were times I sympathized with Diane, and other times I wanted to shake her because of her poor choices! The plot isn’t an original one, but the author did a great job of keeping my interest. Her husband was a very bland character, who became more unlikeable throughout the story.
It was a fast read, but didn’t build up a lot of tension. Even though I didn’t feel that tense, edge-of-your-seat suspense, I desperately wanted to keep reading and find out about Diane’s lost memories and her final outcome. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending, but I have the feeling we might see a sequel!
Title: The Housewife Author: Valerie Keogh
PUBLICATION DAY: Feb 27th 2019 by Bookouture
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B07N8G4RZQSocial
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2DvLtG9
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WVmKnr
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/wgCW30nFNeR
Recommend: Yes! It’s worth reading as long as you don’t expect a super tense and exciting story.
My Rating: 3.5 ⭐️’s. Pages: 302
Book Blurb
“There’s no place like home” – that’s what I tell myself as I pull another flawless meal from the oven. This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
One of the most gripping and heart-pounding psychological thrillers you’ll ever read! If you were totally hooked by, The Wife Between Us, The Girl on the Train or The Woman in the Window you won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping thriller down until it’s finished.
Author Bio:
Valerie Keogh grew up reading Agatha Christie so when she started writing it seemed natural to write crime novels. She writes two different series, one based in Ireland featuring Garda Sergeant Mike West and a grittier one based in the UK featuring Nicola Connolly, a serial killer. The Garda West series: THAT ONE MAY SMILE, CLOSE RANKS, MURDER ON CLARE ISLAND and DEATH IN FOXROCK. The Hudson and Connolly series: DEADLY SLEEP, TWISTED POWER, BITTER BUSINESS, and WICKED SECRET. Valerie has also written a stand-alone psychological thriller, Exit Five from Charing Cross In March 2018, Valerie signed a two-book contract with the publisher, Bookouture. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is out now. The Housewife is published Feb 27th 2019.
Author Social Media Links:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/valeriekeogh...
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ValerieKeogh1
Short Summary:
A thrilling plunge into a domestic nightmare...packed with lies and betrayal!
My thoughts:
Welcome to my stop on the *Review Only* Tour! I jumped at the opportunity to read THE HOUSEWIFE and I’m so excited to be part of this #PromoTour!
Thanks to @nholten40 @bookouture and @ValerieKeogh1 for this opportunity, in exchange for my honest review!
This story centers around Diane—a woman who is trying to hold her life together after a breakdown and brief stay at a clinic. On the outside, she looks like she has it all—a beautiful house, adorable daughter and devoted husband. But she has no memory of what lead up to and caused her breakdown.
Because of the lack of information around Diane’s breakdown, the story has a very mysterious vibe. I had my suspicions, but I was dying to find out if I was correct!
Diane starts to become suspicious of her husband, who doesn’t seem to be as devoted and loving as usual. She begins to suspect him of trying to push her back over the edge and she’s no longer sure what is real and what she’s imagining.
There were times I sympathized with Diane, and other times I wanted to shake her because of her poor choices! The plot isn’t an original one, but the author did a great job of keeping my interest. Her husband was a very bland character, who became more unlikeable throughout the story.
It was a fast read, but didn’t build up a lot of tension. Even though I didn’t feel that tense, edge-of-your-seat suspense, I desperately wanted to keep reading and find out about Diane’s lost memories and her final outcome. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending, but I have the feeling we might see a sequel!
Title: The Housewife Author: Valerie Keogh
PUBLICATION DAY: Feb 27th 2019 by Bookouture
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B07N8G4RZQSocial
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2DvLtG9
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WVmKnr
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/wgCW30nFNeR
Recommend: Yes! It’s worth reading as long as you don’t expect a super tense and exciting story.
My Rating: 3.5 ⭐️’s. Pages: 302
Book Blurb
“There’s no place like home” – that’s what I tell myself as I pull another flawless meal from the oven. This perfect house on a quiet street was supposed to be my sanctuary, a place to recover. But everything changed the moment I saw that woman in the charity shop. She triggered something dark, buried deep within my memory…
Now I’ve started forgetting small things, like locking the front door.
And bigger things, like remembering to pick my little girl up from nursery.
I feel terrified every time I pass through a particular spot in our living room.
And sometimes, when I’m alone, I’m sure I can hear a baby crying…
I think the woman in the shop knows what happened to me. But if I can’t trust myself to believe she’s real, who will?
One of the most gripping and heart-pounding psychological thrillers you’ll ever read! If you were totally hooked by, The Wife Between Us, The Girl on the Train or The Woman in the Window you won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping thriller down until it’s finished.
Author Bio:
Valerie Keogh grew up reading Agatha Christie so when she started writing it seemed natural to write crime novels. She writes two different series, one based in Ireland featuring Garda Sergeant Mike West and a grittier one based in the UK featuring Nicola Connolly, a serial killer. The Garda West series: THAT ONE MAY SMILE, CLOSE RANKS, MURDER ON CLARE ISLAND and DEATH IN FOXROCK. The Hudson and Connolly series: DEADLY SLEEP, TWISTED POWER, BITTER BUSINESS, and WICKED SECRET. Valerie has also written a stand-alone psychological thriller, Exit Five from Charing Cross In March 2018, Valerie signed a two-book contract with the publisher, Bookouture. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is out now. The Housewife is published Feb 27th 2019.
Author Social Media Links:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/valeriekeogh...
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ValerieKeogh1
April 17, 2026
Hey, soooo Diane is suffering from memory loss leading up to this story ( so her memory is fine now just not of previous months ) and she starts seeing a woman following her....then keeps thinking she hears a baby cry....her husband becomes more distant yet controlling and basically her life is unravelling, she tries to keep it together for her daughter and even takes a job in a charity shop.....this lasts all of a day as she faints!, her life unravels more but who is doing these things and why cant she remember?
The middle part becomes a bit repetitive where she drinks wine, eats little and panics and seemingly leaves her daughter with anyone who will have her while she tries to sort the increasing mysteries out
Writing wise the book is perfect for a quick read and/or a book for
The middle part becomes a bit repetitive where she drinks wine, eats little and panics and seemingly leaves her daughter with anyone who will have her while she tries to sort the increasing mysteries out
Writing wise the book is perfect for a quick read and/or a book for
February 22, 2019
Oh dear, I didn't enjoy this at all. It went downhill pretty damn quickly and after that, I skim read for the rest of it. This is one of the most repetitive books I have ever had the displeasure of encountering. and that's putting it politely. I honestly have no idea how this managed to get past editors and be published, but each to their own I guess. It was extremely simplistic in terms of the storyline and sharper minds will find there is not enough going on to keep them challenged. Then we come to the characters - each one is poorly developed and this one-dimensionality meant that it was nigh on impossible to engage with and invest in them.
Seasoned readers of this genre will figure out where the plot is heading almost immediately, so there really isn't any incentive to continue and the only reason I did was to provide an accurate review of the whole novel. I really can't stress enough how many times certain things were mentioned, and it really got on my nerves. The descriptions were also very strangely worded; it almost came across as though a child had written it. As the book progresses you find you need to be skilled in suspending your disbelief as this is certainly not a plausible story. The whole thing was tedious and contrived and the ending does little in the way of redeeming.
If you appreciate stories featuring unreliable narrators then this is worth a try, but it just wasn't for me. Those expecting twists and surprises will be sorely disappointed as they are very much lacking.
Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
Seasoned readers of this genre will figure out where the plot is heading almost immediately, so there really isn't any incentive to continue and the only reason I did was to provide an accurate review of the whole novel. I really can't stress enough how many times certain things were mentioned, and it really got on my nerves. The descriptions were also very strangely worded; it almost came across as though a child had written it. As the book progresses you find you need to be skilled in suspending your disbelief as this is certainly not a plausible story. The whole thing was tedious and contrived and the ending does little in the way of redeeming.
If you appreciate stories featuring unreliable narrators then this is worth a try, but it just wasn't for me. Those expecting twists and surprises will be sorely disappointed as they are very much lacking.
Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
April 24, 2026
This is the second book which I’ve read from Valerie Keogh, and I’m really trying to see what the hype is. The New Neighbour was okay, but after reading this one, I felt as though I was reading the same book. There is a helluva lot of repetition, as there was in TNN. The book could have been condensed into a shorter read, as I felt that the repeated content was just to bulk out the book. It wasn’t the “jaw-dropping, psychological thriller” it’s hyped up to be, which is the same thought I had after reading TNN. There’s no depth to the characters, it’s repetitive (I know I’ve already said it 😆), and to be quite honest, I was bored, until the final part of the book, when everything seems to happen all at once, but it was still only mediocre. If you’re going to be a prolific writer, then you really need to be ASTOUNDING, and hit the reader right between the eyes, each time. This venture into Valerie Keogh, will unfortunately be my last. As I said in the other book; I like a bit of meat on my bones!
1.5 ⭐️
Thanks to Valerie Keogh, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley, for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.
Available: 5 May 2026
1.5 ⭐️
Thanks to Valerie Keogh, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley, for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.
Available: 5 May 2026
April 19, 2026
The Housewife is a slow-burning thriller that has a constant sense of foreboding throughout. Diane is a complicated, troubled, and at times frustrating protagonist. Her life gradually unravels saturated with paranoia, mystery, and fear. Is she being stalked, or is her mind playing evil tricks on her? “Hindsight, she thought as she drained the glass, was a wonderful curse.” Diane is continually questioning her reality. Is she losing her mind or is something more sinister at play? I was interested in Diane’s challenging pursuit of the truth. Some of her choices were questionable and made me exasperated. The surprising conclusion cleverly brings this thriller to a twisted ending. Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ummm.... this was absolutely just a mystery, and a predictable one, for lack of a better word. It was also a heartbreaking story; the ending feels rushed. but I enjoyed it anyway.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
Boldwood and I are steadily becoming best friends🤞🏻 thank you so much for the widget 🩵💙❤️
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
Boldwood and I are steadily becoming best friends🤞🏻 thank you so much for the widget 🩵💙❤️
February 6, 2019
I was really excited to dig into this novel. The synopsis sounded really good and I was expecting to be sitting on the edge of my seat while reading this book...Well it turns out it was not my cup of tea (*sight*). However I need to be honest and say that I am rarely happy with mystery/thriller/suspense novels...It seems that my taste in this genre is a little too demanding or I am just a reader that is hard to satisfy. There are not a lot of books out there in this genre that I would give 5 starts to, so this said I would give 3 starts to “The Housewife”. What did not work for me is the drawn out and repetitive behavior of the main character. Also it seems that lately I’ve read a lot of novels where the main heroine drinks a lot of alcohol (mostly wine) and takes a lot of different pills which causes her to blackout and sleep a lot (go figure *gasp*). Maybe this is the new formula for the main character of mystery/thriller/suspense novels, but sadly, it is not working for me anymore. What I really liked about this book is the finale. I think the author did good job at getting everything tied up and she even left a little cliffhanger at the end (maybe a sequel is in works?).
I would like to thank NetGalley, Valerie Keogh, and Bookouture Publisher for giving me a chance to read an advance reader copy of this novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Valerie Keogh, and Bookouture Publisher for giving me a chance to read an advance reader copy of this novel.
April 24, 2019
Diane has a loving husband an adorable daughter and appears to have a happy content life but is actually recovering from a break down and is still missing parts of her memory.Soon Diane starts noticing strange things around her and and a mystery stalker that keeps showing up making Diane believe that she might be losing her mind.
The Housewife by Valerie Keogh is really good psychological fast addictive read which I enjoyed but felt the ending was a little rushed. Overall a fun entertaining read.
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
The Housewife by Valerie Keogh is really good psychological fast addictive read which I enjoyed but felt the ending was a little rushed. Overall a fun entertaining read.
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
February 21, 2019
This was one of the fastest reads in recent times. The book started with Diane living her routine life as a housewife caring for her husband, child and maintaining her home. On the surface, it all seemed ideal, but Diane was different, there was a gap in her memory. She couldn't remember a few months of her life, she had blackouts... Till she started hearing a child cry, and a mystery woman seemed to be stalking her. Was she remembering something or was she losing her mind?
Valerie Keogh's writing has an enticing quality which pulled me in from the very beginning. There was this impending sense of something about to unravel which was weaved in the entire book. Certain parts of the plot were easy to guess, but it was the way the words were placed which made me continue with the story.
I didn't like the main character Diane but I kept urging her from the sidelines to get to the bottom of the story. The few red herrings did their job of distracting me and taking me down the merry lane. Oh there were a few niggles, the main character took 2 tablets of antidepressants, 2 of painkillers, and a bottle of wine practically every single day and passed out on bed. They all felt repetitive. The whole book rested on her, and she was not dynamic. The other characters were equally unlikable.
All my love for this story is for Valerie's writing because it was so addictive that it made me read the book in 3 hours flat.
Valerie Keogh's writing has an enticing quality which pulled me in from the very beginning. There was this impending sense of something about to unravel which was weaved in the entire book. Certain parts of the plot were easy to guess, but it was the way the words were placed which made me continue with the story.
I didn't like the main character Diane but I kept urging her from the sidelines to get to the bottom of the story. The few red herrings did their job of distracting me and taking me down the merry lane. Oh there were a few niggles, the main character took 2 tablets of antidepressants, 2 of painkillers, and a bottle of wine practically every single day and passed out on bed. They all felt repetitive. The whole book rested on her, and she was not dynamic. The other characters were equally unlikable.
All my love for this story is for Valerie's writing because it was so addictive that it made me read the book in 3 hours flat.
February 13, 2019
This is an engrossing book. It’s is a little slow and repetitive in the beginning but yet the need to keep reading and trying to understand what happened is unavoidable. Diane’s past is very mysterious, you keep reading more and yet have no idea what happened to Diane and how she ended up in the clinic. It is a dark psychological mystery that you simply can’t put down.
I enjoyed this book but I have serious issues with the lead character Diane. I don’t understand the irresponsible behavior shown by Diane; she’s just out of a clinic, has no idea how she ended up there, feels like she’s losing her grip on sanity and yet she’ll take more sleeping pills and painkillers than she should and she’ll mix them with alcohol too! It makes no sense to me to see someone desperate to find their truth yet so reckless with medication knowing fully well that it makes it harder for them to be alert and aware. Her behavior made me actually like her less instead of making me feel sympathetic to her. Also hard for me to swallow was how she hid things from her husband and how instead of being honest or even confrontational about the distance Paul put between them she chose to ignore it or play along so to say. She decides to put her trust in Anne but not once does she actually look her up on the internet to find out more about her especially when she says she’s an author of 8 books! She registers that Anne must be successful only when she sees her house. All of this behavior is beyond the realm of reality for me. I found that I was getting more and more annoyed by Diane as the plot moved along. Kudos to the author for creating an unlikable yet vulnerable character.
At the climax I did feel sympathy for Diane and I truly felt bad for her. The epilogue was a good way to leave the book almost hanging and a perfect segue to a sequel perhaps.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley, #TheHousewife
Also shared on: https://romasharma.blogspot.com
Merged review:
3.5 Stars
This is an engrossing book. It’s is a little slow and repetitive in the beginning but yet the need to keep reading and trying to understand what happened is unavoidable. Diane’s past is very mysterious, you keep reading more and yet have no idea what happened to Diane and how she ended up in the clinic. It is a dark psychological mystery that you simply can’t put down.
I enjoyed this book but I have serious issues with the lead character Diane. I don’t understand the irresponsible behavior shown by Diane; she’s just out of a clinic, has no idea how she ended up there, feels like she’s losing her grip on sanity and yet she’ll take more sleeping pills and painkillers than she should and she’ll mix them with alcohol too! It makes no sense to me to see someone desperate to find their truth yet so reckless with medication knowing fully well that it makes it harder for them to be alert and aware. Her behavior made me actually like her less instead of making me feel sympathetic to her. Also hard for me to swallow was how she hid things from her husband and how instead of being honest or even confrontational about the distance Paul put between them she chose to ignore it or play along so to say. She decides to put her trust in Anne but not once does she actually look her up on the internet to find out more about her especially when she says she’s an author of 8 books! She registers that Anne must be successful only when she sees her house. All of this behavior is beyond the realm of reality for me. I found that I was getting more and more annoyed by Diane as the plot moved along. Kudos to the author for creating an unlikable yet vulnerable character.
At the climax I did feel sympathy for Diane and I truly felt bad for her. The epilogue was a good way to leave the book almost hanging and a perfect segue to a sequel perhaps.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley, #TheHousewife
Also shared on: https://romasharma.blogspot.com
I enjoyed this book but I have serious issues with the lead character Diane. I don’t understand the irresponsible behavior shown by Diane; she’s just out of a clinic, has no idea how she ended up there, feels like she’s losing her grip on sanity and yet she’ll take more sleeping pills and painkillers than she should and she’ll mix them with alcohol too! It makes no sense to me to see someone desperate to find their truth yet so reckless with medication knowing fully well that it makes it harder for them to be alert and aware. Her behavior made me actually like her less instead of making me feel sympathetic to her. Also hard for me to swallow was how she hid things from her husband and how instead of being honest or even confrontational about the distance Paul put between them she chose to ignore it or play along so to say. She decides to put her trust in Anne but not once does she actually look her up on the internet to find out more about her especially when she says she’s an author of 8 books! She registers that Anne must be successful only when she sees her house. All of this behavior is beyond the realm of reality for me. I found that I was getting more and more annoyed by Diane as the plot moved along. Kudos to the author for creating an unlikable yet vulnerable character.
At the climax I did feel sympathy for Diane and I truly felt bad for her. The epilogue was a good way to leave the book almost hanging and a perfect segue to a sequel perhaps.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley, #TheHousewife
Also shared on: https://romasharma.blogspot.com
Merged review:
3.5 Stars
This is an engrossing book. It’s is a little slow and repetitive in the beginning but yet the need to keep reading and trying to understand what happened is unavoidable. Diane’s past is very mysterious, you keep reading more and yet have no idea what happened to Diane and how she ended up in the clinic. It is a dark psychological mystery that you simply can’t put down.
I enjoyed this book but I have serious issues with the lead character Diane. I don’t understand the irresponsible behavior shown by Diane; she’s just out of a clinic, has no idea how she ended up there, feels like she’s losing her grip on sanity and yet she’ll take more sleeping pills and painkillers than she should and she’ll mix them with alcohol too! It makes no sense to me to see someone desperate to find their truth yet so reckless with medication knowing fully well that it makes it harder for them to be alert and aware. Her behavior made me actually like her less instead of making me feel sympathetic to her. Also hard for me to swallow was how she hid things from her husband and how instead of being honest or even confrontational about the distance Paul put between them she chose to ignore it or play along so to say. She decides to put her trust in Anne but not once does she actually look her up on the internet to find out more about her especially when she says she’s an author of 8 books! She registers that Anne must be successful only when she sees her house. All of this behavior is beyond the realm of reality for me. I found that I was getting more and more annoyed by Diane as the plot moved along. Kudos to the author for creating an unlikable yet vulnerable character.
At the climax I did feel sympathy for Diane and I truly felt bad for her. The epilogue was a good way to leave the book almost hanging and a perfect segue to a sequel perhaps.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley, #TheHousewife
Also shared on: https://romasharma.blogspot.com
March 5, 2019
Diane and her husband have a perfect marriage, perfect home, and perfect little girl. But Diane’s breakdown caused a rift in their relationship, and no matter how hard she tries, she feels him drifting further away.
As Diane enrolls their little one in preschool, she sees a mysterious woman. Diane begins to unravel, growing increasingly more erratic in her behavior. She drinks more, sleeps less, and becomes suspicious of her husband, and feels the mystery woman is trying to cause Diane to relapse mentally.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.
As Diane enrolls their little one in preschool, she sees a mysterious woman. Diane begins to unravel, growing increasingly more erratic in her behavior. She drinks more, sleeps less, and becomes suspicious of her husband, and feels the mystery woman is trying to cause Diane to relapse mentally.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.
May 2, 2026
This started off quite well but seemed to fizzle. I got quite frustrated with the wife as she was so lame and couldn't get herself together. Her husband was very manipulative which she couldn't see and was quite happy to be controlled by him. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
February 14, 2019
I did raise my eyebrows at the title of this book; does anyone use that title anymore? Overall this was a good read, although I did find the narrative a little clunky in places and a number of the domestic scenes were very repetitive, particularly those about breakfast.
After a very short relationship, Diane has married Paul, left her job in IT and moved to his house in London. We soon discover that Diane has suffered some kind of breakdown and memory loss, and now stays at home to care for her small daughter, Emma. Her life starts to unravel after Paul insists that Emma starts nursery and Diane has too much time on her hands. She volunteers to work for a local charity and it is when a customer comes in and looks at her in total horror, that she begins to wonder what has and what is happening to her? This is compounded when she sees the same woman watching her house and watching her when she takes Emma to nursery.
Diane’s already fragile state becomes more brittle as she begins to hear, or imagine, the cries of a baby. Is Diane imagining the woman and the crying baby or is there someone out there who means to do her harm? Rather predictably Diane then begins to self-medicate with alcohol and pills, which enhance her paranoia. This seems to be rather a theme in domestic, psychological thrillers at the moment.
I may sound rather critical as this is a good story but with a less than unexpected ending.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
After a very short relationship, Diane has married Paul, left her job in IT and moved to his house in London. We soon discover that Diane has suffered some kind of breakdown and memory loss, and now stays at home to care for her small daughter, Emma. Her life starts to unravel after Paul insists that Emma starts nursery and Diane has too much time on her hands. She volunteers to work for a local charity and it is when a customer comes in and looks at her in total horror, that she begins to wonder what has and what is happening to her? This is compounded when she sees the same woman watching her house and watching her when she takes Emma to nursery.
Diane’s already fragile state becomes more brittle as she begins to hear, or imagine, the cries of a baby. Is Diane imagining the woman and the crying baby or is there someone out there who means to do her harm? Rather predictably Diane then begins to self-medicate with alcohol and pills, which enhance her paranoia. This seems to be rather a theme in domestic, psychological thrillers at the moment.
I may sound rather critical as this is a good story but with a less than unexpected ending.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
April 3, 2019
Diane and Paul are married, live in a lovely home in London and have a 3-year-old daughter named Emma. All should be wonderful in their world, but alas, things are not what they seem. Diane is recently returned from a short stay in a psychiatric center after having a breakdown. She can't remember what put her in the place and her husband says that the doctors want Diane's memories to return at her own pace. Diane tries to get back into her role as wife and mother but strange things start happening. She sees a woman hovering nearby and believes that she is being stalked. She drinks a lot, forgets things, and can't sleep so she's exhausted all the time. She hears the sound of a baby crying. Her one-loved lounge is a room that now fills her with fear. Diane is a freaking mess but somehow she knows that her husband is behind all of this and wonders, to what end? NO SPOILERS.
You've read this book before and there are no surprises here. It's typical psychological fiction -- the kind where you want to shake the main character and scoff at the unrealistic situations that keep occurring. I didn't like Diane nor any of the other one-dimensional characters in the book. This one just didn't do it for me though I was able to get through it quickly. Lots of repetition and the incessant mental angsting that I find hard to swallow. I may be reaching my last straw with domestic and psychological fiction so perhaps it's just me feeling like there's nothing new in this sub genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
You've read this book before and there are no surprises here. It's typical psychological fiction -- the kind where you want to shake the main character and scoff at the unrealistic situations that keep occurring. I didn't like Diane nor any of the other one-dimensional characters in the book. This one just didn't do it for me though I was able to get through it quickly. Lots of repetition and the incessant mental angsting that I find hard to swallow. I may be reaching my last straw with domestic and psychological fiction so perhaps it's just me feeling like there's nothing new in this sub genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
February 11, 2020
The Housewife is a domestic noir thriller. Diane a doting housewife and mother to Emma, feels that she is being stalked. Who is this woman following her? Is she really there or is it all in her head? Diane is pushed to the point of no return; she’s on the edge of another breakdown. Will she get a grasp on reality and the truth or is it too late? 3.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is one of those books that instantly wraps you in a sense of dread as you turn the pages. I really appreciate the author's style, where the mysteries unfold slowly, leaving you guessing about what’s actually going on until the very end. As you read, you're constantly wondering, “What is happening here?”
Diane encounters a mysterious figure in a charity shop that triggers dark memories. As she begins to forget critical details, such as securing her home and picking up her daughter, feelings of terror engulf her. She believes this woman may know about her past. Doubting her own sanity, she struggles with the haunting notion of a baby crying while grappling with the uncertainty of her reality...
We meet Diane, her husband Paul, and their daughter Emma. From the outset, I was eager to learn more about Diane, but the fog surrounding her character kept me in suspense. The author gives just enough tantalizing hints to keep you hooked. Paul, on the other hand, raises several red flags. Diane seems to be bending over backwards to be the perfect wife, and some of his remarks really grated on me. Seriously, it’s the 21st century—give your wife a little freedom! The whole situation left me utterly puzzled about what was truly happening. As events unfold, we really take off! I felt a deep empathy for Diane as events unfolded, sending her emotions into a tailspin. You can’t help but wonder if she’s losing her grip on reality! The dread and confusion are crafted to draw you in from the start.
And then there’s Emma, the sweet girl who makes a strangely unsettling comment that makes you think, “Wait, what?” Everything happening in the story is so vivid that I felt like I was right there, witnessing it all unfold, just itching to shout, “Someone help this poor woman!” Books that evoke such feelings of tension really get my blood boiling, in a good way, and I can't resist reading on, eager to uncover why everything feels so bizarre and chilling. At one point, I found myself suspicious of everyone! I was left questioning whom to trust and what was real versus what was a lie. Keeping track of it all became quite a mental exercise!
This read is perfect for anyone who enjoys an intense story that will keep them up late into the night. If you’re a fan of mind games, deceit, and high-stakes drama, you’ll find this book right up your alley. The level of manipulation is astounding, and I’m all in for it! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check my wine cabinet because it feels awfully full! Ha!
Thank you, Boldwood Books and NetGalley, for the DRC widget. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Diane encounters a mysterious figure in a charity shop that triggers dark memories. As she begins to forget critical details, such as securing her home and picking up her daughter, feelings of terror engulf her. She believes this woman may know about her past. Doubting her own sanity, she struggles with the haunting notion of a baby crying while grappling with the uncertainty of her reality...
We meet Diane, her husband Paul, and their daughter Emma. From the outset, I was eager to learn more about Diane, but the fog surrounding her character kept me in suspense. The author gives just enough tantalizing hints to keep you hooked. Paul, on the other hand, raises several red flags. Diane seems to be bending over backwards to be the perfect wife, and some of his remarks really grated on me. Seriously, it’s the 21st century—give your wife a little freedom! The whole situation left me utterly puzzled about what was truly happening. As events unfold, we really take off! I felt a deep empathy for Diane as events unfolded, sending her emotions into a tailspin. You can’t help but wonder if she’s losing her grip on reality! The dread and confusion are crafted to draw you in from the start.
And then there’s Emma, the sweet girl who makes a strangely unsettling comment that makes you think, “Wait, what?” Everything happening in the story is so vivid that I felt like I was right there, witnessing it all unfold, just itching to shout, “Someone help this poor woman!” Books that evoke such feelings of tension really get my blood boiling, in a good way, and I can't resist reading on, eager to uncover why everything feels so bizarre and chilling. At one point, I found myself suspicious of everyone! I was left questioning whom to trust and what was real versus what was a lie. Keeping track of it all became quite a mental exercise!
This read is perfect for anyone who enjoys an intense story that will keep them up late into the night. If you’re a fan of mind games, deceit, and high-stakes drama, you’ll find this book right up your alley. The level of manipulation is astounding, and I’m all in for it! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check my wine cabinet because it feels awfully full! Ha!
Thank you, Boldwood Books and NetGalley, for the DRC widget. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 27, 2019
My second book by this author and I was as charmed by it as I was by the first one.
It’s rather slow paced but the amosphere the author creates is so bewitching that you have to keep on reading. She keeps the past in the dark and by doing so she makes sure you can’t put the book away.
There were a lot of characters created to fit the role of suspect, but who was the enemy and who was a friend?
And then the ending … I kept tapping on my Kindle … no avail. The story was finished, but I did not want it to yet!!!
Although it was not the most suspenseful psychological thriller I have read lately, it was a good and intriguing read that I really enjoyed. 4 stars.
Thank you, Valerie Keogh, Bookouture and Netgalley.
Book received courtesy of publisher/author
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
It’s rather slow paced but the amosphere the author creates is so bewitching that you have to keep on reading. She keeps the past in the dark and by doing so she makes sure you can’t put the book away.
There were a lot of characters created to fit the role of suspect, but who was the enemy and who was a friend?
And then the ending … I kept tapping on my Kindle … no avail. The story was finished, but I did not want it to yet!!!
Although it was not the most suspenseful psychological thriller I have read lately, it was a good and intriguing read that I really enjoyed. 4 stars.
Thank you, Valerie Keogh, Bookouture and Netgalley.
Book received courtesy of publisher/author
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
March 3, 2019
This is the exhausting, boring and frustrating book I've read in a long time. Every day in the story the wife does the same things in minute detail- she makes breakfast, takes her child to nursery, picks her up, brings her home for lunch and a nap, makes dinner, drinks too much wine, hides the bottles, and is left alone by her husband. The story takes place in between these events.
The only reason I stayed with it was to see "who dunnit" and when I got to the blessed end, the book had no clear resolution. I knew who was responsible but there was no ending that told us the rest of the story.
I felt cheated, like I had wasted 3 days of reading and was very disappointed.
The only reason I stayed with it was to see "who dunnit" and when I got to the blessed end, the book had no clear resolution. I knew who was responsible but there was no ending that told us the rest of the story.
I felt cheated, like I had wasted 3 days of reading and was very disappointed.
March 1, 2019
Review can be found on my blog here: https://booksonthebookshelf.wordpress...
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The Housewife was an addictive, gripping story from the very beginning. What better than a main character, Diane, who is unpredictable and unreliable. Diane has a spotty memory, and forgets things on a daily basis, and this only added to the thrill and excitement of the book. I found myself turning the pages to see what would happen next. I was unable to put this book down and I devoured it.
Diane had a previous breakdown of which she has no memory of. She was seeing a therapist and herself and her husband hope that she is on the road to recovery. Diane and her husband believe that slowly bits and pieces of her memory will start to come back to her and she will be able to get her memory back. However, things happen that make Diane paranoid, fearful and she believes she is beginning to lose her mind.
Will Diane recover her memory? What exactly happened for her to lose her memory? Why did she have a breakdown?
A great psychological thriller that is sure to be a hit with book lovers.
....
The Housewife was an addictive, gripping story from the very beginning. What better than a main character, Diane, who is unpredictable and unreliable. Diane has a spotty memory, and forgets things on a daily basis, and this only added to the thrill and excitement of the book. I found myself turning the pages to see what would happen next. I was unable to put this book down and I devoured it.
Diane had a previous breakdown of which she has no memory of. She was seeing a therapist and herself and her husband hope that she is on the road to recovery. Diane and her husband believe that slowly bits and pieces of her memory will start to come back to her and she will be able to get her memory back. However, things happen that make Diane paranoid, fearful and she believes she is beginning to lose her mind.
Will Diane recover her memory? What exactly happened for her to lose her memory? Why did she have a breakdown?
A great psychological thriller that is sure to be a hit with book lovers.
February 25, 2019
My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of Valerie Keogh’s domestic noir ‘The Housewife’.
Diane Andrews has recently had a breakdown though is now back home and getting herself together but has memory issues regarding the time leading up to her hospitalisation. Her husband, Paul, insists that their 3-year old Emma start attending a pre-school nursery even though Diane is a stay-at-home mum.
After Emma begins to attend the nursery Diane decides to take on a part-time volunteer position at a charity shop. However, on her first day a customer has a strange reaction to her and flees the shop. After that Diane starts seeing the same woman everywhere: standing outside her house, watching as she picks up Emma from school. Other strange things keep happening which I won’t go into but Diane is pretty upset. Add to this Paul is very distant.
Once started I pretty much was unable to stop reading. Keogh really captures the sense of a cascade of thoughts and apparent events that are quickly driving her protagonist Diane to the edge of a relapse. I really felt for her. Plus, although Diane seemed to have a starry-eyed attitude towards Paul based upon their early relationship, I just found him a complete control freak.
There was a fair amount of repetition in terms of Diane’s daily routine but for me this added to the sense of how trapped she was feeling and that cascade effect. I would have liked a bit more in the epilogue.
Diane Andrews has recently had a breakdown though is now back home and getting herself together but has memory issues regarding the time leading up to her hospitalisation. Her husband, Paul, insists that their 3-year old Emma start attending a pre-school nursery even though Diane is a stay-at-home mum.
After Emma begins to attend the nursery Diane decides to take on a part-time volunteer position at a charity shop. However, on her first day a customer has a strange reaction to her and flees the shop. After that Diane starts seeing the same woman everywhere: standing outside her house, watching as she picks up Emma from school. Other strange things keep happening which I won’t go into but Diane is pretty upset. Add to this Paul is very distant.
Once started I pretty much was unable to stop reading. Keogh really captures the sense of a cascade of thoughts and apparent events that are quickly driving her protagonist Diane to the edge of a relapse. I really felt for her. Plus, although Diane seemed to have a starry-eyed attitude towards Paul based upon their early relationship, I just found him a complete control freak.
There was a fair amount of repetition in terms of Diane’s daily routine but for me this added to the sense of how trapped she was feeling and that cascade effect. I would have liked a bit more in the epilogue.
April 25, 2026
This was a quick and engaging read! If you’re looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller that will keep you guessing, this is definitely worth a try. Sometimes, we suppress difficult memories. This story explores motherhood and the lengths one might go to prove their sanity.
Diane fell in love quickly, and within two months, they were married and pregnant. However, she has a time she can’t remember, and her husband wants to keep her in that bubble. Strange things begin happening that she can’t explain. Despite these strange occurrences, she’s certain she’s not crazy. This is a page-turning roller coaster of a read. I highly recommend it to any mom who loves reading and their children, but sometimes feels like life gets crazy.
Diane fell in love quickly, and within two months, they were married and pregnant. However, she has a time she can’t remember, and her husband wants to keep her in that bubble. Strange things begin happening that she can’t explain. Despite these strange occurrences, she’s certain she’s not crazy. This is a page-turning roller coaster of a read. I highly recommend it to any mom who loves reading and their children, but sometimes feels like life gets crazy.
February 28, 2019
Oooh this was a good one. Plenty of secrets, twists and turns. I really felt sorry for Diane throughout, she obviously had a hidden past she couldnt uncover and felt unloved. She is a strong, determined character. Emma is a little cutie! Anne is a great friend to have, I loved her character!
Towards the end it starts to heat up and wow! A jaw dropping, shocking, unexpected outcome. Us mothers would do anything for our children and she did just that. Towards the end the story highlights an issue that is still evident and still happens to this day which is heart breaking and real.
Brilliantly written. Easy to read. Short chapters. Fast paced. I needed to find out answers for poor Diane. A well deserved four stars. Highly recommend.
Towards the end it starts to heat up and wow! A jaw dropping, shocking, unexpected outcome. Us mothers would do anything for our children and she did just that. Towards the end the story highlights an issue that is still evident and still happens to this day which is heart breaking and real.
Brilliantly written. Easy to read. Short chapters. Fast paced. I needed to find out answers for poor Diane. A well deserved four stars. Highly recommend.
April 13, 2023
Amazing, gripping an absolute must read
Wow where to start.
Anne is a young woman, married and with a toddler. She's also just come out of a clinic having suffered from a breakdown.
Anne becomes conscious of someone a lady following her but can't prove anything or say anything to her husband for fear he'll believe she's having another breakdown...
This book was brilliant. An exciting plot likeable MC who you have to have total empathy with.
The ending was tragic to know what had caused the breakdown A gripping psychological thriller displaying how easy it can be to play with someone's mind
If there is a book you need to read,. It's this book.
Kerry Kennedy Author
Wow where to start.
Anne is a young woman, married and with a toddler. She's also just come out of a clinic having suffered from a breakdown.
Anne becomes conscious of someone a lady following her but can't prove anything or say anything to her husband for fear he'll believe she's having another breakdown...
This book was brilliant. An exciting plot likeable MC who you have to have total empathy with.
The ending was tragic to know what had caused the breakdown A gripping psychological thriller displaying how easy it can be to play with someone's mind
If there is a book you need to read,. It's this book.
Kerry Kennedy Author
May 1, 2026
Hmmm, there was so much wrong with this I don’t even know where to start.
The main thing that bugged me was the loss of time that kept happening. Diane had two timings she had to keep, taking her daughter to school and picking her up. She had 4 hours in-between, and I lost count of how many times she would just be sitting thinking and all of a sudden, she was late for picking Emma up. It drove me insane.
The repetition throughout the book was also infuriating; she’d get up, make breakfast, get Emma ready, take her to school, come home etc. etc. etc.
The poor kid as well, she spent her life on the sofa whether that be sleeping, watching tv or having a book read to her, she rarely left the sofa! She was also the most well-behaved kid in the universe, going to sleep at the exact same time of day and night and never waking until needed! The only time she misbehaved was when her mum tried to rescue her from wandering into the road, and she screamed the place down, which meant Diane was the bad guy. This made no sense.
Despite all of this, I was still gripped by the book, I thought a humdinger of a shock at the end would reward the repetitiveness, so it kept me reading. I was bitterly disappointed. It was more an ‘oh ok’ moment, nothing shocking about it at all. The reasoning behind the stalker was very weak and could have been so much better. The reveal of why she’d had the breakdown was slightly better but still fell a bit flat. It was hard to summon up any emotions for the situation or sympathy for Diane by this point.
The epilogue was frustrating; I just didn’t see the point to it; I was expecting more of the issues she had with Paul to be resolved and how she was now living her life a few months later. Instead, we get a very strange cliffhanger that I hope wasn’t a prelude to a prequel!
So, overall a very disappointing book that I had high hopes for. I’d missed out on reading this when it was released, but it had gotten so much hype at the time I was expecting big things from it. I’m giving it three stars just because it did keep me gripped and guessing, but really due to the disappointing side of things, it should only get two, so I’m being over-generous.
2026 Review (and now I know why it felt so similar because I'd read it before and completely forgot I had as it was so unrememberable!):
The Housewife by Valerie Keogh wasn’t great, and unfortunately, it felt like a story I have read far too many times before.
It has that very familiar set-up of a woman who is isolated, paranoid, not being believed, with no real support system around her, and slowly spiralling as things begin to unravel. She is falling asleep at the wrong times, being late to collect her daughter, questioning herself, and generally feeling like she is losing her grip on everything. On paper, that sort of storyline can work really well if there is enough tension or originality behind it, but here it just felt too much like a trope I have come across again and again. There wasn’t enough to make it stand apart or make me feel properly invested in her situation.
The main reason I persevered was because I wanted to know what had happened to get her committed in the first place. That was the hook that kept me reading, as I thought there must be something quite shocking or clever coming, but I’m afraid the reveal just wasn’t worth the wait for me. After all the build-up, it landed quite flat, and I felt a bit disappointed that I had pushed through, hoping for more.
A lot of the book felt like the protagonist repeating the same actions over and over again, without the story really moving forward in a meaningful way. It became a bit of a slog because the same worries, mistakes and situations seemed to be going round in circles. Then, when the ending did finally come, it felt very rushed compared to how long it had taken to get there. It was almost as though we had spent ages stuck in the same place, only for everything to suddenly be wrapped up quickly at the end.
The one positive I will say is that it was an easy and quick read. The writing itself flowed well enough, and there weren’t any difficult or awkward moments to get through in terms of the actual reading experience. It wasn’t badly written, and I didn’t struggle with the style. For me, it was the story itself that let the book down. It just didn’t have enough oomph or meat to it, and I wanted something with more depth, more tension, and a reveal that made the journey feel worthwhile.
Overall, this was readable enough as a quick thriller, but it didn’t offer anything new for me. It felt unoriginal, predictable in its set-up, and too repetitive in the middle. I kept waiting for it to become more gripping, but sadly, it never really got there.
The main thing that bugged me was the loss of time that kept happening. Diane had two timings she had to keep, taking her daughter to school and picking her up. She had 4 hours in-between, and I lost count of how many times she would just be sitting thinking and all of a sudden, she was late for picking Emma up. It drove me insane.
The repetition throughout the book was also infuriating; she’d get up, make breakfast, get Emma ready, take her to school, come home etc. etc. etc.
The poor kid as well, she spent her life on the sofa whether that be sleeping, watching tv or having a book read to her, she rarely left the sofa! She was also the most well-behaved kid in the universe, going to sleep at the exact same time of day and night and never waking until needed! The only time she misbehaved was when her mum tried to rescue her from wandering into the road, and she screamed the place down, which meant Diane was the bad guy. This made no sense.
Despite all of this, I was still gripped by the book, I thought a humdinger of a shock at the end would reward the repetitiveness, so it kept me reading. I was bitterly disappointed. It was more an ‘oh ok’ moment, nothing shocking about it at all. The reasoning behind the stalker was very weak and could have been so much better. The reveal of why she’d had the breakdown was slightly better but still fell a bit flat. It was hard to summon up any emotions for the situation or sympathy for Diane by this point.
The epilogue was frustrating; I just didn’t see the point to it; I was expecting more of the issues she had with Paul to be resolved and how she was now living her life a few months later. Instead, we get a very strange cliffhanger that I hope wasn’t a prelude to a prequel!
So, overall a very disappointing book that I had high hopes for. I’d missed out on reading this when it was released, but it had gotten so much hype at the time I was expecting big things from it. I’m giving it three stars just because it did keep me gripped and guessing, but really due to the disappointing side of things, it should only get two, so I’m being over-generous.
2026 Review (and now I know why it felt so similar because I'd read it before and completely forgot I had as it was so unrememberable!):
The Housewife by Valerie Keogh wasn’t great, and unfortunately, it felt like a story I have read far too many times before.
It has that very familiar set-up of a woman who is isolated, paranoid, not being believed, with no real support system around her, and slowly spiralling as things begin to unravel. She is falling asleep at the wrong times, being late to collect her daughter, questioning herself, and generally feeling like she is losing her grip on everything. On paper, that sort of storyline can work really well if there is enough tension or originality behind it, but here it just felt too much like a trope I have come across again and again. There wasn’t enough to make it stand apart or make me feel properly invested in her situation.
The main reason I persevered was because I wanted to know what had happened to get her committed in the first place. That was the hook that kept me reading, as I thought there must be something quite shocking or clever coming, but I’m afraid the reveal just wasn’t worth the wait for me. After all the build-up, it landed quite flat, and I felt a bit disappointed that I had pushed through, hoping for more.
A lot of the book felt like the protagonist repeating the same actions over and over again, without the story really moving forward in a meaningful way. It became a bit of a slog because the same worries, mistakes and situations seemed to be going round in circles. Then, when the ending did finally come, it felt very rushed compared to how long it had taken to get there. It was almost as though we had spent ages stuck in the same place, only for everything to suddenly be wrapped up quickly at the end.
The one positive I will say is that it was an easy and quick read. The writing itself flowed well enough, and there weren’t any difficult or awkward moments to get through in terms of the actual reading experience. It wasn’t badly written, and I didn’t struggle with the style. For me, it was the story itself that let the book down. It just didn’t have enough oomph or meat to it, and I wanted something with more depth, more tension, and a reveal that made the journey feel worthwhile.
Overall, this was readable enough as a quick thriller, but it didn’t offer anything new for me. It felt unoriginal, predictable in its set-up, and too repetitive in the middle. I kept waiting for it to become more gripping, but sadly, it never really got there.
March 5, 2019
Diane is a stay at home housewife, looking after husband Paul and their three year old daughter Emma. They married after a whirlwind romance. Diane has recently had a mental breakdown and even now she is back at home she is still having trouble remembering events that happened to cause this. When Paul decides that Emma should go to a nursery, Diane becomes a part time volunteer at a charity shop and there sees a mysterious woman, who triggers something in her memory. Who is this woman? Why does she keep disappearing and reappearing? Are her family in danger? Why does she keep hearing a child cry? Is she heading for another breakdown? This is a slow building and creepy book that you have to keep reading and will leave you breathless with a totally unexpected ending. A highly recommeded read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book
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Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book
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February 27, 2019
Diane and Paul Andrews had first met at a cafe near where she worked in Bristol and he worked and lived in London. Soon, they were spending weekends together and they quickly got married. They moved into Paul’s beautiful home in London. Diane got another job, but soon found she was pregnant. She couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed as life has changed so quickly. Now, they have Emma, age 3, and Paul has decided to enroll her at a local nursery.
Diane had been in a clinic for several weeks for a breakdown she suffered and now she cannot remember a large time period of the last year. The doctors want her to remember things on her own at her own pace. To help herself, she volunteers to work 3 days a week at a charity shop. But when an encounter with a strange woman upsets her, making her think that the woman is stalking her, things start to send her down a rabbit hole again. Before long, she starts hearing a baby cry in the house and she thinks she may be having another breakdown.
Wow! This is a really good story that pulled me right into the plot. I wondered about Diane’s sanity but admired her incredible love for her daughter, Emma. What is happening to this poor woman?
I cannot give any more information out about this book but just know the ending will smack you upside the head. It did me. Well done! Don’t miss reading this book. It’s fabulous.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Diane had been in a clinic for several weeks for a breakdown she suffered and now she cannot remember a large time period of the last year. The doctors want her to remember things on her own at her own pace. To help herself, she volunteers to work 3 days a week at a charity shop. But when an encounter with a strange woman upsets her, making her think that the woman is stalking her, things start to send her down a rabbit hole again. Before long, she starts hearing a baby cry in the house and she thinks she may be having another breakdown.
Wow! This is a really good story that pulled me right into the plot. I wondered about Diane’s sanity but admired her incredible love for her daughter, Emma. What is happening to this poor woman?
I cannot give any more information out about this book but just know the ending will smack you upside the head. It did me. Well done! Don’t miss reading this book. It’s fabulous.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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