At first I was saying Emma for goodness sake get a grip! She is utterly charmed by the new man in her life and is willing to trust him even when all the red flags are flying. She becomes isolated from her friends and I thought this is following the familiar gaslighting trope.
But about half way through the story flips and wow it becomes very dark! Plenty of surprises and all is revealed by the end of story.

Adele Parks' First Wife's Shadow is quite a peculiar read. From the very first chapter, where a detective stands beside a dead body, I was hooked. This initial intrigue set a dark and suspenseful tone, only to shift unexpectedly into what seemed like a straightforward love story. It was a bit jarring, to be honest, and I had to keep reminding myself of that ominous beginning as I delved deeper into the narrative.
Despite the seemingly slow start, I found myself captivated. Parks' writing has a way of drawing you in, even when not much appears to be happening on the surface. There was an underlying tension that kept me turning the pages, eager to uncover how the love story and the mystery were connected.
Then, out of nowhere, the plot took a dramatic turn. I was completely blindsided, utterly shocked by the twists that unfolded. It was brilliantly done, leaving me both thrilled and eager for more. Parks masterfully weaves the elements of suspense and romance, keeping the reader on edge and invested in the characters' journeys.
The ending is rather long-winded, which usually irritates me, but in this instance, it was a welcome extension. I wanted answers, but I wasn't quite ready to let go of the story. The transitions to "3 months later," "18 months later," and so on were well-paced and provided a satisfying closure without feeling rushed.
That said, I'm not entirely convinced by the outcome. Emma's decisions in the end left me questioning her niceness; I doubt I would have been as forgiving in her situation. Nonetheless, it added depth to her character and made for a thought-provoking conclusion.
Overall, First Wife's Shadow is a compelling read with unexpected twists and a satisfying, if lengthy, conclusion. It's a testament to Adele Parks' skill as a storyteller that she can surprise and engage the reader so effectively. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy a blend of mystery and romance.

"First Wife's Shadow" began as a story that slowly gained momentum, and although it eventually became engaging, it lacked any endearing characters. Despite anticipating most of the plot twists, I found it entertaining throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

LOVING Adele Parks' work here! - Just when you think she can't possibly get any better, she somehow conjures this utterly jaw-dropping novel!! I was hooked from p1!

Super-driven career woman, Emma, has (at the age of 47), given up on love and marriage, when she finds herself utterly drawn to a man she meets at a conference, photographer Matthew. Emma gets well and truly caught up in a whirlwind romance with Matthew, the only black cloud on the horizon, her best friends suspicions regarding Matthews' true intentions. Matthew has only recently lost his first wife to a tragic accident and in many ways he seems too good to be true. As Emma questions whether Matthew, or anyone else in her life is after her money, sparks fly left, right and centre!! SO much happens in this novel - paranoia, deceit, crazy shenanigans, jealousy and SO MUCH more. It is just perfect. The writing is of course superb but the plot is really the hero of this piece for me.

This isn't just highly recommended by me, it is essential reading!!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this novel in exchange for an advance copy.

Hi, review below and next up ‘Bad Tourists’ by Caro Carver

‘First Wife’s Shadow’ by Adele Parks published July 4th by HQ, link in comments

392 Pages

Firstly the writing, its sharp and descriptive and full, no short chapters or missed words to hurry things along, I would say its impeccable and invigorating to read, this author uses words to our, the readers, advantage

This then goes a way towards negating the unbelievability aspects in the story, which so I don’t ruin the story wont say much about except that they are there and are enough to make you question the main character Emma and also the apparent benign village neighbours who miss nothing except vital information such as people’s surnames and weddings….

There are twists, some I saw, some I kinda wondered about and some threw me off completely

Never once did I even consider not finishing it, the writing on the whole ( if not the story ) is too inspiring for that

Have enjoyed her previous books but this one did not hit the mark for me. Slow burner. Unlikeable character. There were some twists although it was easy to work out a few.. Not her usual standard. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I always really enjoy Adele Parks' novels as she has a gift for writing books that are easy to read pageturners, something which I imagine is actually very difficult to achieve.
I was quite disappointed in this one though as the twist seemed to be very obvious in a story that has been told many times in slightly different guises. However, I shouldn't have doubted Ms Parks as there were obviously more twists coming until a satisfactory conclusion was reached!
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book.

As ever Adele Parks has written a compelling psychological thriller which both entertained and enthralled in equal measure.
Emma is a successful businesswoman who has a very comfortable lifestyle. Although she has not got a significant other she leads a fulfilling life and has some very good friends.
When she meets Matthew Charlton at a conference she feels strangely drawn to him and he seems both charming and attractive.
Very quickly they begin a relationship and in no time at all they become very close although Emma is immensely curious about his late wife and has not managed to meet any of his other family members or even visit his flat.
This is a slow burner of a novel which starts off from Emma’s point of view but about half way through the reader hears from some of the other characters. The scene setting is meticulous but is intrinsic to the plot and really adds to the atmosphere of the novel.
Of course there were a couple of twists and the ending was unexpected but as a seasoned mystery reader I was starting to work out what was going on before the big reveal.
None of the characters were particularly likeable although I did feel sorry for Emma as she seemed to be looking for happiness and willing to ignore some glaring problems in her nascent relationship. Her friends were caring but she seemed oblivious to their advice and willing to think the worst of them despite their close friendships with her and the novelty of her relationship with Matthew.
I thought the pace started to pick up after the first few chapters and once it got going it certainly held my attention.
“The First Wife’s Shadow” turned out to be a cleverly plotted and well paced thriller which held my attention from the very first page and I felt sufficiently invested in Emma to want to know how it would all turn out.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

This started off slow, but I was intrigued. Around half way the story picked up pace and I found myself quickly turning the pages. I didn’t really care for any of the characters but I don’t think I was supposed to. There were a couple of twists thrown in but when they unraveled they didn’t surprise me

Overall it was an ok read but the ending took too long for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this as I do all of Adele Parks' books. Again so different every time but always full of great characters and twists and turns and such a great read!

I have read a number of Adele Parks books in the past and enjoyed them, but I do not feel that this is one of her best. I disliked the main character and did 'warm' to her, as such I was not interested in how she felt. The storyline was intriguing and had many twists along the way. Some you see and some blind side you. A reasonable quick and interesting read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the advance copy of this book.

I've very much enjoyed Parks' most recent novels but unfortunately First Wife's Shadow wasn't for me. I found it slow going but also, ultimately, just didn't like the main character, Emma, enough to particularly care about her.

Emma is in her mid 40s when she meets a handsome widower, Matthew. Quickly, their relationship develops and she begins to imagine a life with someone, something that has, to this point, not been on the cards. However, her friends aren’t so keen on the swiftness of their union – Emma is a VERY wealthy woman – and worry she’s being exploited. Emma too is worried, that she’s second best to a wife who seemed perfect, becoming increasingly keen to learn more about her. But things begin to happen that make Emma question her nearest and dearest, and her own sanity. This is a beautifully paced thriller that you’ll want to absorb in one read.

Tense, creepy, twisty ... this brilliant new psychological thriller from Adele Parks gets right under your skin from the start. A clever and satisfying read

Adele Parks is a master of surprise twists, and First Wife's Shadow is a book that just keeps on giving. I lost count in the end of all the twists and betrayals but one thing I am very sure about ... Is that I loved this book.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Brilliant! Emma's new man seems to be good to be true...is he? I totally did not see where this story was heading, the second half of the book was so gripping it was hard to stop reading. Twists after twist! I loved the ending. A must read!

This roller coaster epic had me gripped with plot twist after another and pov of the main 3 characters. It started off a slow burner in order to get you to care about emma and then the action just kept coming. I did gueese the final twist and loved the final act. So skillfully written all the characters were developed and the pov style was emotive. This is worth the lengrh a highly recommended 5 star read. Thank you netgallery and publisher and author.

I love this authors book and this one was my favourite so far absolutely amazing. The writing style was excellent and wow the characters were so well written. It was such a twisty thriller which had me hooked from start to finish could not put it down as soon as I started. It was definitely one of those thrillers where you think you know how it’s going to end then bam another twist. I can’t wait to recommend this to everyone what amazing book by a very talented author. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this hotly anticipated ARC. Adele Parks is one of my favourite authors, and I read most of her back catalogue last year.

The first half of the book belongs to Emma who falls head over heels in love with 11 years younger Matthew. Emma is well-off and successful, Matthew is none of these things, but he is a charming widowed photographer who gives her all the attention she didn't realise she needed. With almost indecent haste he moves in with her, proposes and gets her to marry him in a small ceremony abroad. Emma's friends Gina and Heidi are suspicious, and then things go bump in the night inside Emma's beautiful eco-house that she can't explain but others including Matthew think she must have done herself. But she certainly didn't smash her plant pots and fling her books around in the middle of the night, so what's going on?

At this point I was literally screaming at her to install security cameras inside her house, not just outside as there clearly seems to be someone in her house moving things around! Such a clever business person and yet so clueless in her private life, Emma effectively demonstrates a person having the rug pulled from under her after getting obsessed with a man who isn't all he seems and who has a dead wife she can't compete with.

At the half-way mark the narrator suddenly changes and we get the POV of the person who is trying to destroy Emma's sanity. From then on the pace shifts up a gear, the tension racks up and the twists keep coming. There are some seriously messed up people in this world, but none of the characters is all black or white, we're all the products of our childhood. The story still stretches credulity at times and yet I have to admit I found this one more predictable than previous books. There is also a small inaccuracy about setting bail amounts (that's not a UK thing, you get granted bail or you don't, but it's nothing to do with money).

Still, this is a good, solid, well-written psychological thriller that I very much enjoyed reading, especially the second half. The atmospheric cover draws you in, and the ending certainly wasn't what I was expecting! It's a shame Gina and Heidi didn't get a bigger role though.

4.5 stars rounded up

When Emma meets Matthew she falls for him almost immediately.
His wife has recently passed away so she is hoping that she can give him comfort and help him have a new beginning.
When strange things start to happen in her home Emma is disturbed and afraid.
A clever physiological thriller that kept me entertained.
Thant you to NetGalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.