The Wife Upstairs: An addictive psychological crime thriller with a twist - a New York Times bestseller!

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Downstairs, Jane and Bea chat. When Jane says they need to call the police, Bea stalls. When Bea tells Jane about how Blanche invited her to the lake house, Jane starts to sense that something is wrong, since it contradicts what she was told by Tripp. Part XII: Bea

You know when you have a character that is not a nice one but regardless of the way she thinks about people and how she uses them, you are still (grudgingly) rooting for her? Well, that was Jane for me. Read to find out whether either of them can ever escape their secrets, or if their forbidden tryst is doomed to failure." –– Good Housekeeping This is an enjoyable thriller that you will fly through. The writing flows well and keeps you pondering what the next twist will be. Having recently moved to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane takes a job walking dogs in Thornfield Estates, one of the ritziest communities in the area. There, surrounded by gossipy housewives and all the bright, shiny trinkets and toys money can buy, Jane hopes to not be noticed. On the plus side, The Wife Upstairs borrows from Jane Eyre, but modernizes and twists the story in interesting ways. A lot of the base components are there, so Jane Eyre fans will enjoy seeing what she’s done with the story elements. I thought it was creative, and I enjoyed trying to anticipate what Hawkins would do with it.

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Eddie wants Jane and she moves into his mansion almost immediately. Then they are engaged and discussing their wedding. But Jane has secrets and she has suspicions, too. Because Jane thinks that Eddie is just like her, which means he's hiding things, he's a liar, he takes what is not his, he cheats to get what he wants. And, there is the matter of his wife's death and that of her best friend. Were their deaths really an accident? There are rumors, lots of rumors about infidelity and arguments, so many hints from the gossiping neighbors. Whether I liked these people or not, I was hooked by the story.

Soon, the news breaks that Tripp has been arrested based off of the results of the autopsy of Blanche’s body, but it doesn’t calm Jane’s fears about Eddie. With Jane acting weird around Eddie, Eddie finally asks her point blank whether she thinks he had something to do with the boating incident. Surprised, Jane simply tells him the truth, that she thought maybe it could be true. Then, she apologizes, and they make up. Part VI: Bea I hear the door close behind me, and wonder what Mrs. Reed will do this morning while I’m off walking her dog. Have another cup of coffee? Chase it with a Xanax? Plan some other charity function? The Wife Upstairs is a pretty standard mystery-thriller, notable mostly because it’s based on Jane Eyre with a southern twist. It was okay, but I didn’t have strong feelings about it. I think there’s definitely better stuff out there, but if you like Jane Eyre or if you read lots of mystery-thrillers and need new material, you could give this one a go. Ultimately, I think it’s the Jane Eyre fans who also like mysteries that will appreciate this book the most. Jane soon gets a call from John, who has heard about Jane’s upcoming marriage from an announcement that Emily submitted. He knows that she’s “marrying money” and wants to extort more money from her (because he knows her real identity). She reluctantly agrees.

Book Excerpt

A Southern Gothic twist on Jane Eyre that’s full of suspense, twists and turns...the story of this twisted love triangle will have you on the edge of your seat all the way until the end." –– CNN

now, this is a jane eyre i can get behind. you may groan and growl, with your do we really need another retelling of Jane Eyre? Hawkins’ writing is also incredibly engaging. She writes smoothly, with a style that gently flows and reads easily, skillfully drawing you almost immediately into the story. By the end of the first chapter, Hawkins had me baited – hook, line, and sinker.

Mrs. Reed looks sympathetic. She looks like she absolutely hates that I have to walk her collie, Bear, on a cold and stormy day in mid-February. Thanks, #NetGalley @MacmillanAudio @Macillan.Audio for a complimentary e ARC of #TheWifeUpstairs for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Jane gets together with the other women in the neighborhood, and as they are talking, she realizes that the women will not truly accept her unless she is married to Eddie. As such, Jane has a new goal which is to get engaged. She’s hopeful he’ll do it on his own, but when he doesn’t, she gives him a nudge by making him think she is considering leaving to go to grad school. (She wouldn’t since she never even finished college, but he doesn’t know that). It works and he proposes.