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carlyesue's review against another edition
3.0
A nice read. Drawn out towards the end, but enjoyable. A good start to get me back into reading.
justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
The unusual premise hooks me in, but the plot deflates significantly towards the end, as far as domestic mystery thriller goes, Lisa Jewell's approach is the select few that works for me—her characters feel believable, and she also manages to avoid the genre cliches and steers into less-explored territory (but still grounded and not as twisty/shocking as someone like Alice Feeney).
The Third Wife might be the first one I picked up from her where the 'drama' greatly exceeds the 'mystery'; even though I love the setup (it's pleasant to have a domestic thriller where the husband is not sketchy), and the exploration on cyberbullying, and psychological impact of divorce/remarriage, the overall narrative ratio feels off, with the answer to the central mystery being pretty lame and as 'non-answer' as it could get, and the book keeps going for a few chapters too long.
The Third Wife is serviceable if unbalanced, I was invested in these family members enough to see to the end, but if it is a good mystery you're seeking, don't pick up this one.
The unusual premise hooks me in, but the plot deflates significantly towards the end, as far as domestic mystery thriller goes, Lisa Jewell's approach is the select few that works for me—her characters feel believable, and she also manages to avoid the genre cliches and steers into less-explored territory (but still grounded and not as twisty/shocking as someone like Alice Feeney).
The Third Wife might be the first one I picked up from her where the 'drama' greatly exceeds the 'mystery'; even though I love the setup (it's pleasant to have a domestic thriller where the husband is not sketchy), and the exploration on cyberbullying, and psychological impact of divorce/remarriage, the overall narrative ratio feels off, with the answer to the central mystery being pretty lame and as 'non-answer' as it could get, and the book keeps going for a few chapters too long.
The Third Wife is serviceable if unbalanced, I was invested in these family members enough to see to the end, but if it is a good mystery you're seeking, don't pick up this one.
mowens74's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Honestly did not love this book. I kept listening thinking it would get more interesting, and it never really did. The whole premise surrounded an incredibly selfish man who by objective means was a “nice guy”, but his actions showed how he took advantage of everyone in his life, ultimately leading to his wife’s death. I love Lisa Jewal, but I did not love this book. 2 stars because it kept me hooked just enough to at least finish it, but I would pass if I were you!
eliex28's review against another edition
1.0
How is this even a thriller? This got to be the most unsatisfying ending ever.
shannon2910's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
ess_naomi's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
wwh9x's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
evarano's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t know why I liked this book… I went into it thinking I wouldn’t, but I did. I normally think Jewell’s thrillers are way stronger than her “suspense”/family commentary type of books but this was good. Now, it’s complex because the characters aren’t likeable. This story addresses all of their flaws and how they affect each other and normally I have a problem with that, but this worked. Each character was unlikeable and likeable at times, each was very human and imperfect. I think what I got the most and enjoyed the most was Adrian’s journey. He always came from a “good” place and the people around him allowed that, it was hard to read or understand completely but Jewell did a great job explaining this and everything in the story was very realistic. I really wanted to know the ending even though I predicted a very major “twist”. I’m happy I read it! Only big complaint, I find this often in books especially older books. I hate the negative language used around weight, how negative it is to be “fat” and have acne. Drives me crazy and is so unnecessary.
amberpocknall's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0