My Husband's Wife
FIRST COMES LOVE. THEN COMES MARRIAGE. THEN COMES MURDER.
When lawyer Lily marries Ed, she's determined to make a fresh start. To leave the past behind. Even if it means a little white lie or two...
But then she meets a convicted murderer, who reminds her of someone she used to know. But there's no way she can tell her husband why...
Where does the lying end...and murder begin?
My Husband's Wife is the debut novel by Jane Corry, although after reading it I would never have guessed that this was the authors debut.
The story is told from the perspective of Lily and Carla and switches between the two. The first part is set some years ago and the second part in present day.Lily is a criminal defence lawyer married to Ed an artist. They are newlyweds and it becomes clear early on that they married very quickly and that Ed is on the rebound. They live in a small apartment and their neighbours are Carla, a 10 year old Italian girl and her single mother Francesca. Carla is bullied at school for her accent and her dark hair and her Mother is convinced the way forward in life is to be thin, attractive and have a man around to pay the rent. In fact Carla is just as manipulative as her Mother early on and this theme continues through her life.
Lily is defending a convicted murderer Joe Thomas who has been convicted of murdering his girlfriend. He protests his innocence and Lily is assigned to the case. The relationship between the two of them appears to highlight secrets that Lily is keeping from Ed and everyone else in her life.
Meanwhile Carla has started to visit Lily and Ed on Sundays while her Mother works and Ed has taken to drawing Carla at every opportunity.
In the second part of the book Carla returns as an attractive 23 year old. She has been in Rome studying to be a lawyer and moves back to England to do a conversion course so she can practice law in Britain. She tracks down Lily and Ed and they begin to see each other again. Carla's motive for contacting them again aren't altogether entirely honourable though. Ed has lost his inspiration and upon seeing Carla again regains it and she again becomes his muse.
There are many books at the moment under the "psychological thriller" umbrella and although this is a thriller it is also a great piece of literary fiction to be enjoyed by both genders of various ages. It's gritty and there is always something happening throughout the book. One of the characters is always "up to something" as it were!
If you are looking for a book to get thoroughly engrossed in then this one is for you. I started it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday, I could not put it down.
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