The New Wife: the perfect escapist thriller from the author of The Girl Before Paperback – 18 Jan. 2024

I have been waiting for more books by Jonathan Holt and when in a book slump I decided to research to see if he had written anymore. I was delighted to find he had written more under the name of J P Delaney and immediately bought The New Wife. It was the perfect book for me to come out of my book reading slump. Lots of twists and turns and a very unusual ending. I am really looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Amazing book read it in 2 days, so highly recommend this

I have read three of this author’s books one after the other. The plots make a compulsive page turning read. However towards the conclusion of each book you get the feeling that the author is relying on the characters to finish it for him. The end drags on and then there is a melodramatic, implausible end. It is such a shame. My daughter has read four of his books and we have shared our disappointment. We will not be continuing as it seems likely that this is an ongoing problem. I wonder why the publisher has not pointed this out?

This was a great read until the ending. It had me hooked from the beginning and I loved how the story was unfolding. Sadly the ending was a bit unrealistic and far fetched for me. Such a shame as the lead up to it was a 5 star hit. Have loved all the other titles by JP Delaney and will no doubt continue to love all future books.

Good read

I always love JP Delaney's books, and never guess the twist, however this one didn't quite hit the usual mark for me. There was little suspense and I felt it was because the aim of the plot was diluted by the intention to create a backstory for Roze and a subplot that would bring light to social issues: namely racism and the plight of refugees. It's an important subject of course but felt like more of a distraction and I thought perhaps it was meant to detract me from figuring out what was an obvious twist. This brought my rating down a notch.I was left feeling annoyed and disappointed at the end, too, because the reader doesn't actually get to find out if the supposed killer murdered the victim that the entire novel is based on and which sets the premise. I reluctantly dropped another star as a result.Reading the author's note at the end of the book I suspect that perhaps rather than come up with his own idea he loosely based this book on Daphne Du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel, which could be why it didn't read like his typical titles - because it wasn't solely his own original idea - which is a shame. It won't stop me buying his future works but I do hope he goes back to what he does well. Which is to write realistic psychological thrillers in authentic female POVs, something that comes easy to this outstanding male writer.

While The New Wife starts with an intriguing premise, it’s let down by a frustratingly naive protagonist and a plot that relies too heavily on improbable decisions. The atmospheric setting in Mallorca is a highlight, but the characters’ lack of depth and the late-in-the-game twist left me disappointed. A psychological thriller that, sadly, fails to deliver on its promise.

The New Wife is the story of Finn, a young man who has had a strange and abusive childhood. He travels to Mallorca to meet his late father’s third wife and to establish ownership of the property she lives in. It all becomes very complicated as he prolongs his stay and falls in love with the stepmother’s daughter.I enjoyed the setting and the plot and very quickly couldn’t put this one down. The characters are complex and there are many hints of deception and betrayal. I found the last few chapters a bit confusing and I’m not actually sure what the outcome was for everyone but I’m guessing that this is a deliberate ploy by the author.My thanks to the author, to Netgalley and to the publisher for the chance to read the book and review it.