Two Dead Wives - Adele Parks

 Two Dead Wives - Adele Parks

Pub. Date.  Dec. 26, 2023

She read

When Kylie Gillingham is murdered, it is discovered that she is a bigamist.  Married to a landscaper with two sons, she is also married to a wealthy, handsome professional.  Suspicion always falls on the husband, but which one?  It is up to DCI Clements and her partner to solve the crime. Complicating matters is that this takes place during the pandemic with all its lock down regulations.

Meanwhile, Stacie Jones is back home with her devoted father after having lived in Paris. Cancer treatment has left her with amnesia and she is trying to claw back some memories.  

Told from various POVs, I chose this book not knowing that it was actually a sequel. Woman Last Seen by Parks is the first in the duology, apparently with an ambiguous conclusion that this book resolves.  I also thought this was primarily a police procedural.  While the reader does meet Clements, chapters featuring her are limited.  Rather, the focus is more on Stacie and, at times, Fiona, Kylie’s best friend who steps up to fill her shoes with her landscaper husband and children.  Much time is spent on Stacie’s thoughts and consternation about her present condition. 

I thought the plot and some of the action a bit over the top, but perhaps if I had read the first book, some of it might have made more sense and I would have enjoyed it more.  There was a lot of personal reflection on everyone’s part.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likable.  

Thanks to #netgalley and @htpbooks for the ARC.

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