Review & Excerpt: Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass

 

 

SUCH A GOOD WIFE
Author: Seraphina Nova Glass
ISBN: 9781525896019
Publication Date: August 10, 2021
Publisher: Graydon House Books

From the author of Someone's Listening comes another thriller that will leave you breathless, about a housewife implicated in a murder investigation, perfect for fans of The Last House Guest and Someone We Know.

Melanie Hale has the perfect life. Her husband, Collin, is a loving and supportive partner and she loves their small-town home just outside of New Orleans. She doesn't mind (too much) that she's given up her career dreams to care for her two beautiful children. It's all worth it.

So why, when she joins a writers' group for fledgling novelists, does she embark on a steamy affair with Luke, a local bestselling author who gives a talk during the group? Why does she go back to Luke again and again, when she knows it's wrong?

And then Luke is found dead, and Mel knows she was the last person to see him alive. Now, she not only has to keep the affair a secret, but somehow avoid being implicated in Luke's death. But who would want to kill him? And if Mel finds the truth, will she be next? What follows is a sinister cat-and-mouse game that will leave readers guessing until the very last page.

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 Excerpt

Two

Before

I can pinpoint the day that set everything in motion. Gil­lian Baker, one block over, holds a book club at her house once a week. Reluctantly, and at her insistence, I finally decided to join. I squeezed a cylinder of cookie dough out of its plastic tube, cut it into disks and put a tray of the artificial-tasting dough in the oven so I had something to bring and pass off as my own. Collin thought the book club idea was great and might inspire me. I told him it’s just a kid-free night for the neighborhood wives so they can drink wine and make vapid, uninformed comments on great literature, but he still thought I would be in my element and should give it a try.

I was going to be a scholar once upon a time, but I dropped out of my master’s program when we learned about Bennett’s condition. I wasn’t forced to stay home, but we decided it made sense. It was for the best, and even better than a degree, because I could write books from home and still pursue that dream. What a gift! All the time in the world to write the great American novel. Except I haven’t written any books, have I? What the hell do I really have to say anyway? Life has gone out of its way to ignore me in many regards. Shelby Fitch two doors down was in the peace corps in freaking Guate­mala for two years before she married into this neigh­borhood. She should write the book.

What will my topics be? “Mom cleans up kid’s barf during carpool.”

“Mom waits half a day for dishwasher repair guy, and guess what? He never shows.”

“Mom tries a Peppa Pig cake recipe from Pinterest, but it looks like deranged farm swine with a phallic nose and makes son cry.” I have nothing to say. The other day I thought I’d get serious again and try to really sit and brainstorm some ideas. I ended up watching videos of people getting hurt on backyard trampolines and a solid hour of baby goats jumping around in onesies. So, I guess maybe at least getting my mind back into the lit­erary world can’t hurt.

At my dressing table, I pulled my hair back and slipped on some dangly earrings. It was my first time out of yoga pants that week, and it felt nice. I applied lip gloss and pressed my lips together; I could hear the chaos begin in the background. The oven was beeping nonstop, beck­oning Collin to take out the premade dinner he’d been heating up for the kids, but he was arguing with Ben about a video game he refused to turn off. He still had to make a plate for Claire and help the kids with home­work after dinner, and Ralph, our elderly basset hound, was barking excessively at something outside, raising the tension in the room. I felt guilty leaving, but when I ap­peared in the front hall in a sundress, Collin lit up and gave me a kiss, telling me he had it under control. I knew he ultimately did. It’s not rocket science, it’s just exhaust­ing and emotionally bloodsucking, and he’d already had a twelve-hour day of anxiety at work.

I kissed the top of Ben’s head and said goodbye to Ra­chel, who was paying no attention, and then I walked out the front door. I carried the plate of cookies and a copy of The Catcher in the Rye as I walked across the street. They were trying too hard, trying to be literary. Why not just choose Fifty Shades or a cozy mystery? When Rachel had to read this book for English, she called it a turd with covers. I, on the other hand, spent hours mak­ing meticulous notes so I could be sure to make com­ments that were sharp and poignant. I rehearse them in my head as I walk.

I was the last to arrive; there were a few other moms from the block already there. We all did the obligatory cheek kisses. Gillian’s living room looked like she was hosting a dinner party rather than a book club. Char­donnay was chilling in ice on the kitchen island next to a spread of food that could have come from a Vegas buffet. I wished I could hide my pathetic tube cookies.

“Wow, Gill. Did you do all this?” I asked, impressed.

“Oh, hell no. Are you kidding? It’s catered, silly.”

I can’t believe she’s had her book club catered. Every­one has wine and something fancy on a toothpick in their hands. She put my sad cookies next to the beautiful chif­fon cake on the island, and I was mortified. There was cling wrap over them for God’s sake—on a Spider-Man paper plate left over from Ben’s last birthday. Kill me.

She poured me a glass, pretending not to think any­thing of my trashy offering, and I walked carefully over her white rug as we made our way into the sitting room. Of course she has a “sitting room.” It’s a bright space in the front of the house with vaulted ceilings and a blingy chandelier. We all perched on the edges of pale furniture. I never did quite know how to feel about these women. They’ve welcomed me so warmly, but they sometimes seem like a foreign species to me. Yes, I live in this neigh­borhood too, but it’s because of Collin’s success, not any­thing I’ve done. I guess they can probably say the same. I still feel sort of like an imposter. I don’t lean into it the way they seem to.

I didn’t intend to stay home, of course, but I still feel like I was destined for a career, never dependent on any­one else. It’s not that I feel dependent on Collin. That’s not the right word. What we have is ours. The way I con­tribute is something he could never handle, but I guess I don’t take it for granted the way they seem to. Gil­lian was constantly remodeling her house and upgrading things that you’d think it impossible to upgrade. She had a stunning outdoor kitchen next to a pool that appears damn near Olympic-sized. It was even highlighted in the local home tour magazine. One day she gutted the whole thing because she wanted the pool to be teardrop-shaped instead. And here I am using Groupons for my facials.

Even that sounds indulgent. Facials. I grew up in a doublewide trailer in Lafayette with a mother who worked the night shift at the hospital and an alcoholic father who spent his days quiet and glassy-eyed on the front porch, staring at some invisible thing, lost in another time. It will never feel right to buy five-hundred-dollar shoes or drive a luxury car, although I’d never want to lose the safety of it and I’m grateful my children will never have to struggle the way I did. This comfort is for them. This safety is for them. That’s the bottom line, so I brushed away the negative thoughts.

Tammy commented on Gillian’s bracelet. She held Gil­lian’s wrist, examining it. Everyone oohed and aahed as Gillian explained that it was an early birthday gift from Robert and she had to get it insured. I have never un­derstood charm bracelets. An ugly soccer ball hangs off of her silver chain, but I made my face look delighted along with the others. After we settled in, I assumed the small talk was over and we’d dig into a great piece of lit­erature. Kid-free, wine-lubricated, I was ready.

“Oh my God, you guys, did you see Bethany Burena at Leah’s wedding?” Karen asked. There was mocking laughter. I’d been at that wedding, but I didn’t know what they were referring to, so I stayed quiet. Liz chimed in.

“God, it looked like someone stuffed a couple honey-baked hams into the back of her dress.”

“And the worst part is she did that on purpose,” Tammy said, placing her glass of wine on an end table so she could use her hands to talk. “That ain’t too much buttercream, y’all!” Then she held her hands to her mouth and pretended to whisper sideways. “Although did you see her shoveling it in at the cake table?”

“She had those babies implanted,” Karen agreed.

“No!” Gillian gasped.

“Yep. Ass implants. Ass-plants.” Everyone roared with laughter. I forced a chuckle so I didn’t stand out. I hated these people, I realized right in that moment. I longed to leave. I could fake a headache, or check in at home and say there’s a problem with Ben, I thought. Why didn’t I? Why do I need their approval? Karen kept the gos­sip going.

“That’s not as bad as Alice. She brought the guy who cleans her pool to the wedding!

“What do you mean?” Liz asked.

“As a date.”

“No!”

“Scandal much?” Tammy was delighted she had ev­eryone in hysterics.

“Alice Berg?” I asked, not understanding the social sin she’d committed. “Isn’t she single—like, divorced, I thought.”

“Yeah, but she brought The. Pool. Guy. Sad.”

“So sad,” Karen echoed.

“Desperate,” Liz added. She noticed the book in my hands. “What’s that?”

“What do you mean? It’s the book,” I said with a light­hearted scoff.

“Oh, Mel. I’m so sorry I didn’t mention it, I guess I thought everyone just sort of got it—especially since the book was something so random,” Gillian said.

“Got what?”

“We don’t, like, read it. We just need an excuse to get rid of the kids and hubbies for one night. I think we de­serve at least that?” she said, glancing around for allies.

“Damn right we do.” Liz held her wine up and gulped it down, a sort of toast to herself. “You didn’t read it, did you?” I didn’t answer. I felt like an idiot. I was joking when I said it was an excuse to drink and have a night away. I was at least half joking. I thought that I may have found a few kindred spirits, perhaps—that they were at least making a half-assed attempt at self-betterment.

“I just skimmed it,” I said.

I was probably visibly blushing, so I picked a strawberry carved into a rose shape from the table and picked at it.

“Mel has a master’s in literature. Did y’all know that?” Gillian said, maybe in an attempt to redeem herself from indirectly embarrassing me.

“Oh my gosh, smarty-smart pants. Look at you.” Karen swatted my leg and smiled, supportively. I wanted the attention off me as soon as possible, so I didn’t correct her and say that it was creative writing…and that I never finished the degree.

“You should give me the name of your caterer,” I said, picking up a skewer of chicken and taking a bite. “I was gonna do a thing for Collin’s birthday. Maybe a trip, but if we stay in town we’ll have people to the house.” The subject is officially changed. Her eyes lit up.

“Oh my gosh, I have their card. I told them they should pay me for how many referrals I’m getting for them. Their almond torte is totally to die for. Seriously. If you don’t do a cake, maybe mini tortes.”

“Oh, cute!” Liz said.

We talked about mini tortes, whose phone carrier is the worst, Karen’s daughter’s (nonexistent) modeling career and Botox for the next two hours until I walked home unsteadily with my plate of cookies that Gillian grace­fully sent home with me. I had to laugh a little at the idea that they met weekly, like they’d read that much. Made sense now. I tossed The Catcher in the Rye in Bri­anna Cunningham’s garbage can, which she’d failed to pull back into the garage (Tammy actually made mention of that particular oversight earlier in the evening), and I didn’t know if the crushing disappointment of the eve­ning was worse than going back home to Claire’s bedpan and the mounting stress of teen angst and Ben’s moods. I wished I could just sit in the Cunninghams’ yard, drunk for a little while, but someone would see, and it would be discussed at some other neighbor’s book club.

The temperate dusk air was dense with mosquitoes and the chatter of crickets. I took my time walking back. When I approached our house, I saw Collin in an or­ange rectangle of warm kitchen light. He was washing dishes, sort of, but mostly looking past the kitchen island at the TV in the living room. I concentrated on appear­ing more sober than I was as I entered the kitchen. I sat at the table, pulling off my shoes, and he offered me a glass of wine.

“No, thanks.” I got up and filled a plastic Bob the Builder cup under the tap, then sat on a counter stool. He pulled one up next to me.

“Was it fun?” he asked, hopefully, wanting me to find an outlet—some joy in my life while things are so tough. I didn’t know if I should tell him the truth or make him happy, so I went down the middle.

“It was okay.”

“Just okay?”

“Eh. Not exactly the literary minds I was hoping to connect with.”

“I’m sorry.” He squeezed my hand. “I took Ben to pick out a new chapter book at Classics tonight.”

“Oh fun. What did he pick out?” I asked, thinking Collin was changing the subject.

He handed me a little postcard advert. “There’s a writ­ers’ group starting next week.”

I looked over the glossy square and it had details wel­coming any local writers to join the weekly Thursday group to workshop their writing. Before I could dismiss the assertion that I’m a “writer,” he pointed to the bul­let point that stated “all levels welcome.” It was so in­credibly sweet that he brought this for me, not only to encourage me in pursuing something I care about, but was also willing to hold down the fort every Thursday. I kissed him.

“That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“But?” he asked, anticipating a “no,” but I didn’t have a reason to say no. I mean, except that I had no writ­ing to present to the group. I could write a critical essay on The Catcher in the Rye. That was about it. It sounded thrilling though. Maybe some accountability and pres­sure would be just what I needed. I glanced past Col­lin into the living room and saw Bennett asleep in front of WWE SmackDown! on the TV. I gave Collin a look.

“Well, he’s asleep, isn’t he?” he defended himself. Ismiled and shook my head, pressing my thumb into the crumbs on his plate and tasting the remnants of the cook­ies I left behind for the kids to eat.

“I guess I can try it,” I said, standing and rinsing the plate. Words I’d give anything to take back.

 Excerpted from Such A Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass, Copyright © 2021 by Seraphina Nova Glass. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

 What I thought about Such a Good Wife

Well. 

Wow. 

Good wife Melanie Hale spends her time raising her two children, one a teen and the other on the spectrum, along with being caretaker to her physically and mentally ailing mother-in-law.  Her husband is a good man who cares for his family but is strapped by the demands of providing financially for his family. 

When her husband encourages her to join a neighborhood group, Mel thinks she is going to a book club engagement only to find that her neighbors aren't really nice people.  When she tries the local writing group suggested by her husband, her impulsive actions end up having far reaching consequences. There -- I hope I haven't spoiled anything.

I was absolutely engaged in this story and really couldn't put it down to the very end. Things move along fairly quickly and while I found myself scratching my head over Every. Little. Thing. that Melanie does -- Such a Good Wife shows how one mistake leads to two and so on and so on and so on.  It's a book that is making me wonder about many things even after I finished and I really liked that aspect of the way the story was presented to me as a reader.  This is a story that could work nicely for a book club read because many of the characters motivations and even some of the characters actions are left to the reader, and are so very questionable they would make excellent discussion topics.

That being said, the ending in this underwhelmed me. For me, it was a case of more wrongs don't make a right, and it was yet another (more than) questionable decision from Mel. I wasn't surprised by the killer's identity but I was surprised by the lack of remorse from a number (all?) of the characters.  I was never quite sure about some of the secondary characters and their motivations either.

So overall, this book kept me engaged and reading until the last pages. Such a Good Wife is a disturbing accounting of infidelity and how things can escalate into something out of control. If you are looking for a book for discussion, this book might be it as it leaves a lot of the deep motivations to the reader. This was an interesting and sometimes frustrating reading experience for this reader.

Thanks to Harlequin for a complementary review copy.

About the Author

 

Seraphina Nova Glass is a professor and playwright-in-residence at the University of Texas, Arlington, where she teaches film studies and playwriting. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and she's also a screenwriter and award-winning playwright. Seraphina has traveled the world using theatre and film as a teaching tool, living in South Africa, Guam and Kenya as a volunteer teacher, AIDS relief worker, and documentary filmmaker.

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @SeraphinaNova

Facebook: Seraphina Nova Glass: Author

Goodreads

Review: Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

 

Published by: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: August 3, 2021

Synopsis

The Cold Creek Highway stretches close to five hundred miles through British Columbia’s rugged wilderness to the west coast. Isolated and vast, it has become a prime hunting ground for predators. For decades, young women traveling the road have gone missing. Motorists and hitchhikers, those passing through or living in one of the small towns scattered along the region, have fallen prey time and again. And no killer or abductor who has stalked the highway has ever been brought to justice.

Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home. Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. Overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date, Hailey vanishes into the mountainous terrain, hoping everyone will believe she’s left town. Rumors spread that she was taken by the highway killer—who’s claimed another victim over the summer.

One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek, where her sister Amber lived—and where she was murdered. Estranged from her parents and seeking closure, Beth takes a waitressing job at the local diner, just as Amber did, desperate to understand what happened to her and why. But Beth’s search for answers puts a target on her back—and threatens to reveal the truth behind Hailey’s disappearance…

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What I thought about Dark Roads

 

A serial killer is stalking girls in the small town of Cold Creek. Dark Roads tells the tale of what's going on and the victims living in this creepy little town. In many respects, this book is a sad one, although I did think it ended on a hopeful note. 

With a book like this I don't like to say much about the details beyond the synopsis, since I don't want to spoil.  The story is told in three parts -- the first part is Hailey's story. She becomes suspicious of someone close to her and has to take some desperate measures. I found her to be a very unique and interesting character, especially how she's chosen to live her life.  She does take some seriously scary actions and I was emotionally invested in her outcome. 

This first part generated a very nice level of suspense and tension that hooked me on this story.  Nicely done.

 

The second part is Beth's story. She arrives in Cold Creek to investigate the death of her sister Amber, who had been a close friend of Hailey's.  Her plan is to walk in Amber's shoes, and all I wanted to do in this section was scream over all the decisions she made. This part was a bit slower, and not as atmospheric as the first part, but I still couldn't put this down. I needed to know the identity of the serial killer.

  

There are some romantic moments in both parts that helped with the dark subject matter and left me wanting to know more about Jonny Miller.

Part three involves some head hopping between multiple points of view that gives the reader a wider angle view of what's happening in Cold Creek.  More possibilities for the serial killer are revealed. I was able to guess what was going on before the biggest reveals in the story.  

 

Dark Roads kept me turning the pages until the end even though there were some parts I moved through quickly (ie. skimmed).  There were some unbelievable moments as well that I didn't think too hard about, so overall, Dark Roads is worth your reading time if you like a crime drama with lots of atmosphere and tension.  I particularly liked the ending and the decisions the main characters make in this story.  Chevy Stevens is a new-to-me author that I will be looking for in the future. 

 

Thank you St. Martins Press for a complementary review copy. 

 

 

About the Author

 

CHEVY STEVENS grew up on a ranch on Vancouver Island and she still lives on the island with her husband and daughter. For most of her adult life she worked in sales, first as a rep for a giftware company and then as a Realtor. While holding an open house one afternoon, she had a terrifying idea that became the inspiration for Still Missing. Chevy eventually sold her house and left real estate so she could finish the book. Still Missing went on to become a New York Times bestseller and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel.

When Chevy isn’t working on her next book, she’s hiking with her two dogs on her favorite mountain trails and spending time with her family. Chevy’s current obsessions are vintage airstreams, all things mid-century modern, Hollywood memoirs, and stand-up comedians–not necessarily in that order. Her books, including Those Girls , which Stephen King called “incredibly scary,” have been published in more than thirty countries and optioned for film. Her seventh novel, Dark Roads, will be released summer 2021.

 

Happy Release Day in The World of True North: Studfinder by L.B. Dunbar + Firefly by Krystyna Allyn + Wildflower by Mae Wood

 

Studfinder - L.B. Dunbar 

Who does that sexy silver fox think he is, sitting in her spot in the Busy Bean Cafe?

Over forty, with zero filter, Rita Kaplan loves her coffee, her hiking boots, and her law practice. Life hasn’t always been carefree, though, and Rita’s past holds the scars of poor decisions after deep loss. She survived, though, and no smirky silver fox is going to get in the way of her happiness. Even if he knows how to use his drill, screwdriver, and every other tool in his box to tempt her . . .

Former arson investigator Jake Drummond could add ex-con to his resume if he had one. Instead, he’s serving the final year of his sentence on probation. This involves mandatory AA meetings, hosted by a feisty local attorney, and working on a renovation project, supervised by the same annoyingly attractive whirlwind, who also believes she owns the exclusive rights to a comfy couch in his new favorite coffee shop. Soon she’s everywhere, including the few places she shouldn’t be--like in his bed and in his heart. 

Can opposites lower their walls and construct something everlasting . . . or will their connected past lead to demolition for two hearts in need of a rebuild?

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What I thought about Studfinder

Rita Kaplan doesn't care much for the handsome man who seems to have taken her special spot to sit in the Busy Bean. He gets under her skin, and she might like more. Jake Drummond likes getting under her skin, and it isn't long before these enemies turn into so much more. But all of their chemistry and budding relationship could be for nothing when Jake and Rita find out where their past has intersected. it's a serious situation.

 

I loved this story. The writing is terrific and keeps the story moving forward, the romance is nicely developed and reactions are tempered with the wisdom of age and experience. Studfinder was a terrific reading experience for this reader.  

 

I was absolutely thrilled to get a story about Rita Kaplan, AA sponsor and May Shipley's partner in law and Studfinder was absolutely perfect!

Wildflower - Mae Wood

 

 Release Date: August 2, 2021

When the prize is love, sometimes you get stung. But if you’re lucky, you just might hit the sweet spot…  

Juliana Burton needs a medal at Speakeasy's beer festival to push her brand-new, woman-owned brewery into the spotlight. She thinks she knows just how to do it, too--with a beer made exclusively from Vermont ingredients. Hops, check. Barley, check. But what she really needs is the best honey in the state. Too bad the only thing standing in her way is six feet tall, smokin’ sexy, and her secret high school crush.

After a very public disaster in Boston, Riggs Lyon is home with his teenage son in tow.  Riggs is taking over the family beekeeping business with an eye to offload it and start life over somewhere where "Lyin' Lyon" isn't a joke. Selling honey to Juliana doesn't make business sense. She can't afford the high prices Lyon honey fetches in specialty shops and farmer's markets. But somehow, he’s having trouble saying no to anything she asks him for, whether it’s in the hive or in the bedroom.

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What I thought about Wildflower

Juliana is focused on the success of her woman-owned brewery and really doesn't have time for Riggs Lyon, her old high school crush of thirty years ago.  But old feelings die hard, and she could really use his business expertise, so off they go.  

There are no big surprises here, but I did like the women-as-business-owner aspect of this story.  I also liked the our H/h are both older and have experiences life's ups and downs as it makes for a more relatable characters. I thought Riggs' return to small town life was well done.  I thought Juliana and Riggs fit well together in this second-chance romance.

 

Overall, an entertaining romance in the Speakeasy world of True North.

 

Firefly - Krystyna Allyn

 

Release Date: August 2, 2021

It’s my last night in New York. And the woman of my dreams is three feet away, expertly twirling a bottle of vodka behind the bar and making the perfect pour. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as Melody, with her enigmatic eyes and a gorgeous smile. All I have to do is introduce myself. And then... 

I choke. And my chance for something--anything--with her is gone. 

Months later, I think I’m dreaming when I see her doing bartender tricks here in Vermont. Now all I can think about is having those long, beautiful, fingers performing their magic on my body. 

But I’m pretty sure she’s hiding something. It’s painfully obvious she’s keeping me at arm’s length just when I need to hold her close. She brings out my protective instincts, but I’ve got problems of my own. If I’m not careful, I’ll destroy everything I’m trying to build.

Losing her again might break me this time, because now I can’t imagine life without the light of my Firefly.

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 What I thought about Firefly

 

Mel and Trevor meet one night in Brooklyn and when Trevor doesn't think it could go anywhere because he's returning to Vermont, he walks away.  When Mel has to go on the run, she just happens to pick the same Vermont town where Trevor now lives.  Small world at work! 

 

It takes a while, but Trevor woos Mel into dating him, and all might work out for them until unresolved issues from the past make an appearance and threatens their relationship.

 

The conflicts here have the potential to be large and not easy to resolve, but Firefly chooses to resolve them very quickly.  Bot characters were so secretive about themselves and their situations, I didn't really feel like I connected with them and for that reason, I'm giving Firefly 3 and 1/2 stars.