Sue Watson | The New Wife

The Book: 

The New Wife by Sue Watson
Published November 19, 2021 by Bookouture
Date read: November 7, 2023

The Characters: 

Georgie and her son Sam
Tim and Helen and their daughters, Lauren and Kate
Sam and Lauren are married, Lauren is dead

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon

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The Plot (from Goodreads):

You can never truly know what goes on behind closed doors…

My darling son, Sam, is marrying his childhood sweetheart and I couldn’t be prouder of the man he’s grown into. Walking out on his abusive father all those years ago was the best thing I ever did. And today he stands, tall and handsome, saying ‘I do’ to my dream daughter-in-law. If I hadn’t pushed them together all those years ago, he might never have found a girl as perfect as Lauren. It’s true what they say, mother always knows best.

But weeks later, Lauren is dead and police cars fill the driveway of their idyllic countryside home. As they question Sam, I sense he’s hiding something. Why won’t he look me in the eye? And who does he rush off to meet as soon as the police are gone?

Desperate, I do what every good mother would do: I let myself into Sam and Lauren’s bedroom. What I see, I will never be able to forget. My son’s beautiful new wife was hiding a dangerous secret. Can I clear my son’s name? And could my life be in danger now too?

A completely gripping, utterly twisted thriller that will leave your jaw on the floor. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Woman in the Window.

How did The New Wife end?

Click here for book spoilers for The New Wife
Book spoilers ahead–if you haven’t yet read The New Wife, I suggest you turn back now.



The Reveal:

Tim was the killer.

James, Georgie’s boyfriend and Helen’s friend, was Lauren’s real dad. Helen thought Tim didn’t know. Tim and Helen were actually in a toxic loveless marriage. Helen had admitted to Lauren that James was her father right before her wedding, and they were fighting about it.

Sadie was telling the truth about Lauren always paying her to take the fall for Lauren’s misdeeds. Most recently, Lauren had committed a hit and run and Tim was trying to convince Sadie to take the fall. Lauren was distraught when the person died and told Tim she was going to tell the truth about all the things he’d covered up for her (he was a cop), and when trying to stop her Tim lunged for her phone and accidentally knocked Lauren down their stairs.

Sam was innocent.

The Ending:

Tim paid Sadie to frame James, which she admitted to Georgie. James was let go when Tim confessed, but at the very end Sadie told Georgie that she’d had sex with James when she was 15, so he really was a predator after all.

The Review: 

The New Wife turned out to be a really good thriller! I had my hunches, but I could never quite nail down who I thought the killer was. The whole story was very well written and came together well. The audio production was especially well-done, and it was a pleasure to listen to this while completing some chores this week. I strongly recommend this one if you’re a fan of domestic thrillers and family drama!

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