The Wife Before Me: A twisty, gripping psychological thriller

This book was an intriguing as it was gripping. Mostly though, it was a dark, disturbing read. It will appeal to those who live in the shadow of their spouse’s former partner. It will also serve as a warning for those who enter relationships too quickly, especially when they are vulnerable.We are introduced early in the story to a distraught Amelia. She is the first wife of Nicholas, a handsome and confident man who seems to be perfect in every way on the surface. Soon after this, we meet Elena who meets Nicholas at her mother’s funeral. Elena finds that she is attracted to him and the manner in which he woos her is strategic, planned and controlled by Nicholas who never talks about his life with Amelia. He also reacts badly whenever Elena raises the topic of his deceased wife. It is difficult for Elena to accept that Nicholas is over Amelia when he continues to exhibit photographs of his former spouse in what he claims is his home, and there are traces of her in the master bedroom, make-up clothing etc. It doesn’t take long for Nicholas to show his over-bearing OCD personality and abusive ways.The story is .told from the perspective of both Elena and Amelia interspersed with details about Nicholas’ parents and colleagues and friends of both the women in his life. At times I was screaming for both women to retaliate and teach Nicholas a lesson he would never forget for the verbal and physical abuse he inflicted on them and had to repeatedly remind myself that many women in abusive relationships remain at the table when love is no longer being served.The book is written in 3 parts and more than anything is testament to the lines, never judge a book by its cover, the leopard never changes his spots and every dog has his day.Shocking secrets, lies and betrayal in the book to the final twists and turns at the end, make this a gripping read. The inclusion of what might be termed unexplainable forces made this story different and interesting.

“The Wife Before Me” was an engrossing book. It kept me up late into the morning, & took a lot of discipline not to read ahead. I was dying to find out how the story ended. I’ve read a lot of British & Australian novels, and novels by New Zealand authors, but not many novels set in Ireland by Irish authors. Laura Elliot’s writing was evocative & moving. The plot wasn’t an unusual one, but the writing & character development were unique & mesmerising. I enjoyed every word & every page. The beautiful images of the Irish countryside were so picturesque I was ready to plan my next vacation to Ireland.At times I found it difficult to continue reading, because Nicholas’s brutality & psychotic actions really pissed me off. I was angry that the b*****d continuously got away with his actions toward Amelia & Elena. I was waiting for his well-deserved punishment.This is the first novel I’ve read by this author & I plan on reading “Guilty” next.

The Wife Before Me is such an exciting story! Love twists and turns? This one is for you.I'm a huge fan of the female heroine (or two or three of them) in a story and this book delivers. From the very beginning, the reader knows everything is not as it seems (duh, read the back of the back cover!), and I found myself constantly guessing at who was who and WHY. I really admired the way Ms. Elliot grew the cast of characters and how they each played a major role throughout the story.Warning: The main male figure in this book hits women and I really hate the ugly reality of a physically abusive relationship. I'm thankful this author does not sugar coat this awful side of humanity. This book also covers a lot of adult themes, so if you're a young reader, maybe check with mom and dad before starting this story.To sum up my experience with The Wife Before Me, I can't seem to stay up past 930pm very often these days, but this book kept me up until 130am trying to finish it (well, I admit to a nap somewhere around 830pm!) and the ending was well worth it. I look forward to reading another story by Laura Elliot.

I am so impressed by this author's writing style, her words are touching and draw you into this almost enchanted tale. The characters are well developed, each one balancing out the others. All are flawed- have survived devastating losses and in cases unrelenting physical abuse. Yvonne's character is the least likable- the mother who worships her son convinced he can do no wrong. Plot was exciting and intriguing and moved along at a good pace. A little confusing toward the end when multiple characters intertwine and bring us to a new level of understanding.This is not your typical psychological suspense........it's much more 3 dimensiobal and true to life. Would highly reccomend.Will definitely read other books by this author

I enjoyed the way this author drew the Nicholas. The seemingly perfect man.At first I thought I've made a mistake and bought a romance novel, but as I read on, it was clear that this was anything but.This author brings the characters to life in a carefully drawn drama of a sinister controlling male and the complete cycle of darkness, pain and terror his wife/partner endures.This book has had mixed reviews and I wonder if it's because the reader expected a thriller from the get go not a slow build to a terrifying climax.I won't tell you what happens except to say that this is worth a read.O.

Elena Langdon while grieving the death of her mother, meets charming Nicholas Madison who coincidentally is grieving for his late wife. She is charmed by him in a whirlwind courtship, even though there is mystery surrounding the death/disappearance of his late wife (her body was never found). As they start living together, their relationship takes some dark turns which make Elena question everything he has ever told her. Then she finds a mysterious letter which hints at Nicholas' secrets and she knows that she must find the author...The Wife Before Me is a psychological thriller in the best sense of the term. It pulls you in, keeps you guessing, and will keep you up at night until you finish it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

‘Amelia Madison drove slowly down the steep incline leading to Mason’s Pier.’ From that opening sentence which sets the scene and mood of ‘The Wife Before Me’ I was hooked.Elena meets Nicholas the man of her dreams at her mother’s funeral. It’s love at first sight for her and he proves to be an attentive lover. Too attentive. Soon she has scrapped her life plan to return to Australia and moved into Woodbine, the house Nicholas shared with his first wife Amelia, in which he has enshrined her memory, and where the ghost of Amelia lingers on. Gradually and electrifyingly Elena uncovers the story of the relationship between Nicholas and Amelia and finds herself in a similar predicament. With two young children she is tied to a sociopath who has mishandled her mother’s legacy and left her penniless. The tension builds slowly, but build it does with a hint here, a symptom of control there, clever plotting keeping up the suspense as a cast of characters unfold. The parents in law who won’t accept reality; the kindly neighbour; the circle of friends who don’t give up, This is a dark story, proving that sometimes love at first sight needs a second look. It has emotional highs that spans contemporary Irish life: there’s a bank crash, mishandling of funds, much loved children, elegant restaurants, designer clothes, suburban living in Dublin, life in the wilds of Kerry. As Elliot does when writing her psychological domestic thrillers, she has written from different viewpoints that energise while marrying the whole in a seemingly effortless way.

Wowee. I had forgotten just how good Laura Elliot is at writing a book which will slowly sucker you in, compel you to keep reading, twist your emotions and then leave you breathless. And she's done it again with The Wife Before Me a book which is terrifyingly claustrophobic, overwhelmingly emotional and atmospheric, controlling and tense from the very start.The book opens in a really shocking way, the first chapter giving you a sense of what is to follow but by no means revealing the layer upon layer of complexity that will soon be presented to the reader. We meet Amelia, a woman so clearly at the end of her tether, one who we barely have time to get to know before she is gone. Gone, but not forgotten, much to the dismay of Elena Langdon. When she meets the man of her dreams, Nicholas, at her mother's funeral, he seems so perfect. All apart from the one small thing. The ghost of his wife Amelia still haunts him and he is as consumed in his grief for her as much as Elena is for her mother. When they begin a new relationship Elena wants to lay those ghosts to rest, but some spirits just won't rest easily.Now this book is a perfect example of Laura Elliot's skill in building suspense. As an outsider, looking in, you can see the little cracks in the relationship between , even before it really gets going, but it is only the merest hint, nothing too obviously amiss, but just something which will set the hackles rising. Perhaps as an outsider you can spot those little symptoms of control, little actions which suggest the partnership is not as equal as some may believe, but they are subtle at first, shielding the reader from the true horrors of what is to come. Because this book does take a chilling turn, one not entirely unexpected, but still, the lengths to which the author takes us can be uncomfortable, but not gratuitous, and yet feel so very, very real.Beset with some very clever elements of plotting, the author has done a bang up job of repulsing, and shocking the reader and yet leaving them compelled to read onward. I was certainly hooked by the story and unable to turn away, even though I found myself frustrated by Elena's lack of action. She has created characters who will charm, repulse, scare and frustrate you in equal measure. Nicholas's mother is just one example of a true matriarchal figure who I would gladly have throttled, she felt so very real. The author has also managed to create so many elements of uncertainty and to create situations where the reader may not be present when some real acts of violence and betrayal occur, but you are left with enough certainty of their happening that you feel the same level of anger just the same.Now this is a very emotional read, focused on both the good and bad side of family. It is a story of courage and strength, of friendship and love and over heartbreak and betrayal. There are some very tense moments in the book, some shocking scenes of revelation, and that overwhelmingly atmospheric feeling that you get when reading. It's a strange constricted, almost choking sensation, which echoes the action of the story. And as the true nature of the betrayal and the significance of what has occurred becomes clearer to the reader, so the outside world begins to change, becoming an altogether darker place. It really is quite a thing to read.If you are looking for a carefully crafted, highly emotion and occasionally dark domestic thriller then you should give this book a try. Very much recommended by me.

I was hooked from page one to the excellent twisted end. I read this book into the night wanting to sleep but unable to put my Kindle down. A couple of times I got lost in the two plots but skipping back I quickly caught back up. I have read all Laura Elliot’s books on my kindle and Laura brings all her characters to life and I live every page with them whether they are the heroine or the baddie like Nicholas in this book...for the two main characters in this book to suffered the abuse and not to be believed when they find the courage to speak up because Nicholas had weaved such a good story around his wife’s making them out to be the abusers was sensational..I cant wait for the next book by Laura..

This is an excellent read, I couldn't put it down. I have read several books about Domestic Abuse, some i have found much too disturbing to enjoy. This book covers pretty much every aspect of DA, from coercive control to actual physical abuse and gaslighting, but in a edge of the seat gripping way that keeps you hooked and although a nasty subject matter, it demonstrates very well how relationships can become when DA takes over.And it ends on a positive note, although full of unexpected twists right up until the very end.I really enjoyed this book, I did keep trying to predict the end, but I was nowhere near!

I’ve read previous books by this author but this one had trouble keeping my interest. Starts well, even the middle was good but the last section was spun out and had too many details the reader could have managed without. It was so convoluted with so much description of the terrain that I nearly gave up. Perhaps it was just badly edited but for me, not the best she has written .