Plot: ‘They’re lying,’ my little stepson whispers, his blue eyes shining with tears as I tuck him into bed for the first time. ‘They think I’ve forgotten, but I remember everything. I know my mummy is still alive.’
My best friend warned me that it was too soon to marry Edward, a widower with an adorable but troubled little boy. She said we were moving too fast. But all I could see was a kind, loving man, struggling with grief, who needed my help.
Yet as storm clouds gather above our small wedding ceremony, my hopes and dreams fall apart. None of my husband’s family turn up to support us. Instead of a honeymoon, we have a quiet night in. My wedding bouquet is placed on his first wife’s grave. And then my new stepson tells me he’s sure his mother is still alive.
What does Noah remember and why is his father trying to make him forget? Have I been completely wrong about my husband? What happened to the woman who came before me, and how far will he go to stop me finding out the truth?
Publisher: Bookoutre| Date: 2021 | Genre: Thriller
I received The Second Marriage from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Second Marriage Review
This is my second Jess Ryder book. It certainly won’t be my last. I’ve had my day with mysteries, finding them predictable and cliché. But Ryder spins a tale of intrigue and building suspense that I couldn’t figure out. I had a vague idea who might be involved, but the circumstances, the discovery, and the outcome were not what I expected.
Our protagonist is Lily. Homeschooling a young and somewhat troubled boy, she finds herself caught in a whirlwind of romance, and soon married to his father. Despite Lily being swept up in the fairytale, there are red flags from the beginning about the type of man Edward is. He manipulates Lily frequently into feeling guilt for wanting to see her best friend, and it doesn’t take long to doubt his trustworthiness.
I admit, I was prepared to be frustrated by Lily. Initially, I thought she’d be naïve and too trusting, ignoring the signals and stumbling through the ever-increasing warning signs without paying them attention. Thankfully, I was wrong. She is likeable and determined, adamant her new stepson needs to come before anything – or anyone – else.
The Second Wife as a title gives us a clue as to where this mystery will lead: who was the first wife; and what happened to her? The tale that unravels here is more complicated, with far more players involved than a missing spouse. We have bitter daughters; estranged grandparents; and family and friends who are conspicuous by their absence.
It’s cliché to say there are twists and turns along the way. But it’s true. It seemed every time Lily started to uncover one secret, or accept a somewhat plausible excuse, another layer revealed itself. As the mystery built up, I didn’t want to stop reading. I didn’t realise how invested I was until ‘one more chapter’ turned into ‘and another’.
Not only did the mystery keep me guessing, but the building of suspense and danger also heightened as the book progressed. Additional narrators are introduced to fill in some of the backstory. But rather than acting as exposition, it made you appreciate the danger both Lily and her stepson, Noah, find themselves in.
The pacing worked well. Both the clues and next steps of the mystery were spaced at just the right intervals. The second narration was introduced at the right time to increase the suspense: too often, an additional protagonist only serves to slow everything down. Not the case here.
If it isn’t obvious, I thoroughly enjoyed The Second Wife. I like Ryder’s writing: her characterisations; her descriptions; her clever build of tension. You become emotionally invested in the book before you realise it.
Is it the best mystery out there? Nope. But is it an entertaining, suspense-filled story that you can happily pass several hours indulging in? Certainly. If you’re a mystery fan, especially domestic mysteries, then I highly recommend The Second Wife by Jess Ryder.
Are you a Jess Ryder fan? Have you checked this out yet?
Also by the author:
A Rambling Reviewer 