The Wife Upstairs

by Rachel Hawkins

• ISBN10: 1250245508
• ISBN13: 9781250245502
• Publish Date: 2 November 2021 (first published 5 January 2021)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: St. Martin's Griffin
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

The Wife Upstairs kept me hooked from the first page! The book is a contemporary retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, but it has a very different tone. While Brontë’s novel has a dark, brooding feel, this novel, while it has some dark moments, is far snarkier with a more feminist feel to it. It, to me, it is far more fast-paced. The author has a writing style that is very engaging. She writes in a way that flows and reads well, pulling readers into the pages and keeping them there. The story was full of twists, intelligently clever, and very suspenseful.

This is a novel in which the characters really make the story. And what makes this so extraordinary is that there isn’t a single character in the book that is wholly sympathetic. Not a main character, nor any of those supporting. Jane, Eddie, Bea—our three main characters—all of them deeply flawed in rather unappealing ways yet still somehow charming in their own individual ways.

Jane is new to Birmingham, Alabama, trying to build a new life for herself. So she she begins walking dogs for the wealthy elite in one of the richest communities in the area. It is a world of gossip, appearances, and a “bless your heart” kind of attitude. It’s also a place where shiny toys and baubles are there for the taking, which Jane frequently does. Her luck seems to change for the better when she meets Eddie, recently widowed after his wife Bea and her best friend drowned in a boating accident. For Jane, Eddie represents everything she wants most… opportunity and protection. But even as she begins to fall for him, there is still the shadow of Bea. And with that shadow comes a host of secrets.

The WIfe Upstairs is a story about secrets, class, and the lengths one will go to hide the skeletons in their closets.

[mrs_mander_reads]

So good! I loved all the Jane Eyre references/adaptations, and the story was still contemporary and thrilling. Recommend to anyone who likes murder/mystery/thriller or adaptations.

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.At the time I listened to The Wife Upstairs, I did not know it was a retelling of Jane Eyre. Not that it would have made much of a difference, as I never read Jane Eyre. 

I had an interesting time with this twisty and diabolical tale. The deeper I went into the story, I thought I knew how it would all play out. It turned out I was way off mark. 

The story introduces Jane, (not her actual name) a broke dog walker, with an affinity for taking things which don’t belong to her. She recently moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where she walks dogs in the affluent Thorton Estates. One day while carrying out her job she met Eddie, a charming and of course rich widower. This made him the perfect candidate to aid in uplifting her social status. Eddie’s wife Bea along with her best friend died in a boating accident a year ago and their bodies have yet to be found. However, Eddie is ready to move on and Jane provided the perfect opportunity.

Jane proved to be a calculating and rather captivating character. I had an interesting time being in her head. Her actions and thoughts never ceased to amaze me.

Personally, I had a hard time buying into the relationship between Eddie and Jane. First off, I didn’t trust him. He gave off some real negative vibes.

As the story progressed, the events surrounding the fatal boat accident came to light. The revelations proved quite shocking.

Even paced and compelling, the story made it difficult to set my listening device aside. I would definitely read more from this author.

I enjoyed the narration, which involved the use of three narrators. Namely Lauren Fortgang, Kirby Hayborne, and Emily Shaffer. This was my first time listening to all three, and I thought they did an excellent job in bringing the story to life.

Overall, The Wife Upstairs was an engaging listen and one I would recommend readers/listeners looking for a twisty ride. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[bearley]

Bit of an overhyped book. Appreciated the nods to Jane Eyre (even though I never liked the novel), but the story’s shock factor was just lacking. None of the characters were likable in a way that made their ability to manipulate people using charm very unbelievable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fresh take on Jane Eyre with a twist. It’s a modern day tale set In Alabama. Jane is a dog walker who meets Eddie Rochester on the job. He is good looking, lives in an enormous house in a upper class neighborhood called Thornfield Estates and recently lost his wife, Bea in a boating accident. Jane is attracted to the wealth and wants so much to be accepted by this community. It was a fast a interesting read as lies and gossip get unraveled and Jane learns more and more about Eddie and Bea.

[Quirky Cat]

Author Rachel Hawkins is back with an all-new thriller, The Wife Upstairs. You can already tell, just from the name, that this is going to be full of twisted turns and revelations.

Jane has been looking for a bright turn in her life for ages, and now she might have finally found it. She's been hired as a dog-walker in Thornfield Estates, and that opportunity has led to others. Such as the introduction to a rich widower.

For a moment there, it seemed like she was about to have everything. Yet everyone carries baggage. In the case of Jane and Eddie, their baggage is full of potentially lethal secrets, should the wrong one get out.

“I hear the car before I see it, but even then, I don't move, and later, I'd look back at that moment and wonder if I somehow knew what was going to happen. If everything in my life had been leading me to that one spot, to that one house.”

The Wife Upstairs immediately caught my attention, thanks to that vibrant cover. Well, that and the author, naturally. I was instantly curious about who the wife upstairs truly was, and how it was all going to come into play.

So, did it hold up to those high expectations? For the most part, yeah, it did! The Wife Upstairs is told through several perspective shifts, one of which also results in a format change. Jane is the main character, and thus dominates the pages. But Eddie and Bea also get their say.

Bea's story comes with the most interesting format – hers being told through a series of long letters. It's quite clever, and raises plenty of questions about what is actually going on behind the scenes.

On that note, there are SO many twists and turns in this novel. Good luck keeping up with them all! Obviously, I'm not going to spoil any of them here, other than to say that they were more than enough to keep me reading right until the end.

I should probably mention, for the dog lovers out there: the dog is fine. I promise! I know I won't be the only person that worries when a rescue dog gets introduced into what is certain to be a twisted thriller.

Intentionally or not, The Wife Upstairs really reminded me of Jane Eyre. Given the main character's name, I'm going to assume that there is a lot of intent behind that decision. So if a modern/thriller retelling is what you're looking for, you're absolutely going to get it here.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[kimbacaffeinate]

An interesting thriller
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