The Silent Wife: A gripping, emotional page-turner with a twist that will take your breath away

The Silent Wife s a heart wrenching and gripping tale. I was hooked from the very first page. Kerry Fisher’s brilliant writing talent is showcased beautifully in this book. There are no filler pages. Each sentence moves the story forward. It’s exceedingly evident that every word in this book was thoroughly thought out and carefully placed, for maximum effect. Although this book is sure to, wreck havoc with your emotions, it will also warm your heart and make you laugh. Maggie Parker came to the classy Farinelli family from a poor drug-infested section of town. She was the first in three generations of Parker women to nab a husband. Nico Farinelli wasn’t just any guy, though, he was a successful, kind, and handsome man. Nico loved Maggie’s sincere, honest, full-of-life manner. Anna, the matriarch of the Farinelli family, however, was nauseated by the fact that the Parker’s, were infiltrating her perfect Italian nest; especially Beryl, Maggie’s mother, a no-nonsense loving woman, with absolutely no filter. Out of the two Farinelli brothers, Maggie’s husband, Nico was the quieter one. Massimo was a larger-than-life, center of the universe, charismatic, charmer type of guy. He was also his mother’s favorite. From the outside, the Farinelli’s appeared to be the perfect loving family. Maggie, however, knew that to be a falsehood. She accidentally discovered a terrible secret, one so awful that if it were ever exposed, would tear the Farinelli family apart. She struggled to protect the people she loved, but secrets have a way of being unearthed at the worse possible moments. I highly recommend The Silent Wife. It’s an extraordinarily well-written book with many witty one-liners, realistic dialogue, and complex characters. This is the second 5-star novel that I have read by this talented writer. I love finding new favorite authors. I’ll be reading Kerry Fisher’s next book for sure. Thank you so much Bookouture, and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy.

The cover of the book says, "Would you risk everything for the man you loved...even if you knew he'd done something terrible". Huh? I was expecting a new wife finding out a terrible secret about her new husband, and then what would she do. No. Indeed, there is a new wife, and she finds out a secret about her new extended family that even her husband does not know, but from the very beginning, that secret is no secret to the reader. I never saw any one particular twist, either. About 3/4 of the way through I accepted the fact that there could be no new secret or twist--new things happen, of course, but by that point they are maddening, but not surprising. The book is good, but if I could, I'd only give it 3.5 stars because I don't think the story is at all about what it says on the cover. It's a depiction of the manipulations of a domestic abuser and the suffering of his victims. I didn't really feel held by very much suspense, but I do feel the depiction of how the abuse takes place, the facade of "everything is wonderful" that the abuser creates that fools everybody, and the why of the primary victim staying, is very, very realistic. For anyone who just cannot understand why a woman would stay with an abusive man, read this book and you will understand--and it's not love, it's pure fear, tinged with confusion and shame. Aside from my quibbles about the story being different than advertised, the author did an exceptional job of depicting a newcomer, and her son and mother, trying to fit in with her new, oh so different, family. It's really a very rich depiction of the viewpoints of the new wife, and her abused sister-in-law. I think it's an enjoyable and worthwhile read---but only if you don't go into it looking for the angles suggested on the cover, because I just don't think the book is as those blurbs suggest at all.

I had a hard time getting going as the flip flop of perspective by different characters did not start smoothly for me. However, after getting into the flow, I found this novel immensely satisfying. The characters for the most part were well developed, but it was the overall storyline that was so fascinating, original, and delightful. The plot twists were unpredictable and numerous. The characters all had such defined but different personalitites While I loved Maggie, Beryll stole the day. I would love to have people with these kinds of personalities in my world, they were so funny and fun. Nico was the hardest to understand but with all the secrets of the rich, everyone in the family had his/her own quirks. Amazing plot: Ms. Fisher has a great career ahead of her. I went from crying to laughing out loud. I read the novel in one sitting, so, for me, that's a sure sign of intrigue and talent by Ms. Fisher. This is a hard novel to review without giving away any of the plot, but reading it with no expectation/foreknowledge is truly the best approach. I certainly hope Kerry is able to continue with her originality; the hardest thing to do in this particular genre. From the first page to the final page, this is a definite showstopper! Not only are the characters original but the various combination of events that occur throughout the entire book is mind-blowing. It's going to be hard to go back to the usual novel by numbers that often plagues books of this genre after this satisfying read. I highly recommend this novel, I think you'll fall in love with some of the characters, distain others, but you won't come away untouched. It was also easy to picture the different locales, which added to the enjoyment factor. Ms. Fisher has become one of my new favorite authors.

I'm not sure why I purchased this book (probably under the influence of cheap box wine), but I sincerely enjoyed it. My normal reads are usually non-fiction, literary winners, police procedural, etc. I found this book to be a nice palate cleanser between my normal reads. I wouldn't say her writing was on the same level as say Nora Roberts, but she was definitely a solid writer with a good plot, and an attention keeping read. If you're looking for a break in your normal reads, kind of a guilty pleasure that is a twist between a suspense novel and a mindless summer read, give this book a try. Would I try another book from this author? Yes, yes I would.

Great read

This is the third book that Amazon recommended to me, Kerry Fisher another new author to me bring forth a story at times you almost don’t believe. The one thing I realized after about the 3rd chapter was please pay attention to the small print at the beginning of each chapter, the story is told by Maggie and Lara. I didn’t see that at first, and was confused but once you realize it is switching back and forth you will realize the story is about two women, married to brothers and how their lives will become the total focus of the story. Maggie is marrying Nico Fainelli, along with this marriage comes a thirteen year old daughter Francesca who is still mad over the death of her mother two years before. Maggie meets Nico while her mother Beryl was carrying for Nico’s wife, Caitlin. Also in the story is the dominating mother Anna, the family matriarch, Nico’s brother Massimo and his wife Lara, their son Sandro and Maggie’s son Sam. The story is very good, you feel sorry for Maggie she is living in the house of Caitlin, who according the Anna was the perfect daughter in law, and other than Nico no one is really welcoming her to the family. Even as hard as Maggie tries Lara doesn’t open up till Lara’s Dad suffers an accident and Lara needs help. Ms. Fisher writes a great story, one that at times you can relate to. You want to scream to Nico wake up and understand that you’ve married a wonderful woman, or to Lara, OMG you want to live this way. Looking forward to other stories by Ms. Fisher.

I ordered this book after a colleague recommended it. I don’t usually read through books quickly. I loved everything about this book. I loved and cared about all the characters — even the ones you naturally hated. I loved the writing and as I read I was easily able to bring the scenes and dialect to life in my mind. Maggie and her mum were my favorite. The ONLY negative and it’s just a minor critique is the summary on the back of the book is definitely NOT an accurate description of the story and can be misleading as your reading along. I also would have like to hear from Massimo. I feel like his character as much as we hated him did not get the proper closure. I will be following this author and looking forward to more.

The Silent Wife is the story of two women who at the beginning are only connected by the men they have married. In time, they become friends and later on each other's support system. The book begins with Maggie getting married to Nico Farinelli. She knows his mother Anna disapproves of her but she has fallen in love with him. After so many broken relationships, she has finally found a man she can count on and who thinks of her son Sam as family. Nico also has a daughter from his first marriage, Francesca. Maggie hopes to become a friend to her. Lara is married to Massimo, Nico's brother and they have one child, Sandro. Lara's also the second wife. Massimo divorced Dawn when she refused to have children. Lara couldn't believe when Massimo started courting her and soon he makes her forget all her reservations but after the wedding everything changes. There were so many things I like about the story. Lara and Maggie were both strong in their own way. They both had to deal with Nico and Massimo's mother Anna. She was not an easy person to like. She was always looking for ways to offend the "new wives". As the matriarch of the family, she made sure both sons lived in the same street as her. She even has a key to enter their homes uninvited. Not only did Maggie have to deal with Anna but with her teenage step-daughter, Francesca who was trying very hard to make Maggie feel like an outsider. Lara's life was not any easier. Hers was a hotter hell. These women were both so different but life brought them together. They both were dealing with secrets that could affect their whole family's dynamic. I rooted for both of them to make it. The Silent Wife is a very entertaining tale full of emotion, heartache, complicated relationships, love and friendship. I would recommend it without reservation. Cliffhanger: No 4/5 Fangs

good

This book is truly AWESOME!!! It captures familial dysfunctionality perfectly in marvellous easy to read prose with a click-clack turn of phrase that makes the characters eminently believable. Kerry captures the sadness of a tormented marriage with more skill than I’ve ever seen from a great many authors. It is, I believe, so hard to escape when no one is listening, or looking out for you. It’s really easy to look in from the outside, but … I so loved the book from start to finish. It is a sweeping canvas with so many credible characters and “me-too” moments that I even re-read it over from Chapter 40 the very day I finished it. Yep, it’s that good. Haven’t enjoyed a literary romp quite so much in ages. Yep, The Silent Wife really is that good. Kerry should feel supremely proud that she has created something so unique and that gives so much pleasure to so many people. Kerry has such sublime skill and I feel privileged to have been able, as a reader, to share just a small part of it. Big up for her and huge respect for the characters she's created and the joy she's brought to many people’s lives. She shone a candle into so many dark corners and created a book that is every bit as memorable as it is worth every minute of your time. Buy it, revel in it and delight in it - it wraps you up like your favourite coat on the coldest day. Snugly warm and totally satisfying.

I thought that Kerry handled a difficult subject like domestic abuse realistically and sensitively. We usually hear about the really violent outbursts, but the subtle psychological and emotional abuse tend to go hidden. I felt terrible for Lara as her situation resonated with me....I know someone who also lives her nightmare. I don't usually read chicklit but this story really drew me in, made me care about the characters and left me with a good feeling. Kerry's writing is very British so there were a lot of expressions and words I am unfamiliar with but they were so colourful and vivid and her comparisons are genuinely funny. She manages to give her characters well-rounded personalities....they are not all good or all bad, they are flawed humans. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and as I'm Italian that twist made it more interesting. I appreciated the lack (almost) of stereotyping.

I enjoyed everything about this book. Beautifully written, sensitive yet humerous, with credible characters. My favourite being the truthful, say it as it is Maggie. Great dialogue all through. I'll be reading more from this author.

A perfect holiday book. The author is a good story teller and keeps you engaged through her characters. An enjoyable read.