Adele Parks’ “First Wife’s Shadow” is an exciting psychological thriller that is well paced, full of suspense, mystery, twists and kept me guessing throughout.

Emma is a wealthy independent CEO who has made her fortune despite her turbulent childhood with alcoholic parents. Her life is thrown into a spin when she meets Matthew, a widower and they instantly fall in love which quickly escalates to a marriage proposal.

Emma struggles to come to terms with feeling second best to Matthew’s deceased wife as well as dealing with the concerns raised by her best friends, Heidi and Gina. They are concerned about how quick this has all happened as well as the age gap and fear Matthew is after her money.

As well as her friends concerns Emma starts to feel that she is being watched and experiences eerie occurrences when object start disappearing or breaking. Is Emma is being haunted by the memory of Matthew’s first wife or by a more sinister force.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A great plot idea and I enjoyed the unlikeable character idea. The plot became tedious and the twits weren’t surprising.
A easy holiday read.

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

This is a great psychological thriller but is a tricky one to review as I don’t want to spoil various aspects of the overall story.
There’s lots going on in this book and I really did feel for Emma when things started happening to her in her home.
Her friends are a bit suspicious of her new boyfriend especially when he moves in so quickly and when Matthew proposes, Emma is also shocked.
I guessed some aspects of the story but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book as there were plenty of other surprises in store.
As with other books by this author, prepare for the unexpected at times.
This is a great book that I’d highly recommend.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book by Adele Parks.

We meet Emma, who at an event meets Matt.

Very quickly their relationship gets serious and she starts to imagine a life where she has someone to spend her time with, which she hasn’t really thought about before.

But, her friends are not that happy with this development, especially as Emma is wealthy and they are worried that Matt isn’t who he seems.

Emma also has worries, that she’s not as good as Matt’s first wife.

Then, things begin to happen around her, making her think who could be behind them and whether it’s someone she knows who’s close to her.

Is Matt who he appears to be?

I recommend this book.

This book starts off a bit slow & does take a while to get into. However it is worth sticking with & is a good read.

"First Wife’s Shadow" by Adele Parks is a gripping thriller that delves into the complexities of relationships and trust.
The story follows Emma, a wealthy woman who falls for Matthew, a charming widower. As their relationship progresses rapidly, Emma’s friends voice concerns about Matthew’s intentions, fearing she might be exploited. Emma's own doubts grow as she feels overshadowed by Matthew's late wife. The plot picks up pace halfway through, introducing twists and turning darker as suspicion and jealousy take hold.Halfway we get the perspective of someone intent on unsettling Emma's life. Although the characters aren’t particularly likable, the story’s suspense and intrigue kept me invested. While some twists are predictable, the tension and well-crafted plot make it an engaging read.
Overall, it’s a compelling thriller with a slower paced build-up and a satisfying conclusion.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy, opinions are my own.

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.

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