What. The. Fuck. (And I mean that in a positive way.) It took me a while to get used to Tarryn Fisher’s writing, as she writes characters that I can never fully understand. But reading her latest novel and first thriller The Wives, I realized that that’s what makes these characters so damn interesting. Being in protagonist Thursday’s head, I was on her side instantly, and I wanted to stay on her side till the very end. I questioned her thoughts, her choices, but there was something about her that I wanted to trust. The story got a bit ridiculous, especially near the end — so much so that it started feeling like a soap opera. For that, I felt I had to knock off two stars. Still, this was a real page turner and a truly fascinating character study. I’m already thinking of re-reading to catch any hints I might’ve missed. And if this were to be a soap opera, or just a regular ol’ TV series, I would watch the hell out of it. Just sayin’. I look forward to what Fisher has planned next.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Sara Bechtol 