Love, Betrayal And Revenge Are Elements For An Intense Plot

The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks — a book review

Image from Audible

As happens with algorithms on so many platforms, when you look at one thing, it gives you similar suggestions. Audible is no different, and while I listened to She Lies Close by Sharon Doering, I received the recommendation to listen to The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks. I read the blurb and agreed: this was a book I wanted to ‘read’.

Audible frequently sends emails, but because our Amazon account is in my husband’s name, the emails always go to him. He forwarded me an email with the title: ‘Your next great listen is already in your library’.

Yes, you guessed it.

It was The Wife Between Us.

About the authors, Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks

Sarah Pekkanen was born in New York City, arriving much quicker than her mother or the doctors had anticipated, and later moved to Maryland with her parents. While Sarah was in school, her teachers had to inform her parents of the state of her desk — crumpled pieces of paper and old notebooks — as well as Sarah wandering into the wrong class because of her intense daydreaming episodes.

In her early twenties, Sarah worked as a journalist covering Capitol Hill, and she also conducted an eighteen-month long investigation into the corrupt and prejudicial practices of a US congresswoman, resulting in investigations by the House Ethics Committee.

Sarah’s first novel was The Opposite of Me, followed bySkipping a Beat, These Girls, The Best of Us, Catching Air, Things You Won’t Say, The Perfect NeighborsandThe Ever After.

She became best friends with her former editor, Greer Hendricks, and together they wrote four New York Times bestselling psychological thrillers: The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl, You Are Not Alone and The Golden Couple.

There is less to be found on the Internet of the life and career of Greer Hendricks. She earned her master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University and worked at Simon & Schuster for nearly two decades, as vice president and senior editor.

Her solo debut short story, A Show of Faith, appeared in Spring 2023.

Twists in the plot

When the story of The Wife Between Us starts, the story alternates between the first-person narrator, Vanessa, and the story of Nellie in the third person.

Vanessa lives with her aunt in New York City and is watching the new fiancee of her ex-husband, Richard.

Then we learn that Vanessa and Nellie are one and the same person.

As the story unfolds, we learn of Richard gaslighting and abusing Vanessa, and how she tried to get away from him. She wanted to leave, but when he found out, he beat her, and just about locked her up in the house. He followed her every move; knew of everything she did, and Vanessa even suspected him of getting rid of the dog she loved so much.

But, Richard has a new fiancee — Emma.

Vanessa is determined to prevent the upcoming marriage from happening, but how…

One chapter too many

One of the biggest mistakes an author can make is to leave their readers wondering at the end of a story. An author should always tie up all loose ends at the end of a story.

By the time I reached the end of this story, I was satisfied. I knew where it ended. The story was done. Vanessa had reached her goal.

I waited for the credits to roll so I could start on a new story.

But…

… then there was another chapter.

Out of the blue — that’s how it felt to me — the authors tied up an end which wasn’t loose.

At least, not to me.

An unsatisfactory ending can leave the reader feeling cheated.

This extra chapter didn’t take away the strength of the story, but it did make me go: why?

Why did the authors choose to add this chapter when it wasn’t a loose end to begin with? Somehow I could understand, but it still felt like too much.

If any of you read this book, or have read it, I would love to hear your opinion on that last bit about Emma, whether it adds to the story, or could’ve been left away.

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