The Man She Married by Alison Stockham
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller
How can you fight for a life you can't remember?
One moment I was just living my life, finding my way in the world. The next I woke up in a hospital bed with years of my life missing.
The man by my side – Rob, my husband – looks familiar, but I can't remember marrying him. I can’t remember our life together. Most haunting of all: I can’t remember anything about the last five years.
Rob keeps telling me that everything will be fine, that my memories will return, but something feels... wrong. Why does our flat feel so unfamiliar? Why does he flinch when I ask questions? Why are none of my friends and family in touch?
The more I try to piece my life back together, the more I question everything – even myself. Who is Rob, really? And can I trust him? More importantly, can I trust myself?
A compulsive and obsessive read that will have you saying 'just one more chapter!' Perfect for fans of Before I Go To Sleep and Alice Feeney
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! From the start, it’s clear that secrets are being kept from Beth, but the reader is just as much in the dark. As the story unfolds, we get to piece things together alongside Beth, adding to the suspense and intrigue.
What makes this story especially fascinating is that Beth’s memories and emotions are unreliable—she can’t even trust herself. The reader joins her in trying to untangle what’s real and what’s a lie. Her struggle to figure out who she can truly trust is central to the story, especially since she has no memory of those around her.
The fast-paced plot kept me hooked, and uncovering Beth’s family secrets along with her was captivating. While I could predict a few of the twists, the journey to those revelations was highly enjoyable.
The characters were compelling, though I felt Beth made some decisions that could have been resolved more easily—yet her mental state often clouded her logic, which made sense for the story. I highly recommend this book to thriller fans.
Meet the Author
About Alison Stockham
Alison Stockham’s debut novel, The Cuckoo Sister, was a top 10 bestseller and was also longlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. Her novels The Silent Friend and The New Girl have since been published.
From a background in film and television production, working in film dramas and then TV documentary production for the BBC and Channel 4, she then worked as the events coordinator for Cambridge Literary Festival. Now a full time writer, she lives in the city with her husband, their children and their cat, who keeps her company while she works on the next book.
Thorough review thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a very interesting book!