Murder, fraud and a host of other mysterious activities await readers in Carey Baldwin’s latest thriller, Second Wives. Read on for my thoughts on this riveting thriller involving a group of friends known as The Supper Club.
“There’s been a terrible accident, Brigid, but the only thing that matters is that I love you. We’ll get through this together.” As I slowly wake in my hospital bed, my darling husband’s familiar voice soothes me. Yet, as I look across at him, I can’t shake the feeling that this is not my husband at all… Later, I realize the awful truth. Because of my injury, I’m unable to feel the same emotion towards those I loved. The doctor calls this emotional amnesia, but gazing over at my husband, I call it torture. As the weeks pass, my family and friends keep me going, especially Charity. Years before, she married my ex-husband and I, in turn, married hers. To keep our friendship group together we kept things civil - I thought we had the perfect blended family. But once I’m back home, I begin to notice Charity inserting herself into my family. At first it’s little things, her hand lingering a moment too long on my husband’s back, playing the role of hostess in my home at a family barbeque. Then I see her encouraging her wayward brother to pay my only daughter more attention and I feel instantly threatened. That evening, I am haunted by a familiar nightmare of an unknown man forcing someone under water, vowing that their next breath will be their last. As I gasp for air, my husband tries to comfort me. But lying there in his arms, I feel anything but reassured. With no one I can really trust, I have to ask myself: does the man who gave me a second chance at love want me gone? A completely addictive, twist-laden psychological thriller with an ending that will leave you speechless. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Nicole Trope and Adele Parks. 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.
Title: Second Wives
Author(s): Carey Baldwin
Published by Bookouture on March 17, 2023
Pages: 315
Genre(s): Domestic Thriller, Mystery
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible 
Second Wives, which introduces Charity and Brigid, provides readers with a rare but interesting premise, friends who married each other ex-husbands. Brigid is now married to Jackson, while Charity is with Nash. One fateful evening while Charity was hosting an event with the members of the Supper Club in the home Brigid once share with Nash, Brigid was wounded. She awoke in the hospital days later to loving words from her husband. However, when she gathered her bearings, she realised the man by her bedside was not her husband, Jackson, but her ex-husband, Nash. Why would Nash be by her bedside, showing concern and declaring his undying love?
The blurb suggested that Charity and Brigid were friends, but the story did not give that impression. Jealousy of Brigid dominated Charity’s heart while Brigid couldn’t stand a bone in Charity. It was quite interesting to see how they convinced their friends that they liked each other.
The accident rendered changes in Brigid’s life. A recurring dream about a possible murder and emotional amnesia affected her mental state. The amnesia led to a loss of emotional connection with Jackson. I was curious to see if Brigid and Jackson’s marriage would survive these changes.
The prologue sets the stage for a mystery. However, with most of the focus on the domestic lives of the characters, I wondered when the author would get to the thrilling stuff. I kept reading and waiting with bated breath for the other shoe to drop. When it finally dropped, it did so with a bang.
The story hidden between the pages of Second Wives is complex and features characters readers will either like or dislike. Their motives and intent are not discernible. The deeper into the story one goes, the more twists and turns come to light, leading to a jaw dropping conclusion.
The story featured several events, some of which had no connection to the mystery. As a result, there were moments where the story lacked fluidity, which may lead to confusion for readers.
To conclude, Second Wives is an entertaining thriller, which would likely appeal to fans of the genre. The premise, complex characters and the many twists and turns will have readers on the edge of their seat. Despite the disconnect between some of the events and the mystery, the shocking and unexpected revelation made for a thrilling read.
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About Carey Baldwin
Carey Baldwin is a USA Today bestselling author of psychological suspense. Also a dedicated physician, she holds two doctoral degrees, one in medicine and one in psychology. Her experience in the fields of medicine and psychology often informs her writing. She loves reading and writing stories that keep you off balance and on the edge of your seat. Carey lives in the southwestern United States with her amazing family. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and chasing wildflowers.
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