First Wife’s Shadow By Adele Parks

‘First Wife’s Shadow’ is the latest book by Adele Parks.

When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, he seems to be just what she needs. Yet as their relationship moves fast, Emma’s friends worry Emma might be exploited. She’s a rich woman after all.
Emma doesn’t care Matthew has no money. But as the memory of his perfect first wife hangs over them, Emma does have one tiny doubt.
If Matthew’s wife hadn’t died, he wouldn’t be with her. And Emma wonders if she’s second best. Can she ever fill the dead woman’s shoes? As jealousy and suspicion blossom between Emma and Matthew, events take a darker, dangerous turn. Suddenly Emma doesn’t know who she can trust. Her friends? Her husband? Or even herself…?

Strap yourselves as the latest book by Adele Parks is an addictive rollercoaster packed with drama, intrigue and suspense!

The story is primarily seen from the perspective of Emma, a successful CEO who has worked hard all her life, she strives for control and perfection but when she meets Matthew, she throws caution to the wind and falls for the handsome photographer. He’s everything that she has ever wanted in a man, the only thing is – her friends are dubious off him and she has a dead wife to live up to. Things are going great for the loved up couple until strange things start to happen, rooms are destroyed, strange sounds and new smell in the house that Emma can’t place. Even though she’s perfectly sane, those around her are questioning her sanity and Emma begins to wonder if something a bit more sinister is afoot.

I loved this story but then again, I love all books by Adele. She writes gripping stories with strong protagonists and a storyline that hooks you in from the first page. Emma is a great lead, a powerful character in the male dominated industry, she’s breaking the glass ceilings in natural energy. To the outside world, she’s lead an easy life but that’s far from the truth with being orphaned at a young age and a brother that’s battling addictions but she’s maintained calm and composed throughout. I loved her friends, Heidi and Gina. The trio are polar opposites but together they look out for each other and it’s Heidi’s distrust of Matthew that makes the reader wonder if he is as genuine as he leads you to believe.

Like every book by Adele, there’s always another side to the story and other perspectives really make the story shocking, hard hitting and impossible to put down. At 375 pages this book was easy to consume in a couple of sittings but if I had the chance, I would have read it in one go.

Cleverly written with shocks and twists along the way, ‘First Wife’s Shadow’ is another compulsive and jawdropping story from Adele that will have you guessing throughout!

You can buy ‘First Wife’s Shadow’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.