Book Review: The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

Todd and Jodie have been together for more than twenty years. They are both aware their world is in  crisis, though neither is willing to admit it.
Todd is living a dual existence, while Jodie is living in denial. But she also likes to settle scores. When it becomes clear their affluent Chicago lifestyle could disintegrate at any moment, Jodie knows everything is at stake. It's only now she will discover how much she's truly capable of...

The Silent Wife is being talked about a lot and after reading it, I can see why.
The beginning feels a little slow but once I had got into the book I could see how clever the beginning was. A.S.A. Harrison paints Todd and Jodie's domestic life in great detail. As we learn of Todd's infidelity you can understand why he has strayed yet also why he doesn't want to lose everything he already has.
Jodie is a fascinating character, she is very cold and calculated and although we learn a lot about her, I can't say that I grew to like her in any way. We learn of Jodie's past through the transcriptions of her therapy sessions. I don't this necessarily explains Jodie's behaviour though. I was left wondering if Jodie really was in control of her actions.
I loved the atmosphere that A.S.A Harrison creates in the book. There is an impending sense that something awful is going to happen, I couldn't stop reading as I needed to know how events would unfold.
The Silent Wife swaps between the perspectives of Jodie and Todd. Todd's narration felt a little more helpless though. His behaviour is inexcusable but as a reader I saw him as being quite vulnerable. He is going about his daily life with no idea as to what Jodie is thinking and working herself up to; you almost want to warn him to watch his back.
The Silent Wife is such an interesting read, I felt that it really explored the nature of relationships; the roles we fulfil and what we are capable of when hurt by those we love. I think that A.S.A Harrison has written a strong, psychological thriller. It's a great legacy but also a great shame that this will be her only book.

Dot Scribbles Rating: 4/5

Pages: 384

Publisher: Headline

Many thanks to the lovely Ben at Headline Review for sending me a copy of this book, The Silent Wife is out now.

Giveaway: The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

There is  a lot of hype at the moment about The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison:

A chilling psychological thriller portraying the disintegration of a relationship down to the deadliest point when murdering your husband suddenly makes perfect sense.
Todd Gilbert and Jodie Brett are in a bad place in their relationship. They've been together for twenty-eight years, and with no children to worry about there has been little to disrupt their affluent Chicago lifestyle. But there has also been little to hold it together, and beneath the surface lie ever-widening cracks. HE is a committed cheater. SHE lives and breathes denial. HE exists in dual worlds. SHE likes to settle scores. HE decides to play for keeps. SHE has nothing left to lose. When it becomes clear that their precarious world could disintegrate at any moment, Jodie knows she stands to lose everything. It's only now she will discover just how much she's truly capable of...

The very lovely and generous Ben at Headline Review has kindly offered one copy of The Silent Wife to be given away on Dot Scribbles. Simply leave a comment and I shall pick a winner at random, this giveaway is only open to UK residents and you have until midnight on Thursday 20th June to enter!

Good luck!