Blurb:

Victoria Barnett has it all.

A great career as a nurse practitioner. A handsome and loving husband. A beautiful home in the suburbs and a plan to fill it with children. Life is perfect—or so it seems.

Then she’s in a terrible accident… and everything falls apart.

Now Victoria is unable to walk. She can’t feed or dress herself. She can’t even speak. She is confined to the top floor of her house with twenty-four-hour care.

Sylvia Robinson is hired by Victoria’s husband to help care for her. But it turns out Victoria isn’t as impaired as Sylvia was led to believe. There’s a story Victoria desperately wants to tell… if only she could get out the words.

Then Sylvia discovers Victoria’s diary hidden away in a drawer.

And what’s inside is shocking.

Review:

I’ve read a few books by Freida McFadden now and I’ve enjoyed every single one, so when I was invited to join a buddy read of The Wife Upstairs, I obviously jumped at the chance. As always, none of us stopped reading at the check points we were supposed to – it was just too hard to put down! 

Like all of the Freida McFadden books I have read, it’s really difficult to review The Wife Upstairs without giving away too much. At first, I felt that the novel started a little slowly, but once it comes to life, you cannot look back. 

Freida McFadden has created some brilliant characters in The Wife Upstairs, particularly Adam and Victoria. The story alternates between the viewpoint of Sylvie, Adam’s employee, and Victoria’s diary and it is often impossible to know who is telling the truth. Victoria’s disability makes it difficult for her to communicate and this can make her statements appear unreliable. I found myself flipping between different sides with almost every chapter. 

The author handles some very difficult themes in The Wife Upstairs and having personal experience of the issues did make parts of the novel difficult to read, but she has researched thoroughly and her awareness of the issues comes across well. 

And the ending – WOW!

The Wife Upstairs is available from Amazon.