The Wife Who Knew Too Much,

by Michele Campbell

Publication: St. Martins’ Press; July 28, 2020

wife About:

Tabitha Girard had her heartbroken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha.

Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha’s life—older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha.

When Connor’s wife Nina takes her own life, he’s free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina’s home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many years ago. But then, Tabitha finds a diary. “I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death,” it begins. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor—and her.”

Who is Connor Ford? Why did he marry Nina? Is Tabitha his true love, or a convenient affair? As the police investigate Nina’s death, is she a convenient suspect?

As Tabitha is drawn deeper into the dark glamour of a life she is ill-prepared for, it becomes clear to her that what a wife knows can kill her.

My Review

Just in time for publication day, I’m happy to bring you my review of Michele Campbell’s latest thriller, The Wife Who Knew Too Much. This novel starts out very cliche with working-class Tabitha experiencing her first love with ultra-wealthy Connor when they are in high school. When his powerful and controlling grandmother finds out about their secret love, she tears them apart, destroying Tabitha’s family in the process. Several years later, Connor walks into the restaurant where Tabitha is a waitress, and all of the old sparks fly again. The problem, however, is that Connor is now married to one of the richest and most powerful women in the country and he isn’t sure how to get out of the marriage. Luckily for Connor, a few months later, Nina takes her own life and he and Tabitha can finally be together.

This was an addictive thriller that I didn’t put down until I had finished the entire book. I will say that it didn’t take me too long to figure out “whodunnit,” but it did take the entire book for me to figure out motives and who, if anyone, were accomplices. The character development in this novel is amazing. I can’t even count on both hands all of the different feelings and emotions I experienced because of these characters. They were constantly fluid throughout the novel, always keeping me on my toes trying to understand their true personalities. Connor was the worst, though, because I had about a hundred different thoughts and opinions about him that seemed to be proved wrong just as soon as I would think them. People that I didn’t trust at all and seemed awful ended up being completely harmless and then people that seemed fine ended up being crazy secretive and suspicious, so this was a fun read trying to figure everyone out.

I highly recommend this novel to those who love thrillers that keep them guessing, and especially fans of having your own theories disproven again and again. Michele Campbell has written a fast-paced thriller that is smart, sexy, and you will not be able to put it down.

P.S. This would make an outstanding movie or even a Netflix series!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.