This book has a lot of characters and each one has a lot of depth and the mannerisms are so well thought out and planned it was amazing. This book goes back and forth between the present day and twenty years ago. I think this is such a fun way to show the past and the present day. When it came to Frankie I think the chapters from the past were so helpful. It showed who she was back then but also why she was acting the way she was with the anniversary coming up. I loved going back in time also because the reader was able to see a completely different side to Frankie.

I was completely left guessing the whole way through the book. There was so much mystery, so much betrayal, so much to take in. The book was so well written that I did not want it to end. I enjoyed the whole book and the way that it surprised me at every turn and made me second guess everything I was thinking. It was completely brilliant with how all the little details added up to produce such an amazing ending that I did not see coming in the slightest bit.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys psychological thriller, or just needs a good mystery. This book definitely threw me for a look multiple times and I cannot wait for others to read this book. If you read this book please let me know, I would love to fangirl it with you!

The title change was a bit confusing for me but I finally realized it! This was a nice, twisty read that will hold your attention. I’ve never previously read anything by this author, so I would love to check out more of her work. It’s hard finding thriller authors that write truly captivating books and this is one!

This was a great read, and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. Just as soon as you think you know which way the story is going, the reader gets knocked from the left. This was a very well written book, and recommended.
TB

The Guilty Wife was a quick, domestic suspense/mystery that kept me engaged from beginning to end. Frankie, a mother of two in her mid-thirties, is trying to navigate life while also haunted by the death of her brother.

I like the alternating chapters. We flip back and forth through flashbacks and journal entries. I liked getting bits and pieces of Frankie’s life through these alternating flashbacks. It really helped give a sense of mystery and allowed me to get to know Frankie even more.

I think the mystety is well done. There are a few unanswered questions that bothered me, but for the most part, the questions posed were answered. I think the twist in the end was unexpected and that was a good surprise.

Overall, I enjo6ed The Guilty Wife and think people who enjoy supense and mystery will enoy this.

Rating:

4/5☆

*I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

An easy engaging read. Not the best thriller of the year, but a good plot with unpredictable twists. Recommended. I am looking forward to more from this author.

This books starts off with a prologue that showed me this book was definitely going to be one of the ones that keep me reading until the wee hours of the morning.

The characterization was outstanding in a way few books are. The main character, Frankie, had a very traumatic experience when she was only 16, partially caused by her own lack of good judgment. She’s been punishing herself for it ever since with too much alcohol, drunkenness and even the occasional blackout. Twenty years after the event, someone else wants to punish her too. There were a few suspects, but all the facts weren’t there until close to the end. The book wrapped up nicely.

I enjoyed this except for the cursing—while rare—it is never necessary in my opinion.

This was a great twisty thriller! Some unexpected turns kept me on the edge of my seat. Would definitely recommend!

What a wonderfully gripping psychological read. I couldn't put this book down. It was the first time I have read anything by Nina but it certainly won't be the last. She kept me hooked throughout. This was a fantastic read with a wonderful plot and believable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

The suspense grips you in this story from the first words and keeps its hold until the dramatic conclusion.

Frankie's never recovered from the accident twenty years ago that took her brother. She's moved on with life, but the grief and guilt remain festering. A functioning alcoholic with her marriage in trouble, she's a flawed, and unreliable protagonist but you want her to find peace.

Plot-driven this is a detailed story told from Frankie's viewpoints both past and present. Everyone in her life has their agenda. As the story progresses, it's hard to know who to trust. The story's addictive quality keeps you reading, thinking you know what's going to happen next.

The compelling characters all have a purpose often to confuse the reader. I did realise what was happening late on in the story, but the dramatic ending still resonated.

This is a poignant tale about the payback of youthful indiscretions and damaged minds.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have been enjoying Thrillers this year, maybe it's the chaotic year we are having that makes me turn not only to crime shows but also thrillers and mysteries, and maybe uncover something about humanity and our society.

'The Guilty Wife' had this psychological thriller aspect that get me going, allowing me to think about the motivations, while getting confused and intrigued. It got me hooked from the first few chapters, and that's usually a good sign.

As Frankie, uncovering what has happened to her brother, 20 years before... I was curious. We get to see her as she is now, learning about her life in the present, and her goals for the future, and we see her in the past, with the changes that time makes. I loved that because the background story opens up my understanding about the character and the mystery.

I enjoyed the pace the story had, it grabbed my attention and made me want to keep reading no matter the time or what I had to do. I was interested in know more and more. The way the story is being told, the flow and the mysteries related to memories, an old crime, new revelations and uncertainty... it was haunting, thrilling and a bit real, in some points.

Overall, I enjoyed it and it definitely gave me what I was looking for. Intriguing, mystery, lies and truth, memories and past events, suspects, confusion, excitement and... last but not least, the enjoyment. I had a good time despite the topics of conversation this book started in my head. I will keep my eyes open for future novels from this author.

The Guilty Wife is a thriller with a twist at the end that will leave readers shocked.

The story follows Frankie, a woman still grieving the death of her brother twenty years after it happened. Her life hasn't really been the same since that fateful night, and now, with the anniversary of his death nearing, things have started happening, and Frankie needs to try and figure out who is behind it all, before it's too late.

I will admit, I did find the story a little hard to get into at first. It started off a little slow, but after a certain point, things got interesting, and it was easy to fly through the pages, trying to figure out what was going on, who was doing things to Frankie, and why. I definitely didn't suspect the twist there at the end, though.

Told in alternating timelines, we get a glimpse of Frankie's past, when she was a teenager, and everything leading up to her brother's death. We also follow Frankie as she slogs through her life now, in her thirties with two kids, a husband who seems disinterested, and a new job with a boss who Frankie finds herself attracted to.

Eventually, everything clashes, and when her past catches up to her in the present, Frankie has to fight to save herself and her family.

If you're a fan of thrillers, you'll want to check out The Guilty Wife.

3.5 stars from me.

This is an excerpt of the book review on my blog https://trails-of-tales.com/

......Just the first few lines of the prologue gives you an emphatic preview of the urgency and fear that the story will envelop you in as you turn the next pages.

I truly consider it to be a well written prologue. One that gets you excited to read the rest of the story.

Someone watching you from the shadows, coming close but not close enough is quite capable of sending a chill down your spine. But The Guilty Wife is a psychological thriller. And the element of psychology is evidenced by its exploration of guilt.

At the core, this story is a study of how guilt influences everyone differently. A guilty conscience might disintegrate someone, while it might make another fall into a constant state of denial. In any case, unresolved guilt WILL slowly deplete you of your emotional energy.

The time jumps manifest through Frankie’s memories and the diary entries. In particular, the diary entries are the most interesting portion of this story. You will only understand their immense significance as you reach the end of The Guilty Wife. These diary entries are the raw and honest documentation of someone who is hurting. At the same time, it is an accurate representation of grief mingled with regret. These diary entries brings in that extra element which make the story human.

The book does not skimp on the thrill at all. But does so in a non dramatic way. Don’t get me wrong. There is some amount of drama but only enough to keep the reader’s attention focused on other parts of Frankie’s life (family and office). So that when the figure in the shadows creeps up on her (and us), we don’t see it coming. The twist was unpredictable and fantastic......

......I found The Guilty Wife to be an ideal thriller for me. The complexity of emotions portrayed in the book is right up me alley. And the tension build up had me excited.

Therefore, I think it is safe to say that for all fans of thrillers/ psychological thrillers, The Guilty Wife will certainly tick the right boxes.

Previously titled 'Her Darkest Fear', 'The Guilty Wife' is a fast-paced psychological thriller with plenty of twists and suspense.

Frankie is still riddled with guilt almost twenty years after her brother was killed in an accident. As the anniversary of his death and what would have been his fortieth birthday approaches, it becomes apparent that someone else from her past hasn't forgotten the events of that night and begins to send her a series of chilling reminders.

The beauty of this novel is that as the story unravels, several of the main characters come under suspicion as the culprit and the reader is left second-guessing alongside Frankie before the surprising final twist.

The story unfolds piece by piece with chapters alternating between the past and the present, which adds plenty of dramatic tension

The way grief and guilt impacts Frankie's everyday life is conveyed effectively; from her excessive use of alcohol to attempt to blot out her emotions to how this inevitably affects her relationships with her husband and children.

A highly-recommended, page-turning thriller!

The Guilty Wife is told from the duel perspective of Frankie Keegan’s past and present. The twentieth anniversary of her brothers death is fast approaching, we know that he died in a car crash that Frankie blames herself for though we do not know the extent of the events leading up to the crash as this is told throughout the book.

I got a point where I felt the past story was dragging on too much, but once we reached the turning point with the twist (that part of was totally unexpected for me and another part regarding a person that I had a click moment with turned out to be true) it totally made sense why it was told this way!

With twists and turns this story keep me on my toes and I really enjoyed it!

The Guilty Wife by Nina Manning is a psychological thriller that grips you and doesn't let go until it ends.A dark and twisty story that begins with Frankie, a woman who has a career, two children and is married, everything should be perfect, but, it isn't. She is struggling from a traumatic event from twenty years ago. One which culminated in her older brother, Keifer being killed.Since that day she has struggled with guilt from then and as the years pass the harder it is becoming for her. We see the anniversary loom, along with the fact Keifer should have been about to celebrate his fortieth birthday and it seems someone else is making sure Frankie remembers events she wishes she could forget.
A story that pulls you in to share with Frankie the guilt, regret, grief that she still suffers from this makes it a haunting tale but not one you can pull yourself away from. Then there is revenge mixed in to cause Frankie absolute heartache. The story is written with alternaring chapters, Frankie twenty years ago and Frankie in the present day. This makes this tale even more suspenseful as we are drip fed from the past as the present day events unfold before our eyes.I love the way Nina Manning has structured this book and I just flew through it, such an easy read.The characters are all described so well, with some so likable and obviously some thay we love to hate.
A psychological thriller with a dark domestic noir feel to it .A great read if you like your tension building slowly but surely with a great twist as every decent thriller should have!
Thanks to Rachels Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the copy of the book for the tour today

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller, before I knew it, I was on 42%. I whizzed through this and read it in just over 24 hours. Emotional, engaging and with the right intensity it’s a must read.

The story alternates between two parts of Frankie’s life, when she was sixteen and then now, 20 years later. You get to know Frankie as a girl. How she felt to be in love, the build up to the incident and how she come to be the way she was. I loved the change it chapters, it unravelled the story and was easy to keep up with.

Clearly having gone through such an emotional trauma of losing her brother I felt sad for Frankie throughout the story. The now part of the story, I really feared for her safety. You truly felt for her and her struggles. Yet at the same time I wanted her to stop burying her head in the sand. How she blocked things out was very sad. I think Damian could have been a bit kinder to her too. She was such a vulnerable character and due to this you never knew what she was going to do next. Which I loved as it kept you wanting more.

I didn’t suspect who could be messing with Frankie. All throughout the story got you thinking all sorts and second guessing everyone that was close to Frankie. The twist was done very well. I loved the ending it was perfect.

I really liked Nina’s writing style and certainly will be reading more. I’ve got my eye on The Daughter In Law.

This is the story of Frankie, who we know has lost someone important in her life back when she was a teenager. We flick between vivid scenes of then and now (also aided by diary entries that detail anguish and tragic ness of a loss) as a working mother in a sometimes strained marriage.

As the anniversary of the day in question approaches there are flags that someone from her past has unfinished business. In the middle my notes said ‘I pierced it all together but not too early’. Oh foolish, foolish me!!

Later I went a different direction and released one of the sections of the puzzle but not enough. Sharp, twisty and real enough that you’re fully in this, yet not too tough- and I straight away bought the author’s other book and pre ordered her next.  Beyond recommended and an author I’ll be following! Thanks so much to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the book in return for an honest review and for allowing me to be part of the blog tour.

Rating:5/5

The Guilty Wife is a psychological thriller exploring grief, homelessness, trauma, guilt and so much more. Told in two time frames; the present and the past when Frankie was a teenager. As we read we are drawn closer and closer to understand what has traumatised Frankie so much. This closing in feeling is enhanced by the use of the season (Autumn) and the darkening nights in the lead up to the pivotal event from her teenage years that Frankie is dealing with. As the date grows closer Frankie's anguish becomes more and more palpable and I found myself desperate to find out what has caused her so much pain. I was so immersed in the narrative that I found myself groaning aloud when she made bad decisions, but also at the back of my mind thinking, 'Yes, I've been there and done something very similar.'

Manning is particularly adept at keeping us on the back foot - one minute I was cursing Frankie, the next her boss and the next her husband ... this made me race through the book at a rate of knots.

I loved the slow build up, the accelerating paranoia, the increasing threat and Manning made sure we were never entirely sure who to trust which makes for a thrilling and suspenseful read. I became so involved in the narrative that it was one of those books that kept popping into my mind at odd times of the day. Frankie's fragility is only one aspect of her character for she is also a strong, strong woman and not many writers can pull off that nuanced characterisation. She's basically a woman who has suffered and continues to struggle with her pain whilst holding her family together ... not an unfamiliar story, but definately one that resonated with me.

In short - I Bloody Loved It!

Sadly, this was a did-not-finish for me. I really wanted to like this one, but found myself slogging through the first 20% trying to like it.

I do appreciate the chance to read and review.

Have you ever been in a long term relationship where you are not really 100% sure if your happy? Hi his is definitely the main theme of this book, mixed in with a lot of deep guilt held by the main character for something that happened twenty years ago.
I was hooked by this story from the prologue, it was equally as gripping as it was intriguing, and the author carried that on with each chapter. I loved the separate chapters from ‘now’ and ‘1998’ each ending on a slight cliff hanger making you NEED to read on.
The main character Frankie was 100% relatable and likeable, I saw quite a bit of myself in her and I found myself playing the detective along with her trying to figure out who is was leaving her messages, my mind changed a few times during the course of the book, sometimes suspecting the same characters as her and sometimes not.. but I didn’t not once think it was THEM!! That was an incredible twist to end the book on and it certainly left my jaw hanging.