I love Claire McGowan, but even one of my favorite thriller authors can deliver a miss, and unfortunately, “The Other Wife” was one for me.

The story itself wasn’t bad, but somewhere between the endless lies, unlikeable characters, and increasingly convoluted twists, I lost interest in trying to untangle it all. The women were particularly difficult to distinguish from one another, and honestly, the men weren’t much better. Everyone was lying, everyone had secrets, and nobody was particularly worth rooting for.

I’m all for a good twist, but this felt like twists for the sake of twists. There’s a point where one more shocking revelation stops being shocking and starts becoming exhausting. HARD STOP.

Imagine a bizarre mashup of “Cocktail,” “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” and “Fatal Attraction.” I love all three movies, but somehow this combination just didn’t work for me.

Karen Cass delivered a solid narration, although I still struggled to differentiate between the female characters. I previously enjoyed her performance in “What You Did,” so I know what she’s capable of, and I’d happily listen to her again.

This certainly hasn’t changed my love for McGowan! I’ll forever recommend “Her Last Christmas,” “Let Me In,” and several of her other thrillers. This one just wasn’t my cup of tea.

📖 The Other Wife
✍️ Claire McGowan
🎙️ Karen Cass
⭐️⭐️⭐️