It seems I have a penchant for picking up books that fall in the latter part of a series. The blurb for The Innocent Wife intrigued me and I was stoked to receive a copy for review purposes. Now at the time of submitting my request, I didn’t realise it was part of a series – much less the sixteenth book. Fortunately, I encountered no issues in following the story. After my experience with The Innocent Wife, I have a strong desire to read the previous books. In The Innocent Wife, Regan delivered a page turning edge of your seat read which keeps the reader guessing to the very end.
Title: The Innocent Wife
Author(s): Lisa Regan
Series: Detective Josie Quinn #16
Also in this series: Close Her Eyes , My Child is Missing , Face Her Fear, Her Dying Secret
Published by Bookouture on December 12, 2022
Pages: 394
Genre(s): Mystery
Source: Publisher
Format: eArc
Purchase: Amazon|Kobo|Audible|ITunes
Rating:
Series Rating:
Candles are lit and their rich vanilla scent twists its way through the cabin. The table is set for a romantic anniversary dinner with fresh roses dropping crimson petals on crisp white linen. But the woman seated at the table is cold to the touch, and there’s blood trickling down her neck…
When Denton’s most loved TV presenter returns home to find his wife dead at the dining table, it shatters the close-knit community. Beautiful and absolutely besotted with each other, Beau and Claudia Collins were idolized for being the perfect couple. But the devastating scene Detective Josie Quinn finds in their remote hideaway has her asking what dark secrets lurk beneath the surface of this seemingly flawless marriage?
Beau is grief-stricken by the loss of his kind-hearted wife who gave so much to others as a therapist, but Josie needs to know the significance of the small wooden puzzle box found clutched in Claudia’s hand. A prop in a popular game Beau played with his viewers to test the strength of their relationships, is it a twisted calling card, or a challenge from the killer?
The broken body of one of Beau and Claudia’s assistants is found the next day, a matching little box left in the dirt beside her. It’s clear that if Beau doesn’t start telling the truth about the flaws in his marriage, those dearest to him will die.
Caught in a cat and mouse chase with disturbing revelations and a mounting body count at every turn, Josie and her team work night and day to keep Beau’s loved ones safe. What kind of calculating monster would do this? A faded newspaper article about a tragic accident is the break Josie desperately needs. But she may already be too late, an innocent child is in danger…
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
The Innocent Wife introduces Claudia and Beau Collins. Claudia and Beau are ‘relationship experts’ who became famous after their book became a number one bestseller. Because of the fame, they now have their own television show and podcast. Things appear to be going great for this celebrity couple until someone murdered Claudia. The question on everyone lips centered around who would want to murder such a lovely lady. The thing that made the case intriguing was the calling card the murderer left behind, a puzzle box.
Detective Josie Quinn and her husband Lieutenant Noah Fraley begin their investigation into murder and the significance of the puzzle box other murders occurred. The victims of these murders bore a connection to Claudia, and similar puzzle boxes were also found near the bodies.
As one goes deep into the story, one cannot help but wonder at the motive for the murders. Did it involve a disgruntled client, a jealous husband or did it have anything to do with the victims’ past? Throughout the investigation, events occurred which acted as a trigger for past trauma in Josie’s life. At this point, her vulnerabilities came to light. Also, her ex-fiancé assisting with the investigation provided insight into another aspect of her past.
The Innocent Wife was a thrilling read from start to finish. Not an easy book to put down. There were so many questions and the need for answers kept the reader glued to the pages. With the presence of many suspects, lies told and plot twists, figuring out the identity of the murderer provided a challenge. One thing was for sure: revenge fueled the villain’s actions.
The story ended in a shocking but satisfying fashion. The fact that even after the story ended, I kept going over the events in my head showed how much of an impact it had on me. I truly enjoyed my introduction to the author’s work and look forward to reading more of her books.
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About Lisa Regan
Lisa Regan is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series. Lisa is a member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S. with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I think it is great when a reading has this effect on us, and this really sounds like a thrilling book! Glad you enjoyed it so much, Nadene 🙂
Ahhh the 16th book, I would not be happy, but I’m glad you don’t feel like you missed anything.
Ooh, this one sounds intriguing. I have a tendency to start a series in the middle or end as well. Thanks for the great review!
I always find myself getting a book and after I get it realize it’s part of a series too. I wish NetGalley was better at letting us know it’s part of a series. But, I have discovered some great series and authors that way. Looks like you did too! Wonderful review, Nadene.
Wonderful review, Nadene. It’s great to know you read this one and enjoyed it without reading all the previous books. I have a few of the series that I have purchased along the way, but not started them yet. I will try and fit this series in my queue, it sounds like a great one.
I’ve been planning to read this series and have picked up a few of the books. But I do plan to read in order. 🙂
Great review you have of this one Nadene! The BEST books are the ones that you can’t put down right? I definitely will need to look into this one for my thriller tbr for romanceopoly.
Yes, a book sticking with you afterward is definitely a good sign. I’m glad it worked out to read this latest in the series. The puzzle boxes with the bodies has me curious.
Great review and what a haunting cover. Thanks Nadene
I am forever grabbing books only to later find out that they are part of a long-running series. This sounds really good and I am glad that it worked as a stand-alone.
Now this sounds like a read I could devour!
I love it when a mystery keeps me riveted like that!