The Baker's Wife

by Erin Healy

[kimbacaffeinate]

The Baker’s Wife is a suspenseful thriller steeped in religious overtones. What started off slowly quickly turned into a gripping mystery. I really enjoyed this novel of good verse evil.

Protagonist, Audrey Bofinger, works to heal the wounds of her family and community. With her husband, ex-pastor Geoff, they open a bakery. She is blessed with a gift, or curse, to recognize when others need her help. One foggy morning, on the way into the bakery, she hits a scooter. The scooter is destroyed and the scene is covered in blood - too much blood, for anyone to have survived. The scooter belongs to Julia, the wife of police sergeant Jack Mansfield. When a body can’t be found and Julia is missing, suspicion soon turns to foul play. To make matters worse, Jack Mansfield is the man responsible for having Pastor Bofinger fired from the church and banned from preaching. When evidence isn’t sufficient, Jack decides to take matters into his own hands.

Healy beautifully and skillfully weaves a tale of intrigue, while carefully telling the story of each character. She has you second guessing as she feeds you pieces of the puzzle. Aside from being a suspenseful mystery, The Baker’s Wife deals with faith, compassion, judgment and man’s own flaws. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer