The Wife’s Mistake – Lorna Dounaeva

Summary

Everything my husband and I have always dreamt of has finally come true. Our new home with its open-plan kitchen and marble countertops couldn’t be further from the small, damp flat where we lived only months ago. I’d hoped this would be our fresh start, an escape from my past, but the handwritten note that arrived on our doorstep makes my blood run cold – you don’t deserve this life.

I’ve never told my husband, Hayden, what I did all those years ago. I lie awake every night with my heart pounding in my chest thinking about what I could’ve done differently. Hayden’s always been there for me, and I wonder if he would he have done the same?

I want to trust my husband with the truth, but why has all the colour drained from his face at the sight of the note? Is that guilt I can see in his eyes too? Does he know my secret, or is he hiding one of his own?

I don’t know how long I have until my past catches up with me, but I do know one thing:

If I don’t find out who sent the message, then my marriage is over, and my life is in terrible danger…

Review

Another instance of the book not being what the synopsis promises part 3.

What is this book about? Natalie has won the lottery for around £12 million but is hesitant to tell her husband, Hayden, about it because she suspects he is cheating on her with a coworker of his.

When the couple finally cash in their win, though, weird things start to happen, and this is when we start to wonder: what is Natalie hiding about her past?

Figured out 100% everything, one (or the main?) of the culprits of Natalie’s misfortunes in the present was so painfully obvious. Lorna Dounaeva’s writing lacked subtlety for most of the book, but it was more prominent during the first chapters, and this made for a stale read after about the 25% mark.

I honestly wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t for Imogen Church. A narrator really makes or breaks a book.