Reid reluctantly returns to his home town to investigate a car crash apparently on behalf of the insurers. He rakes up old grievances relating to historical disappearances before he can move forward. This is one story. The second is from the point of view of the driver in the car crash - she survived, her husband did not. Both are written in the first person but each section is entitled wit the narrator's name making it easier to follow who's talking. I still found this rather awkward at times though. The characters are well-defined but with none being especially likeable. Small towns are probably the same the world over and this story portrays their darker sides well. An ok read for me but didn't grab me, sorry. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a gripping story. Reid is a private investigator returning reluctantly to the towns where he grew up and was a policeman. It didn’t end well which explains his desire to stay under cover as he returns in his role as a private investigator for an insurance company. There has been a car crash leading to the death of the male passenger and serious injury for his wife who was driving. It should not really be any of Reid’s business but he can’t stop himself finding connections between the accident and the disappearance of two girls. The story moves from discovery to dramatic discovery. He himself is an exceedingly well drawn character as are the others in the book. It is a cleverly conceived story designed to keep the reader enthralled and very well told. The story moves to an unexpected conclusion. I enjoyed this book hugely and recommend it.

4.5 rounded up

Reid is a PI who is offered a large bonus by an insurance company to investigate a suspicious car crash that left the husband Oliver dead and the wife Ashana in a coma. To say that Reid is reluctant to return to Manson, the town of his birth is an understatement. He carries unhappy memories and much baggage to say nothing of his promise to never return. However, the money is too good to turn down and he decides to take the plunge and as his investigation broadens and deepens he realises it is not just risky but downright dangerous. Nothing is as it seems, there are multiple question marks against the dead husband and in addition there are two missing girls. Are they separate “unfortunate“ events or are they connected?

I really enjoy the way the author tells the story via the dual narratives of Reid and the wife Ashana. It allows the truth to reveal itself a snippet at a time, it flows well between the two with the past making sense of the present. Both of them have good back stories but especially so of Reid. His is extremely powerful with reveals which keep on surprising you.

The characterisation is very good with all the central characters being well portrayed especially Reid who is very likeable despite his many setbacks. You root for him especially when his reception in Manson is less than friendly.

The setting really adds something extra to the plot, the twin towns of Manson and Ethelton provide an excellent and atmospheric backdrop and are very well described. The small town, everyone knows everyone gives problems and issues from the start.

It’s very hard to put down as you become desperate to know the truth, the pace is fast and it rarely lets up. There are some good cliffhangers and plot twists, some you forsee and some you definitely don’t and what it amounts to is compelling and riveting experience right up to the very good and exciting end.

Overall, this is a gripping, tense and suspenseful novel from an author who is a must read for me.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for that much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

After kick-starting his career with four superb thrillers set in Australasia, award-winning Ngā Puhi storyteller JP Pomare immerses readers in a small-town America with The Wrong Woman. Reid is a private eye offered good money by an insurance company to investigate a crash which put the driver, Eshana Stiles, in a coma and killed her professor husband. The first problem: it happened in Reid’s hometown of Manson, a place to which he swore to his former boss, the Chief of Police, he’d never return. Then there’s two missing students, and plenty of whispers. The professor had been a person of interest - did someone want him dead? Reid has to dig for the truth while trying to lay low – there are many people he doesn’t want to run into. Scars better left unscratched. Pomare ratchets the tension while deftly shuffling past-present timelines and the viewpoints of Reid and Eshana. Like a cardsharp whose sleight of hand is far too skilled for us to catch, Pomare performs literary magic. The Wrong Woman is infused with great atmosphere and characterisation, plus freshness and unpredictability that continues to put Pomare on the top shelf of psychological thrillers.

A brilliant thriller with two stories intricately woven between characters both past and present. A dark, twisty race for the truth. Highly recommended xx

J.P. Pomare is a clever writer, with a keen eye for character and atmosphere that makes this and previous novels an absolute pleasure to read.

The Wrong Woman has an intriguing main protagonist and a compelling central mystery that unfolds on the page through two points of view, is hugely addictive and absolutely begs to be read in one sitting which is what I did.

A homecoming and a reckoning, a genuine sense of unpredictability and a need to know will keep you turning those pages as you head towards the excellent finale. Overall a most terrific read again from this author. Loved it.

Another cracker from Pomare.
I really enjoy how his mind works.
Told over two timelines, I did not know where this was going... until it got there.
That doesn't happen often enough for my liking.
Reid was a great character that held the whole book together, with plenty of baggage to keep me interested.
Pomare was already an auto buy author for me, and this keeps him firmly on that list.

#TheWrongWoman #NetGalley
Mind blowing psychological thriller.
Reid is sent to look into a suspicious car crash, he finds himself in the one place he swore he'd never go back to - the town where he grew up. Returning to Manson brings back traumatic memories that Reid has spent a decade burying; and keeping his past separate from the investigation is futile. People remember what he did all those years ago. As rumours swirl about the couple involved in the crash, Reid's line of questioning is taken in a new direction when the Chief of Police's daughter goes missing. Was the car crash just an isolated tragic accident, or is there something darker beating at the heart of this small town? Can Reid escape Manson again, or will it finally swallow him whole?
I enjoyed it thoroughly. Loved this type of suspense after so long.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Straughten for giving me an advance copy.

This was such a compulsive read and the third book I have read by this author and it’s by far the best so far.
I know the word unputdownable is often used but this really was one of those I became so invested in it from start to finish.
The story is told by two separate characters Reid and Eshana and also with then and now timelines which really worked well as did the whole book. The plot was well crafted and clever I didn’t guess who did what and as I always say when you read a thriller it’s always so good when you are surprised at the twists.
The characters were all believable and well rounded I really liked Reid he was a complicated guy with some bad memories from his past rearing up again when he goes back to his hometown as a private investigator so all credit to JP Pomare for the excellent writing.
l oved the book it was a thoroughly enjoyable read that I would highly recommend to all lovers of mystery thrillers.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.