The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine is a dark, twisted and delightfully slippery psychological thriller that will have your brain ticking over, trying to fit together the pieces of the jigsaw. Following the lives of two women, Piper and Joanna, readers are taken on a journey full of trickery and deceit, with secrets aplenty and suspicion hidden behind every turn of the page. Exciting, to say the least, with the ever-present sense of something more, something darker, on the cusp of being revealed, I was on the edge of my seat throughout my reading of The Wife Stalker and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns delivered by the author.
In The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine, readers are introduced to Piper and Joanna. Throughout the novel, the chapters switch between the narrative of these two women, giving readers an insight into each of their separate lives. The differences between Piper and Joanna quickly become apparent, and it isn’t long before we watch as their lives collide in the most devastating of ways. Introduced to Joanna’s husband, Leo, through her work at the Phoenix Recovery Centre, Piper is instantly attracted to him, and the connection is stronger than anything she’s ever felt before. As the invisible thread between Leo and Piper begins to tighten and pulls these two characters closer and closer, we’re able to watch via Joanna’s perspective and she sees Leo being drawn away by this other woman who seemingly has a hold over him like no other woman has had before. This addictive slipping and sliding between the two women, watching the action then consequences of said action ricocheting between their two lives, was fantastic, and I felt unable to look away, intrigued to see what would happen next. Liv Constantine ensures that there’s enough of a pull of interest in the characters that the reader wants to find out more, and I certainly wanted to find out more…
Liv Constantine writes a distractingly curious novel in The Wife Stalker. With so much to consider, and the constant threat of Piper in Joanna’s life, I really couldn’t wait to see how far Constantine would force her characters to go. The in-depth look at relationships and parenthood paired well with the undertone of trouble and danger, and I felt the author really nailed the thriller aspect of this novel, with her razor-sharp style and punchy pacing. The characters, too, were crafted with great technique and detail, and I was completely fascinated by Piper and her mysterious past, which added an extra layer of distrust to the overall plot. The fall-out of Leo and Joanna was absolutely catastrophic and I couldn’t tear my eyes away as I watched Joanna’s life fall to pieces. Constantine captures the devastation felt by Joanna perfectly, and Piper instantly becomes the enemy as she makes herself a space in Leo and the children’s lives, while at the same time ensuring there’s no room for Joanna to return. I couldn’t help but to feel broken-hearted on Joanna’s behalf. After all, could there be anything more gut-wrenching than watch another woman take your place in your family? God, it was wretched, and I truly felt for Joanna as she tried to figure out what she could possibly to do help Leo see sense. Joanna takes it upon herself to delve a little deeper into Piper’s past, and when certain things begin to come to the surface, my grip on my Kindle tightened and I sat back and waited for the truth to rock them all.
I really enjoyed the final conclusion to this novel, that of which I felt was being built-up to from the very beginning of the book. I have to say, Constantine certainly pulled the wool over my eyes and had me fooled. As soon as we switch from Piper to Joanna, I knew these characters would, at some point, come together and battle for the life they wanted so desperately with Leo and his children. The plot was mostly driven by the characters and their motives, encouraging the tension to escalate from the very first page, a tension so palpable I’m surprised my Kindle didn’t spontaneously combust in my hands. The twist, which is mentioned on the cover of The wife Stalker, was certainly not anticipated by me, making it all the more bold and clever and I really have to applaud the author for pulling it off because I sat there and considered it for a while once I’d finished the book.
Overall, The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine was a twisted and tense story of hidden pasts and unearthed secrets. It was brilliantly-paced, punchy and well-structured, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The in-depth dive into family and relationships was so well done, and I really look forward to seeing what’s next from Liv Constantine. This book is receiving a four out of five rating from The Book Babe today. With thanks to Harper Collins for the advanced reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on me giving a fair and honest review.
Their lives seem golden, but they’re hiding some very dark secrets…
Joanna and Leo seem to have the perfect relationship. Two adorable children, a beautiful house in a chic area of Connecticut – they have the kind of life people envy.
Then Piper moves to town. Piper is young, attrative, flirtatious. It’s almost no wonder Leo is tempted away…
Devastated, Joanna starts digging into Piper’s past, and discovers some very disturbing secrets – not least that Piper’s previous two husbands ended up dead. But Piper dismisses Joanna’s fears for her family as paranoia. Who is telling the truth? Joanna? Piper? The only certainty in this web of lies is that no one is who they appear to be… and no one will escape unscathed.
You pre-order/purchase your copy of The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine here.
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