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The Wife Who Knew Too Much
From Michele Campbell, the bestselling author of It's Always the Husband comes a new blockbuster thriller in The Wife Who Knew Too Much .
Meet the first Mrs. Ford
Beautiful. Accomplished.
Wealthy beyond imagination.
Married to a much younger man.
And now, she’s dead.
Meet the second Mrs. Ford.
Waitress. Small-town girl.
Married to a man she never forgot,
From a summer romance ten years before.
And now, she’s wealthy beyond imagination.
Who is Connor Ford?
Two women loved him. And knew him as only wives can know.
Set amongst the glittering mansions of the Hamptons,
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a decadent summer thriller about the lives of those who will do anything for love and money. Who is the victim? Who is the villain? And who will be next to die?
Meet the first Mrs. Ford
Beautiful. Accomplished.
Wealthy beyond imagination.
Married to a much younger man.
And now, she’s dead.
Meet the second Mrs. Ford.
Waitress. Small-town girl.
Married to a man she never forgot,
From a summer romance ten years before.
And now, she’s wealthy beyond imagination.
Who is Connor Ford?
Two women loved him. And knew him as only wives can know.
Set amongst the glittering mansions of the Hamptons,
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a decadent summer thriller about the lives of those who will do anything for love and money. Who is the victim? Who is the villain? And who will be next to die?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2020
1178 people are currently reading
23420 people want to read
About the author
Michele Campbell
10 books2,625 followersMichele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City who specialized in international narcotics and gang cases.
A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels.
She's had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her.
A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels.
She's had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,356 reviews
November 21, 2021
This is one of my records finishing a book in five freaking hours because I wanted to know what’s gonna happen next and I was over excited!!!!
I got emails or comments asking me out of the curiosity how I can read so many books in such a short time.
Well, I have three answers for that: Using same fast reading technique since I was a nerd college student who preferred beers and cheap tequila over great wine selections (nerdy moron), practice makes it perfect and if I get a fast pacing, heart throbbing, mind blowing thriller in my head, I obsessively read it till I finish it. Life stops! My obligations and responsibilities are needed to be procrastinated! I don’t sleep, don’t eat unless someone feed me, I only use my spare hand to raise my glass and drink more wine and I prefer adult diapers not to lose much time ( yeap, I used them with my big girl pants lately when I went to the theater to watch “Invisible Man” which I highly recommend and Elizabeth Moss is unique talent!)
So I have second thoughts about this book even though I really really really liked its fast paced, surprising, twisty, whirlwind, moving story. It started with as an angsty romance story about young lovers drifted apart because of a mean, heartless, rich and old witch!(Soap opera alerts!) Poor, young, naïve, genuine, sweet Tabitha, living with her grandparent working at the country club, serving to rich people caught attention of charming, popular Connor Ford.
They fell in love when they were young and innocent but Connor’s rich grandmother doesn’t approve their relationship. Class and social status differences tear them apart and after nearly 13 years, divorced, losing her job at hospital from a felony she didn’t commit, still poor, devastated Tabitha encounters with the love of her life at the restaurant she’s waitressing.
So far it was like a second chance romance story and you start making “aaawww” sounds and feel your heart warm with love and passion. But don’t do that!!! Because Connor married with a very rich, powerful and also neurotic and controlling, paranoid and jealous woman, yes we’re talking about redhead, 50 years old, stylish, paparazzis’ favorite celebrity Nina (if this would be a movie, I wish they cast Julianne Moore to play her. She would have killed it!) and at the beginning of the book, she tells us she thinks her husband has an affair and he wants her dead. Yes, Connor boy’s entire brownie scores destroyed by this statement, or “dear diary” confession!
I’m not spilling more beans! But as you may imagine, Nina is dead. Sweet Tabitha finds herself in a situation she is completely trapped and she has no way out and she is in love with Connor so badly but is she so naïve not to see his real face? Could he be killer? Or could she do something for crime of passion? Or tons of enemies did something to Nina? And as a last conclusion could Nina do something to herself and tease us from the beginning?
Overall: I have complex feelings about the book. Romance parts were still good and from the beginning even though she acted a little naïve, I believe in that Tabitha has golden heart and I empathize her deeply. She was the only good guy of the book.
But ending action packed parts were a little long and kept repeating itself. The conclusion was a little dissatisfying but it was still reasonable. But when it comes to whodunit part, it was so obvious, even though I shut down my spidey senses, I could easily find it because it seems like all the arrows show the perpetrator from the beginning. There were so many clue crumbles take us a short cut to Hansel& Gretel’s candy house! (In other words: it was so foreseeable to find whodunit!)
So my latest stars 3.5 but I really liked fast building high tension, Tabitha and dead wife’s POVed story telling, surprising twists, unexpected revelations. You feel like you’re running a marathon wearing two size smaller shoes and you want to keep running by ignoring the bleeding in your feet because you like view, you like pumping adrenaline into your veins and you’re drunk with endorphin.
That’s what this book made me feel. So as a result I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 and getting out of here!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me one of my favorite thriller author’s ARC in exchange my honest review.
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I got emails or comments asking me out of the curiosity how I can read so many books in such a short time.
Well, I have three answers for that: Using same fast reading technique since I was a nerd college student who preferred beers and cheap tequila over great wine selections (nerdy moron), practice makes it perfect and if I get a fast pacing, heart throbbing, mind blowing thriller in my head, I obsessively read it till I finish it. Life stops! My obligations and responsibilities are needed to be procrastinated! I don’t sleep, don’t eat unless someone feed me, I only use my spare hand to raise my glass and drink more wine and I prefer adult diapers not to lose much time ( yeap, I used them with my big girl pants lately when I went to the theater to watch “Invisible Man” which I highly recommend and Elizabeth Moss is unique talent!)
So I have second thoughts about this book even though I really really really liked its fast paced, surprising, twisty, whirlwind, moving story. It started with as an angsty romance story about young lovers drifted apart because of a mean, heartless, rich and old witch!(Soap opera alerts!) Poor, young, naïve, genuine, sweet Tabitha, living with her grandparent working at the country club, serving to rich people caught attention of charming, popular Connor Ford.
They fell in love when they were young and innocent but Connor’s rich grandmother doesn’t approve their relationship. Class and social status differences tear them apart and after nearly 13 years, divorced, losing her job at hospital from a felony she didn’t commit, still poor, devastated Tabitha encounters with the love of her life at the restaurant she’s waitressing.
So far it was like a second chance romance story and you start making “aaawww” sounds and feel your heart warm with love and passion. But don’t do that!!! Because Connor married with a very rich, powerful and also neurotic and controlling, paranoid and jealous woman, yes we’re talking about redhead, 50 years old, stylish, paparazzis’ favorite celebrity Nina (if this would be a movie, I wish they cast Julianne Moore to play her. She would have killed it!) and at the beginning of the book, she tells us she thinks her husband has an affair and he wants her dead. Yes, Connor boy’s entire brownie scores destroyed by this statement, or “dear diary” confession!
I’m not spilling more beans! But as you may imagine, Nina is dead. Sweet Tabitha finds herself in a situation she is completely trapped and she has no way out and she is in love with Connor so badly but is she so naïve not to see his real face? Could he be killer? Or could she do something for crime of passion? Or tons of enemies did something to Nina? And as a last conclusion could Nina do something to herself and tease us from the beginning?
Overall: I have complex feelings about the book. Romance parts were still good and from the beginning even though she acted a little naïve, I believe in that Tabitha has golden heart and I empathize her deeply. She was the only good guy of the book.
But ending action packed parts were a little long and kept repeating itself. The conclusion was a little dissatisfying but it was still reasonable. But when it comes to whodunit part, it was so obvious, even though I shut down my spidey senses, I could easily find it because it seems like all the arrows show the perpetrator from the beginning. There were so many clue crumbles take us a short cut to Hansel& Gretel’s candy house! (In other words: it was so foreseeable to find whodunit!)
So my latest stars 3.5 but I really liked fast building high tension, Tabitha and dead wife’s POVed story telling, surprising twists, unexpected revelations. You feel like you’re running a marathon wearing two size smaller shoes and you want to keep running by ignoring the bleeding in your feet because you like view, you like pumping adrenaline into your veins and you’re drunk with endorphin.
That’s what this book made me feel. So as a result I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 and getting out of here!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me one of my favorite thriller author’s ARC in exchange my honest review.
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July 27, 2020
Please. Everyone STOP trying to be Gone Girl. Gone Girl is Gone. It was great, I get it. But Y’all gonna make this genre gone if ya’ll don’t stop. Be gone with that mess. GONE, girl.
Shortest Summary Ever: Tabitha Girard remembers that summer when she was 17 and completely in love with Connor Ford - handsome, rich, and all hers. For a summer. Now she’s in her 30’s, waitressing and handsome Connor is sitting here. The one who got away. In her restaurant. But he’s married to Nina, a mega-wealthy, powerful woman. But their attraction is undeniable... thus begins a romance rekindled and when Nina takes her own life, it seems like everything will now come together for Tabitha. So why is it all falling apart?
My thoughts: Ugh.
I don’t cherish giving poor reviews but I’m going to be honest. The description of this book is so wrong. It’s more romance-y than mystery-y (new word points for me). Without spoilers I can say this - I despise stupid, foolish, naive but pretty female leads. They are annoying, and that was Tabitha.
(Uh-oh, I’m on a roll here) It’s clear from the tone the reader is supposed to feel for Tabitha, but that’s not the actual experience for me. She’s kind of an awful person. Connor has to swoop in to make her happy? Nooooo. And he’s kind of a jerk. The other is that the wife Nina doesn’t seem that neurotic or controlling to me as the jacket description claims (duh, her husband IS cheating), so her death was confusing. I felt bad for her but the writing seemed to assume the reader would be happy for Tabitha? Not spoilers - this is all in the jacket!
The redemption was that it was a fast read and the story did advance, though just not in any believable way for me. I just couldn’t get on board with this one.
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com
Genre: Chic Lit/domestic fiction.
Recommend to: If you can suspend a lot of disbelief, if you’ve pined for “the one who got away” this might be more enjoyable. It is a quick beach read.
Not recommended to: if you dislike weak female protagonists.
Thank you to the author Michele Campbell, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my always-honest review.
Shortest Summary Ever: Tabitha Girard remembers that summer when she was 17 and completely in love with Connor Ford - handsome, rich, and all hers. For a summer. Now she’s in her 30’s, waitressing and handsome Connor is sitting here. The one who got away. In her restaurant. But he’s married to Nina, a mega-wealthy, powerful woman. But their attraction is undeniable... thus begins a romance rekindled and when Nina takes her own life, it seems like everything will now come together for Tabitha. So why is it all falling apart?
My thoughts: Ugh.
I don’t cherish giving poor reviews but I’m going to be honest. The description of this book is so wrong. It’s more romance-y than mystery-y (new word points for me). Without spoilers I can say this - I despise stupid, foolish, naive but pretty female leads. They are annoying, and that was Tabitha.
(Uh-oh, I’m on a roll here) It’s clear from the tone the reader is supposed to feel for Tabitha, but that’s not the actual experience for me. She’s kind of an awful person. Connor has to swoop in to make her happy? Nooooo. And he’s kind of a jerk. The other is that the wife Nina doesn’t seem that neurotic or controlling to me as the jacket description claims (duh, her husband IS cheating), so her death was confusing. I felt bad for her but the writing seemed to assume the reader would be happy for Tabitha? Not spoilers - this is all in the jacket!
The redemption was that it was a fast read and the story did advance, though just not in any believable way for me. I just couldn’t get on board with this one.
All my reviews available at scrappymags.com
Genre: Chic Lit/domestic fiction.
Recommend to: If you can suspend a lot of disbelief, if you’ve pined for “the one who got away” this might be more enjoyable. It is a quick beach read.
Not recommended to: if you dislike weak female protagonists.
Thank you to the author Michele Campbell, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my always-honest review.
June 27, 2023
The Wife Who Knew Too Much was one of my most anticipated Domestic Thrillers of 2020.
I have enjoyed previous works from Campbell and was definitely hoping this would offer up the same level of high-intensity drama.
Unfortunately for me, I was disappointed. Please don't take this as meaning this is a bad story, however. It's not.
It's a good book, it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.
That tense drama I usually enjoy from Campbell was definitely, in my opinion, toeing the line of eye-roll territory.
We mainly follow protagonist, Tabitha Girard, a recent divorcee, who works as a waitress at a seen-better-days restaurant in rural New Hampshire.
She can't believe her eyes when one night, a blast from her past, Connor Ford, gets seated in her section; the very rich, very handsome guy who broke her teenage heart at the end of a summer fling. She has never forgotten him.
Connor's life has changed a lot since the last time he saw Tabby. For example, he's now married to an uber-wealthy older woman, Nina Leavitt.
He's a trophy husband, imagine that?! Or is he?
Once they circle back into each other's orbit, Connor and Tabby cannot get enough.
Cue the sappy music. Right around here was where it started to lose me.
Not long after their rekindled relationship, Nina Leavitt ends up face-down in her swimming pool after a lavish party. The incident is tentatively determined to be a suicide.
Soon after that, Connor and Tabby are married.
The icing on the cake, Tabby is pregnant with Connor's baby, the timeline of which making it clear that the two of them were together prior to Nina's untimely death.
As you can imagine, Connor is desperate to keep that hidden. Due to an air-tight prenuptial agreement, he stands to lose the entire fortune if suspicions of infidelity, and possibly even murder, fall upon him.
I won't belabor the point, this just wasn't the book for me. It's fun for what it is.
Campbell's writing style is fast and smooth, making this a good, light weekend read. It's not offending in any way, the content just wasn't to my tastes.
My main complaint was the relationship. I just wasn't buying it. For one thing, cheating tropes, like the one here, really get under my skin.
I also found Tabby to be lame and annoying, while Connor is just a jerk. I didn't even understand why they would want to be together, besides the fact that they were purportedly both ridiculously good looking.
With all this being said, I'm not mad I read this book. I will continue to pick up anything Michele Campbell writes.
She has an addicting style and I'm here for it.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity.
As always, just because this book didn't necessarily work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. There's a Reader for every book!!
I have enjoyed previous works from Campbell and was definitely hoping this would offer up the same level of high-intensity drama.
Unfortunately for me, I was disappointed. Please don't take this as meaning this is a bad story, however. It's not.
It's a good book, it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.
That tense drama I usually enjoy from Campbell was definitely, in my opinion, toeing the line of eye-roll territory.
We mainly follow protagonist, Tabitha Girard, a recent divorcee, who works as a waitress at a seen-better-days restaurant in rural New Hampshire.
She can't believe her eyes when one night, a blast from her past, Connor Ford, gets seated in her section; the very rich, very handsome guy who broke her teenage heart at the end of a summer fling. She has never forgotten him.
Connor's life has changed a lot since the last time he saw Tabby. For example, he's now married to an uber-wealthy older woman, Nina Leavitt.
He's a trophy husband, imagine that?! Or is he?
Once they circle back into each other's orbit, Connor and Tabby cannot get enough.
Cue the sappy music. Right around here was where it started to lose me.
Not long after their rekindled relationship, Nina Leavitt ends up face-down in her swimming pool after a lavish party. The incident is tentatively determined to be a suicide.
Soon after that, Connor and Tabby are married.
The icing on the cake, Tabby is pregnant with Connor's baby, the timeline of which making it clear that the two of them were together prior to Nina's untimely death.
As you can imagine, Connor is desperate to keep that hidden. Due to an air-tight prenuptial agreement, he stands to lose the entire fortune if suspicions of infidelity, and possibly even murder, fall upon him.
I won't belabor the point, this just wasn't the book for me. It's fun for what it is.
Campbell's writing style is fast and smooth, making this a good, light weekend read. It's not offending in any way, the content just wasn't to my tastes.
My main complaint was the relationship. I just wasn't buying it. For one thing, cheating tropes, like the one here, really get under my skin.
I also found Tabby to be lame and annoying, while Connor is just a jerk. I didn't even understand why they would want to be together, besides the fact that they were purportedly both ridiculously good looking.
With all this being said, I'm not mad I read this book. I will continue to pick up anything Michele Campbell writes.
She has an addicting style and I'm here for it.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity.
As always, just because this book didn't necessarily work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. There's a Reader for every book!!
July 28, 2020
The Wife Who Knew Too Much starts with ultra wealthy Nina writing a letter saying that if she is found dead, that it was her husband who killed her. Connor is about twenty years younger than Nina, they've only been married a couple of years, their courtship could be measured in weeks/months, and yes, he was dazzled by her wealth and once he got to experience it, he didn't want to give it up. But, did he kill her?
Tabitha had a summer romance with Connor when she was seventeen and he was nineteen, until Connor's well to do grandmother made him stop stop seeing Tabitha. They haven't seen each other in twenty years but then he walks into the restaurant where Tabitha is a waitress and he wants to continue where they left off, despite the fact that he is married to Nina. After asking Tabitha to wait for him, Connor practically ghosts her, once he has to go home to Nina. Then Nina ends up dead, in a suspected suicide. Or was it suicide?
Against anyone's better judgement, Connor and Tabitha quickly marry and Tabitha learns that maybe the hardworking, never enough money, waitressing life was a much better deal than the life she has just entered into. Despite the riches, the glamor, the mansion, cars, helicopters, all the trappings of wealth, Tabitha realizes her life really may blow up in a very bad way, as she begins to doubt her husband's innocence in the death of Nina. She's trapped and she doesn't know who she can trust.
This is a very quick read and there are a yacht load of people who'd like to bring down Connor and Tabitha. Rich does not look like a good thing in this book, with all the back stabbing, hating, jealous people surrounding the couple. Among all this animosity, could Connor be Tabitha's worst enemy?
Published July 28th 2020
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
Tabitha had a summer romance with Connor when she was seventeen and he was nineteen, until Connor's well to do grandmother made him stop stop seeing Tabitha. They haven't seen each other in twenty years but then he walks into the restaurant where Tabitha is a waitress and he wants to continue where they left off, despite the fact that he is married to Nina. After asking Tabitha to wait for him, Connor practically ghosts her, once he has to go home to Nina. Then Nina ends up dead, in a suspected suicide. Or was it suicide?
Against anyone's better judgement, Connor and Tabitha quickly marry and Tabitha learns that maybe the hardworking, never enough money, waitressing life was a much better deal than the life she has just entered into. Despite the riches, the glamor, the mansion, cars, helicopters, all the trappings of wealth, Tabitha realizes her life really may blow up in a very bad way, as she begins to doubt her husband's innocence in the death of Nina. She's trapped and she doesn't know who she can trust.
This is a very quick read and there are a yacht load of people who'd like to bring down Connor and Tabitha. Rich does not look like a good thing in this book, with all the back stabbing, hating, jealous people surrounding the couple. Among all this animosity, could Connor be Tabitha's worst enemy?
Published July 28th 2020
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
December 15, 2023
WOW... This book was a wild ride and I did not want to put it down.
This is a thriller. The main person we follow in this book is Tabitha. In this book we are trying to figure out who killed a very rich woman named Nina. Nina was married to Connor who is Tabitha new husband when she was killed. I am not going to say anything else about the plot, so I do not give anything away. The twist and turn kept me on the edged of my sit. I really did not guess any of them, but I guess part of one. Wow... My head is still spinning thinking of the ending because it was so good. I love this book so much. If you love family drama thrillers you may love this one. It starts out slow, but it picks up the pace very fast. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a thriller. The main person we follow in this book is Tabitha. In this book we are trying to figure out who killed a very rich woman named Nina. Nina was married to Connor who is Tabitha new husband when she was killed. I am not going to say anything else about the plot, so I do not give anything away. The twist and turn kept me on the edged of my sit. I really did not guess any of them, but I guess part of one. Wow... My head is still spinning thinking of the ending because it was so good. I love this book so much. If you love family drama thrillers you may love this one. It starts out slow, but it picks up the pace very fast. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2020
3.5*
A twisty story of love, second chances and oh yes, a hefty dose of betrayal!
Tabitha fell in love with Connor when she was just a teen. Young love, first love. Burning deeply. And poor Tabitha never quite got over it. So years later when Connor comes waltzing into the diner where she works, she feels that love-light still shining brightly. Can she recapture that passion she had? Can her dreams still come true? Well, there is one small problem.... Connor is married! Oops! In fact, he’s married to one of the wealthiest and highly regarded women in society. Oh, this can’t end well. Or will love conquer all and win out!?
I was ridiculously caught up in the first half of this book. Found it absolutely unputdownable! But then it very abruptly changed. The principal characters suddenly became quite unlikable. Or maybe they were all along...and I was just blinded by their actions. Well anyway...I now found it difficult to be on anyone’s side.
The ending was a bit messier than I would have liked, though it did provide plenty of twists.
Did it provide me with the five-star experience I thought I was going to have? Well...no. But still an overall good thriller that fans of Ms. Campbell will still enjoy.
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Michele Campbell for an ARC to read and review.
A twisty story of love, second chances and oh yes, a hefty dose of betrayal!
Tabitha fell in love with Connor when she was just a teen. Young love, first love. Burning deeply. And poor Tabitha never quite got over it. So years later when Connor comes waltzing into the diner where she works, she feels that love-light still shining brightly. Can she recapture that passion she had? Can her dreams still come true? Well, there is one small problem.... Connor is married! Oops! In fact, he’s married to one of the wealthiest and highly regarded women in society. Oh, this can’t end well. Or will love conquer all and win out!?
I was ridiculously caught up in the first half of this book. Found it absolutely unputdownable! But then it very abruptly changed. The principal characters suddenly became quite unlikable. Or maybe they were all along...and I was just blinded by their actions. Well anyway...I now found it difficult to be on anyone’s side.
The ending was a bit messier than I would have liked, though it did provide plenty of twists.
Did it provide me with the five-star experience I thought I was going to have? Well...no. But still an overall good thriller that fans of Ms. Campbell will still enjoy.
A buddy read with Susanne!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Michele Campbell for an ARC to read and review.
July 28, 2020
**AVAILABLE NOW**
4 stars for the story + 2 stars for the writing and dialogue = 3 stars overall
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a quick, fast paced, easy read with a very decent plot. Unfortunately, that's cancelled out by the not-so-great writing and dialogue. The conclusion was also disappointing and easy to anticipate.
And Tabitha...poor Tabby might be one of the dumbest characters I've had the misfortune to read about for awhile.
I'm definitely an outlier here, so be sure to read the many positive reviews to determine if his book is a good fit for you.
Available June 9, 2020.
**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
4 stars for the story + 2 stars for the writing and dialogue = 3 stars overall
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a quick, fast paced, easy read with a very decent plot. Unfortunately, that's cancelled out by the not-so-great writing and dialogue. The conclusion was also disappointing and easy to anticipate.
And Tabitha...poor Tabby might be one of the dumbest characters I've had the misfortune to read about for awhile.
I'm definitely an outlier here, so be sure to read the many positive reviews to determine if his book is a good fit for you.
Available June 9, 2020.
**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
August 3, 2020
3.5 Stars
"These things that are pleasing you will hurt you somehow."
This beings with a poor girl meeting a rich boy and falling in love. Poor girl meets same rich boy many years later and falls in love.... but will they live happily ever after? Not when there is a bump in the road and that bump is his wife who is twenty years older than him and incredibly wealthy.
Tabitha (Tabby/Tabby Cat) is that poor rich girl who meets Connor the rich young man at a country club. They fall in love, but his grandmother is having nothing to do with that. You do not date that help is her motto. Years later when Connor walks into the bar where Tabitha works insert scene from Casablanca "Of All the Gin Joints in All the Towns in All the World, She (He)Walks into Mine." They find love all over again except Connor is married to Nina, his wealthy older wife who has an iron clad prenup that means he will get nothing if he has an affair. Then Nina is found dead........
Tabitha and Connor quickly marry and just as fast as their marriage, Tabitha comes to the conclusion that all that glitters is not necessarily gold. There are a lot of people in this book talking about trust. It all comes down to that in the end, doesn't it? Who can you trust in your life? Who has your back? Who will be there when you need them the most? Some hard truths, some twists and turns, some drama, some revelations a bunch of lies, betrayal, and a little ghosting. This was a fast read that kept the pages turning. Will you figure out what is going on? Will you like any of the characters? I wanted to shake a couple of them. Geez Louise, wake up Tabby I found myself thinking a couple of times. Lord have mercy, she agitated me. Wake up and smell the coffee, honey (or least the lies) and Connor, well I have a lot to say but will not so you can read and decide for yourself.
This was entertaining, parts easy to figure out, characters that had me shaking my head, an ending I wanted to be a little better, but still enjoyable. Another book that lets the reader escape from all that is going on in the world and fall into the pages of this book.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
"These things that are pleasing you will hurt you somehow."
This beings with a poor girl meeting a rich boy and falling in love. Poor girl meets same rich boy many years later and falls in love.... but will they live happily ever after? Not when there is a bump in the road and that bump is his wife who is twenty years older than him and incredibly wealthy.
Tabitha (Tabby/Tabby Cat) is that poor rich girl who meets Connor the rich young man at a country club. They fall in love, but his grandmother is having nothing to do with that. You do not date that help is her motto. Years later when Connor walks into the bar where Tabitha works insert scene from Casablanca "Of All the Gin Joints in All the Towns in All the World, She (He)Walks into Mine." They find love all over again except Connor is married to Nina, his wealthy older wife who has an iron clad prenup that means he will get nothing if he has an affair. Then Nina is found dead........
Tabitha and Connor quickly marry and just as fast as their marriage, Tabitha comes to the conclusion that all that glitters is not necessarily gold. There are a lot of people in this book talking about trust. It all comes down to that in the end, doesn't it? Who can you trust in your life? Who has your back? Who will be there when you need them the most? Some hard truths, some twists and turns, some drama, some revelations a bunch of lies, betrayal, and a little ghosting. This was a fast read that kept the pages turning. Will you figure out what is going on? Will you like any of the characters? I wanted to shake a couple of them. Geez Louise, wake up Tabby I found myself thinking a couple of times. Lord have mercy, she agitated me. Wake up and smell the coffee, honey (or least the lies) and Connor, well I have a lot to say but will not so you can read and decide for yourself.
This was entertaining, parts easy to figure out, characters that had me shaking my head, an ending I wanted to be a little better, but still enjoyable. Another book that lets the reader escape from all that is going on in the world and fall into the pages of this book.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 27, 2020
Thirteen years ago, aged 17, Tabitha fell in love with Connor Ford. However, both their families are against the relationship and so it ends. In the present day, Tabitha is waitressing when Connor enters her life again but there’s just one problem - he’s married to mega rich Nina Levitt and locked into a prenup. Will Tabby allow Connor to sweep her off her feet again? What about the wife? Is it a happy ever after for the initially doomed pair? Well, this is Michele Campbell so you know it’s not going to be that simple!!
I think it must be some kind of record with the speed in which my eyes first popped out of my head in this book. The first few sentences. What? Yes, indeed. Much of the book is absolutely gripping and so hard to put down. Sleep? Sadly the heavy eyelids forced me to put it down. Part of the story is told by Nina and I find those sections have a lot of snap, crackle and pop and you are glued to the narrative. The love Tabby feels for Connor comes across loud and clear but she seems so naive although in fairness that is knocked out of her and she uses her wits to defend herself when events turn against her. At times the tension in the book is so taut the atmosphere can be cut with a knife. You have absolutely no idea who is trustworthy, who is the threat to Nina and Tabby? Can we trust Connor? Is he a good guy or is he a Casanova con man? That is especially puzzling and keeps you invested in learning the truth. I think there must be a character flaw in me as the character I enjoy the most is Lauren who has a really snarky smart mouth who livens up a page!!!!
As Tabitha's account of events progresses there is a palpable air of hysteria which at times is as audible as if she uses a loud hailer. As we reach the conclusion which has more twists than you can count, are certainly creative but are maybe a bit much for me. I’m not sure I completely buy into it but I’ll say one thing for it, it’s extremely entertaining and let’s face it that’s why I like this genre!
Overall, it’s a darn good read, it has several chin droppers, attractive mouth wide open in shock moments which I really like. It’s an easy to read and entertaining psychological thriller from a really good author.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the much appreciated ARC in return for an honest review.
I think it must be some kind of record with the speed in which my eyes first popped out of my head in this book. The first few sentences. What? Yes, indeed. Much of the book is absolutely gripping and so hard to put down. Sleep? Sadly the heavy eyelids forced me to put it down. Part of the story is told by Nina and I find those sections have a lot of snap, crackle and pop and you are glued to the narrative. The love Tabby feels for Connor comes across loud and clear but she seems so naive although in fairness that is knocked out of her and she uses her wits to defend herself when events turn against her. At times the tension in the book is so taut the atmosphere can be cut with a knife. You have absolutely no idea who is trustworthy, who is the threat to Nina and Tabby? Can we trust Connor? Is he a good guy or is he a Casanova con man? That is especially puzzling and keeps you invested in learning the truth. I think there must be a character flaw in me as the character I enjoy the most is Lauren who has a really snarky smart mouth who livens up a page!!!!
As Tabitha's account of events progresses there is a palpable air of hysteria which at times is as audible as if she uses a loud hailer. As we reach the conclusion which has more twists than you can count, are certainly creative but are maybe a bit much for me. I’m not sure I completely buy into it but I’ll say one thing for it, it’s extremely entertaining and let’s face it that’s why I like this genre!
Overall, it’s a darn good read, it has several chin droppers, attractive mouth wide open in shock moments which I really like. It’s an easy to read and entertaining psychological thriller from a really good author.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the much appreciated ARC in return for an honest review.
April 6, 2020
3.75 Stars
Twisty, Turny and just plain Outrageous!
When Tabitha lost Connor, her first love, when she was a teenager, she never imagined that she’d get him back. The day that Connor Ford waltzed back into her life, everything changed. Tabitha is a down on her luck waitress. Connor is an uber successful businessman who is married to Nina, a very wealthy older woman. An older woman who is positive that she is going to be murdered by her husband for her money. Nina, you see, kept a diary and in it, she foretold of her death.
Ah, how mysterious. Of course, Connor and Tabitha can’t keep their hands off each other and Nina, well, poor Nina. Or should I say, poor Tabitha? What did she get herself into?
“The Wife Who Knew Too Much” was a crazy, mysterious, twisty thriller that started out strong and really kept my interest. As the novel progressed however, it became somewhat campy. Tabitha’s character frustrated me - the intensity of her feelings towards Connor, given the circumstances made me roll my eyes a tad. That aside, I love how Michelle Campbell completely drew me into the lives of each and every character and got me totally invested in their machinations. This novel entertained me and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and that made it totally worth it.
This was another buddy read with Kaceey!
Thank you to St. Martins Press and Michelle Campbell for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 4.5.20.
Twisty, Turny and just plain Outrageous!
When Tabitha lost Connor, her first love, when she was a teenager, she never imagined that she’d get him back. The day that Connor Ford waltzed back into her life, everything changed. Tabitha is a down on her luck waitress. Connor is an uber successful businessman who is married to Nina, a very wealthy older woman. An older woman who is positive that she is going to be murdered by her husband for her money. Nina, you see, kept a diary and in it, she foretold of her death.
Ah, how mysterious. Of course, Connor and Tabitha can’t keep their hands off each other and Nina, well, poor Nina. Or should I say, poor Tabitha? What did she get herself into?
“The Wife Who Knew Too Much” was a crazy, mysterious, twisty thriller that started out strong and really kept my interest. As the novel progressed however, it became somewhat campy. Tabitha’s character frustrated me - the intensity of her feelings towards Connor, given the circumstances made me roll my eyes a tad. That aside, I love how Michelle Campbell completely drew me into the lives of each and every character and got me totally invested in their machinations. This novel entertained me and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and that made it totally worth it.
This was another buddy read with Kaceey!
Thank you to St. Martins Press and Michelle Campbell for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 4.5.20.
April 12, 2021
Here are my thoughts as I read this book:
15%: Ok, so this is more of a slow burn than I thought, but I also like this type of mystery. Plus, the writing flows easily.
30%: Well, all I read up to this point was in the blurb... Let's see where it goes from there!
50%: Ohh now it's fast-paced, the tension is ramping up! Who can I trust? No one! Tabitha, the main character, says there's a pit of dread in her stomach: I totally get her, I feel exactly the same (and I like it!).
The ending: Okay...... It fell flat and some elements of the plot don't add up. SPOILER END OF SPOILER
All in all, the first half was good, the second half was great, but the ending was not up to what I was expecting... A decent read: 3.5 stars.
15%: Ok, so this is more of a slow burn than I thought, but I also like this type of mystery. Plus, the writing flows easily.
30%: Well, all I read up to this point was in the blurb... Let's see where it goes from there!
50%: Ohh now it's fast-paced, the tension is ramping up! Who can I trust? No one! Tabitha, the main character, says there's a pit of dread in her stomach: I totally get her, I feel exactly the same (and I like it!).
The ending: Okay...... It fell flat and some elements of the plot don't add up. SPOILER END OF SPOILER
All in all, the first half was good, the second half was great, but the ending was not up to what I was expecting... A decent read: 3.5 stars.
October 11, 2020
EXCERPT: Nina's Diary - July 4
I am writing this to raise the alarm in the event of my untimely death. This is hard to admit, even to myself, let alone to the world. My husband is planning to kill me. For obvious reasons. He's in love with someone else. And he wants my money.
ABOUT THE WIFE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH: Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha.
Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha's life—older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha.
When Connor’s wife Nina takes her own life, he’s free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina’s home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many years ago. But then, Tabitha finds a diary. "I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death," it begins. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor – and her.”
Who is Connor Ford? Why did he marry Nina? Is Tabitha his true love, or a convenient affair? As the police investigate Nina’s death, is she a convenient suspect?
As Tabitha is drawn deeper into the dark glamour of a life she is ill-prepared for, it becomes clear to her that what a wife knows can kill her.
MY THOUGHTS: The Wife Who Knew Too Much is not my favourite of Michele Campbell's work. Although it starts well, it lacks subtlety and soon deteriorates into something resembling a soap opera.
None of the characters are at all likeable. I felt nothing except exasperation for Tabitha, the main character, who comes across as totally pathetic and needy for the majority of the book. The character of Connor, her 'one true love', goes through several metamorphoses, but remains, in my eyes, an utter sleaze. While we're talking characters, there is zero character development.
The plot had plenty of potential, but became unwieldy and unrealistic. Yes, I know this is fiction, but still, this was OTT. Eye-rollingly OTT in parts. I prefer more mystery, fewer thugs and when all else fails 'run them off the road/shoot them' solutions.
I also have issues around Nina's death that have been bugging me.
It almost felt like two different people wrote the two halves of this book. So, rather than classifying this as a murder mystery, I would define it as a (schmaltzy) romantic thriller. Sorry, but not my cup of tea. This may come across better as a movie.
⭐⭐.3
THE AUTHOR: Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City who specialized in international narcotics and gang cases.
A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels.
She's had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The Wife Who Knew Too Much, written by Michele Campbell, narrated by Dylan Moore and published by HQ via Overdrive. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram, and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I am writing this to raise the alarm in the event of my untimely death. This is hard to admit, even to myself, let alone to the world. My husband is planning to kill me. For obvious reasons. He's in love with someone else. And he wants my money.
ABOUT THE WIFE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH: Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha.
Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha's life—older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha.
When Connor’s wife Nina takes her own life, he’s free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina’s home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many years ago. But then, Tabitha finds a diary. "I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death," it begins. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor – and her.”
Who is Connor Ford? Why did he marry Nina? Is Tabitha his true love, or a convenient affair? As the police investigate Nina’s death, is she a convenient suspect?
As Tabitha is drawn deeper into the dark glamour of a life she is ill-prepared for, it becomes clear to her that what a wife knows can kill her.
MY THOUGHTS: The Wife Who Knew Too Much is not my favourite of Michele Campbell's work. Although it starts well, it lacks subtlety and soon deteriorates into something resembling a soap opera.
None of the characters are at all likeable. I felt nothing except exasperation for Tabitha, the main character, who comes across as totally pathetic and needy for the majority of the book. The character of Connor, her 'one true love', goes through several metamorphoses, but remains, in my eyes, an utter sleaze. While we're talking characters, there is zero character development.
The plot had plenty of potential, but became unwieldy and unrealistic. Yes, I know this is fiction, but still, this was OTT. Eye-rollingly OTT in parts. I prefer more mystery, fewer thugs and when all else fails 'run them off the road/shoot them' solutions.
I also have issues around Nina's death that have been bugging me.
It almost felt like two different people wrote the two halves of this book. So, rather than classifying this as a murder mystery, I would define it as a (schmaltzy) romantic thriller. Sorry, but not my cup of tea. This may come across better as a movie.
⭐⭐.3
THE AUTHOR: Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City who specialized in international narcotics and gang cases.
A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels.
She's had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The Wife Who Knew Too Much, written by Michele Campbell, narrated by Dylan Moore and published by HQ via Overdrive. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram, and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 14, 2020
Well, it really pains me to rate this one so low. Especially after reading and loving A Stranger on the Beach and thinking now, that's how you write a suspenseful page-turner. So what happened here, is it me? Do I have higher expectations than I did before, or did Michele Campbell miss the mark completely here developing these characters and giving them depth beyond the excepted gender roles of men and women? Honesty, I only finished it to see how Michele Campbell performed those stereotyped gender roles of men and women through her characters. If her goal was to hit on multiply stereotypes of men and women's expected behaviour and attitudes, I would rate it 5 stars.
I am going to leave my review at that not because I don’t have anything to say. I have a lot but my youngest son always reminds me to be nice. If I was a character in this story, I already performed that stereotyped mean girl side of women.
I downloaded my copy from NetGalley to a PDF to read on my kobo but I lost track of time and it expired so I ended up listening to it. I think listening to it only increased my dislike for the characters and maybe if I had read it I might not have felt as strongly as I did.
To see more about my thoughts on the gender roles of women and men in fiction please check out my blog post
https://travelingsistersbookreviews.c...
I am going to leave my review at that not because I don’t have anything to say. I have a lot but my youngest son always reminds me to be nice. If I was a character in this story, I already performed that stereotyped mean girl side of women.
I downloaded my copy from NetGalley to a PDF to read on my kobo but I lost track of time and it expired so I ended up listening to it. I think listening to it only increased my dislike for the characters and maybe if I had read it I might not have felt as strongly as I did.
To see more about my thoughts on the gender roles of women and men in fiction please check out my blog post
https://travelingsistersbookreviews.c...
September 6, 2020
There's no getting around it: this book was a disappointment. I feel bad saying that because recently it seems like I say that about over half of the books that I review, but it's true so I can't not say it. I don't know if it's just that the books I've been reading lately are extraordinarily unextraordinary or if I'm just one picky motherfucker. Probably a little bit of both tbh.
On the surface, The Wife Who Knew Too Much had so many of the things that I'd always wanted in a book but never knew to ask for. Death under suspicious circumstances. Dead wife who predicted her own death. Husband with a mysterious past who's in love with another woman. Second chance romance. Another other woman? Sign me up! But while the promise of all these juicy things is what drew me to the book in the first place, the reality of them is what had me banging my head against the wall in annoyance and pleading with myself to read quicker so that I could just be done with it all.
The plot and writing were good enough, but the characters made me want to throw my phone across the room so I wouldn't have to read anything more about them. Seriously. For some reason, they made me think about that one O'Henry story, where these people kidnap a kid to ransom, but the kid's so fucking awful that the kidnappers have to pay his parents to take him back. Except, in this case, the kid is any one of the main characters from The Wife Who Knew Too Much. Take your pick. Connor was so cringe-worthy and smarmy and just generally awful that I found it hard to believe he could be appealing to women at all. Tabitha was whiney and needy and foolish and literally the archetype of the clingy girlfriend that gives women everywhere a bad rap. Wife #1 (whose name I don't even remember anymore and can't be arsed to look up, sorry not sorry) was bland and weak and kinda manipulative, but not in a way that made her interesting or sympathetic or someone worth rooting for.
Maybe I'm asking for too much. Maybe I shouldn't have to like the characters to enjoy the story. Maybe these things are true. But then again, maybe if the characters weren't so damn frustrating and insufferable the entire book, then maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't detract from the story or my enjoyment thereof. Just sayin'.
On the surface, The Wife Who Knew Too Much had so many of the things that I'd always wanted in a book but never knew to ask for. Death under suspicious circumstances. Dead wife who predicted her own death. Husband with a mysterious past who's in love with another woman. Second chance romance. Another other woman? Sign me up! But while the promise of all these juicy things is what drew me to the book in the first place, the reality of them is what had me banging my head against the wall in annoyance and pleading with myself to read quicker so that I could just be done with it all.
The plot and writing were good enough, but the characters made me want to throw my phone across the room so I wouldn't have to read anything more about them. Seriously. For some reason, they made me think about that one O'Henry story, where these people kidnap a kid to ransom, but the kid's so fucking awful that the kidnappers have to pay his parents to take him back. Except, in this case, the kid is any one of the main characters from The Wife Who Knew Too Much. Take your pick. Connor was so cringe-worthy and smarmy and just generally awful that I found it hard to believe he could be appealing to women at all. Tabitha was whiney and needy and foolish and literally the archetype of the clingy girlfriend that gives women everywhere a bad rap. Wife #1 (whose name I don't even remember anymore and can't be arsed to look up, sorry not sorry) was bland and weak and kinda manipulative, but not in a way that made her interesting or sympathetic or someone worth rooting for.
Maybe I'm asking for too much. Maybe I shouldn't have to like the characters to enjoy the story. Maybe these things are true. But then again, maybe if the characters weren't so damn frustrating and insufferable the entire book, then maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't detract from the story or my enjoyment thereof. Just sayin'.
June 6, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up.
If you’re looking for an extremely suspenseful, nonstop-tense novel, this is what you’re looking for.
A very rich woman, Nina, is certain her younger husband, Connor, wants to kill her. The prenup is ironclad—if she leaves him, he gets millions, but if he cheats on her, he gets nothing. Nina has evidence he’s been having affair.
Tabitha fell in love with Connor when they were just teenagers. He was part of a wealthy family, she was the country club help. Years later, because of bad choices and bad luck, Tabitha is waitressing again, and once again, she finds Conner sitting in her section. The attraction to each other has never faded, and he takes her to a colleague’s place where they rekindle, at least briefly, what they had. He explains about the prenup, and he also works at Nina’s company—that’s how they met. He’d be banned from doing the job at another company because of a nondisclosure agreement. Plus, at his level of wealth, he and Nina are fodder for the paparazzi. He tells her that as much as he cares for her, things are complicated.
Tabitha initially tries to convince herself it’s a little fling, but things get serious quickly, particularly when Nina is found dead by suicide, meaning Connor is free. Tabitha and Connor marry quickly, but she doesn’t have anyone to help her make the transition from waitress to glamorous wealth, and when it appears Nina’s death might not be a suicide, it also appears that Tabitha looks awfully, conveniently guilty.
I wanted to fall in love with Connor along with Tabitha, but I didn’t. It might just be that I’m generally suspicious of incredibly good-looking rich people. But that also might be why this kind of story line is popular—it assures those of us who are middle class but a few paychecks away from financial disaster that being middle class is the safest way to go, and fabulous wealth is for the characters on TV shows we watch. In my world, I never ever worry about getting framed for murder.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JULY 28, 2020.
If you’re looking for an extremely suspenseful, nonstop-tense novel, this is what you’re looking for.
A very rich woman, Nina, is certain her younger husband, Connor, wants to kill her. The prenup is ironclad—if she leaves him, he gets millions, but if he cheats on her, he gets nothing. Nina has evidence he’s been having affair.
Tabitha fell in love with Connor when they were just teenagers. He was part of a wealthy family, she was the country club help. Years later, because of bad choices and bad luck, Tabitha is waitressing again, and once again, she finds Conner sitting in her section. The attraction to each other has never faded, and he takes her to a colleague’s place where they rekindle, at least briefly, what they had. He explains about the prenup, and he also works at Nina’s company—that’s how they met. He’d be banned from doing the job at another company because of a nondisclosure agreement. Plus, at his level of wealth, he and Nina are fodder for the paparazzi. He tells her that as much as he cares for her, things are complicated.
Tabitha initially tries to convince herself it’s a little fling, but things get serious quickly, particularly when Nina is found dead by suicide, meaning Connor is free. Tabitha and Connor marry quickly, but she doesn’t have anyone to help her make the transition from waitress to glamorous wealth, and when it appears Nina’s death might not be a suicide, it also appears that Tabitha looks awfully, conveniently guilty.
I wanted to fall in love with Connor along with Tabitha, but I didn’t. It might just be that I’m generally suspicious of incredibly good-looking rich people. But that also might be why this kind of story line is popular—it assures those of us who are middle class but a few paychecks away from financial disaster that being middle class is the safest way to go, and fabulous wealth is for the characters on TV shows we watch. In my world, I never ever worry about getting framed for murder.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JULY 28, 2020.
June 28, 2020
I am a huge Michele Campbell fan! Her thrillers are perfect for summer, usually having some beachy, summery elements, and look at this cover! The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a gripping, dark, and consuming thriller! It kept me up late and on the edge of my seat.
This one now publishes July 28, 2020, and I’ll post my full review closer to pub.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
This one now publishes July 28, 2020, and I’ll post my full review closer to pub.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 7, 2020
So far I’ve read four book by Michele Campbell and I swear they just keep getting better with each one. I wasn’t a huge fan of It’s Always the Husband but still found her writing somewhat addicting so I’m glad I’ve continued to come back with each new release.
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is Michele Campbell’s latest thriller that starts the reader off with a diary entry of the current Mrs. Connor Ford who is a famous celebrity. Nina seems to think that her husband is out to kill her and had written the entry in case something happened to her. Then we get a look at a news article that says Nina was found that next morning.
So then the story introduces readers to Tabitha Girard. Tabitha had met Connor Ford as a teenager and had fallen in love with him however the two were from different sides of the tracks. Tabitha’s family was poor and Connor came from money and one night his controlling grandmother ran Tabitha off and the two never saw one another until ten years later with Connor married to Nina.
For me The Wife Who Knew Too Much was completely addictive reading that I just didn’t want to put down. Maybe it’s the secretive nature of the rich and famous in the Hampton’s but there was just something so juicy and compelling about learning the secrets behind Connor’s wives and what would happen with the death investigation. There were a few great twists to make the reader question everything and it kept me hooked until the very last page.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is Michele Campbell’s latest thriller that starts the reader off with a diary entry of the current Mrs. Connor Ford who is a famous celebrity. Nina seems to think that her husband is out to kill her and had written the entry in case something happened to her. Then we get a look at a news article that says Nina was found that next morning.
So then the story introduces readers to Tabitha Girard. Tabitha had met Connor Ford as a teenager and had fallen in love with him however the two were from different sides of the tracks. Tabitha’s family was poor and Connor came from money and one night his controlling grandmother ran Tabitha off and the two never saw one another until ten years later with Connor married to Nina.
For me The Wife Who Knew Too Much was completely addictive reading that I just didn’t want to put down. Maybe it’s the secretive nature of the rich and famous in the Hampton’s but there was just something so juicy and compelling about learning the secrets behind Connor’s wives and what would happen with the death investigation. There were a few great twists to make the reader question everything and it kept me hooked until the very last page.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 12, 2020
This is the third book I’ve read by author Michele Campbell and the second one that I’ve disliked strongly enough to give it only 2 stars (and still feel like I’m being too generous).
Last year, when I read Campbell’s A Stranger on the Beach , the two biggest issues I had with the book were the badly executed story line as well as the frustratingly cliched and unrealistically written characters. In my review of that book, I remember writing how much I loathed the characters (especially the main protagonist Caroline), whose actions and behavior would get more ridiculous and outrageous the more the story progressed. Unfortunately, Campbell’s newly released fourth novel The Wife Who Knew Too Much was plagued by pretty much the same issues as her previous book — the execution was poor and the characters were absolutely loathsome. Actually, in my opinion, the characters in this story — especially the main character Tabitha — were way worse....I disliked most of them from the very first page. Its not often that I react in such a negative manner to characters in a fictional story, but Tabitha truly did get on my nerves. Perhaps I’m tired of reading about middle-aged women who are immature and childish and come across like petulant teenagers, or who are portrayed as naive and overly emotional and incapable of thinking rationally. Tabitha is the type of character I can’t stand — indecisive, foolish, immature — throughout the entire story, she knowingly makes poor choices over and over (and over and over and over) again, and if that’s not bad enough, whenever things go south because of those choices, the main reaction is to whine and cry and beat herself up for being foolish (the word “stupid” is more appropriate but a bit too harsh)...then, instead of learning from her mistakes and trying to fix them, she pushes all rational thought away and dives headfirst back into the foolishness that had gotten her burned in the first place. It’s hard to dislike a character so much that you end up having zero sympathy for them as well as not caring one bit what happens to them, but that’s definitely how I felt about Tabitha (and all the characters in this story, for that matter). Don’t get me wrong — I have no problems with flawed characters, as those flaws are usually what makes characters realistic, but the characters in this story were beyond flawed...Tabitha, Connor, Nina, and just about every other character in here were so cliched and stereotypically drawn that they essentially became caricatures.
Aside from the characters, the other thing that annoyed me was the plot, which I found to be ridiculously contrived from beginning to end. It’s one thing for a plot to be predictable, but entirely another when it veers into “outlandish” territory, to the point that I have to suspend disbelief every step of the way. Barely halfway through the story, I got so annoyed that I started skimming through to the end, which I’m glad I did because I know if I had read it word for word, I probably would’ve thrown my Kindle across the room in frustration. The writing itself was also a problem for me, as it felt very elementary and clunky, plus the fact that, as the main character, Tabitha narrated the story from her first person point of view made it so much worse, as I got fed up hearing her go back and forth trying to rationalize every dumb decision she made.
After 2 books in a row that left a bad taste in my mouth, I think I’m officially done with this author, at least for now. With that said though, I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading this if they so choose, as not everyone will have the same negative experience I did. So definitely check out other reviews first before deciding.
Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley
Last year, when I read Campbell’s A Stranger on the Beach , the two biggest issues I had with the book were the badly executed story line as well as the frustratingly cliched and unrealistically written characters. In my review of that book, I remember writing how much I loathed the characters (especially the main protagonist Caroline), whose actions and behavior would get more ridiculous and outrageous the more the story progressed. Unfortunately, Campbell’s newly released fourth novel The Wife Who Knew Too Much was plagued by pretty much the same issues as her previous book — the execution was poor and the characters were absolutely loathsome. Actually, in my opinion, the characters in this story — especially the main character Tabitha — were way worse....I disliked most of them from the very first page. Its not often that I react in such a negative manner to characters in a fictional story, but Tabitha truly did get on my nerves. Perhaps I’m tired of reading about middle-aged women who are immature and childish and come across like petulant teenagers, or who are portrayed as naive and overly emotional and incapable of thinking rationally. Tabitha is the type of character I can’t stand — indecisive, foolish, immature — throughout the entire story, she knowingly makes poor choices over and over (and over and over and over) again, and if that’s not bad enough, whenever things go south because of those choices, the main reaction is to whine and cry and beat herself up for being foolish (the word “stupid” is more appropriate but a bit too harsh)...then, instead of learning from her mistakes and trying to fix them, she pushes all rational thought away and dives headfirst back into the foolishness that had gotten her burned in the first place. It’s hard to dislike a character so much that you end up having zero sympathy for them as well as not caring one bit what happens to them, but that’s definitely how I felt about Tabitha (and all the characters in this story, for that matter). Don’t get me wrong — I have no problems with flawed characters, as those flaws are usually what makes characters realistic, but the characters in this story were beyond flawed...Tabitha, Connor, Nina, and just about every other character in here were so cliched and stereotypically drawn that they essentially became caricatures.
Aside from the characters, the other thing that annoyed me was the plot, which I found to be ridiculously contrived from beginning to end. It’s one thing for a plot to be predictable, but entirely another when it veers into “outlandish” territory, to the point that I have to suspend disbelief every step of the way. Barely halfway through the story, I got so annoyed that I started skimming through to the end, which I’m glad I did because I know if I had read it word for word, I probably would’ve thrown my Kindle across the room in frustration. The writing itself was also a problem for me, as it felt very elementary and clunky, plus the fact that, as the main character, Tabitha narrated the story from her first person point of view made it so much worse, as I got fed up hearing her go back and forth trying to rationalize every dumb decision she made.
After 2 books in a row that left a bad taste in my mouth, I think I’m officially done with this author, at least for now. With that said though, I don’t want to discourage anyone from reading this if they so choose, as not everyone will have the same negative experience I did. So definitely check out other reviews first before deciding.
Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley
September 27, 2020
The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell is an excellent thriller. I didn’t know what to believe until the end. There are so many lies in this book. I highly recommend The Wife Who Knew Too Much to domestic thriller fans.
I listened to the audiobook and thought Dylan Moore did an excellent job.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
I listened to the audiobook and thought Dylan Moore did an excellent job.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
June 25, 2020
Yikes. I'm going to keep this brief because there are a plethora of wonderful reviews (by book friends I trust) who really enjoyed this book. Plenty of 4 and 5 stars! I just found this book to be kind of laughable at times. The best way I could describe it is a bad soap opera. Way over the top plot points, very frustrating and annoying characters (also highly unlikeable, but that isn't always a bad thing) and way too much going on. Tabitha has to be one of my least favorite characters...of all time.
I'm really disappointed because I really enjoyed the first 20% or so. There definitely is a market for this kind of thriller (fast paced, light and fun), but this one just wasn't for me. If you are reading this and are unsure if you should give it a try - I urge you to read it. Given I am in the minority opinion, it definitely deserves a chance.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an egalley for me to read and provide an honest review.
Review Date: 06/24/2020
Publication Date: 07/28/2020
I'm really disappointed because I really enjoyed the first 20% or so. There definitely is a market for this kind of thriller (fast paced, light and fun), but this one just wasn't for me. If you are reading this and are unsure if you should give it a try - I urge you to read it. Given I am in the minority opinion, it definitely deserves a chance.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an egalley for me to read and provide an honest review.
Review Date: 06/24/2020
Publication Date: 07/28/2020
March 4, 2020
"I'm writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death. This is hard to admit, even to myself. For obvious reasons. He's in love with someone else. And he wants my money."
How can you not be drawn in with an opening like that?!?! From the very first page it pulled me in reading Nina's diary entry and making me want to know more. The lavish lifestyle of the rich made Nina's new husband want it all ... including what he was not suppose to have ... Tabitha, a summer love from years back. Tabitha was a young, hardworking waitress that fell in love with Connor in a short "summer by the lake" whirlwind. But was it enough for Connor? Was money more important to him than what he thought his heart wanted?
Who wanted Nina dead? EVERYONE had a reason. Was Tabitha set up from the beginning? It did slow down in the middle for a bit but backstory things had to be explained and were satisfying. After about 50% in the book it took off ... the twists and turns piled up in to an exciting conclusion. I love Michele Campbell novels and look forward to her next!
Thank you to Michelle Campbell, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
How can you not be drawn in with an opening like that?!?! From the very first page it pulled me in reading Nina's diary entry and making me want to know more. The lavish lifestyle of the rich made Nina's new husband want it all ... including what he was not suppose to have ... Tabitha, a summer love from years back. Tabitha was a young, hardworking waitress that fell in love with Connor in a short "summer by the lake" whirlwind. But was it enough for Connor? Was money more important to him than what he thought his heart wanted?
Who wanted Nina dead? EVERYONE had a reason. Was Tabitha set up from the beginning? It did slow down in the middle for a bit but backstory things had to be explained and were satisfying. After about 50% in the book it took off ... the twists and turns piled up in to an exciting conclusion. I love Michele Campbell novels and look forward to her next!
Thank you to Michelle Campbell, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2020
Curiosity....and all that.
Gonna get 'cha in a lotta trouble.
The Wife Who Knew Too Much plays out with the inner nudge of a female persuasion to always draw aside the curtain. We all seem programmed to not let sleeping dogs lie. Why do we poke at something relentlessly until it sinks its teeth into us?
Tabitha Girard leans against the wall of The Grill for a moment's reprieve from a heavy night of waitressing. Her shift is almost over, but her feet just want to find the door. That's what she has left after a failed marriage to the devious Derek Cassidy who's doing time in prison.
Tabitha makes one last run to take the drink order from a young man at the bar. When he turns around, she almost faints. It's Connor Ford. She and Connor had quite the relationship back in high school. That very night, Tabitha and Connor are destined to re-create old times back at the ski resort lodge where Connor is staying. Ah, Tabitha, you should have closed out this guy's tab and left it on the bar.
Michele Campbell creates an entertaining novel wrapped around the games that people play. But there seems to be the usual formula happening here. Guy and girl rekindle romance only to have deep, deep secrets float to the surface. Girl starts sinking quickly into this quicksand when she can't leave well enough alone. It was a 3.5 for me kicked up to 4 stars. Campbell knows her way around a novel, but I'd sure like to see her grab something less predictable and more involved. I'm looking forward to a puzzle packed one in the future.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Michele Campbell for the opportunity.
Gonna get 'cha in a lotta trouble.
The Wife Who Knew Too Much plays out with the inner nudge of a female persuasion to always draw aside the curtain. We all seem programmed to not let sleeping dogs lie. Why do we poke at something relentlessly until it sinks its teeth into us?
Tabitha Girard leans against the wall of The Grill for a moment's reprieve from a heavy night of waitressing. Her shift is almost over, but her feet just want to find the door. That's what she has left after a failed marriage to the devious Derek Cassidy who's doing time in prison.
Tabitha makes one last run to take the drink order from a young man at the bar. When he turns around, she almost faints. It's Connor Ford. She and Connor had quite the relationship back in high school. That very night, Tabitha and Connor are destined to re-create old times back at the ski resort lodge where Connor is staying. Ah, Tabitha, you should have closed out this guy's tab and left it on the bar.
Michele Campbell creates an entertaining novel wrapped around the games that people play. But there seems to be the usual formula happening here. Guy and girl rekindle romance only to have deep, deep secrets float to the surface. Girl starts sinking quickly into this quicksand when she can't leave well enough alone. It was a 3.5 for me kicked up to 4 stars. Campbell knows her way around a novel, but I'd sure like to see her grab something less predictable and more involved. I'm looking forward to a puzzle packed one in the future.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Michele Campbell for the opportunity.
July 29, 2020
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a story full of secrets and lies. Tabitha is surprised when her ex-boyfriend Connor walks into the restaurant where she works years after their devastating breakup. He’s married to wealthy and well-known Nina Levitt but very unhappy. Tabitha and Connor quietly rekindle their relationship and following a 4th of July party, Nina is found dead.
Tabitha and Connor are free to be together but an investigation into Nina’s death, initially believed to be a suicide, adds tension to their relationship. As Tabitha attempts to adjust to her new life and answer mounting questions, she discovers a note from Nina, adding to her concerns. Does Tabitha even know Connor? Is there anyone she can trust?
I wasn’t buying Tabitha and Connor’s romance — It was rushed and she didn’t think twice about anything. I felt like Tabitha was still the 17 year old girl she was when they first met, not a woman now in her 30s. I know it’s a fictional story, I’m just growing weary of weak and naive female leads. The ending was ok but felt anticlimatic after all the buildup and the reveal.
Despite my apathy toward Tabitha and other aspects of the story, I had to know where this was headed! The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a quick and entertaining read, ideal for this time of the year, especially poolside or at the beach.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Tabitha and Connor are free to be together but an investigation into Nina’s death, initially believed to be a suicide, adds tension to their relationship. As Tabitha attempts to adjust to her new life and answer mounting questions, she discovers a note from Nina, adding to her concerns. Does Tabitha even know Connor? Is there anyone she can trust?
I wasn’t buying Tabitha and Connor’s romance — It was rushed and she didn’t think twice about anything. I felt like Tabitha was still the 17 year old girl she was when they first met, not a woman now in her 30s. I know it’s a fictional story, I’m just growing weary of weak and naive female leads. The ending was ok but felt anticlimatic after all the buildup and the reveal.
Despite my apathy toward Tabitha and other aspects of the story, I had to know where this was headed! The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a quick and entertaining read, ideal for this time of the year, especially poolside or at the beach.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2020
3.75 Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness Stars
This thriller is just that, a thrill-a-minute one that I read in about two sittings. I just kept flipping pages starting with the wonderful diary entry from Nina that sets everything up. This one made me glad that I am not a widow with a huge fortune and cautious about every man who befriends me. Does he really love me, or does he just want my money?
Part of the book covers the summer romance of Tabitha, a worker at the local club, and Connor, a member of the club and from one of the wealthy families in town. The two have a fabulous summer, but of course, the truth comes out about the relationship and it is not pretty for Tabitha or her grandma who also works at the club. Connor disappears from her life for years, until one fateful day when he walks into the restaurant where she now works.
It was fun to read about how the rich live but having all that money does not always make you a happy fulfilled person! The first 75% of the book was enthralling, but the ending was a bit convoluted and maybe not that realistic . . .. not a perfect read, but still enjoyable and a good read!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Michelle Campbell for an early copy of this one to read. Pick up your copy now for a perfect summer backyard read (since I can't go to the beach right now)
This thriller is just that, a thrill-a-minute one that I read in about two sittings. I just kept flipping pages starting with the wonderful diary entry from Nina that sets everything up. This one made me glad that I am not a widow with a huge fortune and cautious about every man who befriends me. Does he really love me, or does he just want my money?
Part of the book covers the summer romance of Tabitha, a worker at the local club, and Connor, a member of the club and from one of the wealthy families in town. The two have a fabulous summer, but of course, the truth comes out about the relationship and it is not pretty for Tabitha or her grandma who also works at the club. Connor disappears from her life for years, until one fateful day when he walks into the restaurant where she now works.
It was fun to read about how the rich live but having all that money does not always make you a happy fulfilled person! The first 75% of the book was enthralling, but the ending was a bit convoluted and maybe not that realistic . . .. not a perfect read, but still enjoyable and a good read!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Michelle Campbell for an early copy of this one to read. Pick up your copy now for a perfect summer backyard read (since I can't go to the beach right now)
May 29, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review
An old flame returns and renews hope in a woman that has never forgotten him.... a husband wishes to escape his controlling wife.... and the wife? Well, she warns anyone reading her diary.... if she dies, it was her husband who killed her.
Michele Campbell certainly keeps her readers guessing and I continued to turn the pages looking for answers. As the chapters alternated between Tabitha Girard and Nina Levitt and their history with the handsome Connor Ford, it was really starting to seem like I couldn't believe anything that I was being told. Well, the twists started coming, but with my keen eye, I was able to see where this train was heading. Unfortunately, it took a little more convincing for the very naive Tabitha to grasp the hellfire she was about to encounter. However, that didn't spoil my reading experience one tiny bit! This is certainly going to be one of those books you want to take to the beach, but don't forget the sunscreen!
Goodreads review 29/05/20
Expected Publication Date 28/07/20
An old flame returns and renews hope in a woman that has never forgotten him.... a husband wishes to escape his controlling wife.... and the wife? Well, she warns anyone reading her diary.... if she dies, it was her husband who killed her.
Michele Campbell certainly keeps her readers guessing and I continued to turn the pages looking for answers. As the chapters alternated between Tabitha Girard and Nina Levitt and their history with the handsome Connor Ford, it was really starting to seem like I couldn't believe anything that I was being told. Well, the twists started coming, but with my keen eye, I was able to see where this train was heading. Unfortunately, it took a little more convincing for the very naive Tabitha to grasp the hellfire she was about to encounter. However, that didn't spoil my reading experience one tiny bit! This is certainly going to be one of those books you want to take to the beach, but don't forget the sunscreen!
Goodreads review 29/05/20
Expected Publication Date 28/07/20
November 9, 2020
3 stars
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is my first read by this author. Before starting to read it, I was so excited but then the further I went the more frustrated I became! I was expecting so much more. I guessed right who was the killer from the beginning and the ending was a bit rushed. Told in dual POV, both in 1st and 3rd person, it’s a standalone novel. Overall, it was an OK read and hope you enjoy it more than me!
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is my first read by this author. Before starting to read it, I was so excited but then the further I went the more frustrated I became! I was expecting so much more. I guessed right who was the killer from the beginning and the ending was a bit rushed. Told in dual POV, both in 1st and 3rd person, it’s a standalone novel. Overall, it was an OK read and hope you enjoy it more than me!
March 31, 2020
The Wife Who Knew Too Much was a solid 4 stars. A mystery/thriller, the book centers around main character Tabitha-a woman barely scraping by in life. Life greatly changes for Tabitha when Connor-a rich and handsome man with whom she had a past with, walks back into her life. Conner, who has always loved Tabitha, is unhappily married to an ultra rich woman (Nina) and it is her that controls their vast fortune. When Nina ends of dead (ruled a suicide), it seems that Conner and Tabitha can finally be together, but nothing is as it seems.
The Wife Who Knew Too Much was an interesting, though somewhat slower paced book. Full of twists and turns, it kept me fully engaged in the story and had a very satisfying ending. Recommended to fans of mystery/thriller books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Wife Who Knew Too Much was an interesting, though somewhat slower paced book. Full of twists and turns, it kept me fully engaged in the story and had a very satisfying ending. Recommended to fans of mystery/thriller books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2020
I have a thing for great book covers, and I loved this one, so that was a big check mark right off the bat for me. I wasn't a huge fan of Campbell's previous book, A Stranger on the Beach, but I had read several glowing reviews of The Wife Who Knew Too Much, so I had higher expectations going into this one.
I was hooked from page one with the diary excerpt of Nina Levitt, "I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor―and her.” It then goes back in time to when Tabitha Girard was a poor high school girl working at a ritzy country club, where she meets preppy, rich Connor Ford. Their brief summer affair meant everything to Tabitha, but Connor's family drove them apart. Fast forward to present - Tabitha's life has not turned out the way she had dreamed, and she is now a waitress in the same small town. Enter Connor back into her life ― now older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He tells Tabitha that he married Nina Levitt for money and claims that she is a neurotic, controlling woman, whom he has never loved, and swears that he has always loved Tabitha.
When Nina takes her own life, Connor is free and can finally be with Tabitha. They move to Nina’s mansion, and it seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so long ago. But then, Tabitha finds Nina's diary and all of the pieces start to unravel. Once the police begin to investigate Nina's death, Tabitha wonders if she is really Connor's true love or is she a convenient scapegoat for murder?
The book, despite being 400+ pages, moved along at such a fast pace, that I read it in two sittings. While I didn't love the characters of Nina, Connor, or Tabitha, I don't really think Campbell intended for them to be likable, so that didn't bother me. I loved it all - up until the ending. It's not awful by any means, and there are a couple of twists that make you re-think everything up until that point, but the ending was just a little too rushed and neat and tidy (but still kind of bizarre) for me.
All in all, though, I enjoyed it. I read it while on vacation, and it was the perfect beach read. If there were half stars, I would give it 3.5, due to the rather disappointing last few chapters, but for the rest of the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I rounded up to 4 stars.
I was hooked from page one with the diary excerpt of Nina Levitt, "I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor―and her.” It then goes back in time to when Tabitha Girard was a poor high school girl working at a ritzy country club, where she meets preppy, rich Connor Ford. Their brief summer affair meant everything to Tabitha, but Connor's family drove them apart. Fast forward to present - Tabitha's life has not turned out the way she had dreamed, and she is now a waitress in the same small town. Enter Connor back into her life ― now older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He tells Tabitha that he married Nina Levitt for money and claims that she is a neurotic, controlling woman, whom he has never loved, and swears that he has always loved Tabitha.
When Nina takes her own life, Connor is free and can finally be with Tabitha. They move to Nina’s mansion, and it seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so long ago. But then, Tabitha finds Nina's diary and all of the pieces start to unravel. Once the police begin to investigate Nina's death, Tabitha wonders if she is really Connor's true love or is she a convenient scapegoat for murder?
The book, despite being 400+ pages, moved along at such a fast pace, that I read it in two sittings. While I didn't love the characters of Nina, Connor, or Tabitha, I don't really think Campbell intended for them to be likable, so that didn't bother me. I loved it all - up until the ending. It's not awful by any means, and there are a couple of twists that make you re-think everything up until that point, but the ending was just a little too rushed and neat and tidy (but still kind of bizarre) for me.
All in all, though, I enjoyed it. I read it while on vacation, and it was the perfect beach read. If there were half stars, I would give it 3.5, due to the rather disappointing last few chapters, but for the rest of the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I rounded up to 4 stars.
July 2, 2020
An entertaining thriller that deals with first loves and extravagant new lifestyles that are intoxicatingly dangerous!
”When you run with the wolves, don’t trip.
—Proverb”
This book wasted no time grabbing my attention! A diary notation, written by a wife who is convinced her husband wants to kill her, for her money.
”People said I was a gold-digger.”
Nina is one of the wealthiest women in New York. It wasn’t that way until she married her super rich and much older husband, Edward and she inherited everything after his death.
The handsome and enigmatic Connor is penniless, until he meets and marries Nina, twenty years his senior. She showed him a whole new world...money, private jets, fancy cars, a huge house filled with staff. Sounds ideal, except for the corporate backstabbing, betrayal, controlling wife and constant distrust.
Then Connor runs into an old girlfriend...the one who got away. And all those wonderful and happy memories come back. But is true love worth giving up the lavish lifestyle he’s become accustomed to?
This is my second read by this author and I enjoyed both...another author to watch for!
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Michele Campbell, for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 4.25 ⭐️’s
Published: July 28th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
Pages: 336
Recommend: Yes!
@MCampbellBooks @StMartinsPress
#NetGalley #MustRead #TheWifeWhoKnewTooMuch #Thriller
#DiaryEntries
”When you run with the wolves, don’t trip.
—Proverb”
This book wasted no time grabbing my attention! A diary notation, written by a wife who is convinced her husband wants to kill her, for her money.
”People said I was a gold-digger.”
Nina is one of the wealthiest women in New York. It wasn’t that way until she married her super rich and much older husband, Edward and she inherited everything after his death.
The handsome and enigmatic Connor is penniless, until he meets and marries Nina, twenty years his senior. She showed him a whole new world...money, private jets, fancy cars, a huge house filled with staff. Sounds ideal, except for the corporate backstabbing, betrayal, controlling wife and constant distrust.
Then Connor runs into an old girlfriend...the one who got away. And all those wonderful and happy memories come back. But is true love worth giving up the lavish lifestyle he’s become accustomed to?
This is my second read by this author and I enjoyed both...another author to watch for!
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Michele Campbell, for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 4.25 ⭐️’s
Published: July 28th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
Pages: 336
Recommend: Yes!
@MCampbellBooks @StMartinsPress
#NetGalley #MustRead #TheWifeWhoKnewTooMuch #Thriller
#DiaryEntries
June 12, 2020
Connor was Tabitha's first love but they went their separate ways and lost touch with each other.Years later, Tabitha comes across Connor in a local bar and their old romance is rekindled. There is just one problem ... Connor is now married to a wealthy older woman and an affair could cause him to lose everything.
The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell is a twisty psychological thriller .It is a well written book which I found even more interesting due to the unlikable characters and a surprise twist that I didn't see coming
I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
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