The Wife Before Me

A Twisty, Gripping Psychological Thriller

By: Laura Elliot

Narrated by: Michele Moran

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison’s car slides into the sea off Mason’s Pier. Her body is never found.

Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together, they can help each other.

Now, Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn’t really know him. She doesn’t know what he is capable of. And she doesn’t know what really happened to Amelia.

Until the day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone. 

Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself.

A totally breathtaking pause-resister about the darker side of love and what really goes on behind closed doors. This audiobook will have you gripped from the very first moment until the dramatic final twist.

©2018 Laura Elliot (P)2018 Bookouture

Critic Reviews

"Entertaining and highly thought-provoking." (Closer Magazine)

"This page-turner is gripping, all the more because it presents the dilemmas of betrayal with brutal honesty." (Irish Independent)

"This well-crafted and compelling story traces the deceits which begin unnoticed but end in the destruction of friendships and lives." (The Irish Times)

Just leave it alone

In a nutshell… Woman is beaten and abused every day by a husband she refuses to leave. When she’s not being beaten they are fighting. Add a controlling mother in law and you have this depressing pointless book.

Unfortunately, it’s not a winner...

The story starts off like a typical domestic abuse situation but crucial character development is extremely lacking — I mean substantially. There wasn’t even any build up or much background provided and all the significant events happen so soon and then there’s nothing to look forward to aside from what’s already divulged in the summary. So all that happens between events are just filled with much sulking and actions with little to no reason behind it. Typically one of the best parts about domestic noir is seeing how things escalate or how the abuse is covered by either party, but it doesn’t happen. I had to start over many times to get in to it and ended up skipping around, and not missing much.

Sadistic Character

Handsome, charismatic, calculating, sadistic, despicable, all describe the main male character. He’s pure evil and he seems outrageously ahead at every turn. I couldn’t stop listening! I am so turned on to this author and will be purchasing many more Laura Elliot books.

True to life!

This book captures abuse, both physical and emotional correctly. Here’s hoping we all have a guardian angel.

Twisty turny

Overall good listen! It kept me guessing all the way to the end but it was really good. I appreciated the book so much more after listening to her personal message at the end. Thank you for your work!

Good but

This book was a good read although it was a little confusing and hard to keep up with at times. Overall a good story though and worth the read.

Amazing

Loved it! Fantastic and thrilling. Has a very intriguing spin! Couldn’t put it down!! Thanks for the wonderful read! ❤️

Absolutely wonderful book

Absolutely loved this book! I could imagine every word in the book as though I was watching a movie or standing in the shoes of the characters.

At least it didn’t drone on with descriptions of minutia

I almost returned this book to audible when I found out what it was about. But I struggled through the confusion of who was talking and the many character names that started with vowels. Why do authors use names for their characters that start with the same letter or sound? I can now relate to people who stay in abusive relationships.

Captivating!

Slow start but only to grow more interesting to completely captivating. Very realistic and yet not.

WOEFUL! FELL ASLEEP LISTENING TO THIS DISMAL TALE

I usually do not write reviews for books I do not like and instead simply return them but as this has been likened to my favourite book of all time REBECCA by the amazing Daphne du Maurier. I feel I have to say something to save others from being so very disappointed. Admittedly I have not finished this book as I fell asleep shortly after the story established and switched off quickly after I awoke as could not bear to hear any more. I would say this book is much more like the film Sleeping with the Enemy except that was glamorous, thrilling and exciting despite its gritty topic - whereas this seems to be a drab domestic story with a lot about mourning dead mothers/missing wives, coping with bereavement, having babies, breast feeding and miscarriages featuring unlikable drippy people.
I did not enjoy the narration as it too seemed whittery and wimpy. This could have been the content and the maudlin, annoying characters rather than the actor who did give a good performance of a tiresome tale. I have no desire to waste any more time being depressed by this so I do not know if I am correct about the so called "twisting, turning" plot but strikes me more like drudgery from a same again soap storyline than a thriller. So if you are looking for mystery, intrigue and attractive fascinating characters as in Rebecca or even brave and courageous actions and thrilling twists and turns as in Sleeping with the Enemy then this is probably not the book for you.

Weak

Just weak, couldn’t get into it & I didn’t like the narrators accent, I’m sure some will love it but it’s not for me.

Beautiful, haunting, terrifying

A grieving young woman meets an attractive and charming man at her mother’s funeral. Slowly he helps to to come to terms with her loss and in doing so, takes over her life. His wife disappeared several years before, so they make vows: ‘until death us do part’. Despite some strange behaviour from him which perhaps should have warned her, she moves in to his cottage in the country, filled with memories and photographs of his beautiful wife, including the locked master bedroom. Can she ever live up to the memory of her glittering predecessor? Lulled into believing that this is an excellent and believable modern re-write of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, it is a surprise when it becomes more sinister, more frightening and more ethereal, a story of friendship, love and madness, centred on the very real issue of domestic abuse and coercive control. Twists and turns that would be difficult to guess, this is a story that bears a re-read. Beautifully and compellingly read by the narrator.

Fantastic Read

Got me gripped from the start. Fabulous book highly recommend with twist after twist and narration was excellent.

After this going to get other books from Laura Elliot.

Really enjoyed this book.

the end of the book was gripping, really enjoyed it all. well fleshed out and a nice twist in the tale.

OMG one of the best books I have listened to.

This is the first time I have read by Laura Elliot, absolutely nail biting, edge of my seat, I highly recommend this book, fabulous, gritty, it has everything that I love to listen to, and The narrator Michele Morgan was absolutely fabulous as well. I am now going to find another book By Laura Elliot right now. Thank you so much for writing such a fabulous Book.

Brilliant

So many twists and turns. Brilliant story, with a sad but deserved ending. Well done all

Enthralling

A very good listen with plot twists and turns, time lapse and an enduring thread. Well worth spending a few evening's with

fab

absolutely brilliant caught up in the story line from start to finish.. looking forward to the next one👌 can't wait!!

Superb

Beautifully written. Poignantly heartbreaking at times. Totally gripping! Felt authentic and that made it all the more terrifying! Highly recommend!