Listen to a sample
First Wife’s Shadow
- Author
- Adele Parks
- Narrator
- Kristin Atherton
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 4 July 2024
- Run Time
- 11 hours 59 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Psychological thriller, Thriller / suspense fiction, Crime and / or mystery fiction, Crime and mystery: women sleuths / detectives, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Romantic suspense, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Family life fiction / Stories about family
- Rating
- 4.5 (4 reviews)
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What to expect
'This roller coaster epic had me gripped with one plot twist after another' Reader Review ★★★★★
'Unbelievable! Kept me on edge throughout' Reader Review ★★★★★
* * * * *
HIS FIRST WIFE DIED. NOW THERE'S A VACANCY…When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, he seems to be just what she needs.
Yet as their relationship moves fast, Emma’s friends worry Emma might be exploited. She’s a rich woman after all.
Emma doesn’t care Matthew has no money. But as the memory of his perfect first wife hangs over them, Emma does have one tiny doubt.
If Matthew’s wife hadn’t died, he wouldn’t be with her. And Emma wonders if she’s second best. Can she ever fill the dead woman’s shoes?
As jealousy and suspicion blossom between Emma and Matthew, events take a darker, dangerous turn.
Suddenly Emma doesn’t know who she can trust. Her friends? Her husband? Or even herself…?
Get hooked on this sensational thriller from bestseller Adele Parks that will have you gripped until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Claire Douglas and Karin Slaughter.
* * * * *
Praise for First Wife's Shadow:‘Devious and dizzying, with twist after twist after twist – I loved it’ Louise Candlish
'Wonderfully dark and sinister' The Sun
‘Skilfully written and gripping’ Lynda La Plante
'Deliciously twisty' Crime Monthly
'Exactly the kind of book to race through on holiday’ i News
'Absorbing, unsettling and addictive' Daily Express
'It was hard to stop reading. Twist after twist! A must read!' Reader Review ★★★★★
'Tense, twisty, brilliant… gets right under your skin from the start' Reader Review ★★★★★
'A rollercoaster of a thriller. Fantastic' Reader Review ★★★★★
Critics Review
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Praise for First Wife's Shadow:'Adele just gets better and better and First Wife's Shadow had me in a chokehold from beginning to end. The twists and the tension-building were spellbinding and masterfully done. A true five star read' Lisa Jewell
-
'Deliciously twisty' Crime Monthly
-
'Exactly the kind of book to race through on holiday’ i News
-
'Absorbing, unsettling and addictive' Daily Express
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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'Full of so many twists, you won’t know whatever to expect next in this wonderfully dark and sinister tale' The SunPraise for Adele Parks:‘I’ll drop anything for a new Adele Parks: she nails it every time’ Lucy Foley
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‘Utterly compelling’ Peter James
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‘As always with Adele… this is an absolutely gripping read’ Richard Osman
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‘Kept me guessing and had me gasping at the twist’ Ian Rankin
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‘Poolside perfection’ Daily Mail
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‘A whip-smart protagonist, immensely satisfying twists’ Karin Slaughter
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‘A slow-burn that grows in tension, this will keep you gripped throughout’ Crime Monthly
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‘This will blow your mind’ Jane Fallon
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‘Masterfully executed – her best book yet’ Lisa Jewell
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‘This is Adele Parks at the peak of her powers’ Louise Candlish
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‘Full of mystery, tension, and characters you can’t help but root for – or against!’ Abigail Dean
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‘Another twisting tale of deceit, desire and dangerous obsession guaranteed to keep you turning the pages’ T. M. Logan
User Reviews
Book 4.5
Narration 4.0
-
3.0 1.0
Since I'm only listening to these types of books while doing chores, perhaps I'm being overly critical, but I am finding the endless eternal dialogues of kitchen philosophy/psychology and vanilla rebellion quite tiring - not helped by the incongruence (or lack of self awareness) by the main characters (in this and other books by the same author): Here, e.g., the sustainability CEO worrying about the environmental impact of a short car journey to the nearest village while living alone in a huge luxurious home and jetting off to the Maldives on a whim? In another story, the 'antagonist' reassuring us endlessly how much they 'don't do' self-pity while their entire chain of actions is motivated by just that - self-pity. I could go on...
As for this particular narrator: The entire novel is like listening to one huge argument conducted, as arguments often are, in loud, harsh and snappy tones, peppered with even louder and harsher outbursts when someone 'blurts' something out or disagrees with another character. Only, of course, there is no argument and it's just the characters supposedly 'normal' way of speaking/thinking even during perfectly calm and harmonious conversations! It's very exhausting to listen to, plus it literally makes my ears hurt!Anna86 2026-09-25
Details
- Author
- Adele Parks
- Narrator
- Kristin Atherton
- Duration
- 11 hours 59 minutes
- Release Date
- 4 July 2024
- ISBN
- 9780008586355
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Psychological thriller, Thriller / suspense fiction, Crime and / or mystery fiction, Crime and mystery: women sleuths / detectives, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Romantic suspense, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Family life fiction / Stories about family
- Rating
- 4.5(4 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.0(4 reviews)
Synopsis
'Had me in a chokehold from beginning to end… A true five star read' Lisa Jewell 'This roller coaster epic had me gripped with one plot twist after another' Reader Review ★★★★★ 'Unbelievable! Kept me on edge throughout' Reader Review ★★★★★ * * * * * HIS FIRST WIFE DIED. NOW THERE'S A VACANCY… When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, he seems to be just what she needs. Yet as their relationship moves fast, Emma’s friends worry Emma might be exploited. She’s a rich woman after all. Emma doesn’t care Matthew has no money. But as the memory of his perfect first wife hangs over them, Emma does have one tiny doubt. If Matthew’s wife hadn’t died, he wouldn’t be with her. And Emma wonders if she’s second best. Can she ever fill the dead woman’s shoes? As jealousy and suspicion blossom between Emma and Matthew, events take a darker, dangerous turn. Suddenly Emma doesn’t know who she can trust. Her friends? Her husband? Or even herself…? Get hooked on this sensational thriller from bestseller Adele Parks that will have you gripped until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Claire Douglas and Karin Slaughter. * * * * * Praise for First Wife's Shadow: ‘Devious and dizzying, with twist after twist after twist – I loved it’ Louise Candlish 'Wonderfully dark and sinister' The Sun ‘Skilfully written and gripping’ Lynda La Plante 'Deliciously twisty' Crime Monthly 'Exactly the kind of book to race through on holiday’ i News 'Absorbing, unsettling and addictive' Daily Express 'It was hard to stop reading. Twist after twist! A must read!' Reader Review ★★★★★ 'Tense, twisty, brilliant… gets right under your skin from the start' Reader Review ★★★★★ 'A rollercoaster of a thriller. Fantastic' Reader Review ★★★★★
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