Title: The First Mistake by Sandie Jones
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
From Sandie Jones, the author of the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick andNew York Times bestseller The Other Woman, comes an addictively readable new domestic suspense about a wife, her husband, and the woman who is supposedly her best friend.
THE WIFE: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house.
HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan’s arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved.
HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced . . .
The first mistake could be her last.
Review:
The First Mistake by Sandie Jones is a twist-filled domestic mystery.
Alice Davies is a deeply flawed character who has some irritating insecurities and illogical thought processes. She lost her first husband and love of her life, Tom Evans, in a tragic accident ten years earlier. Not long after his death, she meets her current husband, Nathan Davies, and they are now parents to eight year old Livvy. Alice’s interior design business is quite successful and she is under pressure to expand their reach outside of Britain. On the surface, Alice is now well-adjusted and happy but she relies a little too heavily on wine and low dose anti-depressants to cope with everyday life. Although she implicitly trusts Nathan, a few recent discoveries have raised doubts about him. She confides her suspicions to her best friend, Beth Russo, but Alice’s world is turned upside down after Beth tells her a secret she has been keeping from her.
On paper, Nathan is the perfect man, husband and father. He adopted Sofia not long after marrying Alice and he adores his daughters. He is accepting of his wife’s quirks, doubts and insecurities, and until recently, he leaves business decisions up to her. Nathan is quite charming and he easily quells Alice’s doubts about him.
Beth is a single mum to daughter Millie. Due to the circumstances in which her relationship with Millie’s father ended, she is quite cynical about men and relationships. With Millie asking questions about her dad, Beth thinks it might be time to track down her ex. Before she gets far in her search, Beth decides to reveal the truth about his identity to Alice. In the aftermath of her revelation, Alice is devastated but will she allow Beth to provide her with more information about her previous relationship?
Alternating between Alice’s and Beth’s points of view, The First Mistake is an enthralling mystery with an ingenious plot. Alice is an interesting character who has never quite recovered from Tom’s death. Beth is a multi-layered character whose devastating past still continues to haunt her. The storyline is clever and thoroughly engaging. With several inventive and unexpected plot twists, Sandie Jones deftly keeps readers on the edge of their seats until this innovative mystery’s jaw-dropping and unpredictable conclusion. I absolutely loved and highly recommend this splendid mystery to fans of the genre.
