Dear Wife: A Novel

Kimberly Belle hits another one out of park with Dear Wife. I never would have guessed who the guilty party was in this one. Every single page pointed to the person who is always pinpointed, but the ending turned on me, just as it should have. Power to any woman who is being abused, and never give up the fight for your life.Thanks, Kimberly Belle for another fabulous thriller that I would recommend to all of my reading friends. This author will never disappoint you....I promise!!

A perfectly messed-up story – one that will have you mind-boggled from start to finish. There’s more than a generous teaser above that should quickly grab your attention and push you towards the one-click button. And because I don’t want to spoil this absolutely amazing thriller for any reader, there won’t be many specifics in my review. It’s only fitting that you receive the total impact and the overall effect this story is designed to compel.A DILLER OF A THRILLER! A new-to-me-author, Kimberly Belle kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page through the last. And every sentence moves you forward with meaning, so pay close attention. There is no early reveal and the author expertly crafted it so that when the villain finally steps out of the shadows near the end, it’s SHOCKING AND UNEXPECTED sending chills down my spine."Dear wife, I found you."Both the cover and the title completely relate to the story. I love when that happens. The simplicity of the cover speaks volumes. Sometimes less is more. I know I repeat this little phrase quite often, but it just seems to fit the bill.An extra special surprise for me was the nod to my hometown in Oklahoma and the River Bend Apartments that reside alongside the Arkansas River. In Beth Murphy’s escape from a marriage made in hell, our determined and revenge-seeking abused wife flees down a road I myself have traveled often to and from home — the Muskogee Turnpike (think Okie from Muskogee). It’s always fun to see your "real" world collide with your "fictitious" one.This female-driven thriller is told at a fast-clipped pace from three different points of view. It’s uniquely clever and refreshing in that it doesn’t have that feel of another copy-cat or recycled storyline. It takes on a life of its own with plenty of twists and turns and gasp-inspiring surprises. Using the practice of deceit down to a fine art, a wide range of characters infiltrate this story — some you’ll find sympathy for – others you’ll find disgusting. But it takes a village to make it a heart-pounding, nerve-wracking and nail-biting spiral of dark suspense.Family and friends, husbands and lovers, saints and sinners – they’re all suspects. Expect the unexpected and trust no one. You’ll find a panic attack with the turn of each page as readers are plunged into a game of hide and seek where the stakes are high – life or death. A good writer makes it all look effortless, and Belle certainly hits that mark. Her writing is concise and simplistic with the use of short paragraphs and a wicked sense of humor thrown in for good measure.There was only one blip on my radar (and it was teeny-tiny). Ingrid’s role captivated me. Especially her barely tolerable (and sometimes laughable) relationship with her brother-in-law in which both have a mutual dislike for the other. Her circumstances, along with her quirky and closed-off personality, seemed to be such a unique and important fixture in regards to her sister, Sabine. I was intrigued and left wondering why she acted and lived the way she did. A little more definition and explanation would have been appreciated.Madly enjoyable with an incendiary conclusion that left me frazzled but content, DEAR WIFE is indeed worthy of all the praise and five-star reviews it’s receiving. In my opinion, it’s better than even THE SILENT PATIENT that I found myself totally absorbed in, or any of all those other so-called current popular psychological thrillers.I’ve already stalked Belle’s backlist. Next up is MARRIAGE OF LIES. There’s no doubt that DEAR WIFE will be among my top favorites for 2019. Highly recommended.

Easy, suspenseful read. Thoroughly enjoyed

This <b>4 star</b> thriller was impossible to put down! I could not stop reading!!<b>SUMMARY</b>This book, told from the points of view of Jeffrey, a man whose wife has disappeared; Marcus, the police detective assigned to find Jeffrey’s wife and <I>Beth</i> (her alias), the woman running from her husband.The story opens with “Beth” hightailing it out of town while her husband is away on business. She is terrified of what will happen if he catches her. Beth has spent months meticulously planning her escape complete with a new identity and a trail of false leads for him to follow. As the story progresses, she recounts the years of abuse she suffered and how she finally got the courage to leave. Even when it finally looks like Beth has finally found a safe place to hide, she is constantly looking over her shoulder with the certainty that he will find her. It sort of reminded me of Julia Roberts in <i>Sleeping with the Enemy</i>.Jeffrey and his wife had gotten into a huge fight, which ended up getting physical, just before he had to leave town for a work event. When he returns, she is missing and no one has any idea where she went. Of course, with their rocky marriage and the hint of abuse, Jeffrey is suspect #1 on the police’s list. Since he’s a very unlikeable guy, it’s hard to feel any sympathy his predicament. It’s even kind of fun to watch him being the prime suspect.The third point of view comes from the detective assigned to the case, Marcus. Marcus is working nonstop to find Jeffreys missing wife, Sabine. He and Jeffrey clash pretty immediately. All the evidence points toward Jeffrey, his iradkic behavior is not helping him, neither is the fact that he won’t tell Marcus anything about what happened to Sabine.It’s quite a <i>cat and mouse</i> game, Beth continuing to hide all the while she is certain she will he found out.<b>WHAT I LOVED</b>I LOVED the plot! It was so well written and the suspense kept me reading as often as I possibly could.The twists were fantastic! All good thrillers need a couple great twists and surprises. This one had a couple excellent ones.I loved how cleverly Beth thought out the plan and how she had several tricks up her sleeve.I also loved the way each of the characters ended up showing their true colors eventually. It was very satisfying to read.<b>WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE</b>There were no specific things in this story I didn’t like or found annoying but I didn’t whole heartedly love it enough to give it 5 stars. In my opinion, a 5 star book has to be spectacular. While this was a good book and was very fun to read, I cannot say it was amazing enough to be a 5.<b>OVERALL</b>I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers, specifically domestic thrillers. You will not be sorry.

I loved this book, an exiting domestic thriller that left me shocked with each new twist. So well written & hard to put down.

Kimberly Belle's storytelling is excellent. I enjoyed all the plot twists and turns. I will read another one of her books if not more. A great read that kept me up into the early hours.

I just got a feeling that Things were not quite right and Kimberly Belle just dripped the twist slowly. A good read

I,m a female who usually reads horror books and zombie books plus books about EMP strikes and solar flares so as you can imagine this was a totally different book for me to read and I read it in one day, I was that engrossed in it.I was riveted to my seat and the way the story was told makes you think you know who it is from the very beginning, sometimes you do start to think that maybe you have it wrong then you're right back on course until very near the end when the plot twists and you think WOW I didn't see that one coming .I won't tell you why because that'll spoil it but it is worth a read.I've not come across this author before but I am wondering if her other books are like this.

Brilliant read, thinking one way until the biggest twist you don't see coming. A real pager Turner, great characters, a book that makes you feel many emotions.