The Fake Wife

by Sharon J. Bolton

Olive Anderson is dining alone at a hotel when a glamourous stranger joins her table, pretending to be her wife. What starts as a thrilling game quickly turns into something dangerous. But as much as the fake wife has her secrets, Olive just might have more . . .

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

368 pages, ebook

First published November 9, 2023

About the author

Sharon's newest book The Split is now available in both hardback and paperback in the UK!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Split-grippi...

Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.

She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick University, where she met her husband, Andrew. They moved to London and Sharon held a number of PR posts in the City. She left the City to work freelance, to start a family and to write.

She and Andrew now live in a village in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford, with their son and the latest addition to the family: Lupe, the lop-eared lurcher. Her daily life revolves around the school run, walking the dog and those ever-looming publishing deadlines.

Reviews

[Lit with Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Orion and NetGalley for the ARC. IYKYK, my reviews are ALWAYS honest.

Writing: solid | Plot: nothing special but does the job | Ending: lots of unanswered questions

3.5 rounded down | HONDA CIVIC RELIABLE

SYNOPSIS

Two missing and one dead women are all connected to the same man.... DUN DUN DUNNNN!!!!!

MY OPINION

Before I get into it, I just wanna warn ya'll that the formatting of my ARC was absolute shite. Different 'scenes' and POVs were mashed together in the same paragraph, so a couple of times I had to reread to get a grasp on where I was at.

Shoutout to Karly for alerting me about a new Bolton book. As a certified #BoltonBish, I was super excited to pick up her latest. If you liked The Pact, this definitely has the same 'mainstream' vibes. It's nowhere close to as gritty or dark as her Lacey Flint series, but it does the job in a pinch. Definitely Honda Civic Reliable, but be prepared for a lot of unanswered questions at the end.

The story is quite layered but some may find the start a bit too slow and the timeline confusing. However, I prefer when an author gets a lil creative with how they lead into a flashback versus the typical heading at the top of the page. There's a mix of both in this book, but you do have to pay attention to those earlier scene with Olive in the car.

Also, watch out for some open-ish door sex scenes (FF, FM, and FFM threesomes) !!!! This caught me unawares as her Lacey Flint series was so closed door it was basically Fort Knox. I was gagging for a kiss between Lacey and Mark LOL. Here you get a kiss and a whole lot more...

While Olive's motives and actions may seem a lil whack, I'm gonna chalk it up to grief and complicated family relationship. Garry (with 2 r's!) was hit and miss for me. In some ways he reminded me of Jacob from Yours Truly with his #plantdaddy vibes, but then he also acted a bit anti-social and odd at times (what was with the naked sleeping?). I really couldn't draw a picture of him even if I tried my hardest. However, I did enjoy the budding romance between him and Kat.

Ultimately, this wasn't my fave from her, but it wasn't the worst. It's a fun, bingeable, and layered thriller but the unanswered questions and questionable decision-making held it back from being a total banger for me.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: Honda Civic Reliable, layered mystery, suspenseful, short chapters

Cons: no trademark shocking twisty twist (a la Dead Woman Walking and Now You See Me), unanswered questions regarding pertinent plot points, questionable decision-making by Olive down the line (girl must've been colour blind the way she was ignoring those red flags), ARC FORMATTING WAS ROUGH!!!!!

___

Check out my YouTube and my TikTok

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

Olive Anderson, wife of Labour MP Michael Anderson, is dining alone at a hotel in Hexham when a stranger unexpectedly joins her for dinner and what’s more she pretends they are wives. Olives quiet evening of the solitary contemplation of her life turns into something very different and soon things spin out of control and enter into dangerous territory. Michael reports Olive as missing and DS Lexy Thomas and traffic cop PC Garry Mizon team up to try to solve what increasingly becomes a complex puzzle.

This is an excellent psychological thriller from the talented Sharon Bolton who has created a complex, highly intriguing and well-connected plot which moves at a fast pace. There are multiple twists and turns, a few of which pull me up sharply as they are so unexpected. This is one of the most immersive domestic dramas I have read in a while with situations and events that don’t seem to add up which inevitably has me all in, trying to solve the elusive conundrums. I especially enjoy have some aspects of the plot are kept very close to the author’s chest whilst others are easier to figure out.

The characters involved in these multiple triangles are carrying so many secrets it’s a wonder their spines aren’t curved with the weight and as for the lies…… There is deception heaped upon deception in piles as large as the externally gathering snowdrifts. Some deception could be said to be for the right reasons though vengeful actions may belie that.

The snowy December weather in the north east setting is used to great effect as it brings its own brand of danger, adding extra tension and suspense. Some of these scenes are so good I’m on the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the text.

The characterisation is excellent, and there’s a good variety of those who are most certainly not likeable, to the very colourful, to the extremely likeable characters of Lexy and Garry. The latter is an absolute diamond in my book, he can be my superhero any day of the week. These two are relentless and brave in the race to find Olive and they definitely could be said to go the extra mile. Wouldn’t it be great to see these two feature in another novel?

Overall, this well titled novel is highly entertaining and compelling and keeps my attention throughout. Even though parts of the plot are dark, the author manages to give us laugh or two along the dangerously icy road to an excellent conclusion.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion Publishing Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like Sharon Bolton’s books but o have found one I didn’t like The Fake Wife is just that Fake!!
This starts when Olive having a pre Christmas dinner by herself in a hotel 🏨 a glamorous stranger joins her Olive doesn’t know her she orders a meal then suddenly she goes home with her as she is attracted to this person, anyway one thing leads to another they have sex … uggh she is married to Michael but he is never there.


Olive thought she had made a friend but things go pear shaped when the stranger pushes Olive in a car & kidnaps her!!
Was Michael involved in her kidnapping or is there something else at play here?


I didn’t enjoy this one at all the characters were unlikeable I did not like one there were quick chapters the plot was okay but being a Sharon Bolton book I expected more.

[Susan (on hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faking It.

After an inauspicious beginning, I’m happy that I didn’t quit prematurely at the 5% mark.

I was tempted as the cringeworthy restaurant scene opening the story read as stilted and I didn’t see the point of continuing.

I’m happy to be wrong as the other 95% proved to me that this really was a Sharon Bolton book!

I was pulled in quickly after the ‘dining experience’ by the second story detailing Garry, a miscast traffic cop twice failing the detective exam.

After a major faux pas during a raid, he was ordered back to the station to be a driver for another investigator, Lexy. Both were endearing characters in a group with doubtful ethics.

Part police procedural and part domestic drama, both stories held my attention with numerous moving pieces, villains, and colorful characters. I was on my toes as I attempted to figure out who was telling the truth - or was anyone?

Beautiful winter scenery in northern UK was the frosting on the cake.

4.5 Stars rounded up.

Thank you to the author, Orion Publishing, and NetGalley for my advance review copy.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever there is a new thriller by Sharon Bolton, it goes to the top of my reading list. Several of her books were gripping and enthralling, and I loved them. For others, my results were mixed. I was intrigued by the premise and the beginning. I thought the jumps to multiple timelines detracted from the smooth flow of the storyline and made it feel convoluted while lessening the tension. The plot was clever and believable. Most characters were unlikeable and made terrible choices.

The story contains murder, abduction, gangsters, blackmail, deceptions, and revenge. This was a character-based mystery and a police procedural. It revolves around a handsome and charming MP, Michael Anderson, who aims to become Prime Minister. His first wife, Eloise, died of cancer a few days earlier than expected. He married her nurse, Olive, a short time after. Olive moves into the home where Matthew, Eloise's mother, Gwen, and his two children reside. Olive has disappeared. He was also thought to be in a relationship with Maddy, a campaign worker who has also vanished. Michael has a secret life, indulging in risky sex (threesomes in particular ) and manipulating the women involved. There is more sexual content than in Bolton's earlier books, including relationships between the women.

A young female detective, Lexy, is investigating the fate of the two missing women. This occurs during a raging snowstorm, making the roads dangerous or impassible. The description of the weather conditions is convincing and atmospheric. Garry is a good-hearted man in the same police department. He is very discouraged by his status as a traffic cop. He feels shame because he comes from a family where generations of his forefathers had been successful detectives, but he has twice failed his detective exams. Even in his position as a traffic cop, he experiences jokes due to a recent embarrassing mistake during a raid of a gangster's home. The department considers his only value to be that of their best driver.

Garry is assigned to drive Lexy on the treacherous roads while she conducts her investigation. Garry knew Olive slightly from school. She saved him from humiliation when he was the victim of a cruel schoolboy prank. He has no permission to be involved in Lexy's work, but her trust in him grows. The trust and developing warmth between Garry and Lexy was my favourite part of the book.

The story begins with Olive on a work-related trip, and she is booked to spend the night at a hotel. While dining, an unknown woman joins her and proclaims she is Olive's wife. Olive finds the woman attractive and goes along with the pretense. This leads to her kidnapping for unknown reasons and danger on slippery roads. Did Michael arrange this, and is he connected with the disappearance of Maddy? Will Lexy and Garry solve the mystery, and are the women still alive?

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE REAL TAKE on
"THE FAKE WIFE"

1) With Sharon Bolton, one can always expect the unexpected.

She is an extraordinarily talented author who takes risks and never, ever delivers the "same old, same old."

2) What was this book's most "unexpected"????

SEX!!!!

Lesbian sex, heterosexual sex, threesome sex, and bisexuality --- just to name a few!

A very far cry from Sharon Bolton's nuns in "Dead Woman Walking".

3. The protagonists were unlikeable but this was a positive.

The more despicable and deeply flawed the protagonists, the better!

4) The book was fast-paced, atmospheric, well-plotted, complex, engaging, and twisty.

This hearty New Englander could feel the frigid air and the intense havoc of the snowy roads.

5) Told from multiple POVs in different timelines, the story never missed a beat.

6) The book's police procedural component was stellar.

PC Garry Mizon and DS Lexy Thomas were assigned to find an MP's missing wife.

Garry is a bumbling traffic officer and aspiring florist. (Really!)

The witty banter between Garry and Lexy was brilliant and their investigative skills were a cut above.

7) I listened to the audiobook read by Colleen Prendergast and Frazer Hadfield.

Both narrators gave Oscar-worthy performances.

4.5 stars.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another twisty and very surprising book from Sharon Bolton. It has gotten to the point where I don’t even read the synopsis anymore, she is an auto read author for me. This was a completely addictive story and I had no idea where it was heading. Part physiological thriller, part police procedural, The Fake Wife had me hooked and at times confused, but in a good way.

A chance meeting in a hotel is just the beginning of this wild ride. The weather is wild in the north of England, snow storms are causing havoc on the roads and an MPs wife is missing and there is a raid on a known criminals home. Action galore. But who can be trusted? Everyone in this story has secrets, and big ones at that. It will shock you, it will make you need to know more.

I loved Garry and Lexy, the police who were looking into the missing woman. Their banter was definitely a highlight.

Thanks to Orion Publishing Group for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on November 9th.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down.

Olive Anderson is dining alone at a hotel when a glamorous stranger joins her table. What starts as a thrilling game quickly turns into something dangerous. But as much as the fake wife has secrets, Olive might just have more....

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book once I started it. The first few pages were strange. But I'm glad I'm not the type who gives up easily, and I'm glad I stuck with it. We have two alternating stories. Olive is staying in a hotel alone. A stranger sits at her table and she ends up flirting with them, But the stranger had planned the whole situation, so they could kidnap Olive.

PC Garry Mizon a traffic officer, comes from a long line of police officers. But Garry is not a successful policeman. He makes an error of judgment during a raid and is sent back to the station. There, he is the only available officer to take DS Lexy Thomas to meet Michael Anderson, whose wife has gone missing.

This is a fast-paced thriller with lots of twists. The characters are well-developed. The story flips back and forth in Olive's life, and the police investigation. There's also an unknown narrator. I loved the relationship between PC Garry Mizon and DS Lexy Thomas. I hope we get more from them in future books. I took off half a star for the strange beginning.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #SharonBolton for my ARC of #TheFakeWife in exchange for an honest review.

[Paulien · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐️

Vanwege het voor mij hoge doorleesgehalte rond ik het af naar boven.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Setting: Cumbria/Northumbria, UK; modern day.
Nurse instructor Olive has recently married Labour Shadow Minister Michael Anderson and is finding her new life living with his two teenage daughters and their grandmother on the family farm very hard as she is subjected to minor insults and petty unkind acts all the time. So it is no surprise that she decides to stay in a hotel between training sessions she is running in Lancaster and Newcastle rather than returning home overnight. But, in her hotel in Hexham, she is confronted over dinner by another woman who seems to know a lot about her - and is ultimately persuaded to leave with her the following day. When Michael Anderson first reports his wife missing, Detective Lexy Thomas is teamed up with firearms officer Garry Mizon, who has just botched his role in a raid on a local gangster boss. As the duo start to investigate Olive's apparent disappearance, they soon realise that they are not getting the full picture from the Anderson family - and soon events from the past are brought to light which cast several of the characters in an unfavourable light.....
This book was just a WOW for me!! Not far off reading the whole book (355 pages) in a day as I simply could not put it down, the story was so gripping and full of unexpected twists and revelations, set largely against a background of blizzards, impossible driving conditions and freezing temperatures. Definitely a 5-star read for me - 9.5/10.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always begin a new Sharon Bolton stand alone novel with a little trepidation, as previous ones have ranged from the outstanding to the downright dreadful. Thankfully, I was only a few chapters through this one when I felt sure it fitted into the former category and nothing following caused me to revise that opinion.
A couple of weeks before Christmas, Olive Anderson, oncology nurse and second wife of a prominent local MP, is seduced and abducted by a mysterious woman from a hotel at Hexham, Northumberland. Once her absence is reported, Detective Sergeant Lexy Thomas is assigned to investigate and PC Garry Mizon is chosen to be her driver. These two are set to be the main protagonists in the current investigation and the chemistry between them is what provides much of the impetus and humour in the narrative. Much of the drama is provided by the fact that, currently, the whole north-east of England is subjected to a severe and dangerous snowstorm.
The storyline is fleshed out by flashbacks to two years previously, when Olive was caring for the first Mrs. Anderson, who was in the terminal stages of cancer. Later to three years previously, concerning a young artist and political activist Maddy Black, who was possibly connected to both Olive and her abductor.
Sharon Bolton has delivered a solid no-nonsense page-turner here with a couple of engaging protagonists and a whole host of despicable villains.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this title at Amazon for next to nothing – and happy because I requested it from Netgalley but was declined.
My two absolute favourite characters in this fast-paced story are no doubt PC Garry Mizon and DS Lexy Thomas! Whereas all other characters are vengeful, untrustworthy and often lying through their teeth, Garry and Lexy are completely real, honest and lovable characters.
The story itself is very complicated and full of surprises, as the author is well-known for. The horrible winter weather plays a role in itself and there are some gruelling scenes when people are fighting snow and cold.
I secretly hope Sharon Bolton will write more stories with Garry and Lexy in a prominent role.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blurbed as ‘reading like a TV boxset’ I expected a read like a TV boxset
It wasn’t, although to be fair I think a TV adaption of the book would translate quite well
It starts oddly and I almost gave it up but if you do as I did and give it the benefit of the doubt it does then get quite exciting in parts
There are not so much a lot of characters but the ones in it are complex and I found myself getting who was who muddled and having to keep stopping to think ‘right who is this’ and what is their relationship
I did like the Police character’s especially Garry who was a likeable policeman with no edges and as a reader immediately warmed to him and his ‘ways’
Some odd dialogue and catchphrases used that made me pull a face and one especially at the end almost made me grimace ( cant say anymore or else gives the main plot away )
It was a cumbersome read at times and yet fast on action at others and makes me unsure tbh what I thought overall, but I finished it and so did kinda enjoy it, I think 🤗😎

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I took one look at the title and the cover and assumed I’d be getting an ordinary run-of-the-mill psychological thriller. And that was without even having read the book description. But as this is Sharon Bolton, one of my go-to authors, I put my misgivings aside and dug in.

Funnily enough, while the beginning of ‘The Fake Wife‘ does actually feel like a run-of-the-mill psychological thriller in the “been there, done that” kind of way, it didn’t bother me one bit. I was flying through the pages, completely caught up in this intricately plotted web of intrigue and deceit. This strange woman at Olive’s table had me coming up with all sorts of crazy theories from the get-go.

This is one of those books where it’s near impossible to say anything without it turning into a spoiler, though. And as I really don’t want to give anything away, I’m going to keep this short and extremely vague. It will surely not come as a surprise to you to hear that this mysterious tale is filled to the brim with lies and secrets. These are slowly revealed throughout the story. Some might shock you, others might require a shower.

There’s a whole cast of unlikeable characters, with two incredible exceptions. These come in the shape of Garry and Lexy; two characters to get behind, to root for, who sometimes deliver a witty moment and often made me smile. I wouldn’t mind at all if Sharon Bolton would find a way to have them appear in future books.

Most of ‘The Fake Wife‘ hurt my head in the most delightful way. Quite obviously there were connections between the various threads, but I couldn’t see them for the longest time. For some characters, it felt like time was running out, which added to the tension that slowly built up along the way. There were those whom I felt were hiding something, and I couldn’t wait to see them get their comeuppance.

‘The Fake Wife‘ had me utterly hooked from the very beginning. It is just that addictive, a true page-turner. I did have a few issues with the ending, to be fair. Yes, I’m aware that this is fiction but for some reason I do still expect a tad of reality and believability. I found that to be lacking somewhat in the final chapters. Apart from that though, I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller and it just goes to show that sometimes you should really not judge a book by its cover, or its title. I’m glad I decided to take a gamble on this one, and I really should have had more faith in Sharon Bolton. She’s never disappointed me before and she hasn’t now. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Morgan Schulman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should a kept it in his pants…. Now taste her revenge!
Incredibly satisfying thriller of woman scorned - great return to form for Ms. Bolton.

[Donaam · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,75/5⭐️
Szkoda zachodu na takie pozycje. Nieco przekombinowana fabuła, mało akcji. Można się domyślić wielu rzeczy. Ostatnie rozdziały czytałam po łebkach byle tylko dobrnąć do końca. Tytuł nieco wprowadza w błąd czytelnika.

[Karen Chong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / 5

This book is one hell of a rollercoaster ride, you’re kinda thrown into it and figuring out what the hell js going on. As you read more, and you have to stick with it things begin to click in place and it starts to make more sense. For me personally, this is one big stretch of a plot- I found the two police officers Lexy and Garry a strange duo, in particular how they portrayed Garry. I found the plot a bit too far personally, but given the plot it starts to make the decisions the character makes sense? (Or give some sort of sense?)

The plot is low-key wild, you have a wife of a MP Olive Anderson dinning alone at a hotel to be joined by a mysterious women pretending to be her wife. She is kidnapped and held against her will whilst her husband reports her missing. The people investigating the case is Lexy and Garry Mizon (who we find out failed his detective exam twice) and is a mainly a traffic cop. As Lexy and Garry begin to investigate secrets are uncovered. If there’s one thing I didn’t expect was the sex scenes depicted which you don’t get much of in thrillers or detective type books which is a first! I was kind of hoping for a bit more from this book, given the amount of ratings- but it’s really bog standard book. You have to stick with the plot at the start because it seems abit of a reach but once you get halfway things start clicking. Overall, it’s ok I’ve read worse and I’ve read better.

[M Soh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really couldn’t get into this, I think it was throwing me too many curve balls and was hitting some slower patches too often to stay engaging for me.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het begon zo goed, dit boek had me snel in de greep. Maar die greep raakte het gaandeweg kwijt.
Oh ja, ik ben wel fan van Garry geworden!
3.5 sterren

[Marielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gimme more books with Lexie and Gary! <3

[Cat✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the characters, the storyline was good, I liked how everything linked together, but there wasn’t really a “plot twist” and it just didn’t feel very high stakes.

[Hannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Op het laatst kon ik dit boek niet meer wegleggen en moest het uit. Het boek is anders dan verwacht. De politieagent en rechercheur die Olive’s verdwijning spelen een grotere rol dan verwacht. Toch maakt dat het boek interessant. In het begin kon ik het boek nog wel wegleggen, maar op een gegeven moment moest het uit. Ik heb weleens eerder een boek van deze schrijfster gelezen, maar dat is alweer een tijd geleden. Daarom had ik wel verwacht dit boek leuk te vinden, maar dat ik het zo goed zou vinden had ik niet verwacht. Een aanrader.

[UKDana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olive Anderson, wife of an MP, is dining alone at a hotel when a mysterious stranger begins to flirt with her. Unable to resist the stranger's charm they return to Olive's room from where Olive is abducted. Michael Anderson, Olive's husband, becomes worried when he can't contact his wife and approaches the local police to help track down her movements, all the while trying to keep the situation out of the glare of the media.

When I started reading The Fake Wife by Sharon Bolton I really wasn't sure about the book. The first few pages seemed a little strange, the situation almost surreal. However, I'm not the type of person to give up on a book after just a few pages so decided to give The Fake Wife a little longer to embed itself. Alongside this, I've read and loved all the previous books by the author so why should this one be any different. I'm so glad I did persevere, I was gripped by about a third of the way through.

As the book opens we have two alternating stories. Olive Anderson is staying in a hotel alone. She's initially put out by the stranger who sits at her table but ends up flirting, leading to a night of passion. It then turns out that the stranger had planned the whole thing so as to be able to kidnap Olive. Leaving the hotel they end up driving through a snowstorm and crashing. With the car upturned in the middle of nowhere, the abductor dead and the storm raging, it is a race against time for Olive to free herself before she catches hypothermia.

Alongside this, we also meet PC Garry Mizon, a traffic officer from a long line of police officers. Unfortunately, Garry isn't as successful in his chosen career as his ancestors and tonight is no different. Garry makes a disastrous error of judgment during a raid, resulting in him being sent back to the station. This means Garry is the only officer available to drive DS Lexy Thomas, newly arrived at Cleveland Police, to meet with Michael Anderson when he reports his wife missing.

I loved the interactions between Garry and Lexy. Garry is a true gentleman, old beyond his years and a fish out of water as far as the police force is concerned. Being new to the area Lexy hasn't heard any of the stories about some of Garry's disasters so is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. She also finds his local knowledge invaluable and many of his hunches pay off.

While Garry and Lexy try to track down Olive, not knowing if she's left the hotel of her own free will or been abducted, the story switches back to Olive. You have a real sense of the panic she is going through, knowing that unless she is able to free herself she will die. You also begin to wonder if there are links between the abduction and the police raid at the start of the book. Olive's husband has always been vocal about the prosecution of organised crime.

As the two threads become entwined we slowly learn about the death of Michael Anderson's first wife and it becomes clear that neither Michael, nor Olive, have been entirely truthful. The story becomes like an onion as layer upon layer is peeled back, revealing shocking events and the whole reason behind Olive's abduction.

One of the reasons I loved the book was the setting. It was great to read a story where the places it takes place are familiar. My hometown plays a central part in the story and I found myself smiling along as I read.

I am so glad I stuck with this book. As the conclusion rapidly approaches all of the plot lines come together and you can feel yourself cheering some of the characters on. You are also holding your breath, hoping against hope that the outcome for one or two of the characters will be favourable.

If you enjoyed my review please check out my book blog, Reading For Leisure
https://readingforleisure.blogspot.com/

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[De Rijdende Boekenwurm · Rating 3 out of 5]

De psychologische thriller 'Valse vrouw' heb ik gelezen voor het Boekentoernooi van FNL. Eerder deze maand las ik het eerste hoofdstuk, maar daarna heb ik het boek even gepauzeerd. Dit verhaal krijgt van mij drie sterren.

We volgen meerdere personages, waaronder Olive Anderson, de vrouw van parlementslid Michael Anderson, zowel in het heden als in het verleden. Aan het begin van elk hoofdstuk staat duidelijk aangegeven wanneer we teruggaan in de tijd. Dit is niet storend en draagt juist bij aan een beter begrip van het verhaal.

De personages zijn redelijk goed uitgewerkt. Zo vond ik Garry, de politieagent, grappig, al kreeg ik soms iets te veel onnodige informatie over hem.

De schrijfstijl van Sharon Bolton is vlot, waardoor je snel in het verhaal zit. Het verhaal begint direct met actie. Er zitten een aantal plottwists in, waarvan ik er enkele zag aankomen. Eén plottwist liet me in eerste instantie afvragen: Waarom?, maar later werd duidelijk waarom deze keuze was gemaakt.

Het einde was oké, maar was niet echt geloofwaardig. Bovendien miste ik de echte spanning, al maakt dat het zeker geen slecht boek.

De oorspronkelijke titel van ‘Valse vrouw’ is ‘The fake wife’ en is vertaald door Anda Witsenburg.

Mocht je Het perfecte huwelijk van Jeneva Rose een goed boek vinden, dan is Valse vrouw waarschijnlijk ook iets voor jou.

[Kate Worthington ❤️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t get into it

[Kelly Van Damme · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

I’d been waiting for a new Sharon Bolton for what felt like ages so I started The Fake Wife with ridiculously high expectations. To be perfectly honest, for a minute there, I thought I’d end up a tad disappointed. I was intrigued from the start, don’t get me wrong, but I expect more than a solid thriller from Bolton, I expect to be blown away.

While that didn’t happen right away, The Fake Wife did end up blowing my mind and most likely destroying a few brain cells in the process cos boy, was it hard to figure out how everything fit together! The Fake Wife sure kept me on my toes and at one point I must have had a dozen wild theories floating around in my head.

The formatting of the NetGalley ARC on my e-reader was quite frankly rather awful, which I think is to blame for my getting caught up in the story a bit more slowly than I usually do with this author, but despite that, I was hooked before I knew it. If I could have, I would have blown off work to keep reading and polish off that last quarter of the book, as the suspense was killing me!

A shout-out to our police duo, Garry and Lexy, whose banter I gobbled up, with the latter giving me serious Lacey Flint vibes (if you haven’t read Bolton’s Flint series, this is your cue to do so, seriously, you’re missing out!), and the former, well, I may have developed a teeny tiny bookish crush on Gazza 🥰😳😂

Part psychological thriller, part police procedural, The Fake Wife is a meticulously and very cleverly plotted, multi-layered story that keeps its cards close to its chest and is slow to reveal its characters’ many MANY secrets. With its gradual build-up throughout and breakneck speed at the end, it had my head spinning and my heart racing. I had a fantastic time with The Fake Wife and I would definitely recommend it.

Massive thanks to Orion and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon Bolton has long been an auto-buy author for me, and her books never disappoint. I was immediately drawn to the original opening scene of THE FAKE WIFE, as Olive has an unusual encounter with a stranger at a restaurant.

Even though the rest of the story followed more conventional lines, Bolton offered up enough twists to keep her novel fresh and intriguing and end it with a disquieting twist. A mix between mystery and police procedural, we get to explore the tale through both the POV of Olive as well as Gary, the police officer who ends up investigating her case.

Perhaps more mainstream and nowhere near as gritty as Bolton’s Lacey Flint series, I mostly enjoyed this bingeworthy and often quite steamy mystery that held plenty of surprises in store. If I’m being totally honest, I prefer Bolton’s grittier and less predictable tales to THE FAKE WIFE, but it still made for a quick and entertaining read.

3.5 stars

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olive is dining alone in a hotel when she is joined by a stranger pretending to be her wife.
She decides to go along with this charade and it turns out to be a very costly mistake.
A fast paced thriller with lots of twist and turns to keep you entertained.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book and found it to be an enjoyable psychological thriller full of twists and turns. It kept my attention from start to finish and I found it easy to follow. I really liked Gary one of the main characters and hope to see more of him in the future. Highly recommend this book.

[Amy Cottier · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Found it quite slow to start but had some really great plot twists in the second half. Completely understand the mixed reviews on here but not a wasted read!