Title: The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 348 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.
THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.
THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.
THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?
Review:
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth is a fast-moving domestic mystery.
Heart surgeon Stephen Aston blindsides his adult daughters, Tully and Rachel, with his announcement he is engaged to much younger interior designer, Heather Wisher. Tully and Rachel are even more stunned when he also tells them he is divorcing their mother, Pamela. The sisters are not all happy to be gaining a stepmother nor are they pleased about Stephen’s divorce plans.
Tully and her husband Sonny are parents of two sons who are five and almost three. Tully’s stress levels are through the roof as she navigates upcoming changes for her family and the situation with her parents and Heather. She has always had severe anxiety and her coping mechanism is about to land her trouble. Will Sonny stand by her when the truth is revealed?
Rachel is a sought-after baker who devotes all her time to her business. She has not dated since she was a teenager and she too is keeping a secret from her loved ones. Her new delivery person is quite unexpected and she finally begins to emerge from her shell.
Heather has not been honest about her past but she certain Stephen will not learn the truth. She never intended to fall in love with a married man but she eagerly grabs hold of her chance for happiness. But after moving in with her husband to be, Heather begins to notice things about Stephen that leave her questioning her decision about her future. Can she trust her interpretations of unsettling events?
The Younger Wife is a compelling domestic mystery that is very suspenseful. Tully’s deep-seated issues are becoming impossible to control. Rachel’s fears have held her hostage for decades but will she finally be able to move past them? Heather is surprisingly easy to like but is marrying Stephen the right decision? Can Tully and Rachel trust their mother’s shocking declarations? With plenty of questions to answer, Sally Hepworth brings this suspenseful domestic mystery to an absolutely jaw-dropping conclusion.
