Sandie Jones | THE FIRST MISTAKE

Plot (via Goodreads):

THE WIFE: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house.

HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan’s arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved.

HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced . . .

The first mistake could be her last.

Review:

My dear friend Abby over at Crime by the Book always uses the term "popcorn read" for something that is entertaining and not too dark or gritty and I think The First Mistake is the best example of a popcorn read that I have come across since Sandie Jones first novel. The plot to this one is more intricate and tightly woven, with each word bringing an ominous and electrifying presence to a plot that you think you've heard many times before, but with this one you have no clue what you are getting yourself into.

I thought I knew what I was in for when I read the synopsis and how it was another novel about the wife, the husband, and the scorned mistress - but I quickly ate my words once I began this brilliantly twisted and honorably placed novel. Not only did I love these characters but I had so many moments of saying "huh?!" to myself only to fully get a grasp of the larger picture about halfway through the novel. Once I was halfway, it was end-game for me. I could not stop reading and the twists and turns were coming at a rapid pace. The characters in this one were much more likable than other novels with similar plots and I was holding my breath during the finale...which was so brooding and intense that I had to read the last chapter three times because it was SO enjoyable. Cannot wait for book three from this brilliant storyteller!

Special thanks to Minotaur Books for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5