The Wife Upstairs A Novel by Rachel Hawkins

 Book Excerpt:

"A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

Meet Jane. Newly arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry of her well-heeled clients' side tables. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.

But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.

Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?

With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of a forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?"

Title:  The Wife Upstairs 

Author:  Rachel Hawkins

Publisher:  St. Martin Press

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Five

Review:

"The Wife Upstairs" by Rachel Hawkins

My Speculation: 

The author gives the reader quite a thriller read that will have you guessing while turning the pages to see what is coming next for Jane Bell, [Helen Burns], Eddie Rochester, Bea, Blanche, and Tripp.

Be ready for a well-written story where you will be taken back and forth with many twists and turns before you get to the end of the read. From the story, we find that Jane is a doy walker and meets a widowed man named Eddie.  Eddie's wife was supposedly drowned in a boating accident along with her best friend.  Eddie is rich, handsome, and everything Jane could have wanted.  Will Eddie fall in love with Jane?  Well, if you are into a good thriller where cheating, crafty, and cunning connivers set in a southern gated community, then 'The Wife Upstairs' would be a good read for you.  This was quite an interesting read where the story is told from three perspectives, Jane, Eddie, and his wife, Bea.  Ok, prepare yourself for secrets as the story pulls you in that will come out and have you saying, wow, I didn't see that coming!  

I enjoyed the read and loved how the author broke down the story into sections that left no room to wonder whose story was being conveyed.  Would I recommend 'The Wife Upstairs?'  YES!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.