The English Wife

A Novel

By: Lauren Willig

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig comes The English Wife, a scandalous novel set in the Gilded Age full of family secrets, affairs, and even murder.

"Brings to life old world New York City and London with all the splendor of two of my favorite novels, The Age of Innocence and The Crimson Petal and the White. Mystery, murder, mistaken identity, romance--Lauren Willig weaves each strand into a page-turning tapestry."--Sally Koslow, author of The Widow Waltz

"Her best yet...A dark and scintillating tale of betrayal, secrets and a marriage gone wrong that will have readers on the edge of their seats until the final breathtaking twist."--Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale

A Book of the Month club pick!

Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New York: he’s the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor house in England, they had a fairytale romance in London, they have three-year-old twins on whom they dote, and he’s recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson and named it Illyria. Yes, there are rumors that she’s having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors and people will gossip. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball, Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned, and the papers go mad. Bay’s sister, Janie, forms an unlikely alliance with a reporter to try to uncover the truth, convinced that Bay would never have killed his wife, that it must be a third party, but the more she learns about her brother and his wife, the more everything she thought she knew about them starts to unravel. Who were her brother and his wife, really? And why did her brother die with the name George on his lips?

Critic reviews

"With a smooth Mezzo and immaculate intonations Barrie Kreinik’s narration is impeccable, perfectly portraying each and every character and adding special emotional touches where they’re really needed." -TheReadingFrenzy

"The English Wife is atmospheric, romantic and heart-breaking, and I’m glad I opted to listen to it. The enthralling story, coupled with Barrie Kreinik’s outstanding narration, makes it an audiobook I’d definitely recommend to anyone looking to enjoy an intricate, well-constructed and character-driven mystery." -AudioGals

"Willig's audiobook, set in Gilded Age New York and London, is a mix of romance, mystery, and murder. Narrator Barrie Kreinik is a perfect fit for the mix of British and American characters...Kreinik's reading is slow paced, allowing the tension to build as the story unfolds." -AudioFile

Loose ends

I was entertained by the story and characters but it is never explained why the chimney blew up.

really good mystery.

finally, a mystery I did not figure out in the first chapter. This book surprised me til the end.

Left with some missing pieces

Although I enjoyed the time period and the colorful scenes, I have reservations about some of the characters. Clearly the author is well acquainted with Shakespeare and the classics, but her portrayal of the mother was far from subtle and seemed flat. She was never allowed to be anything other than a gorgon, and very unsympathetic. With so many ends left loose, the high drama of fire and young romance seems a bit trite. Why did Lacy leave so quickly when he still needed funds? Obviously the mother had to be removed from the scene for the young and ignored daughter to find herself. A bit trite and predictable but still well written enough to be entertaining.

Another great Willig mystery!

A book you have to follow closely to stay up on what's going on. There's a lot of switching back and forth between a period of 5 years but once you grasp it, it all comes together. Delightfully unpredictable ( except one couple who you knew would end up together) but I was shocked to find out who the murderer actually was in the end. The narration was excellent and portrayed the characters perfectly. Great mystery, tragic at times but gripping and entertaining!

Who can you trust?

This listen kept me fully engaged from start to finish! There are odd relationships, hints of betrayal, murder and possible abduction, family dysfunction and a strong protagonist trying to sort it all out. Definitely, you can count on needing to use your powers of deduction to keep ahead of the storyline on this one!