So, I’ve been out of commission this week thanks to an injury. (Fun times.) Since sitting at my laptop isn’t exactly comfortable, I did what any reader would do—I picked up a book.
Actually… multiple books.
Let’s start with the first one. I won’t even mention the title, because honestly? It’s not worth it.
Now, I’m no stranger to thrillers that dive into dark territory—abusive relationships, toxic dynamics, all of that. It’s a heavy subject, but when done well, it can add depth, tension, and real emotional stakes.
This one? It missed the mark. By a lot.
We’re talking endless chapters of detailed abuse from the husband—told through the perspectives of two different wives. And while I understand the intent, it quickly crossed from impactful… to repetitive… to just plain exhausting. At some point, the story stopped moving.
There was no real buildup. No progression toward revenge, justice, or even a clear turning point. Just more of the same, over and over again.
And look—three chapters at the end? Fantastic. Suspenseful. Finally gripping. But by then, I was less on the edge of my seat and more like, well… I’ve come this far, I might as well finish it.
Was it worth it? Not really. But what else was I doing? I was stuck on the couch, so… here we are.
Then came book number two. And wow.
A Happy Marriage by A.R. Torre
I read this one in a matter of hours—and I mean hours. The kind of reading where you tell yourself “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s been half the day.
This is what a thriller is supposed to feel like. The characters? Complex in the best way. Not just believable—but uncomfortably believable. The kind where you’re constantly shifting your opinions:
Who’s good?
Who’s bad?
Who can I trust?
And maybe the best part? By the end, I found myself liking characters I probably shouldn’t have liked.
That gray area? That moral tension? That’s what keeps a story alive. It didn’t drag. It didn’t repeat itself. It moved. Every chapter gave me something new, something sharper, something that made it impossible to walk away.
Bottom line: if you like suspense that actually suspends you, this one is absolutely worth your time.
OOOH I actually saw that at Target and wanted to look for it at our town library but still haven't yet. Now i gotta! Thanks for the tip! I started a psych thriller a week ago and it was so off putting as a Christ follower (horrible explicit weird S*x scenes) that i Said NOPE. Plus it was SLOW SLOW SLOW. never made it past chapter 2 cause it was just pure yuck. I'm reading a John Grisham one now (The Widow). Haven't read one of his in YEARS!
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