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kittietta's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Lake Union Publishers and Netgalley for the free ARC for an honest review.
The Trailing Spouse is a very good suspenseful thriller. The story was well written, but it did take me a bit to get into the story. I enjoyed the plot and the pace makes it an engrossing read. The Singapore setting was interesting, the characters have depth, and are believable, A 3 star rating.
The Trailing Spouse is a very good suspenseful thriller. The story was well written, but it did take me a bit to get into the story. I enjoyed the plot and the pace makes it an engrossing read. The Singapore setting was interesting, the characters have depth, and are believable, A 3 star rating.
verumsolum's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a very engaging one, but it was so engaging that there were times I felt too emotional to continue in the world the author created. I am not quite sure how much was the book and how much was my emotions and the tiny portions of my own life and history that resonated with the characters in this book and their lives. At its simplest an least spoilery, I would describe this book as the story of a woman who has moved to another country coming to better know her husband and his daughter, as well as living in a country that both is and isn't her own.
linzrambo's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC. Amanda Bonham is living in a luxury apartment in Singapore with her husband Ed and her teenaged step daughter Josie. The story begins with Amanda finding their “helper” Awmi dead from an apparent suicide. You are also introduced to a woman named Camille that works for H.E.L.P, an agency that advocates for “helpers” rights, but she isn’t just investigating Awmi’s death, she’s looking to uncover the truth about her parents disappearance in 1999. There are multiple threads to this interesting thriller and you’ll be left guessing until the very end.
karlou's review against another edition
5.0
Amanda Bonham is a trailing spouse which means she has left her old life in London to be with her husband, Edward who lives in Singapore. At first glance it would appear that Amanda leads a charmed life; she has money, an attractive husband and a beautiful apartment. However, when she finds condoms in her husband's travel bag she suspects he may cheating on her when he travels away for business. Before she has time to decide what to do their young maid, Awmi is found dead, presumably by suicide. She discovers that Awmi was pregnant and when a stash of drugs prescribed to Ed is found in her room, Amanda begins to wonder just how well she knows her husband. She's his second marriage but did his first wife really die by suicide as Amanda has been led to believe? As she begins to look more closely at his activities, she starts to fear for the safety of herself and her stepdaughter. Josie's behaviour means she isn't a particularly easy character to like - she's belligerent and secretive but is she just another teenager acting out or does her behaviour suggest a darker path?
Camille Kemble works for the British High Commission and volunteers for HELP, an NGO which campaigns for the rights of foreign domestic workers - it's strikingly clear that there's a world of difference between expats and migrants in Singapore and yet as the book progresses the lines become more blurred as we learn how few rights those living in the country on a Dependent's Pass actually have. Amanda hears about a woman who has lived there for thirteen years but is given a month to leave after her husband is killed in an accident. As the book follows Amanda and Camille in turn it soon becomes obvious that the affluent lives of the expats may not be as trouble-free as it first appears. Not only do the trailing spouses have few rights but the community itself is a fragile one and is marked by gossip and competitiveness, based as it is on the constant movement of its members. Camille has her own investigation to pursue as she is tormented by the mystery of what happened to her parents fifteen years ago. Just a child when they disappeared, she is desperate to find out the truth and thinks she may have a lead when she realises Edward Bonham may be a face from her past.
Both Camille and Amanda start from positions of relative disadvantage; one is hindered by her shaky memory of the past and her questions as to what her parents work really entailed, while the other realises that her discoveries could put her at risk, although quite what that risk could be is something she can't quite fully comprehend as the facade of her life begins to crumble. However, these are tenacious and ultimately strong women who keep pushing even if the simpler path would be to stop. Amanda is driven by a desire to have children but in the meantime struggles with her role as stepmother to Josie. She is never quite sure whether she is overstepping the mark, she wants to be there for her stepdaughter, particularly when she begins to suspect they are both in danger but she can't quite bridge the distance between them and continues to keep the girl at arm's length.
The Trailing Spouse is a novel about relationships and they are so perceptively described throughout; this is domestic noir at its most insightful. As the story continues, Jo Furniss' knowledge of the area pays dividends and the humid setting is brought vividly to life, helping create an oppressive, almost feverish hue to the proceedings. The creeping sense of danger is like a vine from the jungle surrounding the city, unrelenting as it twists its way around all in its path. Shocking, immersive and convincing, The Trailing Spouse is a clever and beautifully written book. Highly recommended.
Camille Kemble works for the British High Commission and volunteers for HELP, an NGO which campaigns for the rights of foreign domestic workers - it's strikingly clear that there's a world of difference between expats and migrants in Singapore and yet as the book progresses the lines become more blurred as we learn how few rights those living in the country on a Dependent's Pass actually have. Amanda hears about a woman who has lived there for thirteen years but is given a month to leave after her husband is killed in an accident. As the book follows Amanda and Camille in turn it soon becomes obvious that the affluent lives of the expats may not be as trouble-free as it first appears. Not only do the trailing spouses have few rights but the community itself is a fragile one and is marked by gossip and competitiveness, based as it is on the constant movement of its members. Camille has her own investigation to pursue as she is tormented by the mystery of what happened to her parents fifteen years ago. Just a child when they disappeared, she is desperate to find out the truth and thinks she may have a lead when she realises Edward Bonham may be a face from her past.
Both Camille and Amanda start from positions of relative disadvantage; one is hindered by her shaky memory of the past and her questions as to what her parents work really entailed, while the other realises that her discoveries could put her at risk, although quite what that risk could be is something she can't quite fully comprehend as the facade of her life begins to crumble. However, these are tenacious and ultimately strong women who keep pushing even if the simpler path would be to stop. Amanda is driven by a desire to have children but in the meantime struggles with her role as stepmother to Josie. She is never quite sure whether she is overstepping the mark, she wants to be there for her stepdaughter, particularly when she begins to suspect they are both in danger but she can't quite bridge the distance between them and continues to keep the girl at arm's length.
The Trailing Spouse is a novel about relationships and they are so perceptively described throughout; this is domestic noir at its most insightful. As the story continues, Jo Furniss' knowledge of the area pays dividends and the humid setting is brought vividly to life, helping create an oppressive, almost feverish hue to the proceedings. The creeping sense of danger is like a vine from the jungle surrounding the city, unrelenting as it twists its way around all in its path. Shocking, immersive and convincing, The Trailing Spouse is a clever and beautifully written book. Highly recommended.
ramonamead's review against another edition
4.0
I was drawn to this book by the cover, and taking a chance on it paid off big time!
While at the core this is a solid mystery/triller, it's a beautiful novel with a lot going on. Amanda and Edward are expatriates living in Singapore. She gave up her life in England to be with him and live a life of luxury. Edward's daughter from his first marriage is with them as well, harboring some complicated feelings about her mother's death and father's remarriage. When the family maid commits suicide, Amanda begins to scramble to put together pieces of a much larger puzzle.
Furniss weaves a great story here, exploring issues of marriage, family, trust, loyalty. The characters are all fascinating in wonderful and horrible ways. The setting of expat life in Singapore is vivid, I could feel Amanda's isolation and desperation.
I appreciate a story that still has me guessing at 90% in, and The Trailing Spouse did for sure!
While at the core this is a solid mystery/triller, it's a beautiful novel with a lot going on. Amanda and Edward are expatriates living in Singapore. She gave up her life in England to be with him and live a life of luxury. Edward's daughter from his first marriage is with them as well, harboring some complicated feelings about her mother's death and father's remarriage. When the family maid commits suicide, Amanda begins to scramble to put together pieces of a much larger puzzle.
Furniss weaves a great story here, exploring issues of marriage, family, trust, loyalty. The characters are all fascinating in wonderful and horrible ways. The setting of expat life in Singapore is vivid, I could feel Amanda's isolation and desperation.
I appreciate a story that still has me guessing at 90% in, and The Trailing Spouse did for sure!
amtl73's review
1.0
I was basically thinking about the other books on my TBR that i wasn’t reading because I was reading this crap book!
So mad.
So mad.
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