The Quiet Wife

by J.M. Cannon

At 36, Katie Cope isn’t where she thought she’d be. Somehow the things she was supposed to have slipped by. Her dream of being a journalist was reduced to writing pop culture pieces. Her dream of being a mother stalled in a faltering marriage. And when her husband sells his business, reaching success she never has, she feels more pressed than ever to make something of her life.

When she discovers a disturbing connection between a wealthy housing project in the Colorado mountains and missing girls, she knows she might have a chance at a big story. But after joining the community, what she sees in her neighbor’s windows and the strange footsteps in the snow that come out of the woods and linger at her backdoor have her wondering if the success is worth her safety.

Something is fatally wrong in the mountains of Carson’s Pass, and when she realizes her own past might have everything to do with the vanished girls, she must risk going missing herself to find out what.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Horror

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 23, 2023

Reviews

[Pheadra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am truly astonished at how many 5 and 4 star reviews this book received. It is poorly written and in desperate need of an editor. At one point, I started highlighting grammatical errors on the Kindle version but gave up as this is a full-time job and tried to concentrate on the implausible storyline. Far fetched, gory and somewhat bizarre, this wasn't for me. Why would a woman married to a super wealthy man go out on a limb for a journalist she doesn't know, risking her life by moving to the sticks? 2 and a half stars.

[Donna Mallery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great THRILLER! While parts may be unbelievable, that’s what allows the author to write such a riveting tale! The suspense carries throughout the book, not just near the end. I actually had no clue where this book was headed, and it’s a crazy one. I wouldn’t even read the summary (although it doesn’t really give anything away). Just go for it! While there are some grammatical errors, I was surprised to learn this is a debut novel! I’ll be looking forward to more books from this author!

[salemandsatire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god this was so good.
I’ve been following JM Cannon’s writing on Reddit for a couple years now, and when they reached out saying they wrote a book - I knew I had to get my hands on it.

JMC sets the story so well and placed incredible red herrings to keep you guessing and on your toes the entire time.

I had an inkling of what could possibly be happening around 50% of the way in, but I was so incredibly wrong.

They did beautifully, and I’m so incredibly eager for their next book.
5 well deserved stars.

[LaceyBanana Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just could not connect to the characters or plot with this one I really tried! It’s been a week and I don’t remember a single thing 😩

[jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

so torn about this book. i couldn’t put it down bc of all the crazy things that kept happening and i was so creeped out in the middle. however it was a slower start bc the build up was kind of unbelievable like in what world is a woman just going to move to the middle of nowhere in the winter for “investigative journalism”. also the twist was so far fetched and overall unrealistic but again i read it so fast so i guess good it still kept me reading. also so many grammatical mistakes?? like did anyone even edit this idk

[mary mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this book to end!

Great storyline and characters. Ending that I didn't see coming. This author's first book is amazing! I highly recommend this book.

[Zayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a refreshing one, albeit being a domestic thriller, it was quite unique and not the typical he said she said, it was fast paced, kind of unpredictable, and something you can escape into for a night or two and let yourself be guided by the story, tho I'll admit many characters lacked character depth and back stories, and the main character at some points acted a little stupidly but if you just allow urself to overlook that, i think you'll be entertained by the story much more than a regular domestic thriller (at least i was & it just pulled me right out of a book slump!)
just think of it as a pop corn thriller, (a spooky pop corn thriller , cause it had me sleeping with lights on, lol)

[Kaitlin Corbett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure about this! The very end was quite satisfying but who messaged her? I hate unanswered questions!!! I feel like the whole point of this book so stupid, like this man’s ego was so hurt he went through all this? And recruited her sister and best friend? The sister is so fucking entitled to think she can do this to her sister just because she didn’t give her money?! Like it’s not her money it’s his.

[BookwormBeccaAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m torn on this book. There were parts that were good but overall it was VERY far fetched. So extremely unrealistic. Rich, bored housewife plays detective and makes stupid decisions.

[Christine Joachims · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book definitely had a crazy plot twist but it was just like a little too violent and gory for my taste.

[Annie Loven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t even care that it wasn’t realistic, it was so entertaining.

[Raynah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good twist omfg

[Melanie Dubois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good Thriller book!!

I was so determined to figure out what was going on and I was WAY off! what an ending!

I found myself staring off while listening trying to figure pieces of the puzzle out. It was captivating.

I couldn't have asked for a better ending, Katie was a fighter!

[Lauren Speringo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up…I guess I’m feeling generous today. The book started out good…started to get a little weird..briefly redeemed itself…then got weird again. The ending went off the rails crazy and not in a good way. It was also WAY too long.

[Heather Juliao · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be fair, I was bored, which made it hard to follow the 2nd half of the book. Aside from not holding my interest though, I was unmoved by the thriller cliches at the end with the “big reveal.”

[Natasha Boudreau · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at about 10%.

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm in the minority and that's fine.

I disliked this story. I struggled to get into it from the start. There was too much in the beginning regarding the lives of these rich, annoying people that I wasn't on board with. It was bad people making bad mistakes. Yuck.

However, then the opportunity came for some of these people to venture outside of their rich lives of comfort. Our heroine...if you can really call her that...finds a connection between missing girls and a housing settlement in the mountains. She connects with a journalist and she, the husband and her best friend move to this settlement to start finding out what's going on. That part got a bit interesting and the book picked up pace for me. I was thinking there was something sinister a foot and here comes the mystery!

No.

Things started happening and then it began to get weird. And then the reveal? Annoying.

I felt like I lost some valuable time reading this book. Sorry, not sorry.

Reading Challenge 2024
Month: September Letters: Q/R

[Arleen C. Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, the technical issues: editing needs work. For example, the word "lamented" is used in two separate instances when the correc tword is "laminated.; grammar examples include wrong possessive-- "boy's" used instead of "boys' "; and typos...the word "head" when "heard" is the correct word.
Having said that, the early development of the story is pretty good, although the idea of the main character going out on a limb for an alleged "journalist" and her unsubstantiated theories is not believable for a seemingly intelligent person.
I also think the circumstances of what happens and why are overdone , but have potential with more development..
I finished the entire book, so that says something, but would not give it an encouraging recommendation to my friends.

[DANII · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so glad this book was on ku and I didn't actually buy it, it was so far-fetched, and all over the place, it gave me whiplash, the way it twisted and turned constantly. It started out really well and kept my attention but toward the middle and end it felt rushed and all over the place, almost like what was being written was just there to fill up the word/page count and it didn't matter if any of it made any sense. I wouldn't recommend it if I'm completely honest, but as it's my first book by this author I'm prepared to check out their other works and see if they are any better.

Happy reading, everyone 📚😊

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! A 10 star read if there ever was one. One of the best if not the best bookI've read in a long time and to think it's a debut novel is incredible. Can't wait to see what this author continues to produce.

A unique storyline and never a dull moment and just when you think you know what's going to happen you surely don't. And the writing is first rate as well.

Just a superlative read in so many wonderful ways.

[Wendy Del Toro · Rating 1 out of 5]

The one star rating is strictly for the ending, which was super corny but at least entertaining. It had a pulse. The other 90% of the book I found to be lacking in suspense, characterization, intrigue and atmosphere, with really flat dull storytelling and writing. It felt like reading the phone book.

[Julie Zack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed in character development.

[Jen - Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Held my interest all the way through. The twist was a disappointment, so far-fetched.

[Deb Gunnarsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

don’t waste your time

This is ridiculous and I’m sorry wasted time reading this book. I kept hoping it would get better, but alas, it did not.

[Ashley Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Quiet Wife by J.M Cannon is a tense and gripping thriller with many twists and turns, suspense and intrigue.

When Katie and her husband Howard come into an insane amount of money from the sale of Howard's business, they decide to move to a new off the grid housing development in the Colorado mountains. Katie wants to believe that this could be their fresh start on a new life. But as a journalist Katie also has different motives for choosing this particular development. Her new dream home has ties to a rash of missing girls. This is a personal case for Katie because the missing girls all have similarities to Katie's best friend Claire's disappearance. But when she gets stuck in a blizzard alone at the house, Katie realizes that she may have gone too far in her search for the truth.

Okay so this book was tense! Many twists and turns kept me engaged and I loved the atmospheric setting of the Colorado wilderness. I definitely did not know who to trust or who to even like at all. At some point I had to suspend my beliefs a bit but it was all tied up nicely at the end. Definitely recommend to readers of mystery / thriller and true crime!

Thank you to NetGalley, J.M Cannon, and Embla Books for this ARC! Publication date is April 8th 2025.

[Jen W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katie seems to have it all. She is married to a tech/genius who just became a billionaire, living in a mansion and continually talks about how in love she is with her husband.

Katie wants a more rewarding career. She is writing fluff pieces but would love to write a gripping article. Something to jump start her journalism career. An opportunity to break a major story falls into her lap. To follow the story, her, her husband and best friend move to a small community in Colorado. This place is not what it seems and strange things start happening immediately.

This book was not for me. While I know that we should be able to suspend disbelief while reading some fiction, this was so outlandish to me.

Katie is trying desperately to hang on to a man that clearly does not like her. He is a complete jerk with no redeeming qualities, unless you count his money. He treats he like trash. May a love like this, never find me.

I stuck with it to see how it ended. While some of it, I appreciated, there is an added part that leaves us scratching our heads.

I like this author and will continue to read their books. This just wasn’t for me.

[Audrey Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wtf did I just read?! 😂 Spoilers - this book is f*cked up. 🤣
Kinda felt like a fever dream.


Hard to like the main character…I get why and how people become doormats and stay there, but I don’t get this main character putting up with a horribly mean husband and sister?! Can’t even remember her name now tbh.

The twist and ending were kinda fun and payoff-y. But still…a major wtf 😂😂

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A puzzle of a story that has the reader invested from the start. Mystery, murder, deceit and revenge. A man's ego and endless money creates a backdrop for a bizarre plot that doesn't always play out as intended.

[Natalie Petley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook
As I was listening I was thinking I would likely rate this a 3, I was able to figure out the major twist, and even doing so the story was still good. The ending is what bumped it up for me! I would rate this a 3.5/4!

[Amber Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I realllly liked this book. That is, up until the end when things went off the rails. That said, I was fully enthralled from the jump and thoroughly creeped out which is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I loved it.