The Last Wife by Matt McGregor

This psychological thriller features justice and maybe some redemption. There’s always this debate about prologues. I’ve even seen some say they skip right past them. Don’t skip the prologue in this one. The prologue is indicative of the tension in the second half of the book. However, the author could have made it chapter 1. After the prologue, the story slows down. Enough so that I wondered when something would happen. Get through the slow chapters, because stuff absolutely happens. Like a truck cresting a huge hill and the brakes fail. It picks up speed until at the bottom it’s rumbling at a hundred miles an hour unable to stop.

Olivia is a waitress that is swept off her feet by Lachlan Gibson, a wealthy, single, money trader. It’s a whirlwind romance that turns first strange, then twisted, then frightening. Olivia finds herself trapped in an idyllic town with the perfect man. But is he? Written in first person point of view from Olivia’s perspective, and in present tense, this story is intense, fascinating, and suspenseful. There were times I wondered about the decisions Olivia made, as each bad decision led to worse situations. But then I wondered, if it were me, would the decisions have been any different?

This is one of those books that for the first half or so, it was easy to put down and pick up the next day. However, after about the midway point, I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next. Short chapters helped with being able to put it down when I had to go to sleep.

Good characterization. Good use of the setting. And writing that propels the story forward. There is some profanity. Only one f-bomb. On page sex. Only once before they are married. It’s not overly graphic. No graphic violence. The violence in this book is more psychological than physical, though there is some physical violence. A sequel could be interesting to trace Olivia’s path to wellness. If she actually ever gets there. The trauma she experienced would break most people. The burning question I had when finished was if Olivia would ever marry again and if so, how that would go.

I’ll rank this one seventh of the books I’ve read this year. I’d be interested in a woman’s opinion of this story. Did the author capture the thoughts, emotions and actions accurately for a woman in the situation she was in? If you read it, let me know.

1. Love’s True Calling by Lori DeJong
2. Through Thorny Ways by Jennifer Q. Hunt
3. The Seven Day Resurrection by Chevron Ross
4. With Mercy’s Eyes by D.T. Powell
5. Justice by Jeff Hill
6. Already in the Kudzu by Hannah Hood Lucero
7. The Last Wife by Matt McGregor
8. The Misadventures of Itchy Izzy by N.Y. Dunlap
9. Ranch Showdown by Tina Wheeler
10. The Shocking Truth by Steve Rush
11. Daughter of Darkness by Ed Gorman
12. Burning Angel by James Lee Burke
13. Death in the Kremlin by E.J. Simon
14. Irresistible Impulse by Robert K. Tanenbaum
15. Line of Fire by Taylor S. Newport
16. The Longest Day by Terry Toler
17. Left to Die by Lisa Jackson

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