Husband and Wife by K. L. Slater - Who is lying about the murder now?
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- Shalini
- in Book Posts, Book Reviews, Digital Reads Media, Digital Reads Reviews, Fiction
Table of Contents
Blurb
Husband and Wife
We promised to keep each other’s secrets. Until they found the body…
The Wife:
My husband and I are fighting for our lives in hospital after a terrible car accident. But despite my pain, all I can think about is what our families will find behind our front door. The scarf that has been all over the news, belonging to a dead young woman with honey-coloured hair. I have to speak to the police before my husband can…
The Husband:
I’m drifting in and out of consciousness, but when I hear my wife talking to the police, accusing me of the murder of an innocent woman, a cold fear grips me. I know I’ve got a temper. That I’ve not always been faithful. Will they think I killed her?
I think of my wife’s jealous streak, of the lies she’s told our loved ones. But if I tell the whole truth, they’ll look into her past. And that will destroy me, too…
Two people fighting for their lives. And two people with secrets to hide. Who will you believe?
Publication Date: November 2023
Book Links
My Review
What was Husband and Wife all about
Husband and Wife by K.L. Slater was one rocking thriller with a convoluted plot line that kept wrapping around itself. It was very difficult to know what the truth was.
A murdered woman. And a couple who was in a road traffic accident. Parents of the couple who were left with their own stories about the truth.
Having read most of the books by this author, in recent years, I found the suspense dwindling in the stories. But this book redeemed itself, and my misplaced trust on the author found its way back.
A standalone, I had to honestly say that the book kept calling my name even when I was a few feet away from it. I was most happy when I was reading the lies and half-truths and probably the truths that were covered in lies in the statements given by all the characters.
The Hook
Trigger Warnings – Nothing for me but three or four scenes were set in ICU, could be triggering for some.
Those scenes were needed to make the story more gripping. Wouldn’t the words of a near-dying man make you read the book faster? It sure compelled me to race away.
I had zero expectations, and that was the perfect way to be because this book blew me away. This was not a perfect thriller, but it was close to one.
The Characters of Husband and Wife
I was often asked if the characters were likable. This lot? No way. I didn’t think I liked the mother too, who I felt was a complete busybody. And as the chapters moved on, she became quite irritating. That was the best part because the talent of the author was hidden in evoking so many emotions.
All the characters of Husband and Wife were scrambling to protect themselves, so that made the story super interesting, even if it made the characters not very likable. But who cared? As long as the story kept reality far away from me, the rest didn’t matter.
The Intricacies of Husband and Wife
Believe me, writing a thriller is too damn difficult. You’ve got to be a magician. And author K.L. Slater sure was. She managed to show me certain facts while making me complacent toward the truth and the fact that was hiding in plain sight. I could not see it until I reached near the end. Kimmy Slater got me big.
The subplots between Husband and Wife were well connected, the twists left me slack-jawed. A thriller that caused my heart to cheer for the author had got to be good. And this had some juicy parts.
If I were to analyze now, I felt there were not many clues, and not many props were used to create suspense. But, while reading, there was a quickening of curiosity in wanting to know what happened next.
One subplot didn’t gel with me, another death in the middle of the story, that needed to have a more organic assimilation into the plot, giving it a greater motive. It felt more like a footnote to the story, a bolster-up that was used to increase suspense, but actually had little to do.
The Setting
Better descriptions of the setting would have given me vivid imagery. At some points, I wanted more lines so that I would get the atmosphere of a thriller. But that was just a small point in a book that gave me so much thrill.
The Pace
Certain repetitions were present to make the story appear darker and highly suspenseful. But it was to be expected since there were not many clues as shown in the investigation initially. So, the same subplot used did give the feel of slowing the pace of the story, but it didn’t, in reality.
The style of writing - The Prose
The style of writing in this book was strong. Going into different timelines, I would expect me to be confused. But surprisingly, I was completely clear. It was as if a map was etched on my mind about what the characters were doing at every point of time. I might have not known their secrets, but the events that happened in different timelines didn’t confuse me at all. And full credit to the author.
The story had different POVs, and the main one irritated me so much that I had to mention it again here. And I thought that was cleverly done.
I would say the author was back to how she used to write her thrillers a few years ago, where there was a rhythm to the plot line and a smoother insertions of the subplots.
How it made me feel
First emotion I felt was – strong writing. Thrilling subplots. Evoked my curiosity. One more chapter even though it was 4am. A reluctance to leave the book. Gripping story that made me grip the book tighter.
And don’t go by the blurb, the husband couldn’t hear what the wife said because they were in different hospitals, and most times, the husband was fighting for his life to even hear anything other than the beep of the machines.
Do I recommend Husband and Wife?
Yes. Yes. Yes.
The best thriller in recent times that didn’t make me go – oh no, this had been done before. I read four such books and didn’t feel like reviewing them here.
This book compelled me to write the review, even though I am exhausted – Just read the Husband and Wife already.
Check out the other books available on Amazon.
I downloaded the digital version of the book from an online retail, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
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