Rate this book

The Secret Lives Of Married Women (2013)

by Elissa Wald(Favorite Author)

3.36 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

178116262X (ISBN13: 9781781162620)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Hard Case Crime

series

Hard Case Crime

review 1: I just loved this book. Very nearly Writer and the Critic worthy, but there’s so much else I want to recommend I’m not sure if it’s going to make the cut. Maybe.The Secret Lives of Married Women is essentially two novellas stitched together, telling the stories of two married women – sisters and identical twins – and as the title suggests the secrets they hide. Of the two novellas, the first is the more traditional in terms of the crime element. Leda, the outgoing twin with past aspirations of being an actress, believes she’s being stalked by her next door neighbour. She tells her husband. Next door neighbour disappears. Leda thinks her husband – who may or may not be linked to the Russian mafia – might have killed the stalker. Leda finds the idea that her ... morehusband might be a killer – a husband who she’s not convinced she loves anymore – sexually exciting. And yes things do get a bit hot and sweaty. The second novella is light on when it comes to crime. For the most part it’s a legal drama, with Lilly – the second sister, a lawyer and more repressed of the two – defending a blind businessman from charges of corruption. The wrinkle to the case, apart from the businessman being blind, is his personal assistant who once worked as a submissive in an S&M club. Repressed Lilly finds the submissive PA a fascinating proposition.I know I sound like a prude when I say that in-spite of the subject matter neither story is tawdry or sordid. Wald expertly juggles the tension and eroticism with some strong character work. The repressed lawyer and bored housewife scream cliche, and yet Wald avoids this by digging deep into their past and exploring their motives and instinctual reactions.From a feminist and gender side of the coin, these are two women – empowered in different ways – who uncover a part of themselves that’s lain dormant. And it’s more than just a desire for rough sex. It’s an understanding of their role as sister, wife and mother. Secret Lives is a compelling read. I’ll be searching out for more work by Wald.
review 2: The book is a combination of the 2 novellas that each feature the twin sister of the other: "The Man Under the House" is a tense tale of a wife with a past and a semi-stalking handyman; "Abel's Cain" features more plots twists, less tension, & more overt eroticism. The proves a disappointment. I liked the modern noir feel & the focus on the female characters; on the negative side, found the second novella slow-paced. less

Download links for: The Secret Lives of Married Women

Advertising