A Book A Week

Earlier this year, Rachel Hawkin's thriller The Wife Upstairs capitalized on the idea of secrets between spouses. I mused then that no matter how long two people are together, there will always be things in each other's past that remain a mystery. In the world of literary thrillers, this conceit can be used to drive some pretty crazy stories. Author Peter Swanson is no stranger to that setup. In fact, his 2019 novel Before She Knew Him used secrets and lies between spouses to weave a tangled web of brilliant suspense and deceit. In his latest novel Every Vow You Break, Swanson hopes to once again use the unknowns between a married couple to thrill audiences anew. 

Abigail is living a dream. Her life has become something right out of a fairytale, a modern-day romance that she never saw coming. How could she, a normal girl, capture the attention of a handsome millionaire like Bruce? Her life seems destined to be perfect from here on out, and she's truly met the man of her dreams. Then, on her luxury bachelorette party weekend, Abigail risks everything. Too many drinks and an encounter with a stranger at the bar lead to a single night of lust. Abigail is overcome with regret in the morning, vowing never to speak of the night to anyone, especially not Bruce. 

Secrets have a way of coming back to haunt you. As Abigail celebrates her wedding with Bruce, she can't help but think about the man with no name who nearly brought her marriage to an end. She never dreamed her marriage would begin with a lie, but she also knows that Bruce values honestly and loyalty above all else. Her one night of infidelity could derail their entire life together. Even as the couple celebrates a magical wedding night, Abigail can't help but think of the other man. For a moment, she even thinks she can smell the cigarette that he smoked that night. But that is crazy. Her life is with Bruce now. She never has to think about that night again. Or does she?

As the happy couple arrives for their honeymoon, they are glowing with the kind of bliss that most newlyweds experience. Abigail was a bit hesitant about spending the next week at a luxury resort on a private island, but she's now confident that a week unplugged from everything is the perfect way to begin her marriage. All that goes awry when she spots him. At first, she's certain that she's dreaming. How could the stranger whom she had a one-night stand with be at the private resort that even she didn't know about until arriving? At second glance, though, Abigail knows that it is him. The secret with the potential to end her marriage before it even gets off the ground is here, and she will stop at nothing to keep it buried. 

Peter Swanson has become one of my go-to authors of standalone thrillers. Each year, he reliably releases his latest novel filled with an intriguing setup, quick pace, and plenty of twists and turns. Every Vow You Break continues that tradition but to more middling results. The story of a future wife's infidelity against her seemingly perfect husband and the subsequent effort to hide those actions provides a great setup for the thriller. That being said, I found it tricky to root for her, especially given that her troubles were mostly self-inflicted. Nevertheless, Swanson knows how to keep the pages moving through ever-tightening suspense and enough twists to keep you guessing. The ending of this one was pretty much sealed from the start. There are only so many ways this story could go, and the last few twists felt more forced for shock value than actually advancing the narrative. In the end, this won't be my favorite novel by Swanson, but it also won't be my last. I've already got my eye on his next effort Nine Lives that releases next spring. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 46)

Hen and her husband Lloyd have just started to settle into their new suburban home and are ready to leave their troubled past behind. Hen, short for Henrietta, has a past of mental breakdowns. When she was in college, she was convinced that a fellow student was guilty of a heinous crime. Hen took her suspicions to an unhealthy level that resulted in a psychiatric intervention. Thankfully, Lloyd stepped in and has helped her to control her irrational fears. Now she works as a successful illustrator. Life seems to be back on track.

During a neighborhood block party, Hen and Lloyd paired up with the only other childless couple, and they decided to spend more time together. The dinner party started innocently enough.  They met at the other couple's home and had a lovely evening of small talk and bonding. It was during the grand tour of the home that things got strange. In the husband Matthew's office, Hen noticed a fencing trophy. Her eyes lingered a bit too long. She caught herself, but it was too late. Matthew seemed to notice her noticing the trophy too, a flash of dark recognition on his face.

Hen knows she is being unreasonable. Matthew and his wife seem normal enough, but she can't shake the feeling that she knows that fencing trophy. It is the same trophy that was missing from the scene of a brutal murder she recently obsessed over. As she starts to observe Matthew and his peculiar behavior, her suspicions evolve to certainty. Matthew is a killer, and Hen must find a way to prove it before she becomes his next victim.

I was first introduced to Peter Swanson's writing in All the Beautiful Lies, his stellar thriller that was released last year. Before She Knew Him sees Swanson tackle psychological suspense that slowly pulls the reader along until the entire plot unravels into a twisted and startling conclusion. Swanson's story unfolds through shifting perspectives between Hen and Matthew. Hen's history of mental trauma makes her an unreliable witness. She grows more and more uncertain of her own ability to separate reality from paranoia. At the same time, seeing the events from Matthew's point of view on increases our own certainty of his guilt. The combination of both creates ever-mounting suspense that had me racing through the pages to see what happens next. Before She Knew Him is easily one of the best thrillers I've read this year and has turned me into a huge fan of Peter Swanson's writing.