ALAFAIR BURKE
NY Times Bestselling Author
A stunning domestic thriller in the vein of Behind Closed Doors and The Woman in Cabin 10—in which a woman must make the impossible choice between defending her husband and saving herself.
"A subtle, sneaky, emotionally complex, and utterly addictive novel of psychological suspense, THE WIFE delivers on all fronts."
- Lisa Scottoline
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2018
A Sun-Sentinel Best Mystery Book of 2018
A Crime Reads Best Novel of 2018
THE WIFE
When Angela met Jason Powell while catering a dinner party in East Hampton, she assumed their romance would be a short-lived fling, like so many relationships between locals and summer visitors. To her surprise, Jason, a brilliant economics professor at NYU, had other plans, and they married the following summer.
For Angela, the marriage turned out to be a chance to reboot her life. She and her son were finally able to move out of her mother’s home to Manhattan, where no one knew about her tragic past.
Six years later, thanks to a bestselling book and a growing media career, Jason has become a cultural lightning rod, placing Angela near the spotlight she worked so carefully to avoid. When a college intern makes an accusation against Jason, and another woman, Kerry Lynch, comes forward with an even more troubling allegation, their perfect life begins to unravel. Jason insists he is innocent, and Angela believes him.
But when Kerry disappears, Angela is forced to take a closer look at the man she married. And when she is asked to defend Jason in court, she realizes that her loyalty to her husband could unearth old secrets.
This much-anticipated follow-up to Burke’s Edgar-nominated The Ex asks how far a wife will go to protect the man she loves: Will she stand by his side, even if he drags her down with him?
PRAISE FOR THE WIFE
“The latest novel from lawyer-turned-best-selling novelist Burke is as freshly topical as a #MeToo hashtag, but it unfolds with the slow-burn thrill of pure fiction…. A genuine shocker, sneaky and smart.”
— Entertainment Weekly, “Must List”
“This might be the most gripping, insightful work from the best-selling author Alafair Burke yet. She poses a seemingly impossible, if undeniably compelling, challenge: a woman must either save her life or defend her husband, but not both.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Written by a former prosecutor with a genius for plot, this thrill ride of a novel takes a hard look at loyalty and the violence a secret can cause—especially when that secret involves a revered public figure accused of rape.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine
“Fresh and timely. … The issue of sexual harassment and assault gets a new spin in Alafair Burke’s gripping new novel, The Wife.”
— Associated Press
“For your group if: You like your #MeToo meme as a fast-paced narrative.”
— Washington Post, Best New Thrillers