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Kathryn Croft
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The Lying Wife: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller Kindle Edition

by Kathryn Croft (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 9,135 ratings
See all formats and editions

Be careful what you wish for…

Callie has known sadness, and sometimes doubted she would ever have the life she wanted. When she meets James, also no stranger to grief, it seems as though her luck has changed. She becomes his wife, and in the process a stepmother to his two sons. Callie has finally got what she always imagined for herself.

But things don’t go to plan for Callie. She tries to get things right, but at every turn she makes mistakes. If she can only show her new family just how much she cares, perhaps everything will be okay. Yet the harder she tries, the more she fails. A split-second decision leads to her spiralling out of control, and there is no way back for Callie.

When the police arrest her for murder, the dark tale of Callie’s shocking fall from grace slowly unfolds. But how much is Callie willing to reveal about the choices she made? If those she cares for the most learn the truth, they will hate her. Will her secrets be her undoing? Or will she tell the truth, no matter the cost?

A compelling psychological thriller with an unforgettable ending from #1 bestseller Kathryn Croft. Perfect for readers who love Sheryl Browne, Alison James and Claire McGowan.

*** Previously published under the title The Stranger Within. ***

What everyone is saying about The Lying Wife

‘A story full of twists and turns. This is an amazing thriller that will keep you engrossed until the last page.’ NetGalley review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Awesome read’ NetGalley review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Wow. A roller coaster of emotions and twists and turns. … Bloody brilliant!’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘FREAKING AWESOME BOOK! Ms Croft had me hooked on page 1. I couldn't stop reading! A hell of a good read.’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘The story itself is excellent and the plot twist at the end... wow, just wow! I did not see that coming. … It's so well-written and because of that twist, it's one of those books that requires a re-read, which I am going to do!’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘WOW! Totally unexpected! This story is not your average family drama or psychological thriller… It's a fabulous novel with characters so well defined and developed that you feel they are real.’ Goodreads review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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  1. Print length
    303 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Canelo
  5. Publication date
    February 24, 2022
  6. File size
    3413 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kathryn is the bestselling author of seven psychological thrillers and to date she has sold over one million copies of her books. Her third book, The Girl With No Past spent over four weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart, and she has also appeared on the Wall Street Journal's bestsellers list.
With publishing deals in thirteen different countries, Kathryn writes full time and is now hard at work on her eighth book.
After twelve years living in London, she now lives in Guildford, Surrey, the place she grew up, with her husband, their little boy, baby daughter and two crazy cats.
www.kathryncroft.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09J7M62LN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Canelo (February 24, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 24, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3413 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 303 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 9,135 ratings

About the author

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Kathryn Croft

Kathryn Croft

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Kathryn is the bestselling author of thirteen psychological thrillers and to date she has sold over one and a half million copies of her books. Her third book, The Girl With No Past spent over four weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart, and she has also appeared on the Wall Street Journal's bestsellers list.

With publishing deals in sixteen different countries, Kathryn's next book will be published in July 2024.

After twelve years living in London, she now lives in Guildford, Surrey, the place she grew up, with her husband, two children and two crazy cats.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
9,135 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

DDixon
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Compelling Book!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
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This book latched on to me and wouldn’t let go until the very end. It had so many dark secrets, twists and turns and suspense. It had my heart racing and jaw dropping. The ending was explosive and totally unexpected.
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AmazonCustomer
4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining - a fun read
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2023
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Engaging story. Good fast fun summer read. Kept me guessing until the end. Would read other books by this author.
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Doreen Elixman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2019
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Callie Harwell wants so badly to be a mother to Dillon and Luke, her husband’s children. She married James almost a year ago but she still cant seem to get along with them...it’s just been hard for the children to adjust. James had been married to Lauren who’d died three years ago and when he married Callie, she just moved into the house that he’d lived in with Lauren. He works at his photography studio with Tabitha which makes Callie a bit jealous but James still comes home to her every night so she tries not to let it get to her too much. Her home studies and taking care of the children and her father keep her quite busy.

But her mind starts to wander at times, maybe she should’ve told James about her father. Just because her father is ill doesn’t mean that James wouldn’t accept him or help her with his care. Not only that, but James’ hours at the studio seem to be a lot more now than they were before they got married and Tabitha sure likes being affectionate towards her boss...

This psychological thriller kept me reading til all hours of the night! I had to force myself to stop reading telling myself ‘I can read more tomorrow, first thing!’...jeez! I know I read this before but once I got into it I had to keep going, I couldn’t remember ‘the twist’. Nor did I leave a review. So now I am.
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Ro Rosen
3.0 out of 5 stars but I was a bit disappointed. I thought it was going to be a ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2016
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It was an interesting read, but I was a bit disappointed. I thought it was going to be a psychological thriller, but it was not. But what bothered me most was that this character allowed herself to be abused by everyone in her life, from her stepsons to her husband's secretary to that awful old woman next door. It was really beginning to grate on my nerves the way she tolerated that kind of abuse just to hold her marriage together. Love has its limits. The ending was interesting and the author writes well but I really was disappointed. This is the second Croft book that I've read and I like her writing - so it's really a mixed bag.
6 people found this helpful
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Amanda
4.0 out of 5 stars Played out like a movie in my imagination...
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2017
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I liked this book but not as much as the other two I have read by Kathryn Croft. The story line was good and as always the ending has the big disclosing twist but this one didn't have the suspense the other two had. I happen to love how she writes so I am a fan in general. I LOVED "The Girl With No Past" and "The Girl You Lost". This one is still hard to put down and makes you NEED to know whats going to happen but unlike the other two I found this one to be predictable. I wish she had an endless collection though! I would read them all.
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Brenda B
5.0 out of 5 stars You won’t know whether to cry tears of sadness or joy!
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2023
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This is the first book I have read from Kathryn Croft. At first I wasn’t convinced I would read another but, I am certainly sure now! I originally felt uninspired about the story line; another heart ache for a step mom but, as I continued to read, the hook just reached out and pulled me in! I never in a million years saw this conclusion coming. Oh what a tangled web we weave! I had to decide if my tears were from sadness or joy, but now it’s your turn to decide for yourself.
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Missy Shirley
5.0 out of 5 stars A 5 star read!
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2015
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The Stranger Within, by Kathryn Croft and published in 2014 by Bookouture, is dark and twisty (not in the uber sarcastic, self-absorbed Buffy the Vampire Slayer way). This is darker and twistier than even I could have predicted. The chilling details of betrayal, adultery, suspicion are played out in a present/past format that focuses on Callie and her desire to be a parent to her new husband's teenage sons. The lengths she goes to protect her family, ward off the mental illness she feels is taking over her life, and to deal with the petulance and overwhelming hatred from her stepsons is written in such a way that even though she commits the ultimate marital sin, kept me rooting for her. With a heroine who makes every bad decision she could possibly make, it would be easy to turn away this book without reading, but it would be a tragic mistake. This writer, again, threw in a few red herrings, kept me guessing, and astounded me with the big reveal. I could never have guessed and I LOVED that about this book. Definitely a 5 star read.
9 people found this helpful
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Nadine Snyman
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable , Easy read
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2023
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4.2 A perfect quick read for those who love psychosocial thrillers. This os what I call a relaxing holiday read . 👍🏼
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Arvin Dhillon
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Thriller
Reviewed in Canada on March 2, 2022
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This is very good storyline fro Cathryn. Although, I am not comfortable with the main character but can imagine human weaknesses.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2023
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As always Kathryn provides a great read with an unexpected twist
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Kahlua-TheBookWorm
5.0 out of 5 stars A page turner with awesome plot twists
Reviewed in India on April 8, 2018
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Couldnt put this one down except when chores came calling. An amazing book to read and the plot just keeps getting thicker. Loved it. Puts these illnesses into perspective. Unlike bullets listed in DSM IV
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NicShef❤️Reading
5.0 out of 5 stars Intensely disturbing, edge of your seat....
Reviewed in Australia on June 30, 2016
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This is an intensely disturbing tale highlighting the consequences of mental illness and problems associated with marrying a widower with two sons. The story is presented in two time periods. One is the present in which she is being interviewed by police officers while the second relates to the past events that have led to her current situation. This is a book about consequences, with a plot unlike no other I have ever read. It reminds me of watching a train wreck about to happen, in slow motion. It will not appeal to everyone. Yet It is impossible to put down. The narrative kept me on the edge of my seat, worrying about Callie. The gradual disintegration of her life is painful to read. Croft depicts situations that are all too real and gradually leaves the reader uncertain as to where the dividing line between normality and mental illness lies. The twists in the plot keep you guessing right up to the end when the denouement brings the past and the present together in a wonderful and completely unexpected manner. Worth the read but filled with much emotional torment. If you are looking for rainbows, and happily ever after then this book will not be for you.
2 people found this helpful
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Keely
4.0 out of 5 stars An outragous tale, simply written.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2014
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After reading just a few lines I realised this was not going to win any awards for literacy talent. However I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed reading it!

The book begins with Cassie being questioned by the police for murder. The story that leads up to her being there is then retold by Cassie.

Cassie has married James, who she adores, but he has remarried after his first wife and mother of his two teenage sons has died. Cassie unable to have children of her own is in despair as Luke and Dillon refuse to accept their fathers' new wife.

It is a complex and unique tale that has been written simply. It is easy to read and draws you in so you cant put it down.
2 people found this helpful
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