A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante

A Circle of Wives

by Alice LaPlante

* An Indie Next Pick * A LibraryReads Selection * An Amazon Best Book of the Month (Mysteries & Thrillers) * A Daily Candy Best Book of March * One of More Magazine's "Five Thrillers Not to Read After Dark" When Dr. John Taylor turns up dead in a hotel room, the local police uncover enough incriminating evidence to suspect foul play. Detective Samantha Adams, whose Palo Alto beat usually covers petty crimes, is innocently thrown into a high-profile case that is more complicated than any she has faced before. A renowned reconstructive surgeon and a respected family man, Dr. Taylor was beloved and admired. But beneath his perfect facade was a hidden life--in fact, multiple lives. Dr. Taylor was married to three very different women in three separate cities. As the circumstances surrounding his death emerge, Detective Adams finds herself tracking down a murderer through a tangled web of marital deception and revenge. New York Times bestselling author Alice LaPlante's haunting and complex novel of family secrets dissects--with scalpel-like agility--the intricacies of desire and commitment, trust and jealousy.

Reviewed by dpfaef on

2 of 5 stars

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Alice LaPlante’s first novel Turn of Mind was excellent, Circle of Wives not so much. There is so much about this book I disliked I don’t know where to begin. First of all, I did not like any of the characters – they were swallow and self-centered, even the good Doctor came off as an oaf.

There is nothing redeeming about this book, it was simply a boring story about a man who was unhappy in his marriage and proceeded to go out and marries two more women, none of the wives except for the first wife know about one another. Surprise the good doctor is found dead in a hotel room and foul play is suspected. Enter Samantha Adams the rookie detective assigned to the case and another totally unlikable character, she blunders her way through this book like a bull in a china cabinet.

I am still trying to figure out how a successful reconstructive surgeon had time for three wives, one of which he had to report home to every morning at 5:00am.

All and all not an enjoyable read.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 8 June, 2015: Finished reading
  • 8 June, 2015: Reviewed