The Wife Before is a quintessential domestic thriller, told from the point of view a young woman who is trying to find out more about the mysterious circumstances of her husband's first wife's death, and whether or not he had something to do with it. The novel also contains journals written by the late wife, adding an unreliable narrator to the story, which always makes for an intriguing read.

I found some of the dialogue to be a little stiff, for example "His eyes were distant, looking past me at the end of the aisle, as if deep in thought". I think if there had been more focus on scene setting and detailed descriptions of the actions of the characters the novel would have been a lot more engaging to read, as the storyline itself was quite good.

I was also disappointed by part of the plot which revolved around the rape of a 15 year-old girl. In my opinion, the author presented the victim as somewhat responsible for her own rape, and for part of the novel left the guilt of the perpetrator open to interpretation.

While I was excited to read this novel, and enjoyed the premise and inclusion of the late wife's journals, I would overall not recommend it. I wish there had been more character development, particularly with regards to the husband, who has a largely minor role in the novel despite the plot revolving around him.