Book Review: What His Wife Knew by Jo Jakeman

By Carly Smith

Content warning: Rape, suicide

Beth Lomas is what one may consider a stereotypical old-fashioned housewife; her husband controls the finances, decides what food she prepares, and relies on Beth to do the bulk of the parenting. At least he did until Beth was informed that Oscar, her husband, had died by suicide. Now left grieving the loss of her partner—the head of the house—Beth is skeptical that Oscar truly died by suicide. In addition, she is continuously made privy to the faux pas he had made in the time leading up to his death. DC Lowry Endecott, the officer assigned to Oscar’s case, is not entirely convinced that it was a suicide either. With the news of suspicious activity and indiscretions preceding Oscar’s death, Lowry and Beth work to assemble plausible scenarios for a motive for murder. 

In this multi-perspective thriller, the reader takes in the plot from three different individuals connected to Oscar: Beth, his widow; Lowry, the constable working on his case; and Molly, Beth’s longtime best friend. It was interesting that Beth’s chapters were written from a first-person perspective, while Molly and Lowry’s were from a third-person perspective. 

Beth’s character can be viewed as naive, oblivious, and obedient. She maintains these qualities less and less throughout the book, dissolving her desperate housewife persona as she is made more and more aware of who her husband truly was. As the novel progresses, she morphs into a stronger, more autonomous woman. Lowry is a hard-working officer whose critical thinking skills and detective experience prevent her from closing Oscar’s case. She brings a sense of calm to the pages, even though her place in the storyline is anything but calming. Molly is thoughtful and supportive and brings Beth to her senses often, but she is not without her faults. Her role in the lives of the Lomas’ is larger than Beth initially realizes, and as the plot thickens, readers are exposed to Molly’s less-than-enviable past.

What His Wife Knew is suitable for readers entering the thriller genre or for thriller lovers who want a quick, entertaining read. Although I swiftly predicted the bulk of the ending, I was surprised by a few events in the subplots. My interest in the novel piqued just over halfway through when Jakeman picked up the pace and really began to include more intriguing elements regarding the main storyline and the subplots. This book is a great option for readers between books with lots of substance or for those looking for an easy read to tide them over until they’re in the mood for a heavier book with lots to digest.

 

Thank you to Penguin Random House for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.