I promised I was going to get more consistent about reviews! I guess this is an improvement from my last hiatus, so I'll call it a success! The book I am reviewing today is a bit different than my normal fantasy read. Based on a great recommendation from a coworker, I read The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica which is a murder mystery.Goodreads Description:
She tried to run, but she can’t escape the other Mrs.
Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.
But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.
Here's what I thought:
So, as we know, this is definitely not my typical read, but I was excited to try something new. The book starts off with Sadie and her family moving to Maine for a fresh start after Will's sister committed suicide and left her house to them. It is unclear why they needed a fresh start in the beginning, but you soon find out that Will had an affair and their older son Otto got into some sort of trouble in school, and she was forced to resign at work. The events in Chicago are slowly revealed through several flashbacks throughout the book. This is one aspect that kind of drove me crazy throughout the book. I didn't mind the flashbacks with the backstory, but Kubica would go straight from present events to a flash back with no transition, no page break, no font change, no anything. This made it difficult to discern when a flashback started right away.
While Sadie is moving into their new house and starting her new job and then learning about a horrifying murder that was committed in the small, island town, Sadie is concerned for her family's safety. Especially since their niece, Imogen, who they now have custody of, is less than welcoming to say the least. And now the neighbor told police that Sadie was seen arguing with Morgan right before the murder, even though Sadie has never even met Morgan.
There are three things we know about Morgan Baines's murder. Her husband was in Japan for business. Her six year old step daughter found her. Morgan and her step daughter were not close.
There are three things we know about Sadie. Her husband had an affair. She feels like she is competing with her husband's first fiance that was killed in an accident. She has mental health issues.
The point of view then shifts to Camille. It's clear right away that she is the other woman, but it's not clear on how she is entwined with the events happening in Maine as the affair was back into Chicago. One thing I was absolutely sure of though, was she was crazy and definitely a stalker. Camille, I quickly realized was capable of anything and showed little restraint.
Now enter Mouse, a six year old little girl. The first time, we meet Mouse, she is a happy little girl being raised by her father. When he comes home from a business trip, he has a surprise for her. As she has always wanted a puppy, she was extremely disappointed to learn that she had a new stepmom. As Mouse's story unfolds, my heart broke for her after learning the abuse she endured. This must be Morgan's stepdaughter.
So we have been introduced to Sadie-the possible suspect, Camille-the other woman, and Mouse-the step daughter. I was also convinced that Morgan had it coming.
As Kubica spins her tale, I was definitely kept on my toes. Some twists were predicable, others not so much. She was able to tell the story from three view points and weave them together flawlessly--until the end. I don't want to spoil it, so I will leave out the specific reason that I was irritated about the ending. Kubica wonderfully painted a picture of someone struggling with mental health issues, but by the end, she she used a solution that is highly debated within the mental health field. I work as a psych nurse and have asked numerous psychologists and psychiatrists their opinion on the twist and even psychiatrists that have been in the field for 40+ years have never seen or heard of it happening. It took a lot of the believability out of the story for me which really disappointed me as I was enjoying the book so much.
It is for that reason and that reason alone that I give this book 4 stars. Outside of that one twist, it was truly a great book and despite it, I highly recommend it. The only reason it bothered me so much is that I work in the field. Anyone else wouldn't even pick up on it.
Any thoughts?
Have you read The Other Mrs.? Do you agree? Disagree? Maybe you just want to talk about it a bit more. I would love to hear from you
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