The Secret Wife by Linda Kavanagh

A story that starts out or seems to start out as a  wedding in the present and a simple love affair  in the past turns into something quite unexpected.

A mystery, a stalker and tragedy, and all these events are linked in a way the reader doesn't realise in the beginning.

Nothing is quite what it seems and to understand the future you have to comprehend the events of the past.

Kavanagh presents two stories being told simultaneously. The story of Laura in the present and that of Ellie in the past. Ellie is the mistress of a wealthy businessman, his so-called secret wife.

He has promised her the moon, stars and a life together. Instead all she gets is life full of lies. The actions between the two of them have repercussions that reach far into the future.

Laura is wealthy heiress with  really poor choice in men. Her brand new husband is bully, a misogynist and tends to make a point of hurting her at every opportunity. Unfortunately Laura decided to ignore the advice of her best friend Kerry and marry him anyway.

Kerry and Laura have been friends for their entire lifetime. As close as sisters, and yet Laura still chooses not to heed the words of her friend. The result is catastrophic.

It was quite interesting to see this story evolve from a romantic dalliance to domestic abuse and then into something completely different. A tale of betrayal suspense, misery and rejection with an unexpected twist at the end.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and MIRA UK.