The Guilty Wife
- Downloads：6843
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-30 21:31:27
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alison James
- ISBN：B091J994DR
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
At a luxury resort in the Maldives， two newlywed couples are on honeymoon。 On the surface， they seem to have it all。 But behind the filtered photos and fake smiles is the truth…
Tansy isn’t really in love。
Daniel is trying to escape the biggest mistake of his life。
Nikki’s past is catching up with her。
Arne’s heart is about to be broken。
They all have secrets。 And before the honeymoon is over， their happiness will be shattered。
Because one of them is going to die…
This dark， addictive thriller will have you gripped until the final， shocking twist。 Fans of Behind Closed Doors， The Guest List and The Wife Between Us will be hooked by the latest page-turner from US top five bestseller Alison James。
（*Previously titled: Happily Ever After）
Tansy isn’t really in love。
Daniel is trying to escape the biggest mistake of his life。
Nikki’s past is catching up with her。
Arne’s heart is about to be broken。
They all have secrets。 And before the honeymoon is over， their happiness will be shattered。
Because one of them is going to die…
This dark， addictive thriller will have you gripped until the final， shocking twist。 Fans of Behind Closed Doors， The Guest List and The Wife Between Us will be hooked by the latest page-turner from US top five bestseller Alison James。
（*Previously titled: Happily Ever After）
Reviews
Kirsty Bookworm86
，
BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Guilty Wife' by Alison James。 Previously titled 'Happily Ever After'。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Alison James， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 22nd June 2021。This is the second book I have read by this author。 I have previously read Alison's 'Her Sister's Child' which I highly recommend。 I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title。 The synopsis stated that ' BLOG TOUR REVIEW Review for 'The Guilty Wife' by Alison James。 Previously titled 'Happily Ever After'。 Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Alison James， Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous Publication date 22nd June 2021。This is the second book I have read by this author。 I have previously read Alison's 'Her Sister's Child' which I highly recommend。 I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title。 The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Behind Closed Doors， The Guest List and The Wife Between Us will be hooked by the latest page-turner from US top five bestseller Alison James。' I am a fan of 'The Guest List' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement。 I am also a huge fan of Alison and if this is half as good as 'Her Sister's Child' it is sure to be an epic read。 I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture。 I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed。 Hopefully this won't be the first。。。 Watch this space！ （Written before I started reading the book）。This novel consists of a prologue， 46 chapters and an epilogue and is spread over 5 parts。 The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed。。。OK， I know yeah right， but still just in case！This book is based in the Mauritius 🇲🇺， Africa， Melbourne， Australia 🇦🇺 and London， England 🏴。 The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture。This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Pippa and Daniel。 The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more， what they are thinking and what they are doing。 It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything。This book is extremely well written and will take you on an unforgettable holiday！！！ I wasn't quite expecting the storyline I got after reading the synopsis and if I'm being honest I definitely think the previous title of 'Happily Ever After' suited the storyline better。 However， these two niggles are the only reason I decided on a 4/5 rather than a 5/5。 The storyline itself was very well written and the descriptions made the atmosphere and characters come alive。 I was quite surprised when I was being taken all over the place as I actually expected the story to be set in one place while the investigation was going on。 However， the way Alison did it definitely made it more interesting if unexpected。 The storyline was filled with love， loss， secrets， tension and suspense and it kept me hooked from the first page until the last。 An absolutely addictive psychological thriller。 It is set over multiple time lines。 When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader （if it is well done） understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions。 It also shows the bigger picture The characters were well defined and realistic and I liked Pippa's character the most。 I enjoyed watching her stand up for what she believed in which made her such a strong and unforgettable character。 I could not stand Tansy who just reminded me of a spoilt little Daddy's girl！！！！ It would have been good to see what became of her at the end and I hope she got her come uppance！！！ I was actually quite surprised by a reveal about a certain character and I actually felt quite sorry for them， I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for others。 Well done Alison on another successful psychological thriller and here's to many more 🍷🍹 🥃！！ Overall a fast paced psychological thriller that will take you all over the world Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Thriller， Mystery， Suspense， Thriller， Psychological Fiction and Holiday Fiction amongst others。 I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Behind Closed Doors， The Guest List and The Wife Between Us 283 pages。This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book！！！ Rated 4 /5 （I enjoyed it ） on Goodreads， Instagram， Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook。 Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews #TheGuiltyWife #Bookouture #AlisonJames #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour@AlisonJames @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 https://kcmw86。wixsite。com/bookworm86https://m。facebook。com/Bookworm1986/？。。。https://m。facebook。com/Bookwork86/？__。。。 。。。more
Sharon Logue
，
📚BOOK REVIEW📚 The Guilty Wife by Alison James - pub date 22nd June 2021。 This story starts in the beautiful Maldives - where multiple couples are spending their honeymoons。 But some of the couples aren’t as happy as people would believe！We get to find out a bit more about the couples throughout the book。 Especially when one of the characters won’t be coming home again。 I loved the 2Main characters but that ending！ 😱。 I have read books by this author before and loved this one just as much。 I’m no 📚BOOK REVIEW📚 The Guilty Wife by Alison James - pub date 22nd June 2021。 This story starts in the beautiful Maldives - where multiple couples are spending their honeymoons。 But some of the couples aren’t as happy as people would believe！We get to find out a bit more about the couples throughout the book。 Especially when one of the characters won’t be coming home again。 I loved the 2Main characters but that ending！ 😱。 I have read books by this author before and loved this one just as much。 I’m not giving away too much in my review， as i don’t want to spoil anything thing for the readers。 #https://www。instagram。com/Bookstagram。。。#netgalley #bookouture #alisonjames #theguiltywifec 。。。more
Melanie’s reads
，
When a book has a character as good as Pippa the story itself could be pants and I would still enjoy it。 But pair her with a mysterious PI， then throw in a luxury resort， two enigmatic couples and then a murder and I’m all in。Pippa is on what should be her honeymoon alone， after jilting her fiancé on the day of their wedding。 Eating solo she can’t help but eavesdrop on the two couples dining together next to her。 Tansy and Daniel and Nikki and Arne。 Tansy I could have happily murdered myself as When a book has a character as good as Pippa the story itself could be pants and I would still enjoy it。 But pair her with a mysterious PI， then throw in a luxury resort， two enigmatic couples and then a murder and I’m all in。Pippa is on what should be her honeymoon alone， after jilting her fiancé on the day of their wedding。 Eating solo she can’t help but eavesdrop on the two couples dining together next to her。 Tansy and Daniel and Nikki and Arne。 Tansy I could have happily murdered myself as she’s one of those infuriating influencers that is all looks and no substance。 Poor Daniel is left alone for the majority of the time as she’s still working even on their honeymoon。 Rubbing it in his face that she provides their lifestyle including this trip。 The expression “he needs to grow a pair” fits him to a tee。 Nikki and Arne seem to be in love but appearances can be deceptive and little things set my alarm bells ringing。Let’s just say that soon one is found dead and once Pippa is back in London she doesn’t let it drop even though it was ruled an accident。With a clever and captivating plot， this wasn’t as dark as I was expecting。 In fact it felt more like a cosy crime which I think worked perfectly with the characters。This book will take you on adventures to fabulous locations， it will give you a mystery to solve and some characters to love and some to despise。 I hope from the ending that the author is planning on there being more to come from Pippa and Jim as this could be the start of a terrific series。 。。。more
Bridget
，
Two just married couples are honeymooning in a luxury resort in Mauritius。 Instagram influencer Tansy is taking the opportunity for a photoshoot and her husband Daniel Halligan doesn’t seem to be enjoying wedded bliss。 Swedish Arne and Londoner， Nikki Lindgren are in the bar who are very much in love。 Pippa Bryant， who should have been enjoying her honeymoon at the resort but she called the wedding to Alastair at Islington Register Office off just minutes before the ceremony， is also there。 So i Two just married couples are honeymooning in a luxury resort in Mauritius。 Instagram influencer Tansy is taking the opportunity for a photoshoot and her husband Daniel Halligan doesn’t seem to be enjoying wedded bliss。 Swedish Arne and Londoner， Nikki Lindgren are in the bar who are very much in love。 Pippa Bryant， who should have been enjoying her honeymoon at the resort but she called the wedding to Alastair at Islington Register Office off just minutes before the ceremony， is also there。 So is James Cardle。 Tragedy strikes for one couple。。。 I loved the exciting plotline and the pacing moved along at a fair rate of knots。 Full of thrills， red herrings and totally addictive， it held my attention from the very first chapter。 I thought the characterisation really befitted this story， with relatable and believable characters。 This brilliant read was a domestic-based mystery-thriller that told the tale of love and loss， relationships and breakups， deceit and dishonesty。 It was masterfully executed by the author， Alison James whose vivid and suspenseful writing style continued to wow me。I shall be looking out for more by Alison James who has great talent and I intend to read her 'Detective Rachel Prince' series。 I recommend The Guilty Wife as a hugely worthwhile and excellent read。I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley。 This review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more
marnie | once upon a time book reviews
，
The Guilty Wife is an engrossing psychological thriller that I throughly enjoyed。 Just like many people’s lives appear perfect through an Instagram filter， perhaps everything is not perfect in these marriages despite idyllic honeymoons， set against a stunning backdrop。 When the cracks start to appear， it then becomes a question of who is not going to make it to the next destination？My dream is to one day vacation in Mauritius， but as I am petrified of flying this is unlikely to become a reality， The Guilty Wife is an engrossing psychological thriller that I throughly enjoyed。 Just like many people’s lives appear perfect through an Instagram filter， perhaps everything is not perfect in these marriages despite idyllic honeymoons， set against a stunning backdrop。 When the cracks start to appear， it then becomes a question of who is not going to make it to the next destination？My dream is to one day vacation in Mauritius， but as I am petrified of flying this is unlikely to become a reality， so I will just have to settle for it being used as part of the setting in a book as Alison James has done here。 What I enjoyed was how the story also spanned across other locations including Australia， England and Thailand， so whist my hometown was in another lockdown， this book took me on multiple vacations and was the perfect escape from it all for a few hours。What I most admire about Alison James’ work is that you know you are going to get a really great read each and every time and The Guilty Wife is no exception。 Whist It is not as dark as previous books， this is a very enjoyable read。 If you are a fan of psychological thrillers， you don’t want to let this one pass you by。 An interesting plot， a good cast of characters， with one that is so diabolical， but makes the story all the more entertaining， that is all wrapped around flawless writing， you really can’t go wrong with this one。Thank you to Alison James， Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy The Guilty Wife， which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily。 。。。more
Brian
，
2 1/2 rounded up
Robin Loves Reading
，
Pippa Bryant's wedding is about to take place。 Howevere， she decides that she does not want to go through with it。 She turns to Alastair and calls the entire thing off。 Howevere， they have put thousands of pounds into a gorgeous honeymoon and she is not about to let that go to waste。 When she gets to the Maldives， she meets a few people。 They include two honeymooning couples - one unabashedly in love and the other couple who are clearly not on the same page。 Pippa also meets James Cardle and he Pippa Bryant's wedding is about to take place。 Howevere， she decides that she does not want to go through with it。 She turns to Alastair and calls the entire thing off。 Howevere， they have put thousands of pounds into a gorgeous honeymoon and she is not about to let that go to waste。 When she gets to the Maldives， she meets a few people。 They include two honeymooning couples - one unabashedly in love and the other couple who are clearly not on the same page。 Pippa also meets James Cardle and he is at the resort alone。Someone is about to die。 Which honeymooner is found dead？ Why？ And how does what happened ultimately affect Pippa？ When screams let out， Pippa and Cardle are among the people who rush to the source of something that is certainly very wrong。 Pippa and Cardle had been having a drink and at some point earlier Pippa discovered that Cardle is a private investigator。So， Pippa heads back home。 However， she soon runs into Cardle and before long， she begins working for him， especially as they both seem tied to the murder that occurred， although for veery different reasons。 While this psychological thriller reminded me at times of a cozy mystery， I loved the fact that Pippa and Cardle worked well together and all of the various locations they traveled to during their investigation。 There were some interesting side stories that moved at an excellent pace。 This thrilling story was utterly captivating and surprising at times， making it impossible for me to even come close to guessing who the murderer was。 I loved this exciting story by Alison James and cannot wait to see what she next has to offer。 Many thankst to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review。 This is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Charlene Turner
，
This book was a great read， it started when Pippa calls off her wedding at the alter， her Fiancée didn’t seem that heartbroken by the announcement， and it soon comes to light that he has been having an affair！ Pippa decides to continue with the honeymoon and goes alone to the Maldives， perfect chance to clear her head however when she gets there she meets 2 other couples。 Pippa meets another man who is investigating a case involving one of these couples。 He layers recruits Pippa to help him work This book was a great read， it started when Pippa calls off her wedding at the alter， her Fiancée didn’t seem that heartbroken by the announcement， and it soon comes to light that he has been having an affair！ Pippa decides to continue with the honeymoon and goes alone to the Maldives， perfect chance to clear her head however when she gets there she meets 2 other couples。 Pippa meets another man who is investigating a case involving one of these couples。 He layers recruits Pippa to help him work undercover and the story unfolds。I absolutely loved this booked， I was hooked right from the beginning， I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who loves to read psychological thrillers。 This is my type of book and I loved it！ Thankyou @netgalley and @bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Laura- Jayne Breed
，
Good way to while away the hours The sunshine scenes the author set were evocative and I almost felt like I was there。 I enjoyed the book。
Renita D'Silva
，
Just wonderful。 Thrilling。 Absorbing。 Transporting。 Suspenseful。 A great read。 Pageturning and pacy。 Do read this one。
Florence
，
Pippa gets cold feet the day of her wedding and calls it off。 She decides to go on to the honeymoon by herself。But there， a woman is found dead。。。The Guilty Wife was an enjoyable read with many unexpected twists。。Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。
LianaReads blog
，
4。5 starsWho wouldn’t want to get away from her now ex fiancee after he declares he was unfaithful？Pippa takes advantage of the already paid honeymoon vacation and ends up in Mauritius。 Taking time just to wind off and to think about her future。 While on the island， she meets up with other people that are more or less in the same situation as her。 What follows is a story full of twists and reality checks combined with murder， suspense and turns that really made me stop and think about it all。 Ho 4。5 starsWho wouldn’t want to get away from her now ex fiancee after he declares he was unfaithful？Pippa takes advantage of the already paid honeymoon vacation and ends up in Mauritius。 Taking time just to wind off and to think about her future。 While on the island， she meets up with other people that are more or less in the same situation as her。 What follows is a story full of twists and reality checks combined with murder， suspense and turns that really made me stop and think about it all。 How social media influencer live their life and to remember that not everything that shines is gold。 I loved this story。 It was my first by the author but it won’t be the last for sure。 Writing style wise was very good and everything went so smoothly from page to page that I finished it in one sitting。 It was fast-paced and for me the ending was too rushed or even let me think that maybe there will be a sequel， but overall it’s a great story that I recommend to any suspense lovers。 。。。more
Els
，
Happily ever after… that’s what everybody hopes to be after getting married。 And some really nail it。 They are heads over heal in love with their other half and vice versa。 Others are playing the main role in their own story that has a lot of people fooled or so they think。 Some are obliged to say ‘I do’ even if they swore they would never utter those words。This could be the title of a very romantic book and in a way it is， but the romance is very short lived for some tragic reasons。 It never bo Happily ever after… that’s what everybody hopes to be after getting married。 And some really nail it。 They are heads over heal in love with their other half and vice versa。 Others are playing the main role in their own story that has a lot of people fooled or so they think。 Some are obliged to say ‘I do’ even if they swore they would never utter those words。This could be the title of a very romantic book and in a way it is， but the romance is very short lived for some tragic reasons。 It never bodes well when you see a cover like this。 A red rose is the utter sign of true love， but when it’s combined with droplets of blood， you already have a feeling which way the author will take you。Make sure you have your bags packed， because the author takes us travelling。 We visit Mauritius， Australia， England and Thailand。 They are absolute gorgeous places， but all are covered with a veil of sadness。The story starts in the present。 In the next part we are taken back a bit in time for some revelations and the story continues in the present。 Suddenly， in the next part the clock has been turned back almost two decades for more devastating details and finally the plot explodes in the present。 I liked this story a lot。 Is the author finished with our investigating duo？ I wonder… 4 starsThank you， Alison James and Bookouture 。。。more
Pauline Cassie
，
The Guilty Wife was definitely a good entry point into the novels of Alison James。The twists and turns within this 'whodunnit' kept me enthralled as I read on and on and on to find the next piece of the puzzle。 All whilst trying desperately to discover the guilty party and their motivation for their alleged crimes。For me， the story became more interesting after Part One。 In hindsight I'm not really sure what purpose the initial part served as it didn't particularly add anything to the overall st The Guilty Wife was definitely a good entry point into the novels of Alison James。The twists and turns within this 'whodunnit' kept me enthralled as I read on and on and on to find the next piece of the puzzle。 All whilst trying desperately to discover the guilty party and their motivation for their alleged crimes。For me， the story became more interesting after Part One。 In hindsight I'm not really sure what purpose the initial part served as it didn't particularly add anything to the overall story。 It did however link all the characters together。As I leave The Guilty Wife behind， I hope there will be more to come from Pippa and Jim。 。。。more
Paula Stammers
，
Some great locations and some great characters make this mystery thriller one to read。On her wedding day Pippa decides that she is making a big mistake and calls off her wedding。 So as to not waste the honeymoon she travels to Mauritius on her own。 But on arrival she realises that the majority of the other guests at the resort are newlyweds。 She does however see a rather attractive man sitting on his own and tries to make conversation。 It turns out that the man， James Cardle， is a private detect Some great locations and some great characters make this mystery thriller one to read。On her wedding day Pippa decides that she is making a big mistake and calls off her wedding。 So as to not waste the honeymoon she travels to Mauritius on her own。 But on arrival she realises that the majority of the other guests at the resort are newlyweds。 She does however see a rather attractive man sitting on his own and tries to make conversation。 It turns out that the man， James Cardle， is a private detective。 Whilst they are sitting having a drink there is suddenly a couple of screams ………。 One of the newlyweds is dead ？ Who could have killed them and why ？Upon her return to London Pippa finds herself working with Cardle to investigate the circumstances of the death in Mauritius， but will they discover the truth ？ The book takes us to Mauritius， Australia， Thailand and London， you will feel jet lagged just reading about it ！！ This is a great mystery thriller that will keep you guessing as to what happened and why。 Pippa and Cardle are great characters that you will find yourself routing for。 Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book。 。。。more
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
，
EXCERPT: 'Welcome to paradise！'The newly weds are each handed a drink by a smiling member of the reception team: a blush-coloured glass of fruit punch， adorned with a flower。 'By choosing to stay with us， you have made the perfect choice for your honeymoon。'This remark is addressed to another attractive， well-heeled couple who have also just arrived and been greeted with a drink。 So they're not the only honeymoon couple staying at the resort。 Which isn't surprising， given the place really is as EXCERPT: 'Welcome to paradise！'The newly weds are each handed a drink by a smiling member of the reception team: a blush-coloured glass of fruit punch， adorned with a flower。 'By choosing to stay with us， you have made the perfect choice for your honeymoon。'This remark is addressed to another attractive， well-heeled couple who have also just arrived and been greeted with a drink。 So they're not the only honeymoon couple staying at the resort。 Which isn't surprising， given the place really is as close to paradise as you're likely to find。 Swaying coconut palms， azure sea， shimmering white sand。 Discreet villas with their own private gardens and pools。 Perfect for an intimate， romantic holiday alone with your loved one。 Perfect in every way， in fact， offering everything you could want。 Unless you wished your spouse was dead。 ABOUT 'THE GUILTY WIFE': At a luxury resort in the Maldives， two newlywed couples are on honeymoon。 On the surface， they seem to have it all。 But behind the filtered photos and fake smiles is the truth…Tansy isn’t really in love。Daniel is trying to escape the biggest mistake of his life。Nikki’s past is catching up with her。Arne’s heart is about to be broken。They all have secrets。 And before the honeymoon is over， their happiness will be shattered。Because one of them is going to die…MY THOUGHTS: Despite the fact that I didn't find The Guilty Wife particularly dark， I enjoyed this quick， easy and engaging read。 I loved the characters！ - even the ones I loved to hate。 Alison James has created some spectacular characters， particularly in Pippa - who isn't afraid to pull out of her marriage at the last moment when she knows that she is about to make a huge mistake， and Jim Cardle， a not very self-aware P。I。 Tansy is an absolute nightmare， but the sort of person who， unfortunately， is becoming more common and more revered。 Despite all his faults and stupidity， I felt sorry for Daniel; as I did for Nikki and Arne， whose marital bliss is short-lived。 I enjoyed the developing relationship between Jim and Pippa - It's reminiscent of Cormoran Strike and Robin， and I hope that this partnership is going to continue on in a series。 Pippa is a strong and determined character and really， although he tries hard， Jim is no match for her。 The plot moves from love and romance to murder， financial fraud on several fronts， blackmail and PTSD。 The settings are gorgeous - who doesn't want to be holidaying in Mauritius？ - except for Daniel。 This is a wonderful book for armchair travellers as it flits between Mauritius， London， Australia， and Thailand。。。。While I would have liked a little more suspense， I really did enjoy this read。 I have enjoyed this author in the past， and The Guilty Wife certainly didn't disappoint。 The Guilty Wife was previously titled Happily Ever After。 ⭐⭐⭐⭐#TheGuiltyWife #NetGalley I: #alisonjames @bookouture T: @AlisonJbooks @Bookouture #contemporaryfiction #crime #murdermystery THE AUTHOR: I was born in the Cotswolds but spent most of my formative years abroad。 I studied languages at Oxford， then became a journalist and author， returning to university after my two children to take a law degree。 After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal， I worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner， before coming full circle to write fiction again。DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Guilty Wife by Alison James for review。 All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions。 For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads。com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday。wordpress。com This review and others are also published on Twitter， Amazon， Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday。wordpress。com/。。。 。。。more
Susan
，
Lights， Camera， Action！This book has quite the cast of characters and several exotic locations giving it major motion picture potential。 As a reading experience， it’s fun and a bit like a vacation without leaving your house。Six people meet at a couples resort and one of them dies。 The death was ruled an accident by the local police but there is more than meets the eye and the ensuing investigation involves all participants in various ways。Each protagonist is worth mentioning， but debased social Lights， Camera， Action！This book has quite the cast of characters and several exotic locations giving it major motion picture potential。 As a reading experience， it’s fun and a bit like a vacation without leaving your house。Six people meet at a couples resort and one of them dies。 The death was ruled an accident by the local police but there is more than meets the eye and the ensuing investigation involves all participants in various ways。Each protagonist is worth mentioning， but debased social media magnate Tansy was the one I loved to hate。 Deliciously vile while remaining （slightly） inbounds of the law， an indubitable wish for her comeuppance took hold from the beginning of the book through the entirety。 Will karma intercede to deliver her just deserts？Her spineless husband Daniel wasn’t much improved with his own problems as a shifty real estate developer - what a pair they made！ It’s always a treat when a book exceeds expectations。 I had forgotten that I’d read another of the author’s books， The Man She Married and loved it。 My reading tastes seem to match up with Allison James so I’ll make more of an effort to be on the lookout for her books。Thank you to NetGalley UK， Bookouture， and author Allison James for my advance electronic copy set to publish June 22 2021。 。。。more
Samantha
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Guilty Wife by Alison James。Pippa calls off her wedding to Alistair just hours before they were due at the Registry Office， and not wanting to face the music， she goes on their honeymoon to Mauritius， on her own， just to escape。 She realises that there is another person on their own and she makes the acquaintance of Jim Cardle。 Meanwhile， Tansy and Dan and Nikki and Arne are also on their honeymoon at the Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Guilty Wife by Alison James。Pippa calls off her wedding to Alistair just hours before they were due at the Registry Office， and not wanting to face the music， she goes on their honeymoon to Mauritius， on her own， just to escape。 She realises that there is another person on their own and she makes the acquaintance of Jim Cardle。 Meanwhile， Tansy and Dan and Nikki and Arne are also on their honeymoon at the same resort， and over the next few days， their lives become mysteriously intertwined。 Alison James takes the reader all around the world， travelling from London to Australia， Mauritius and Thailand， describing all these locations in such great detail that I almost believed I was there。 The story briefly covers the Tsunami in Thailand on Boxing Day 2004 and， knowing someone that was caught up in the disaster （but thankfully survived）， it was quite harrowing to read those parts。 I found the story fairly slow， to begin with， although not off-putting， as James introduces the characters and explains their back-stories。 Most of them were easy to connect with and only one was actually a pain in the proverbial and I just wanted to throw her off a cliff！ There were lots of twists and turns in the plot。 Whilst at one point I was convinced I knew what was coming， the story moved in a completely different direction and kept me guessing until the end。 The story includes murder， bereavement， grief， greed and just a little bit of love and made for a great read。 I would recommend The Guilty Wife to anyone who enjoys a mysterious thriller with no gory bits！ 。。。more
Julie Lacey
，
I loved this book。 It’s a great mystery thriller which starts off in a honeymoon location with two couples plus Pippa， who ends up on her honeymoon alone。 It soon turns nasty as a body is found and whilst it’s deemed to be an accident， a few people disagree。 Back in the UK Pippa deals with her ex fiancé and starts the hunt for somewhere to live。 She then tracks down a man she met in Mauritius as she knows he’s a private detective， and asks if she can help。 Pippa and Cardle start to look into the I loved this book。 It’s a great mystery thriller which starts off in a honeymoon location with two couples plus Pippa， who ends up on her honeymoon alone。 It soon turns nasty as a body is found and whilst it’s deemed to be an accident， a few people disagree。 Back in the UK Pippa deals with her ex fiancé and starts the hunt for somewhere to live。 She then tracks down a man she met in Mauritius as she knows he’s a private detective， and asks if she can help。 Pippa and Cardle start to look into the death in Mauritius on behalf of the widow and more and more comes to light about these two couples on their honeymoon。 I loved the way the investigation was carried out and also the chemistry between Pippa and Cardle。 A great read。 Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Shannon Christner
，
Wasn’t a fan。 This book was not marketed to be the story I thought it might be。 Plot jumps everywhere。 Had more intrigue from the promo。 The real book was flat。 Meh。 I did finish it but even the climax of the story wasn’t really there。
Anna
，
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "The Guilty Wife" in exchange for my honest review。 I'm not sure why the title was changed， the original one of "Happily Ever After" made more sense。 The story is a bit confusing and hard to follow。 There is a lot of switching back and forth from different points of view and there are some chapters that are simply flashbacks。 The prologue has talk of a honeymoon in paradise where one spouse is wishing the other was dead。 The story starts with Pipp Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "The Guilty Wife" in exchange for my honest review。 I'm not sure why the title was changed， the original one of "Happily Ever After" made more sense。 The story is a bit confusing and hard to follow。 There is a lot of switching back and forth from different points of view and there are some chapters that are simply flashbacks。 The prologue has talk of a honeymoon in paradise where one spouse is wishing the other was dead。 The story starts with Pippa Bryant changing her mind about getting married literally minutes before she is due at the registry office。 With a wedding that never happened， she decides to go to Mauritius solo for her 'honeymoon' since her parents have paid for it。 At the resort we meet Daniel Halligan who hates his wife Tansy。 Their honeymoon was paid for by one of her sponsors。 She spends the entire trip with her entourage - makeup， wardrobe - so that she can post every day。 The other couple at the resort is Danish。 Arne Lindgren and his wife Nikki。 We learn that her past is about the catch up with her。 Jim Cardle is a private investigator and he's there looking into one of the guests。 Basically everyone is on their honeymoon and everyone is unhappy。 。。。more
Nicole
，
I loveddd this book！ It had suspense， fame， fortune， a love story and such lovable characters！ I read it so quickly because I couldn’t put it down。 It was a perfect beach read and I’m currently looking up all the authors other books because I enjoyed it so much！ Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the pre-release in exchange for my honest review。
Kelly
，
Well。。。。。 I have a new favourite book of the year。 This story was utterly brilliant。On the day of her marriage Pippa suddenly gets cold feet and calls the whole thing off but there's still the matter of a very expensive， already paid for honeymoon to consider in Mauritius。 So she decides to go on it anyway on her own and enjoy a little rest and relaxation。 When she arrives many of the guests are hiding secrets and when one gets murdered she ends up teaming me with the other single man at the res Well。。。。。 I have a new favourite book of the year。 This story was utterly brilliant。On the day of her marriage Pippa suddenly gets cold feet and calls the whole thing off but there's still the matter of a very expensive， already paid for honeymoon to consider in Mauritius。 So she decides to go on it anyway on her own and enjoy a little rest and relaxation。 When she arrives many of the guests are hiding secrets and when one gets murdered she ends up teaming me with the other single man at the resort who happens to be a private investigator to find out who killed the guest and more importantly why。 I absolutely loved this book right from the start。 The setting at the beginning in Mauritius was really descriptive and I could completely imagine exactly what I was reading。 I really liked Pippa and was very invested in her and I really disliked Tansy and Daniel， especially Tansy， what an awful woman！ I also really enjoyed that the story went from place to place， Mauritius， London， Thailand， with the descriptions I felt I was right there with the characters。 It took me a week to read this book because I actually found myself reading slower near the end and not wanting it to end at all。 There were definitely a few moments where I was surprised at what was happening and the ultimate twist was really great and I did not see it coming。I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes thrillers or psychological thrillers and I'm really looking forward to reading more books by Alison James。 First class！Thank you to NetGalley， Bookouture and Alison James for my advanced reading copy。 Due out 22nd June 2021。 。。。more
Louise Wilson
，
3。5 stars rounded up to 4At a luxury resort in the Maldives， two newlywed couples are on their honeymoon。 On the surface， they seem to have it all。 But behind the filtered photos and fake smiles is the truth。 Tansy isn't really in love。 Daniel is trying to escape the biggest mistake of his life。 Nikki's past is catching up with her。 Arne heart is about to be broken。 They all have secrets。 And before the honeymoon is over， their happiness will be shattered。Pippa had called off her wedding but dec 3。5 stars rounded up to 4At a luxury resort in the Maldives， two newlywed couples are on their honeymoon。 On the surface， they seem to have it all。 But behind the filtered photos and fake smiles is the truth。 Tansy isn't really in love。 Daniel is trying to escape the biggest mistake of his life。 Nikki's past is catching up with her。 Arne heart is about to be broken。 They all have secrets。 And before the honeymoon is over， their happiness will be shattered。Pippa had called off her wedding but decided to go on her honeymoon to Mauritius， alone。 But she was bored， until someone was murdered。 Another guest， Jim Cardl， is a private investigator， and Pippa helps him to investigate the murder。 The story is told from multiple points of view。 The characters are a mixed bunch， some likeable， others not so much。 They all had secrets。 It's told in flashbacks with multiple locations。 Filled with twists， a good plotline and a steady pace， this book kept me turning the pages。 Another good read by the author。I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #AlisonJames for my ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Karen D
，
Originally titled "Happily Ever After"， now "The Guilty Wife" was an interesting story， and I got through it quickly， but I didn't love it。 It's teased as a thriller， but is much closer to a mystery and detective story。 Synopsis: On a resort in Mauritius， two couples are on their honeymoon， along with Pippa who is taking her honeymoon alone after calling off her wedding， and Cardle who is there as a private investigator。 But everything is not as romantic as it seems， and by the end of the week， Originally titled "Happily Ever After"， now "The Guilty Wife" was an interesting story， and I got through it quickly， but I didn't love it。 It's teased as a thriller， but is much closer to a mystery and detective story。 Synopsis: On a resort in Mauritius， two couples are on their honeymoon， along with Pippa who is taking her honeymoon alone after calling off her wedding， and Cardle who is there as a private investigator。 But everything is not as romantic as it seems， and by the end of the week， someone will be dead。 The mystery was intriguing， and I enjoyed how she wove in a secondary mystery as well。 Alternating POVs and flashbacks kept it moving quickly。 There’s nothing I hated about it， but I did have a couple things that I think could have been better。 The characters all felt like a caricature， and very one-dimensional。 I liked Pippa， and her bravery to call off her wedding mere minutes before and then go on her honeymoon by herself， but she actually seemed to devolve instead of grow as the story went on。 The romance （the real one！） was also completely unnecessary， and distractingThere were some fun twists， and I liked how one “bad” character’s backstory played out。 This was an easy， quick read， but nothing amazing。 Side note: I'm still confused about the title change。。。the original title seemed to work better。。。 。。。more
Lynn
，
5 massive stars。 I absolutely loved this book and read it in one day。 It was gripping from the very beginning。 There were lots of twists and turns throughout which the author managed to tie together perfectly at the end。
Stina
，
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Alison James' latest psychological thriller THE GUILTY WIFE （previously titled "Happily Ever After"）。First of all， the luxury resort was not in The Maldives （which is off the coast of India） but Mauritius （which is off the coast of South Africa） - the only similarity being that they are both in the Indian Ocean。 I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't in The Maldives， as the premise promised， as I've always wanted to go there I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Alison James' latest psychological thriller THE GUILTY WIFE （previously titled "Happily Ever After"）。First of all， the luxury resort was not in The Maldives （which is off the coast of India） but Mauritius （which is off the coast of South Africa） - the only similarity being that they are both in the Indian Ocean。 I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't in The Maldives， as the premise promised， as I've always wanted to go there so it would have been nice to visit via a book。 Sometimes one has to wonder if whoever writes these premises has actually read the book， some of them are so way off base。 But that aside THE GUILTY WIFE， which I believe was better of titled with it's original "Happily Ever After"， turned out to be not what I expected。 Particularly as the setting for this rather complicated psychological thriller takes the reader on a whirlwind ride across continents from England， Mauritius， Australia and Thailand。 I felt jet-lagged just reading the book！Two hours before she is due to marry Alistair， Pippa Bryant turns up to the registry office already crowded with their guests clad in jeans and a t-shirt to call off their wedding。 Realising that while they are comfortable together， they aren't actually in love anymore。 So since her parents paid for their luxury honeymoon to Mauritius， which was non-refundable， Pippa decides to enjoy the holiday on her own。 But she soon discovers that being alone in a resprt rife with honeymooners is not quite as much fun as she had anticipated。 Surrounded by loved-up couples， Pippa hones in on the only other vacationer who appears to be on their own - a seemingly grumpy middle-aged man who rebuffs her attempts at conversation。 She tries to befriend him but he isn't receptive though he does introduce himself as James Cardle。 After a bit of web-surfing she discovers that Cardle is a private investigator from London。 So what is he doing on Mauritius？ Or rather， who is he investigating here？ Determined not to spend her entire holiday alone and armed with a bottle of wine one evening， Pippa turns up at Cardle's hut to share a couple of drinks together。 As they enjoy a playful banter， they hear a couple of screams followed by the appearance of one of the honeymooners， a look of shock on his face。 Pippa and Cardle follow the direction in which the man， Daniel Halligan， was pointing and are shocked by their discovery。We have two honeymooning couples who are hiding their own secrets。。。but is it enough to have one of them killed？ So who of the players do we have that could be involved？ Tansy - wealthy and beautiful Australian/Filipino and social media influencer who makes a living out of sponsors gifting her their products for her to sprout them to the world via social media。 Her honeymoon was a gift from one of her sponsors and she is there， not to enjoy the first forays of wedded bliss， but to document her entire honeymoon with live coverage for her fans。 As with anything Tansy， the honeymoon is fake， as she arrives with her hair stylist and makeup artist to ensure she looks her best for her fans。 Back home in Australia， she is a the founder and proprietor of Hiraya Shakes， a green health food shake she promotes as having cured her of lupus while recruiting "angels" to sell for her therefore making money off them。Daniel - Tansy's new-suffering husband， who left Britain some years before to backpack around Australia before settling in Sydney。 He is escaping his second worst nightmare， an ill-fated property venture that has all but bankrupted him and from which his new wife had rescued him。 He spends their honeymoon sipping drinks by the pool and going on catamaran trips to see dolphins。 Alone。Nikki - a thirty-something young woman from Britain who has arrived in Mauritius with her husband Arne to enjoy their first days of wedded bliss。 She compliments Tansy on a designer dress she is wearing one evening， pouring over its beauty， when Tansy proclaims she will have it cleaned and sent to her to keep， as she has plenty of items by this designer anyway。 Nikki is thrilled and gushing her thanks。 But Nikki has a secret from her past that is about to catch up with her。Arne - Swedish and the oldest of the couples， he is a wealthy and successful with possibly a lot to lose。 But he loves Nikki and the couple are most definitely loved-up honouring their vows "till death to us part"。 They are the only couple intent on living the dream of wedded bliss on their honeymoon。 Until it all goes wrong。。。After the incident， police are called and everyone gives their statements。 And then， everyone goes their separate ways。 The Halligans flee back to Australia， the Lindgrens to Sweden whilst Pippa returns to England and her mundane job in insurance。 She also has to deal with moving out of the flat she and Alistair had shared for nearly six years。 But nothing would prepare her for what she discovers the day after she returns。。。and all at once the late nights， the no sex and the withdrawal of affection makes perfect sense。 Alistair had been seeing someone else。 And now she is moving in and taking Pippa's place。Life couldn't get any worse， that is until Pippa finds herself out of a job as well as homeless。 But she soon finds a flat above an old coach house and a sometimes companion for an independent elderly lady， and though the rent is cheap， Pippa knows she needs to find herself a job。 So she looks up Jim Cardle and heads over to his office offering her services to keep some sort of order to his incredibly messy office and filing system。 And soon the pair are jet-setting off to Australia to investigate claims of Tansy's fraud and the possibility of Daniel Halligan's guilt over what happened in Mauritius， given that they fled soon after。 Their investigations take them all over Australia to Sydney， Melbourne， Gold Coast， Brisbane， Canberra and Perth with the only capitals not visited being Hobart， Adelaide and Darwin。 But their travels didn't stop there。。。and I got jet-lagged just reading it！THE GUILTY WIFE begins at a steady pace， I wouldn't say slow， but just a relaxed pace as the couple settle into their honeymoon with Pippa people-watching。 You think it will be another predictable run of the mill thriller but that's where you're wrong。 Once this tale gets warmed up， the plotting becomes very complex indeed， very clever and very compelling。 With a tapestry of circumstances cleverly woven together， we are confronted with blackmail， murder， suicide， fraud and grief to name a few。。。not to mention vanity， self-absorption and the fakeness portrayed to highlight that things are not always what they seem。 And this book is definitely one of them！There are twists that are unexpected and a lot of jet-setting for Pippa who's teamed up with James to help solve the underlying mysteries。 They certainly make a good team as they travel the globe to uncover the truth amidst the lies。 There is most definitely a chemistry between them that is hard to ignore and at times becomes intense。The characters are all well developed with some likeable and one most definitely not so likeable。 Throughout the book， we are given glimpses into their stories and what lead them to where they are now and more importantly， to Mauritius。 The story unfolds through the eyes and narratives of Pippa and Daniel， but through them we get to know the other players just as well。 The book itself is divided into five parts as the story begins with Pippa and Daniel respectively on Mauritius but then goes back a year to Daniel's story in Australia and what lead him to where he now finds himself before moving back to the present day and the underlying investigation。 Don't be fooled into thinking it's confusing， because it's not。 It is incredibly well thought out and cleverly written。 My only complaints， firstly the fact that there was a discrepancy with the name of a church， in which a couple had been married citing it being the same church that one of them was then buried， was actually two different names - St Nicholas as the first and the second St Peters and yet it was stated as being the same church。 I found it just a small error but within the space of the same chapter it should have been picked up。 My biggest issue with the book is the ending。 I felt the Epilogue was practically a non-event and didn't see why it was even included as there was no real finality to it。 As it ended at the bottom of the page， I flicked it over expecting there to be more。。。and there wasn't。 I was a little disappointed given how things had developed to have left it there。 While other reviewers are hoping for a second book to pick up where this one left off， I'm fully aware that that's not how these thrillers pan out。 They are not a series so therefore there will not be a sequel。 And that's why the ending is somewhat disappointing。I also think the original title "Happily Ever After" is far more fitting than THE GUILTY WIFE， which I don't believe fits， because in the end。。。no one is happy ever after。But that aside， THE GUILTY WIFE is a delicious drama that is most definitely a riveting read。 The pace begins steadily but picks up to the rate of knots which will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next。 Though it's not her best book， I still thoroughly enjoyed it and have no hesitation in recommending it to those who enjoy complex psychological thrillers。I would like to thank #AlisonJames， #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGuiltyWife in exchange for an honest review。This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic。blogspot。com/。 。。。more
Claire
，
I found The Guilty Wife hard to put down。 In a luxury resort in the Maldives， Arne and Nikki and Daniel and Tansy are celebrating their honeymoons。 Tansy and Daniel look like a hot couple of their Instagram picture are anything to go by。However Tansy doesn’t love Daniel and he’s realising he’s made the biggest mistake of his life。 Meanwhile Arne’s going to have his heart broken and Nikki’s past is catching up with her。 It seems they all have secrets to hide。 This book is billed as a dark addicti I found The Guilty Wife hard to put down。 In a luxury resort in the Maldives， Arne and Nikki and Daniel and Tansy are celebrating their honeymoons。 Tansy and Daniel look like a hot couple of their Instagram picture are anything to go by。However Tansy doesn’t love Daniel and he’s realising he’s made the biggest mistake of his life。 Meanwhile Arne’s going to have his heart broken and Nikki’s past is catching up with her。 It seems they all have secrets to hide。 This book is billed as a dark addictive thriller and it certainly lives up to that。 The novel flows well and chapter by chapter you are drawn deeper into the gripping plot。 Thank you to NetGalley， Bookouture and the author for the chance to review。 。。。more
Nimalee Ravi
，
This is the first book I've read by the author。and can I just say how brilliant it is。 Pippa gets cold feet on her wedding day and abandons her fiancé at the alter。 She decides to go on the honeymoon by herself to relax。 The story unfolds and we find everyone on the resort has secrets and something to hide。 The story is full of twists and turns。 This is a complex dark， fast paced and I was hooked from start to finish。 I really enjoyed reading about love and loss of relationship， blackmail and tr This is the first book I've read by the author。and can I just say how brilliant it is。 Pippa gets cold feet on her wedding day and abandons her fiancé at the alter。 She decides to go on the honeymoon by herself to relax。 The story unfolds and we find everyone on the resort has secrets and something to hide。 The story is full of twists and turns。 This is a complex dark， fast paced and I was hooked from start to finish。 I really enjoyed reading about love and loss of relationship， blackmail and tragedy。I recommend this book and looking forward to reading more of James's work。 Thank you NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC。 。。。more
Teresa
，
Two couples on a luxury honeymoon at a Maldives resort。 Everything is wonderful but is it really？ Pippa Bryant， cancelling her wedding at the last moment， is on her honeymoon alone。 She has been watching the couples and thinks things may not be as they seem。 James Cardle， a man out of place in resort full of couples， is watching them all。This is the setting for a complicated psychological thriller that takes the reader on a whirlwind ride across continents from England， the Maldives， Australia a Two couples on a luxury honeymoon at a Maldives resort。 Everything is wonderful but is it really？ Pippa Bryant， cancelling her wedding at the last moment， is on her honeymoon alone。 She has been watching the couples and thinks things may not be as they seem。 James Cardle， a man out of place in resort full of couples， is watching them all。This is the setting for a complicated psychological thriller that takes the reader on a whirlwind ride across continents from England， the Maldives， Australia and Thailand。 I felt jet-lagged just reading the book！ While still at the Mauritius resort， one of the four honeymooners is found dead。 Pippa had been making friends with James the mysterious lone man at the time。 They both run to see what is going on。 It turns out James is a private investigator， and he has been investigating one of the four honeymooners。 After giving her statement as to what she knows， Pippa flies home to London and later purposely runs into James there。 She has a proposition for him; she will work for free and help him on the case。 From there the story really gets intense。The plot is original and complex， the story full of exciting twists and turns。 Every time I thought I had it figured out I was dead wrong。 The only thing that left me a little put off was the ending。 I was like， “wait， what， that’s it？” I’m truly hoping with the way it ended there will be a second book with Poppi and James working together again。 I thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in return for my honest review。 I gave it three and one-half stars rounded up to four。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Guilty Wife
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Guilty Wife&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Guilty Wife&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0