After reading Darby Kane’s debut mystery/thriller, PRETTY LITTLE WIFE, last year, she immediately became an auto-read for me. I knew I’d be picking up her next release before it was even announced. In THE REPLACEMENT WIFE, Elisa Wright stumbles across some items that make her suspect her brother-in-law, Josh, of having something to do with his girlfriend’s disappearance. Josh’s girlfriend, Abby, was a friend of Elisa’s, and Elisa was not going to let this go. But she learns way more than she bargained for, discovering that Josh has a lot of skeletons in his closet. Elisa’s life has been in a tailspin since she was part of a workplace shooting. Anxiety has plagued her, and she’s starting to doubt her own mind. When she begins to feel like she’s being gaslit, she isn’t sure if she really is or if it’s her anxiety working against her.

THE REPLACEMENT WIFE was told from two points of view: Elisa’s, and a mystery person that gives you glimpses into the mind of a psychopath. Elisa’s husband, Harris, is very protective of Josh, and he’s not as quick to believe the brother he raised could do something so horrific. When Josh introduces the new woman in his life to Elisa, she feels control slipping away. Will Josh also hurt Rachel? I have to say, the family dynamics in this book were so awkward. It was reminiscent of the dynamics in PRETTY LITTLE WIFE, and I loved it! It added to the atmosphere of the book and gave it a tone I haven’t felt before. Josh and Rachel stop by at the most inconvenient times (and all the time,) and Josh’s relationship with her son is starting to make Elisa uncomfortable. But when her husband doesn’t believe anything Elisa is telling him, she can’t help but wonder if he’s right.

As I mentioned, I enjoyed the tone of this book. It had an awkwardness that just won me right over. There were many secondary characters who played important and unique parts throughout this story. I particularly liked the detective who was a strong force in helping give Elisa some of her confidence back. I also enjoyed seeing her balance the challenges of being a mother with her anxiety and what was going on with Josh. I will say, the resolution of one of the issues was a bit lacking for me. It felt really anti-climactic, and I was hoping for more drama. But I was satisfied with the way another aspect of the story wrapped up, and I liked how Elisa found her voice throughout this novel and started standing up for herself.

Overall, I thought this was a solid thriller. If you’re a fan of Pretty Little Wife, you’ll also enjoy THE REPLACEMENT WIFE.