The Jealous Wife

Author: James Caine

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 323

Other books: The Patient's List, The Family Cabin

Star Rating: 3.8 = Good

Kelly, a recent widow of her high school sweetheart, Ryan, watches as her new neighbors move in next door but she already knows who they are. She can’t wait until her long time plan starts to play out and it begins with her new neighbors. Soon to be parents, Jameson and Nora moved back into their hometown, Muskoka Canada. They are excited to start a family and settle down in the town they have close to their hearts and family.

The day they move in, Nora spots her new beautiful neighbor. Jealous at first of her looks, she recognizes her. Could it be Kelly from High School? As she is running closer to her, memories start to fade back. High school, friends, boyfriends, BETH. Nora knew that moving back to her hometown would be hard considering her best friends, Beth, death happened here. She never would have thought that it would be this hard considering the one person she couldn’t stand in high school would be her next door neighbor.

Nora tries to keep her self busy with the new home and decorating but seeing Kelly in and out of her neighborhood irritates her. Not only is she in shape and beautiful but she has been coming over more often then Nora would like.

Kelly starts obsessing over Nora and her family, handsome husband, new baby, beautiful home, why can’t she have her life? More to that, why does she deserve all this? Wanting to get to the bottom of her plan, Kelly starts inviting herself over to get the information she needs. As she is constantly thinking about her old high school buddy, her life is now consumed over this. How can this be healthy?

Is Kelly coming over to steal Nora’s husband? Was she in her bedroom when she was sleeping? Is this Nora being over paranoid because of her past trauma or is it pregnancy going to her brain? Did she make the right choice moving back here?

In high school, Nora and Beth were best friends and Kelly and Beth were friends but something about Kelly, rubbed Nora the wrong way. As high school played out Kelly and Nora were never on good terms and when Beth had a tragic death, it hurt the town and her friends with deep emotions. Now that it’s been years since high school can Nora and Kelly reconcile? Are there too many memories in this town that won’t allow Nora to move from the past? What is Kelly’s plan?

Good and fast read. I throughly enjoyed the book because it hit me differently than most mystery thrillers. I loved that the author went back and fourth between the two woman and how they were dealing with their own issues. Nora was jealous of Kelly because she was thin, beautiful, single, large home and Kelly was jealous of Nora because she had a handsome husband, new family and support system. It reminds me that we (especially women) compare our lives to others all the time. We might think that our friends or insta friends are having a perfect life going on vacations, living a ravish life but we don’t know what really is happening day to day. We don’t think of their internal issues, family issues, how hard they work etc. we just see the good or only the “good” photos are posted. This book reminded me when or if I compare myself to others that we all are going though something and to be grateful for what we have. We must be thankful because someone looking in might be wanting our life.

Now moving forward about the book, the mystery was there and kept me turning pages. I think a part two would be a great close for the book. Overall, fun drama we can all relate to.