Early Review of The Starter Wife by Nina Laurin

Title: The Starter Wife
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Format: Paperback; 352 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (June 11, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1538715716
ISBN-13: 978-1538715710
Author's Website:
Notes: I received an ARC from the publisher for review purposes. This in no way affected my review.



Claire Wescott has been married to her husband Byron for a little over two years, and it would seem the honeymoon is over. Lately, he's been acting cold towards her and is working all kinds of crazy hours. But the kicker is he barely touches her which is very unlike the first year they were married when they could hardly keep their hands off one another. When Claire married Byron she knew his first wife had committed suicide. What she didn't know is that he'd been investigated as a person of interest in her death before it was ruled a suicide. Colleen's body has never been found. When Claire receives a strange and mysterious email followed by a call from someone claiming to be Colleen she starts to wonder is she going crazy? Especially after the email she just opened disappears and there is no way to trace the phone call she received. As she starts to lose chunks of time and finds herself blacking out more and more, she starts to wonder what is happening? Is she going crazy or is someone messing with her head, and if so, for what purpose?

This is the first book I've read by Nina Laurin and I'm sure it will not be my last. From the very beginning, starting in the prologue, we're introduced to a full blown psycho, and that's when the questions begin. Who is stalking Byron and his wife? The twists and turns are seemingly endless and the story is reminiscent of other psychological thrillers such as 'Gone Girl', 'Single White Female', and 'Fatal Attraction'. Trying to sort through all the information we're given in order to figure out the who and the why is not easy. I kept trying to solve the mystery before the author unraveled the secrets she was keeping, but couldn't put all the pieces together until the writer wished it. Ms. Laurin did an excellent job of fitting a whole lot of crazy into such a small package.

Byron is in his late forties, but looks younger. He's a beloved professor at Mansfield College who lost his wife nearly 10 years ago under slightly suspicious circumstances. Even though he's remarried, he's kept the house that he and his first wife lived in pretty much the way it was when she was alive. Is this out of sheer laziness, a sense of devotion he still holds for his late wife, or is there another reason? Could something be off with the man?

Claire is twenty years younger than Byron and is an aspiring writer, but so far no publishers have accepted her first manuscript. She loves her husband and desperately wants to start a family with him, but so far nothing is working out as she hoped. She is fighting to save her marriage but, despite her best efforts, it appears to be falling apart. She's trying to understand what is going on with Byron, whom she believes may be having an affair, but has no clue how to get through to him. She's hitting roadblocks at every turn in regards to her hopes and dreams. When she gets an email that mysteriously disappears upon closure followed by a phone call from an unlisted number, each of which suggest they are from Colleen, Byron's first wife, she wonders if she's going crazy because everyone know she's dead, right?

Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. This was such an entertaining and well planned read. The story kept my attention from the first chapter to the last, and was overflowing with suspense while I was bubbling with unanswered questions My mind was racing a mile a minute trying to keep up with everything because there were plenty of twists and turns to make you scratch your head and wonder what the heck was happening? There was a bit of an 'Ick!' factor to the prologue, but I loved the story as a whole. This was by no means a romance, so I'm foregoing my romance rating. I, for one, enjoyed the ride, and would definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys psychological suspense novels. It was very well done.