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Book Review: The End of Her by Shari Lapena

 



Book: The End of Her

Author: Shari Lapena 

Pages: 342

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 4 hours 

Plot Summary: 

It starts with a shocking accusation . . .

Stephanie and Patrick are recently married, with new-born twins. While Stephanie struggles with the disorienting effects of sleep deprivation, there's one thing she knows for certain - she has everything she ever wanted.

Then a woman from his past arrives and makes a horrifying allegation about his first wife. He always claimed her death was an accident - but she says it was murder. 

He insists he's innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. But is Patrick telling the truth? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake? 

How will it end?


Things I Liked: 

1. This book has a really interesting premise about trust and truth and who would you believe when faced with the worst kind of accusations?! Imagine you are a happily married, but struggling with new parenthood, sort of a couple. You love your husband and are happy and content in your marriage. Then one day, a woman from his past walks in and claims that your husband murdered his first wife, his first, heavily pregnant wife! What would you do? Who would you believe? Interesting, right? So, this book got me from the word go and kept me pretty hooked all through. 


2. This book is very, very atmospheric. You can feel Stephanie's stress and worry and you can feel her sleeplessness. The author brings alive doubt as a very potent third person in Stephanie and Patrick's marriage and we see that chipping away at their relationship. The way the book unfolds and how the unraveling of this marriage is shown is really potent! 


3. I also liked the character journeys in this book. Don't want to give too much away but as we get to know each character, whether it is Stephanie or Patrick or even Erica (the woman from Patrick's past), we wonder to what lengths each are willing to go to protect their own interests. Also, an interesting study in what anyone would do to protect those that they love most. 


4. The book is very well paced and taut and a total page-turner. A couple of good twists- some I saw coming and some I did not- which made it even more interesting. 


Things I Didn't Like: Nothing really. This is a pretty solid crime thriller. 


Rating: 4/5 


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