Book Review: The Liar’s Wife | Samantha Hayes

Dark and entrancing, Samantha Hayes’ The Liar’s Wife is like reading someone’s worst nightmare unfold on the pages! I couldn’t believe what was happening to Ella, and I couldn’t wait to find out if she’d ever get herself out of this situation. And then expect a few really great twists that really bring home the ending! But before I say more, let’s talk about the plot of this book…

About the Book

Work, home, sleep.

Ella Sinclair lives her life with the goal of not being noticed. Ella enjoys her job in film editing, but in her nine years she’s never once accepted an invite from her coworkers to go to the pub. Every day, Ella rides her bike to work, dressed in non-descript clothing, does her job, rides her bike home, has a meal for one, and goes to bed. Every day is the same.

Work, accident, coma.

Until one day Ella’s routine is completely broken. She leaves work as she always does on her bike, until she is hit by a van and thrown. When she next awakens, days have passed and Ella is in the hospital. They had to put her into a coma while the swelling in her brain reduced. And that isn’t the worst of it… Ella’s nurse soon informs Ella that her husband Jacob has barely left her side. What a lucky girl Ella is! Except for one thing—Ella doesn’t have a husband.

Wake, nightmare, sleep.

Ella is trapped. She must sit by and watch her life derail. She must pretend to be married to this man who she knows from her past, but that she isn’t married to. Because if she doesn’t go along with it, he’ll reveal a terrible secret. A secret that Ella has crafted a routine, anonymous life to avoid. And Ella knows that having that secret come out will be the only thing worse than the situation she’s in…

Reflection

This book is CREEPY! Jacob is a truly fantastic villain. The way Hayes writes Jacob is so vivid, I could completely picture him and the way he said things. I could envision is sing-song voice saying “Ella-Bella” and the way he’d look at her, as though I were watching a film. And truly, I couldn’t look away! It felt like I was reading this book with my eyes partly covered, the way I’d watch a scary movie.

I always find stories where someone is trapped to be particularly fascinating. Here, it isn’t just that Ella is physically trapped in the house, Ella is also trapped in her own life and mind. Even before the accident, Ella has enclosed herself into a tiny box, where she does the exact same thing over and over. Ella years to go out just once and socialize, but she won’t let herself. Ella’s secret was her captor long before Jacob was.

And then we have other obstacles Ella faces—she is badly injured and wheelchair bound from the accident. Even if she wanted to run, she really can’t. Ella also doesn’t really have any friends that might be looking for her. And then there is another twist that occurs that I refuse to spoil, but its another brilliant plot element that contributes to the horror of Ella’s situation.

Truly, this book is not for the faint of heart! Hayes does not shy away from some of the more uncomfortable elements to abuse. And that actually adds a lot to the book, because I could feel the horror of Ella’s situation even more acutely.

The back and forth between Ella’s college days—the days leading up to her secret ten years ago—and the present were captivating. I needed to know what Ella’s secret was! What could possibly lead someone to have the life Ella chose, or to stay with her captor despite the horror of the situation?

The reveals are fantastic—readers will not be disappointed with this one!

Thank you to Bookouture for a copy of this book to review.

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