This book is a step aside from my usual genre, in a way. Albeit it was a crime/psychological thriller but it was set in the 1920s and was inspired by a true crime,

Essentially, a story as old as time, which follows a man, his wife and his mistress. But Other Women is so much more than that as Emma Flint tells the story from the POV of the two woman, both of whom have a strong voice in this book.

In an unusual turn of events, I found myself feeling quite sorry for the mistress in this story - I was annoyed with her for falling for the sleezy and obvious charm of Tom and I wanted to not be on her side but as the story went on I grew increasingly bad for her. In fact my overriding memory of this book is one of sadness for Beatrice Cade and the life that women like her had in those times. And knowing that the story was inspired by a true crime made this all the more true.

As well as being a classic love triangle, Other Women provides a social commentary on the harsh and disrespectful treatment of unmarried women - and this added to the overall sense of sadness that I felt from this tawdry tale.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
From the first few pages we read what life was like for single women in the 1920s, and this is carried through with the comments heard from spectators in court. They were not 'independent' in the way we understand now; to be married, even unhappily, was the ultimate goal. Couple this with a desire to be loved, and add in a man who seems to be charming and outgoing and the mix throws up an apparent triangle between lonely Bea, wife Kate and Tom. What transpires and comes out as the story unfolds was gripping, and as this is based on a true story it must have been sensational in its day. Who was the manipulator in the end? It's not easy to judge, but the book left me with as much pity and sorrow for the women involved as amazement at the tale. I'm now following this author.

Other Women is a fantastic historical crime fiction inspired by a murder that took place over a hundred years ago. A love triangle told from the perspective of the two women involved, Flint has created a fascinating exploration of obsession and desire. Just as she did in her earlier novel Little Deaths, she brings to life historical characters with the feel of a modern psychological thriller.

I really enjoyed Other Women by Emma Flint - the tension was incredible and I found it so gripping. Will recommend to my friends!

As with Flint's first novel, I went into this not knowing that it was based on a true story. While it was interesting speculating on the mindset of the wronged wife, and while it was easy to empathise with the need for affection and adventure in Beatrice's very settled but nevertheless precarious spinster life, I never quite got a handle on the motivations of the charming, feckless Tom.

It took me a very long time to pick this up because I wasn't sure I'd like the book, but the synopsis kept drawing me in. Sadly I ended up not enjoying the writing, there was something a bit lackluster about it that bored me. The story, which had initially compelled me, is actually a true story, so I guess I can just google it.

This is an incredible novel following two women in the lead up to, and aftermath of a murder set just after WWI. Beatrice is alone in the world - she has no family, she's unmarried and has no children. Her life seems very small but she moves to a ladies boarding house and has a chance encounter at work that will change her life forever. It also follows Kate who is married with a young daughter and seems content with her life until one day there is a knock at the door. The lives of these two women seem completely separate but there is a connection and gradually the timelines converge and we find out how they are linked. This book is heartbreaking - we know what is going to happen but we don't know how or when and it's so tense and sad knowing what's coming. No one's life will be the same again. It also explores how women were treated in society at that time and how the judgements on them were so different to the judgement on men. I found this such a brilliant novel and it's one that has really stayed with me. I highly recommend this one.

Secrets and suspense are the backbone of this gripping thriller, immersing you in a world where trust is rare but surprises are plenty.

This was the second book I’ve read by Emma Flint and it was a superb read. She’s really a master of the historical plot that’s based on true events - despite being historical, the issues felt very current (I mainly read contemporary novels) and I felt a huge amount of compassion for her female characters: This is a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time - it’s even made me want to write a novel about women in public spaces. Highly recommended!

I loved this historical crime story. Brilliant writing which really captured a real sense of foreboding surrounding the imminent murder of Beatrice. Highly recommended.

This is the rather straightforward story of the murder of 37-year old Beatrice that occurred in London in 1924.

It was far too simple for my taste. I didn't get bored exactly - it is a murder mystery after all - and it reads very fast (also because of many unnecessary repetitions), but the story and the themes are conventional and without surprises.

From the Afterword it seems that the author is under the impression she discovered an amazing murder case which kept London in its grip, triggered innovative breakthroughs in investigation techniques and is very telling about the position of women in that era...But really it's nothing special (or maybe I have read too much true crime...).

A crime mystery based on a true story. Richly atmospheric it tells the ta!e of a lonely, middle class Secretary who embarks on an illicit love affair with a married womaniser. The author has captured the inter war period and the characters of Beatrice, the lover and Kate, the betrayed wife were written with great empathy. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I really enjoyed This book - it is listed as a radio 2 book club choice and I can see why - there is loads to chat about for a book club - it held ur attention and kept u wanting to read more

A little slow to start with but then really picked up the pace. Beautifully written and very memorable, I very much enjoyed this.

Really interesting story based on a true life crime from the perspective of the wife and the working "spinster" who had an affair and ended up being murdered by the husband. This was so interesting and well written to understand a woman's life at the time and how they were viewed so differently from men.
Its a tale that really makes you think about so many different aspects of life in those times and how women thought.
Well recommended.

Set between the two world wars, this superbly written novel follows the lives of two women in love with the same man - a cad of course, but with an adoring wife and a completely besotted lover. Beatrice is a single woman in London, living on her own earnings and rather desperate for love in a world where so many men had been slaughtered on the battlefields of Europe. When a new salesman joins the company where Bea works, she becomes besotted with him, and they start a passionate affair. Tom (the salesman) also has a wife who loves him, and a daughter he cares for deeply too. Inevitably, things get more and more complicated as the story proceeds, and one of the women ends up dead - who killed her though? There is more than one suspect, and the writer keeps the reader engaged until the final page. This is skilfully characterised writing, with a very fine sense of place and time, but it is also a reflection on the place of women in society 100 years ago, and it suitably reflects how things have changed.

I enjoyed reading about life a hundred years ago, particularly for women. This book is a true story written from the perspective of Bea, the girlfriend and Kate the wife. Each has a distinctive voice and motivation. I felt that the court case with newspaper stories that followed were slightly repetitious but overall a good easy read.

An interesting and entertaining read. The story, it later transpires, is based in an actual case from the 1920s in which a woman was killed by her married lover... the story is told through a number of viewpoints but it is the lover's wife who will in fact carry the weight of the narrative and the various issues and dilemmas that this crime elicits.
At the core of the tragedy we find a narcissistic, seductively dangerous, and plausible man who uses his charms to devastating effect and who manages to undermine his victims' (lover, wife, and other women) understanding of what is real and what is but wishful thinking... a well-known pitfall in amorous relationships, here highlighted by the traditional societal accepted role of women, and also the (probably natural) desire to love and be loved... Given that the story is set at an interesting time after WWI, with a generation of men lost, and the incipient independence of women, the plight of the two women protagonists (Beatrice, the lover, Kate, the wife) is quite interesting as it poses two different views of womanhood through characters that are flawed and who still have not properly severed their tights to the prevalent patriarchy...
I enjoyed the novel which is well told, albeit for me a bit mechanical in its presentation. It is an easy to read, enjoyable and intelligent novel worth discussing with friends.

This was a fascinating novel about women in the 1920s, what choices they had, their vulnerability and what freedom really meant.

Based on a real murder of a woman by her married lover we follow the stories of Beatrice, a single woman in her late thirties who fell for the charming Ryan Thomas, and Kate Thomas, his wife.

This novel depicts the societal expectations and pressures placed on unattached women despite the rise of working women in the wake of WWI. Their lives of "freedom" we're still seen as unsatisfactory and they were vulnerable to judgement about their character and appearance.

I enjoyed this book - the characterisation was strong and following poor Beatrice to her tragic murder and reluctant heroine Kate was a thought-provoking journey.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Other Women by Emma Flint
Publication day: 23 February 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Inspired by a true crime that took place almost a hundred years ago, Other Women is the gripping, unforgettable and haunting story of a doomed love triangle set in 1920s London.
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That was a very compelling story.
On the surface of it, it is quite a commonplace story about a charismatic man (Tom,) his wife (Kate) and his lover (Bea.) But at the heart of it all, Flint wants to give those two women their voices back, and the narration alternates between Kate and Bea.

Through their eyes, we experience Society's unfair and judgemental treatment of unmarried, aging women (Bea) as well as the expectations placed on the married woman, this assumption of perfection despite what may be happening behind closed doors (Kate.)
Both women's voices are very strong, and as the story becomes darker, their respective journeys, their understanding of their position and the realisations they both come to are quite devastating.

This book is also a very well-paced and captivating court room drama and I flew through it in a couple of days. This comes out in a few days and I highly recommend it.
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