May 15, 2020 Staff Reviews

The Other Mrs.
By Mary Kubica
Release Date: February 18, 2020
*Audiobook Review*

https://wvreads.overdrive.com/media/4866864

3 stars - Try to get past the narration if you’re listening. The story‘s more than
the blurb. Fans of the new domestic thriller genre and psychological thrillers will
find a lot to like. And it’s going to be a chilling tv series.

People online complained about the robo-voice narration, and it’s a poor decision in
my opinion. But there was enough inflection that I got used to it. Kubica has a
unique style. Her use of present tense was difficult to follow at times. But started
off reminding me of Agatha Christie’s description style with a modern Mary Higgins
Clark touch. Probably a little something for anybody. This was my first by Kubica
and I’d be open to trying more. I think she is perfect for the Netflix set. Our
heroine Sadie feels a bit whiny but given the circumstances, we can give her a pass.
Like most domestic thrillers, this family is dysfunctional. By the end, most readers
will feel shook by all the surprises.

Imogen the niece is the hardest to like but Will is a close second. Some moments it
feels predictable, other times engaging. Tate is written like a child younger than 7
at times, and poor Otto’s just a typical 14-year-old, except his family and home
life is completely changed. At times this felt a bit out of touch, teens smoking
cigarettes not vaping. Freshmen kids who don’t swear. I will admit I had a huge
hunch early on what was happening with Sadie and Will but I didn’t feel it was
because Kubica made it obvious. I think I just read a lot and people who haven’t
picked up a good thriller since Gone Girl will be into this for certain. It’s
possible this was formatted and more suited to a tv or mini series, less so a novel.
But it’s engaging with plenty of eerie atmosphere. 

(NS)