The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is exactly the kind of book I adore – a multi layered offering which comprises in depth and intriguing characters, a dose of mystery and fascinating insight into the world of modern families and the way these characters live their lives.
Adrian Wolfe appears to have a perfect life; married to younger wife Maya, he also has two ex-wives and five children, all of whom appear to get on famously; half siblings and wives all friendly and welcoming, so much so that they holiday together every year and socialise on other occasions – just one big, happy family. Tragedy however strikes when Maya drunkenly falls under a bus, leaving the question did Maya want to die or was it purely an accident? Despite believing that Maya was happy and fulfilled, Adrian can’t stop wondering especially after uncovering a secret. In the aftermath of Maya’s death and in the wake of an appearance by a mysterious stranger, layers are slowly peeled away, revealing that the big, happy family isn’t as perfect or as happy as Adrian always believed and as he fumbles through his grief, learning to live and cope alone for the first time, he has no choice but to open his eyes to the fact that there might be some rot at the core of his family unit.
Through flashbacks to when she was alive we learn about Maya and her role in the family; in the present day we are presented with a very different view of Adrian’s supposed idyllic life as we are introduced to his children and ex-wives and their lives. As information is fed to us the mystery of Maya’s death becomes more intense, leading the reader to wonder and guess at what exactly has been going on. Nothing is given away until the end.
Lisa Jewell has gone from strength to strength as writer; I have loved her previous books but her later novels focusing on the intricacies of familial relationships are truly something else. Written with a wealth of depth and understanding her characters are three dimensional, real people.
The Third Wife’s cast of characters are colourful and individual with recognisable foibles and feelings that make them act as anyone would. I was caught up in the whole scenario of three wives coming together to make life easy for the man they have in common but then as layers are stripped there comes the confusion and guilt of Maya, the bitterness hidden by a bright smile of Caroline, wife #2, the all seeing vision of Susie, wife #1 who sees more than she lets on, the blinkered, selfishness that is Adrian and then the hurt, betrayal and jealousy felt by the children whether 3 or 23. It is an eye opening and thought provoking read that highlights just how broken people can be despite the fact that they might appear to have it all.
Highly recommended, along with The House We Grew Up In, also by Lisa Jewell.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.