Well... this was a little bit different...! And in a good way. Evelyn is a pioneer in the world of clone engineering. In fact, when we first meet her, she is picking up an award for her work. But people are asking where her husband, Nathan, is on that most prestigious of nights. Well.. truth be told, and it's a truth that's also a secret, he has left her for Martine who is a clone of Evelyn that he made himself. Still with me...?
Anyway. Evelyn is shocked when Martine turns up at her door. She tells Evelyn that Nathan is dead. But that isn't the only shock. Martine is also heavily pregnant - what the actual?!
An so begins a bizarre, verging towards a bit bonkers, tale of two wives, one husband and a lab technician who try and, well, cover up things and obfuscate others... At times it will skirt realism, occasionally also, for me, crossing that line. But it's a wild old ride all the way to the end with a bucket load of emotion thrown in on the side. Some parts are a bit on the yukky side - not for the squeamish! It's also quite funny in places and had me laughing out loud at parts. It's also quite character driven and the author has created some cracking characters to play out her plot.
Honestly - go in with an open mind. Brush thoughts of implausibility aside and just go with the flow... it's a cracking read all told with a couple of twists and turns along the way, culminating in a very satisfying ending. It certainly kept me on my toes throughout.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

WOW!! This book triumphed all expectations! This is definitely my kind of story - a sci-fi thriller but with elements of horror.

Evelyn is an award winning scientist but her personal life is far from award worthy. Her husband is having an affair.. WITH A CLONED VERSION OF HER!! I know it’s crazyh right?? But trust me it gets crazier!

It’s difficult to review this without giving any spoilers or revealing too much about the plot. So I’m going to keep it short and just tell you to read this book. It will take you on a crazy journey full of twists, clones and murder.

This book would make an incredible (but creepy film). I can’t wait to read more from Sarah Gailey.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Dr Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research, and her own DNA. Martine has been conditioned to be everything that Evelyn has been determined all her life to be the opposite of - gentle, soft and obedient. When Evelyn discovers that Martine has been having an affair with her husband, she vows to have nothing more to do with either of them. Until Martine phones her one day and begs for her help...

I was VERY pleasantly surprised with this story and it gets 5 well deserved stars from me! It reminded me a bit of Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter in that it’s futuristic yet super realistic and made me question life as we know it.

The plot of this story is so unique that it immediately piqued my interest and it’s delivered beautifully. Evelyn is a cutthroat, powerful boss that doesn’t take any shit from anyone and I really liked her character. I found it fascinating to compare Evelyn and Martine throughout as although they are genetically the same, their personalities couldn’t be more different. I also very much enjoyed reading about the process of genetic cloning - it blew my mind!

As well as being a generally intriguing read, there are some jaw-dropping twists and shockers that I absolutely didn’t see coming, there was just so much going on in this book and I couldn’t put it down. When I see a book with the genre of ‘sci-fi’ I don’t normally tend to reach for it as it’s not my thing but I’m SO glad I did with this one - it’s simply brilliant and I’m going to look into more of Sarah Gailey’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was delightfully deceptive - from the cover I expected that it would be a good old thriller that I could binge read in one sitting and get lost in the pages for a day. One that I would enjoy but probably wouldn't remember in a few weeks. However! I had a great surprise reading this - it very much reminded me of Foe. It was very clever and definitely belongs in the higher order of science fiction

Our leading lady, Evelyn, is a hard woman to like, for both the reader and the people in her life. She is a workaholic, seemingly the best in her career of cloning science, but she is incapable of feeling empathy for other people. She has no concept of the lives of others and struggles to form emotional connections. Prior to the beginning of the novel, she found that her cheating husband, Nathan, stole her research and used it to clone her. He took away everything he didn’t like about her, i.e. her personality, and kept her body, in an attempt to make what is essentially a willing, docile, baby-maker called Martine. If this was not challenging enough, this was an illegal act - clones are not meant to live long, they are not considered sentient beings, they are made to be short-lived body-doubles or organ donors, and they cannot under any circumstances procreate. If Martine were to be discovered, everything Evelyn has worked for would be reconsidered, bringing up uncomfortable ethical questions and potentially ending Evelyn’s career.

But after an argument that started with Martine questioning Nathan if she had any choice in her life, Nathan decides she is a failed experiment and tries to kill her so he can start again with a new clone. Unfortunately for him, Martine was cooking at the time and was able to stab him with a kitchen knife, killing him before he had the chance to do the same to her. After a frantic phone call from Martine, Evelyn arrives and realising the implications of this to both her freedom and career, Evelyn resolves herself to helping Martine get away with murder.

I often do not like books where I do not connect with the main character, and I really struggled with Martine, as although there were definitely things that happened to her which were awful, she was equally bad to everyone around her. Her character is basically what you would get if Sheldon Cooper grew up in an abusive family, she is incredibly intelligent, and she expects nothing but excellence from those around her. She is also deeply uncomfortable with her own fame, she knows she is the best and expects to be acknowledged as such, but she finds the reality of this, including having to deal with other people, as beneath her. There is a scene near the beginning where she finds a colleague has been committing small acts of corporate espionage in order to pay back student loans, and she reacts as if this is the most heinous thing one could possibly do, at the very same time she is trying to cover up a murder. You kind of want to turn to the character and say, ‘Maybe you could use a little bit of perspective?’ Then she lets the reader know that she is being magnanimous by letting them help cover up her crime, but she will never trust them again. It comes across as incredibly arrogant, and really difficult to empathise with.

A lot of Evelyn’s personality traits fall under the misogynistic idea of a ‘bad wife’, there is always a double standard given to women who have seemingly cold personalities, work hard and don’t fit into society’s standards. There were definitely times I felt a feminist solidarity for her and her actions, but they were often short-lived. She is undeniably cut-throat in her work and her personal life, as much as Nathan is a truly terrible human being, it is no wonder their marriage broke down, Evelyn only ever had one foot in her marriage. When she got pregnant she terminated without discussing it at all with her husband, despite knowing he desperately wanted children. She has no time in her life for anyone but herself.

I have read Sarah Gailey’s previous works and I always find myself completely captured by her storytelling, and Echo Wife was no different. It brings up a lot of moral and philosophical questions about the nature of sentience, although it does it in a really interesting way, as Evelyn already has a very firm, largely unshakeable set of beliefs, and it is up to the reader to question them, rather than go on a moral journey with the character. That said, this is a very character driven novel, and whilst I did find some plot points a little predictable, I still found the overall story really gripping. It was a bit like Orphan Black meets Stepford Wives, and I really enjoyed it, and cannot wait to recommend it in store.

Damn, Evelyn. Damn.

Evelyn Caldwell is a brilliant scientist who, in the opening pages, attends an award ceremony in recognition of her ground breaking, cutting edge research. Evelyn makes genetically cloned replicas - physically identical, single-use, disposable cloned replicas. Unfortunately, her ex-husband Nathan has used Evelyn and her science to make himself a new wife. A newer, 'better', Evelyn. She's called Martine.

The story unfolds after Martine calls Evelyn desperate to meet with her. She delivers, in person, her impossible news and the impossible events continue to unravel from there. The main story is interspersed with Evelyn's memories of her childhood and how her parents actions shaped her, making it possible for her to be the scientist (and accomplice) that we see here. In many ways, Evelyn reminded me a lot of the character of Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy - brilliant, uncompromising, little to no time for people who can't keep up with her, and a bit blind to her relationships coming apart at the seams. Yet Evelyn is also cooler, a little crueler, maybe.

I don't think I would classify this as 'sci-fi' although the science here is definitely fictional (for now) and a healthy suspension of disbelief is required at times (just how well hidden *is* Nathan's garden??), but at its core 'The Echo Wife' is a slow boil thriller always threatening to spill over from a cool, sustained menace into something more explosive.

This is not just a story about clones and murder. This is a story about degrees of separation, the ones necessary for Evelyn to do her work, it's about how well we really know the people we love and how well we know ourselves. What is programmed, unavoidable, unchangeable about ourselves, and what parts can we fight against? What is a person? What makes them more than a clone? Evelyn starts out thinking she knows the difference, but we see a lot of her uncertainty as the tale unfolds.

All in all, I recommend 'The Echo Wife'. It's not hard sci-fi, closer in kind to domestic thrillers but with a gripping, science tinged plot that tells a tale that is, beneath its surface, about ethics and humanity.

I received an advance copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Echo Wife follows Evelyn, a highly intelligent scientist who has managed to create cloned humans . She has also made a clone of herself who her husband has an affair with and eventually leaves her for Martine, the clone.
Things start to spiral when the husband is killed and Martine and Evelyn dispose of the body.
This is a domestic thriller that can be quite triggering in places so beware.
I loved all the moral quandaries you get to think about in this book. Are clones people? Should they have rights? Should they have babies? Should they be just disposed of like medical waste , like Evelyn does? Loved all that.
The main perspective is Evelyns and unfortunately I found her pretty awful and selfish and quite frankly very proud of being awful??? Very weird. But I can see this book becoming the Silent Patient of 2021

The book is more than it seems, a murder mystery waiting to happen! I like the fact it’s more to the story than meets the eye! Really enjoyed the read

I’m so disappointed! I’ve never read a book from this author before, but have heard some fantastic things about their other books, so thought I would give this one a go. Described as perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Black Mirror, this book features clones, complicated relationships, and explores what it means to be human, all things I’ve really enjoyed in the past. It was fast-paced, there were some good reveals, and the sci-fi twist gave it something unique. Unfortunately, while I did enjoy a large part of this novel, the ending let the whole thing down for me.

The cold, scientific, first-person perspective, while it was reflective of our main character, ended up grating on me, as more and more I came to dislike her. She lacked empathy, was incredibly selfish, and despite being shown to be an incredibly intelligent woman, ended up making completely illogical decisions and failed to change or grow as a person in response to the events of the book. Although I can understand that her character may have been influenced by events in her childhood, for me she had no redeeming qualities and I hated being stuck inside her head. There were also a number of scenes at the end that I felt were unnecessary, and in fact could be potentially triggering and harmful.

The ending completely ruined this book for me, and made a somewhat enjoyable 4-star read, into a 2-star read. However, I can see how other people could enjoy it. If you don’t mind following an unlikeable main character, or if you’re looking for a domestic thriller with a twist, I think this could be for you. Also, while I’m disappointed that I didn’t end up loving this one, I’m definitely willing to try something else from this author, as the concepts of their other books do intrigue me.

This is one of the weirdest and craziest stories I have ever read. It is extremely unusual. Maybe unlikely to really happen (I hope). But I enjoyed this wild ride.

Evelyn is a brilliant scientist. She is also a workaholic. She lives for her work. Her husband Nathan was always supportive but lately he developed the idea that they might start a family. Evelyn is more like the “man” in their relationship. Her work is her priority and she is not going to be a mother and a housewife. It is just not in her. And it never occurred to her that Nathan might go and find someone else to start a family. Well, he did. But he not just found someone else but a better version of Evelyn. A clone, with a slightly altered personality to fit Nathan’s ideal of her. Evelyn works on producing clones. Adult, grownup copies from a real human being. And Nathan stole her knowledge to make himself a new Evelyn. And he did something which is highly illegal. He changed their inability to procreate.

When you read this book you just have to accept the science. It is so far-fetched (I hope) and creepy but you just have to accept that. When you do that you will find a very unusual story. For Evelyn, clones are just things, subjects. They are created in her laboratory and they are not humans. And when they are no longer needed you can dispose them. She is absolutely furious that Nathan created a different, maybe better version of her. And of course she is hurt that he left her. But when Martine, the clone wife, calls her for an emergency, she has to spend more time with her. She sees it all through a scientist’s eye but she begins to see Martine as a person as well and not just a subject you can put into the biohazard bin when she served her purpose.

A while ago I read “The Perfect Wife” from J.P. Delaney. The topic is similar. In Delaney’s book the wife is a robot. Here it is a clone. But both books deal with the problem how we should look at them. They are not like us, but they are able to have a personality, even feelings. It is a very interesting question and it makes you think. It is almost a bit philosophic. Evelyn is a difficult character, very cold, focused on her work. She clearly has some issues with social interactions. She sees it all as a scientist and she solves the problems that occurred with Martine and Nathan with scientific rigor. But somehow she is doing her best and I started to like her.

This book might not be for everyone. The pace is slow, there is a lot of science talk and the story is weird and unbelievable and has huge plot holes. But somehow I could overlook it because it is such a unique story and very unpredictable. I never saw coming what was happening and I appreciate that.

I loved this! Think Black Mirror meets Orphan Black meets Desperate Housewives! This is sci-fi for the modern woman. I absolutely loved it and there were plenty of twists and shocks to keep those pages turning. Couldn't put it down!

Evelyn’s life takes a turn for the worse when she discovers her husband is having an affair with the end product of her award winning research - her clone. The only difference is Martine is a replica of Evelyn, and is everything she refused to be. Now, her ex-husband is dead, and Evelyn is not only dealing with the mess she has to clean up, but also the fact that he is survived by a submissive version of herself. Content warnings include child abuse, domestic violence and gore, death, suicide, and emotional abuse.
The premise was very interesting. Evelyn as a character is placed front and centre, and the fact that her traits that she has suppressed in favour of her independence appear in the form of her clone, really distinguishes her as a character. The relationship between Evelyn and Martine develops in an interesting yet realistic way, especially as Evelyn has to face a different side of herself. My main issue is that everything seemed straightforward and easily fixed. I wasn’t really left on edge as much as I thought I would be, and although the plot twists were surprising yet believable, I was expecting more tension. This is especially considering the blatant moral issues at stake concerning genetical cloning.
I did enjoy reading it, and I think it would be enjoyed by lovers of science fiction and thriller readers alike.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for gifting me a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A powerful, tightly-written story that expertly deploys its themes of abuse, trauma and personhood. I really enjoyed how Gailey used the theme of 'echoes'- not explicitly, but in showing the ways in which Martine, Evelyn and Nathan all leave their fingerprints on each other, and the ways in which their personalities grow and distort as they bounce off each other throughout the story. Evelyn especially is a wonderful creation- unlovable, spiky and hard with flashes of empathy and a clinical self awareness that explains, but does not excuse, her actions.

I enjoyed this immensely, and highly recommend it.

I am sorry I could not get into this story at all. I didn’t like any of the characters and I found it hard to keep reading. Sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

The storyline is very interesting. Not that we are anywhere near cloning a human or framework for duplicating a brain. However, the base of the science is there, and very captivating to see how humans would take advantage of human cloning. I would not call this story far fetch. I find Evelyn's character to be cold yet brilliant. Some would call it a bias when it comes to women, as far as family and career. However, in Evelyn's case, her personality is to be successful from the start. What I can't seem to figure out is, throughout the story, Nathan was portrayed as less intelligent compared to Evelyn. However, he managed to achieve something she has yet figured out. I get the technology and science of what he achieved are not there; therefore, she could not explain how he did it. I don't think the author wrote Nathan's character to justice. He achieved something incredible. Overall, it was a great story.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-arc!

Characters

The narrating character is unlikeable, but I think she's meant to be, and it leaves her with an interesting perspective, as throughout the book we grow to understand how she thinks, what her morals are, and what brings her to make certain decisions. All the characters in this book are shown as morally grey, and are well explored over the course of the novel. However, I didn't find myself developing particularly strong feelings about any of the characters.


Plot

I found the plot a little slow, but quietly compelling. I kept waiting for something more to happen, but nothing ever quite rattled me throughout, leaving me feeling like I'd missed something, and wanted more than I got.

This was creepy, an interesting take on the future of technology and how our lives will change (hopefully not!)
Quite a light read

I really liked the premise! Being a fan of shows like Black Mirror it hooked me up immediately. I enjoyed the unpredictability of it, how it kept surprising. I was really not a big fan of Evelyn, but I can understand where she is coming from. Overall, I was very surprised by the book!

I really love the premise of this book and was so excited to read but it didn't live up to my expectations sadly. I don't think it was what I was expecting and found it quite hard to get into. I think this was a lot less thrilling that I expected.

On an evening that should be full of triumph and success, Evelyn Caldwell finds herself face to face with her husband's new fiancee, an exact clone of her, without the 'faults' that split Evelyn and Nathan originally.

An interesting story, too much scientific context for me personally, but sure it will appeal to others more!