Jade has the life she always wanted: a husband and three perfect children. She's happy. Except, recently that isn't enough. Her husband is never home, and when he is, he's distant. She's a constant source of disappointment to her mum, and even her children are starting to push her away.
Then she unexpectedly finds herself reconnecting with Christina, an old friend from university, and she starts to feel like herself again.
As the women become closer, and Christina needs a place to stay, Jade welcomes her into their chaotic family home. But when Jade discovers a suspicious text on her husband's phone, she soon she starts questioning those around her.
.png)
The Other Woman by Tania Tay was published by Headline on 9 May 2024. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
This is Tania Tay's debut novel and won Headline's inaugural Modern Stories Open Submissions Initiative. In a market that seems to be packed with thrillers and psychological fiction at the moment, this is a great achievement for this author and I really hope that this is just the beginning of her success.
Billed as a thriller, but in my mind, more of a psychological domestic noir drama, The Other Woman is populated with characters who are perfectly created. The female voices are especially well done, with many readers empathising with Jade's feelings of restlessness and wanting to do something more.
Jade and her husband have three young children, she's achieved all that she wanted after having a strained relationship with her own mother. However, now the children are getting older, going to school and to nursery, Jade wants something more in her life. Her husband Sam is a hard-working bloke but recently she's felt distanced from him. There are niggling worries about her relationship.
When Christina, a friend from University, contacts Jade via Instagram, she's delighted. She's also very curious. Christina dropped out of University, she didn't say goodbye and until now Jade has heard nothing from her.
It seems that Christina did finish her medical training and has recently taken a job in a local hospital as a doctor. She's also just split from her husband and needs somewhere to stay. The woman come to an agreement. Christina will stay with Jade and her family, she will look after the children and Jade will go back to work as a copy writer. Perfect, yes?
It all seems to be working well, and then Jade sees the text on Sam's phone ....
I really enjoyed the different points of view throughout this story. There's an unrelenting feeling of paranoia and mistrust from Jade, and the introduction of Mazza; a young woman who works in Sam's office just adds more mystery to the mix.
High in tension, with a slow, character building beginning, leading to a fabulous ending, this one was my third holiday read in Corfu and certainly kept me gripped throughout. I think the author creates place and character so well, her attention to detail is great and the plotting was evenly paced.
Recommended, and I will look forward to more from Tania Tay.
.png)
Her writing often explores female friendship, and motherhood.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment