Caution: Spoiler Alert!
If you are a fan of The Perfect Girlfriend, you are sure to love Karen Hamilton’s newest novel. The Last Wife is a 361 page, psychological thriller that will be hitting shelves on July 7th.
The Last Wife is the story of Marie Langham, a wedding photographer who desperately wants to get pregnant. When her best friend, Nina, dies tragically from terminal Cancer, Marie is left behind to pick up the pieces of her friend’s shattered life. Marie promised Nina she would protect her husband, Stuart, and their two kids. But what Nina doesn’t know is that Marie will do anything to have a baby of her own, and that Marie sees Nina’s life as the key to her own happiness. It doesn’t take long for Marie to integrate herself into Nina’s old life and make it hers. She even falls pregnant with Stuart’s baby less than a year after Nina’s death.
However, Nina’s life is far from the perfection Marie thought it was. One of their mutual friends from their college days, named Camilla, shows up suddenly and seems to have a hidden agenda to thwart Marie. Then, Marie discovers that Nina had long-buried secrets about a holiday in Ibiza the friends took ten years previously, when Marie’s then-boyfriend went missing after a tragic accident and was later found dead.
The best part about this read is that it made me think. I’ve had multiple nights where I laid awake in bed pondering questions that arose from this book, even after I had finished reading. It made me wonder who I could trust with important tasks if I could no longer do them, and rethink situations that might not have been what they seemed. I always appreciate material that is strong enough to stick with me on a deeper level.
I will say that it took me a while to be fully sucked in by the book. The pacing is rather slow, but it was worth sticking with it. Some of the mysteries that Marie uncovers are mentioned and casually dropped multiple times before they are solved, which was somewhat annoying. I felt like the book could be 30-50 pages shorter and could have gotten to the point quicker, but I still enjoyed the read. I didn’t feel any real adrenalin or tension until the end of the book, when another one of Marie’s friends discovers Nina’s secrets, and Maria has to stop him from going to the police.
Plus, a key part of the plot that happens throughout the entire book is that someone continuously sends Marie and Stuart hateful letters for becoming a couple so soon after Nina’s death. This is something that seems very important, but then never really escalates. When the culprit is discovered, it’s anticlimactic because Maria is now focused on stopping her friend who knows too much.
Another reason this book wasn’t necessarily my favorite is that Marie isn’t really a likable character. She’s extremely selfish, and is happy to lie if it will benefit her. Marie goes to therapy to try to be a better person and work on improving herself, but switches therapists every time she feels like they know too much. Most of what she does has selfish motives, but Marie claims she has good intentions. For example, she gets a dog for Stuart and his kids and says the dog will help them heal. In reality, she adopted the dog because she knew that Camilla was scared of dogs, and Marie wanted her to stay away.
She’s also very possessive, and didn’t like when Nina had friends or interests besides her. This is a deep seated issue for Marie. Marie even tells us her old best friend from grade school was switched to another school because Marie wouldn’t let her make any other friends. Despite Marie not being the most likable character, I still was eventually sucked into the book because I just wanted to see how her shenanigans would turn out, or if she’d learn something from her actions.
Overall, it was very interesting to see into the minds of people who commit crimes. We get to see into Nina’s mind too from private diaries she left behind. I enjoy listening to True Crime podcasts, and I’m fascinated by understanding the human psyche and what motivates people to commit the unthinkable. In Marie’s case, it’s an intense longing for happiness and belonging. It’s almost scary, because wanting to fit in is such a human desire, which means she’s not that different from anyone else, including the reader. We all start out with good intentions, but not everyone stays that way.
The Last Wife is definitely worth reading, if only because it will really make you think. To learn more or order your copy, click here.
