BOOK REVIEW: The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre @MrsAnnAguirre @MidnightInkBook @KayePublicity #thethirdmrsdurst #bookreview

I’d been looking forward to reading Ann Aguirre’s The Third Mrs. Durst for a while after I saw some early publicity featuring it. The premise is fantastic—“Some people just need killing.”

When it arrived in the mail, I was beyond excited. That weekend I was staying at a friend’s house and I was up early on Sunday morning. There was a huge thunderstorm in Chicago (knocked out power to a bunch of areas), and it was pouring rain. I sat on my friend’s front porch for hours with a key lime bubbly drink and this book, watching the rain. It was one of the best mornings I have had in ages! I devoured more than half of the book before she woke up!

About the Book

Marlena Altizer grew up in the type of disadvantage that most of us can barely imagine. With an addict for a mother, days without food being a common occurrence, and not having access to basic comforts such as electricity and a safe home, Marlena does the only thing she can—she leaves.

Not even eighteen, Marlena finds herself living on the streets of Memphis and finding a way to a better life for herself. She gets the attention of a talent scout, who begins placing Marlena in local modeling gigs and helps her find a place to live. Before long, Marlena’s natural beauty and inner determination carry her higher and further in her career, until she ultimately catches the eye of one Michael Durst.

Michael Durst is handsome, charming, wealthy, and influential. And soon Marlena Altizer becomes Mrs. Michael Durst. The third Mrs. Michael Durst as it were. And before she knows it, Marlena has become only a shadow of who she once was. Michael controls everything, from what she weighs, to what she wears, to who she socializes with. If he wants her to learn a new skill, another language, or lose weight, she is forced to comply. Because if she doesn’t, there are consequences…

Marlena gave up her independence for the luxurious life Michael Durst can provide her. To the outside, she has the fairy tale life. But behind the closed doors of their penthouse in Manhattan, Marlena is trapped. No one ever thinks to ask if the princess in the tower is happy. And now, death may be Marlena’s only escape from this marriage. Unless she can find a way to turn things on Michael Durst before he does it to her.

Reflection

I am not kidding when I say this book pulled me straight into the story and didn’t let up. Aguirre has an incredibly unique writing style. The story was mostly written from the context of Marlena saying what happened, told in a somewhat distant way. There is very little dialogue—the book is firmly narrated by Marlena—and it feels as though she is telling us a story. Her early years leaving home, being discovered by the modeling agency, and meeting Michael Durst all happen in the first third of the book. And from there, the razy part happens…

Marlena is so fascinating because I almost want to call her an unreliable narrator, but if I think back on it, she doesn’t lie to us. She does tell the truth, she just keeps some parts back until the right time to reveal them. The twists (if you want to call them that) don’t have a bombshell drop. They are slowly unveiled until the moment you fully connect the reality and you realize that maybe Marlena kind of already told you what was happening, just maybe in fewer words.

As a girl who loves twists, I know this may seem like it would be disappointing, but it wasn’t at all. In fact, the twists to the story—though drawn out in the reveal—were kind of amazing. As things began to click in my mind, I just felt even more captivated by the story. Fantastic!

It was also hard to connect with many of the characters because of how the story was told. However, I didn’t mind that. I did find them all interesting in their own way. There was always the feeling that there was more to every character than met the eye. Literally every character, from her friend in her modeling days, to her body guard, to the wealthy people she befriends during her marriage. They all have more for you to learn about them. They are all dynamic in their own right.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the book, so I’ll just say this is a story that I couldn’t stop reading if I tried! I highly recommend it!

About the Author

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. She likes all kinds of books, emo music, action movies and Doctor Who. She writes all kind of fiction in multiple genres, both YA and for adults.

Thank you to Kaye Publicity and Midnight Ink for my copy. Opinions are my own.