The Trapped Wife: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller with a mind-blowing twist

This absolutely brilliant, twisty psychological thriller is voiced from the duel perspectives of best friends Jennifer and Rhonda. Our main character Jennifer had just returned back to work as a doctor after the disappearance and suspected death of her beloved husband Jeremy in a avalanche whilst he was on a ski trip in Switzerland. As well as struggling with her feelings of grief, she was also being haunted by flashbacks to a conference that she had attended in Oxford. She couldn't escape the feeling that something horrific had happened whilst she had been away but her memories of the events were all scattered and fragmented. She was also worried about her teenage son Kieran and the distance that had developed between them since his father's death. It is during her second day back at work that a handsome new patient called Scott walked into her consultation room and turned Jennifer's life into a living nightmare. Jennifer can't escape the uncanny feeling that she had met Scott before and that despite his charming demeanour, he also had a hidden dark side and was very dangerous. Who was Scott? Why had he suddenly inserted himself into Jennifer's life? Why did she feel like she was being watched whilst she was out running?Jennifer was a complex and at times flawed individual who obviously cared about her son but was still struggling with her grief as well as adapting to life as a single parent. She also cared about her patients especially a elderly lady called Elsie who was obviously struggling to cope on her own and was haunted by feelings of grief and guilt over a shocking event that had happened almost thirty years before. Jennifer certainty had some redeemable qualities to her character and I did feel a lot of empathy for her during the moments when she took the reader back in time and gave us a insight into her feelings of paranoia and anxiety during her interactions with Jeremy before he left for his fatal trip. She just didn't help herself at times and made some really stupid decisions during her earlier interactions with obnoxious, manipulative Scott. Why couldn't she have just been honest with Kieran who was sixteen and explain the situation instead of suffering in silence? I found it so frustrating that she was more worried about her reputation and what other people might think about her than the mess that her life had turned into.I thought Rhonda who was married to a Detective Sergeant called Chris, had a teenage daughter called Caitlin and was Jennifer's very loyal best friend was a fantastic character. Rhonda wasn't adverse to channelling her inner Miss Marple and out of worry for her friend started conducting her own investigations into Jeffery and events from the past. Only, as the story unfolded, she began to uncover dark secrets and hidden truths that would have a shocking effect on herself and her own family.Scattered throughout the book was chapters that slipped back in time to the early 90s and featured Evan and Mac, two young boys who were the outcasts at their school, Evan being the victim of a champaign of viscous and nasty bullying. The poor kid couldn't even get any respite from bullying at home due to living with a violent and abusive stepfather. It was obvious almost from the moment that Even was introduced into the story that he suffered from some serious mental health issues. But how did his and Mac's stories fit into events that were unfolding in the present day?Jesus,Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey, I think this book is absolutely bloody incredible and that Samantha Hayes has excelled her own high standards of writing with this latest addition to her addictive catalogue. The plot is intricate, gripping, keeps the reader guessing and has more twists and turns than a whole theme park of roller coasters and the author adds more intrigue to this addictive read by throwing in a few red herrings along the way. There was one mind blowing revelation that almost caused me to drop my kindle in shock and I ended up just sitting staring at the word's whilst doing a very bad impersonation of omg cat. The issues that were raised in this book were realistic and relatable as was the small cast of vivid characters. I love Samantha Haye's captivating thrillers and The Trapped Wife was no exception. Very very highly recommended and definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year.

I didn’t dislike this book but parts of it were just not believable and a few of the characters bothered me. It was quite predictable and I wasn’t gripped from the start. It was an ok book.

A thriller to reall y get your teeth into

Would rate this 2.5 stars. Quite a disappointing read that I couldn’t wait to get to the end of. At almost the halfway point, I started looking through reviews of this book to see if anyone else felt the way I did and whether it was worth reading on. Lots of it was very monotonous - I actually don’t care what was in Jen’s fridge or what she’s cooking for dinner - and also, a lot of it was just completely far fetched. Would a doctor be that stupid?I hate to give up on a book and so I skip read much of it but didn’t find it got any better. Stupid, unlikeable and unrealistic characters and a mainly far fetched storyline. Although saying that, there were some parts which caught my attention but overall I can’t say I enjoyed it. Disappointing.

OMG what have I just read. This is gripping and full of surprises right till the end. So many twists. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the author hit me with something else. There are not many characters so easy to remember who was who. Each player an important part. Brilliant.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes psychological thrillers. Very well written from beginning to end.

Be prepared to become so absorbed in this belter of a book than you ignore whatever may be happening around you!!This book sucks you in from the start & teases your imagination to such an extent that you cannot wait to keep turning the pages!!A twist I would never have seen coming!!I absolutely love Samantha Hayes style of writing!!

brilliant reading unexpected twist/ best book ive read in years

The trapped wife is a fabulous read. Could not put it down. When i did put it down i could not wait to get back into it. Try to predict the outcome but very surprising twists.

Dr. Jennifer Miller has recently lost her husband. She suspected that he had been having an affair with a colleague. He WAS having an affair, but it wasn't with the woman Jen suspected.About a month before her husband's death, Jen attended a medical conference & hooked up with a stranger in a bar. She only has fragmented memories of THAT night. If only she could remember what happened THAT night, the night she & the other doctors let their hair down after a long day of presentations. She's a respected GP in a small town. It would not look good, if people found out. She'd lose her patients' trust, her son would lose all respect for her. It's as if she's woken up in her worst nightmare.As soon as I finished the book, I immediately re-read it. There's SO much going on in this shocking tale. You know how every time you watch the same movie you catch something you missed the first time? Well, that's how I felt about "the Trapped Wife". There are LOTS of surprises in this twisty page-turner.

The story just makes me angry. I have to stop reading this book. Why would a woman who clearly feels uncomfortable about a certain man let him into her house and in her life and tell him she is pregnant with his child?This is inconceivable and I won't find out how the tragedy ends. This is just too stupid.

A page turner that kept me guessing right up until the end!Early on I added a note because I was so sure I had found a solid clue. I was wrong lol.A standalone book that left a few questions unanswered, especially how the truth could remain hidden forever.

I’ve read many of this author’s books but this one is the best so far. Ms Hayes is developing as a writer. This novel will keep you gripped until the final page.Enjoy.