Sunday 1 May 2016

Book Review - My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

Amazon UK
Title: My Husband's Wife
Author: Jane Corry
Format reviewed: Paperback
Source: Publisher supplied review copy
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: 26th May 2016
Rating: 5 Stars


What if your life was built on a lie?

When Lily marries Ed, she's determined to make a fresh start. To leave the secrets of the past behind.

But when she takes on her first-ever criminal defence case, she starts to find herself strangely drawn to her client. A man who's accused of murder. A man she will soon be willing to risk everything for.

But is he really innocent?

And who is she to judge?

My Husband's Wife is one of those books that had been shouting at me to read it for a short while before I decided to start it. Within minutes of starting the first couple pages, not only was I hooked, I also had yet again made that error of judgement of starting a psychological book right before bed. 

I have found over the past two days while reading it then any time I had to stop for real life to invade, my thoughts were staying with the book, imagining what could happen next, trying to work out who was guilty and who was innocent. 

The story is told in alternating viewpoints between Lily and Carla, and at the start its set 15 years ago where all of this really did begin. Lily is Ed's wife, and Carla is the little girl who lives next door to them, and becomes Ed's muse (he's an artist). You continually get hints that the marriage isn't very happy but yet not entirely sure why (although more is revealed as you progress into the book). 

Lily is a criminal defence lawyer, but the only case we hear about in any detail is her first one, defending a man convicted for murder, who is appealing his sentence. Carla on the other hand when we meet her is an unhappy 9 year old girl, who's mother is more interested in a married man than her daughter and Carla feels out of place at school. 

This brilliant novel tells the story of the two women as their lives continue to combine. In addition there is a lot to do with Aspergers syndrome with at least three characters having it. For someone without much knowledge of the condition, I felt a lot more knowledgeable after reading this book. 

I'm not really sure how to classify a book like My Husband's Wife, it doesn't read like a crime, it doesn't quite affect me like a psychological thriller, although I did have a sense of doom throughout the book, and its definitely addictive. I suspect the best definition for those that like that sort of thing would be a psychological family drama, as it definitely affected me psychologically, and there is a lot of family drama involved. 

I am actually struggling to believe this is the author's first attempt at this sort of book, as its so well written, and feels very accomplished. Often I have a very mixed opinion on a psychological book, but in this case, I thought it was brilliant and addictive. It's affected my sleep for two nights so far, and there are lots of twists and turns (they may not have made me gasp, but was very impressed by them regardless). 

With a timespan of 15 years, two incredibly intelligent women, some very dubious morals, one main man, and one that is always there in the background, My Husband's Wife worked it's way so far under my skin, that I'm amazed. 

Thank you to Annie Hollands at Penguin for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Come back on the 11th May for a guest post by Jane Corry as part of the blog tour for My Husband's Wife. 

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