The End of Her – Book Review

A long-ago accident–and a visitor from out of the blue. . .

Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin girls. The babies are a handful, but even as Stephanie struggles with the disorientation of sleep deprivation, there’s one thing she’s sure of: she has all she ever wanted.

Then Erica, a woman from Patrick’s past, appears and makes a disturbing accusation. Patrick had always said his first wife’s death was an accident, but now Erica claims it was murder.

Patrick insists he’s innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. Still, Erica knows things about Patrick–things that make Stephanie begin to question her husband. Stephanie isn’t sure what, or who, to believe. As Stephanie’s trust in Patrick begins to falter, Patrick stands to lose everything. Is Patrick telling the truth–is Erica the persuasive liar Patrick says she is? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake?

How will it end?

This is the second book I have read of Shari Lapena, the first one being The Stranger in the House, which I have already written the book review on. So let’s discuss this novel in depth.

Plot:- Stephanie and Patrick seemed to be living a life–now becoming new parents to twins and they are struggling with their parenthood. But a woman from Patrick’s past comes back into their life, claiming that Patrick’s first wife, Lindsey, who actually died from a tragic car accident years ago did not die from the accident but was murdered. Stephanie wants to believe her husband but when she finds some things about Patrick’s past, she doubts his innocent and wondered if her life is safe.

Writing:- Lapena’s writing is simple and so easy to read without a hassle with no complicated words. So it was quick to read. The story started fast paced with some twists and turns along the way and the ending gave a room of whodunnit situation that the reader will wonder and ponder for a moment after finishing the book. The plot was interesting and gave a pathway to a dark thriller, wondering if the husband is actually a murderer as the woman claimed or not. Also, I like how the woman, Erica is a cunning woman who would do anything to get what she wanted.

Characters:- one downside of this story is, I didn’t like any characters. Erica seemed to be too vicious, too greedy, too manipulative though that actually made her a perfect villain though I couldn’t really stand her. I didn’t even like the main character Stephanie much either as she sounded too naive and stupid, although in the end, she acted smart. As a result, due to my dislike to many characters, I didn’t enjoy the story much.

Overall:- This is a fast paced thriller filled with twists and turns but the characters totally ruined my mood with the book. Worth four stars!