This is a good story about culpability, set in an imagined former totalitarian state. However, unfortunately it took too long to get going and I nearly abandoned it a few times.. For me, I prefer audiobooks to be punchy, and fast paced so perhaps if I had been reading this rather than listening to it I would have found it more gripping. The narrator's voice is clear and engaging, with each character having a distinct voice. Once the plot increases pace it's hard to pull away, until then you have to be patient.

This book tells the story of a fictional country ruled by a dictator. When the dictatorship is overthrown and the leader killed, his wife is arrested and put on trial. We follow two perspectives, the dictator's wife and that of a renowned female lawyer appointed to represent her. The story oscillates between the present and the past, and it is gradually revealed how the two main protagonists are interlinked.

I liked the writing style, it is simple yet eloquent and leaves an impression while not being superfluous. What I did not like was the character arc. There was potential to these intriguing characters but this was not optimised well. There is not much plot and it does get a bit boring.

Overall, I'd recommend this to readers who prefer a slower narrative and morally grey female characters.

Great audiobook, really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

When I saw the title and the cover of this book, my thoughts instantly went to Eva Braun. What would she say if she were given a voice?

The Story:
Laura Lazarescue is a lawyer working in London. Her parents were residents of the fictional Yanussia but they fled from the country under mysterious circumstances. Now, they don't talk about their country nor do they encourage Laura to talk about it. Laura has always held a strange fascination for her fatherland though she has never visited the country after immigration.

Now, she is called to represent Marija Popa, the widow of the country's recently-deceased dictator, Constantine Popa. The crimes listed against Marija are many, but is she really guilty or was she just a puppet in her husband's hands?

What I Liked:

1) The descriptions
The author manages to bring Yanussia to life with her words. The sinister atmosphere in the country and the descriptions of the mansion in which Marija Popa lives are so realistic that I felt as if I were there. If this is the author's debut, I'd love to read her next offering.

2) The topic
As I said, I looked at the title and thought "Eva Braun" (I am not proud of the way my mind works but okay). It is an intriguing topic that I WILL pick up no matter how many times I read about it.

What I Didn't Like:

1. The length
The novel was too lengthy for its own good. I was bored to tears by the time the book came to an end. I couldn't care less about what happened to whom.

2) The characters
As usual, there was this totally oblivious dudette who thinks she is the cleverest of them all and yet cannot see what is in front of her nose. People tell Laura multiple times that she shouldn't trust Marija Popa and yet... and yet, Laura deceives herself into thinking that Marija is pure as snow and the others are all plotting against her. I wouldn't have minded if this was the case, but Marija is so obviously evil that I couldn't even...

Final Thoughts:
Though I loved the author's writing, I would have preferred a tighter story, one with lesser repetitions and more character growth. That said, I will look forward to her next works.

3 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hatchette UK Audio for the audio ARC.

Synopsis/blurb...

'I am not my husband. I am innocent. Do you believe me?'

The beautiful, enigmatic wife of a feared dictator stands trial for her late husband's crimes against the people. The world will finally know the truth. But whose? A BBC2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick.

_________

WOMAN

I learned early in life how to survive. A skill that became vital in my position.

WIFE

I was given no power, yet I was expected to hold my own with the most powerful man in the country.

MOTHER OF THE NATION

My people were my children. I stood between him and them.

I am not the person they say I am.

I am not my husband.

I am innocent.

Do you believe me?

Visceral and thought provoking, haunting and heartbreaking, The Dictator's Wife will hold you in its grip until its powerful conclusion, and keep you turning the pages long into the night.
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My take...

Exciting, tense, provocative, gripping, and slightly annoying at times.

Events occupy several timelines. Our main character lawyer and narrator meets her mentor and boss years after the main events narrated in the book have happened.

Most of the book is concerned with compiling a defence for the former first lady of a ficticious Eastern European state after the death of her husband and the fall of his regime. Our lawyer, name escapes me, has a connection with the country. Her and her parents fled with her as a young child during the regime in question. The day after reaching sanctuary in the UK, neither parent would discuss the past or speak a word of their native tongue ever again.

Our lawyer has to unravel the mystery of her family's past as well as gain the confidence of a formidable client.

Hard to discuss without giving too much away, but I really liked this one.

It was a bit like peeling away at an onion, a layer at a time as events, situations, secrets, evidence, and answers both personal and pertaining to the case as well as a crossover were revealed. All against a backdrop of changing circumstances - trial dates, tactics, personal and professional attitudes, political situation, public opinion, romantic relationships, and family health.

I'll be interested to see what Freya Berry comes up with next.

4 from 5

Read - (listened to) May, 2022
Published - 2022
Page count - 416 (12 hrs 12 mins)
Source - review copy Net Galley
Format - Audible

http://col2910.blogspot.com/2022/08/freya-berry-dictators-wife-2022.html

Set in the fictional country of Yanussia, Marija Popa, wife of the former dictator of the country, is set to stand trial for being complicit in her now dead husband's crimes. Marija is adamant of her innocence but seeks out a defence team from the UK which includes a fellow Yanussian, Laura, who has not set foot in her native country since she was a child. Her parents do not speak of their past and working on Marija's defence provides Laura with the perfect opportunity to delve into not only her country's history, but her family's as well. Whilst trying to figure out what led to the breakdown in her relationship with her mother, Laura becomes almost entranced by Marija and struggles to uncover the truth about her mother and the dictator's wife.

I was immediately excited by the premise of this book. It felt like a fresh and interesting perspective for a novel. Is Marija an innocent bystander being used as a scapegoat for her husband, or is she actually far more cunning than she would have people believe? Marija's character was probably the story's greatest strength in my opinion. She's a glamorous woman who exudes power over everyone she comes into contact with. There was enough mystery surrounding her to keep me engaged and looking for answers, however I felt as though things transpired at a very slow pace. I did, however, appreciate the twist at the end of the book and I enjoyed the narrator's switch up of accent for different characters.

This was an atmospheric and often quite chilling listen. It's beautifully written and the audiobook narrator is fantastic too. The fictional setting of Yanussia is extremely convincing and certainly feels like a real place. But I didn't feel I got to know any of the characters well. I know that's partly the point especially where Marija (the dictator's wife) is concerned but too often people felt a bit like caricatures and not fully-fleshed out. I couldn't warm to the main protagonist who narrates the story. She seemed quite self-important and self-pitying. I saw no reason for Marija's implied fascination with her. Also - since we already know from the very beginning of the story that Marija's trial had a positive outcome, the trial itself and the preparation for it lacked a bit of tension, yet the narrator constantly worries about losing the trial and the consequences of that - so this aspect felt a bit flat for me. I really did feel a palpable sense of dread throughout the whole book which is an impressive feat, as is giving the reader a very clear sense of a fictional place you have created. Freya Berry is incredibly talented and I look forward to reading more books by her.

This was an interesting novel on a fictional Eastern European country's dictator's widow and the trial she faces. Berry's writing keeps you on the edge and makes you constantly evaluate Marija's innocence.

I found the plot extremely slow on this one, and at times some of the scenes seemed a bit repetitive, making it a little difficult for me to really connect with this title. I felt like I as the reader was being asked to feel sorry for someone like Serena Joy from the Handmaid's Tale and I just couldn't seem to get a long with her character. I understand that she was meant to be a lot darker of a character than her public persona led you to believe, and this certainly shines through as her secrets started to unravel, but overall it wasn't enough for me to distract me from the slowness of the plot. I think someone who is more used to the genre would really enjoy this novel, but it wasn't for me.

I had a few download issues with the book and by the time it was sorted, the file had unfortunately been achieved. Happy to re-review if it becomes available again.

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
A thought-provoking novel, a slow moving political thriller, which I think made for a good audiobook... much less chance of missing parts of the story. The story is told by Laura, one of Marija's defence lawyers, as they prepare the case for court.

Interesting to read a novel about a regime controlling a country and its people. Having read Very Bad People recently I could well imagine exactly where all the millions in currency and artwork had disappeared to.

I enjoyed listening to the narrator and the snippets of music which added to the atmosphere.

Just making it into the 4 stars, I liked it for being something different from the usual genres I read.

Set in the fictional country of Yanussia, Laura, a junior lawyer and child of Yanussia searches for ways to defend the dictator's wife as well as uncovering her own family secrets.
I like the premise of this book and found some parts enjoyable but overall, it was far too long and often a slog to get through. I felt the characters were quite one dimensional but the narrator did a good job of trying to install some life into them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.75*
The fictional country is Yanussia, surrounded by countries that are familiar in real life. It is coming towards the end of the 20th Century and Laura  Lăzărescu is part of the English defence team, working for Marìja Popa, intent on getting her freed from her incarceration and securing a future for her where she can live her life as she wishes. She is the wife of dictator Constantin Popa, who was savagely killed in the uprising of 1989, which liberated many countries in the Eastern bloc from their communist despots.

Laura is originally from Yanussia, her parents fled to England when she was a young child and her parents have never spoken of the reasons behind their flight. Laura feels now she has an opportunity to perhaps find out more about her own family as well as boosting her career.

She arrives thus in the country's capital to meet Marika Popa, the Black Widow (one of her many monikers). Laura's soul is captured, yet she tries to maintain some distance and objectivity, but as always with people who have clambered their way ruthlessly to the top, they have a canny ability to ensnare and manipulate.

Marija is accused of foul crimes, yet the script is that she ran a sweet factory which employed only women, and therefore she was deemed by many as a champion of the female sex in society. She is also accused of gathering riches and feathering her nest with unbelievable wealth and accoutrements, yet she is also good at sliding blame onto her husband, who is, she says, the real villain. She is a simple woman, a victim, someone who came from a lowly background, had insufficient nourishment as a child and remained barren throughout her life. She couldn't be a mother to her own children but she could be a mother to her people, which is reminiscent of Imelda Marcos, married to Ferdinand and who together stole billions of pesos from the Filipino people (She is of course remembered mainly for her ridiculous shoe collection).

The author goes on to cherrypick elements from different countries and incorporate recognisable idiosyncrasies that some individual dictators had (correction: still have). She calls the accommodation The Lair, taken no doubt from Hitler's Wolf's Lair, and describes the practice of getting citizens to spy on each other, as per the Stasi in East Berlin. She references the Ceausescus of Romania (in fact I think she says that Yanussian is a version of Romanian) and in particular Elena Ceausescu - both she and her husband eventually faced a firing squad. Jiang Qing, Mao's widow, rightly or wrongly took the rap for a lot of poor decisions which caused hardship across the country and she eventually committed suicide.

This is very much a novel of our time and reminds us that a country can sleepwalk incredibly easily into the hands of a despot. Lessons from history are so important.

This is a timely reminder of how a society can slide, and what the consequences are of defending the indefensible. Doing nothing is not an option when a country is threatened by dictatorial, ultracrepidarian behaviour. Or brutal sociopathy as witnessed in Russia.

It took me a couple of goes to get into this book, partly I think because of having to accept a completely fictional Eastern European country - it might have been easier in some ways for the location of this political thriller to have remained unnamed - and could I ever accept that a Dictator’s wife could be wholly innocent? It is a story of power and manipulation- everyone it seems has secrets except perhaps Jude who remained the most normal and grounded person and frequently prevented the story from slipping off the rails. I liked Jude! There is also a human side to it, the characters and story are believable and not overcomplicated. While the story of Marija Poppa’s trial dominates the narrative, it was Laura’s family history that ran a close second and raised more questions. The two threads remain closely linked until the very end and both were uncomfortably credible. The relationship between the characters was beautifully maintained with taut contrast and frequent tension, often menace but there is also tenderness as Laura’s home life is gradually revealed. The book is very well written and very readable - (and easy to listen to!), beautifully narrated by Olivia Vinall who brought life and depth to the characters and story.

I read and listening to this book, I think I preferred the reading version, although the narrative was good I found I didn’t warm to the characters as much with the audio, however the audio did bring to life the cold and darkness of the book and the voices were clear and believable .
,

The dictators wife is set in a fictional Eastern bloc country where the wife of a deposed and murdered dictator is standing trial.

The titular dictators wife, Marija Popa, is a very enigmatic and engaging character who stole every scene she was in. The story is narrated by one of Popa’s lawyers, Laura Lãzãrescu, who fled the dictatorship at a young age along with her family. Laura is a less engaging character but I still enjoyed her story and the unravelling of her families mystery.

This book has a great premise and I did enjoy it but it could be very slow at times. There are some really lovely and well written paragraphs but I would have liked a bit more action and a slightly less predictable ending.

The narration of this audiobook is brilliant, I found the narrators voice very easy to listen to. The music at the start and the end is also a nice touch!

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 An intriguing read, atmospheric and full of secrets and lies that leave you questioning your opinion of the title character throughout. Although the pacing of the story sometimes made it difficult to follow (generally quite slow with rapid bursts of action/long lyrical asides that could leave you feeling a little lost/disconnected from the core story), overall I found this to be an enjoyable audio book. Thank you to NetGalley.co.uk and Headline Review for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dictator’s Wife - Freya Berry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Reads 3.65

A debut novel by @freyabbooks is a dismaying read. I imagine this would be true at anytime but particularly so as the World watches Ukraine.

The idea of the “power couple” as a narrative is as old as Macbeth. The question is: how complicit is the partner of the dictator or the person in power? I feel very certain that the writer is not just thinking of Asma Al Assad or Elena Ceausescu or Imelda Marcos but the role played by Melania & Ivanka Trump, Jackie O & Michelle Obama.

The role of a ruling person’s partner is a curious one. Powerful & yet lacking in office. The role frequently goes to a strikingly chic & beautiful person. They scream “look over here”. They are the ultimate distraction technique to what is really going on.

And what is really going on in this fabled Eastern European dictatorship of Yanussia is clearly rotten. With Constantin dead it is his wife Marija who is on trial & facing the death penalty.

Enter Laura a Yanussian living in London who is drawn back to defend Marija. Alongside Laura we are drawn into a web of lies, intrigue, atrocities with Marija at the centre. Together we uncover a very personal connection drawing a straight line from Laura to Marija.

There are many puzzling twists & turns to this story. A small cast of family members, lawyers & politicians are all captives -revealing the truth to you & themselves little by little.

Does the author answer her her question? Was Marija a driving force, complicit or innocent? I’ll leave it up you to read and decide.

A dense, captivating debut with a moral question at its heart. I’d wholeheartedly recommend.

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The dictators wife is standing trail for the crimes of her husband, the Dictator who has been murdered. Set in a fictional country (dictatorship) the dictators wife employs the services of a top London law firm to represent her against the country. One of the team of lawyers has a connection although she docent know why, as the plot develops you can see how all the connecting strands are linked up and it all becomes clear. It is a well planned plot around culture and honour with less about the legal process & politics. Complexly immersed in the story, I don't want to give too much away. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.