Adele ParksBesprekingen

Thought this was a stand alone-- and it works as such, but apparently there is a book before this one. Picked up from a book exchange shelf.

Suspense

Part of the book description sums the story up fairly well with the questions, "Lost? Missing? Murdered? How do you find a woman who didn’t exist? This book reads like it might be a sequel to an earlier book. Of, course I didn't read the earlier book. If anyone is remotely surprised by that...please raise your hand:) I didn't think so. I did find the earlier book entitled [Woman Last Seen]. Authors should understand that there are people like me and not confuse us with reading in order:) The detectives aren't sure that she has been murdered...there's no body, but they have two likely suspects...the two husbands who were unaware that the other even existed... so there was really no cause for them to even be suspects. They've been able to trace her last whereabouts, but still no Kylie. One of the husbands seemed to have moved on, but the detectives aren’t ready to let him off the hook. Finally, we get to learn why Kylie was living two separate lives. The entire story felt like too much information to absorb with each chapter highlighting a different character producing "information overload" for this reader...but it did begin to provide a solid framework for the story. It began to really advance when we met Stacie Jones, a woman recovering from an illness. There’s something odd about how protective Stacie's father is of her, which will become a significant part of the plot later on. It does have a satisfying conclusion, but I do recommend reading the first book before tackling this one.

Cute chick lit scenario, nothing super fabulous, but a cute fun read about something every girl dreams of.

DCI Clements #2. I did not read #1, but this book reads more like a stand-alone. Clements and the police seemed like secondary characters and I did not feel like I missed anything. One woman recovering from brain cancer, two woman missing, a shocking discovery (or 2), add a helpful friend, a husband charged with murder, two heartbroken kids and you have one crazy ride!

Story is totally far fetched and absolutely fun. At first I found it hard to follow all the characters and scenarios then quickly got into the flow and couldn’t wait to see how things came together. This is like reading a puzzle trying to see how the pieces fit. Some characters are more likable, more deserving of our empathy than others. Ending had a few surprises that weren’t as I expected but totally made sense. Overall, this was a fun escape!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Kylie Gillingham has gone missing and her secret has been exposed. Kylie is married to two different husbands. To one husband she is a trophy wife and to the other she is a devoted stepmother. Then there is Stacie Jones. Stacie has no memory at all. It has been wiped out from surgery. But soon her reclusive life will be destroyed.

This story is a bit slow in places, especially towards the end. So in other words, it seems too long and a bit predictable. I did enjoy the characters. But it can be a bit confusing in places in that it is told from different perspectives.

I have not read the first book in this series. I might have liked this one more if I had.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Most of us have fleetingly thought about this scenario. What would we do if we won the lottery? How would we behave? What if we were in a syndicate? You probably wouldn't keep your cool too well.

Lexi loves her job so much that she has never considered she would stop working, yet for Jake that is the first thing he thinks of. He and the kids go on a spending spree. They plan a huge party, but Lexi keeps thinking about how she can help others. But winning the lottery can bring out the worst in people too, and Lexi just has not envisaged what her husband and her friends will do.

Two Dead Wives by Adele Parks is a highly recommended mystery.

Set during the covid lockdowns in London, DCI Clements and partner Tanner is investigating the case of missing bigamist Kylie Gillingham. She went by Leigh in her marriage to Mark Fletcher and was the mother to the couple’s two sons, Oli and Seb. In her marriage to wealthy Dutch businessman Daan Janssen, she went by the name Kai. Both husbands are suspects, although more attention is on Daan as a case could be made for his guilt. A body hasn't been found so the investigation is ongoing.

During the same time Stacie Jones is recovering from a brain tumor at her father’s house by the sea. She has severe memory loss and few memories from her life. She does have brief flashes of memories of two different men, but has no current context to understand what she is recalling. Her father is a bit of a Luddite, so she has no access to the internet and no cell phone. She does find her environment peaceful and healing even while she wants to remember more.

After what feels like a rather slow start, things begin to pick up later in the narrative. The flow of the novel would have benefited with some editing and tightening up. The lockdown is actually well used in the plot as characters look forward to Freedom Saturday so it didn't immediately elicit my ire while reading, which is a plus. It is pretty elemental to figure out Stacie's connection to the rest of the mystery, so the really compelling part of the story doesn't begin until later in the novel.

The main characters are all portrayed as multifaceted individuals and easily to distinguish from each other. They are all in a precarious situation and are dealing with varying levels of uncertainty, mourning the loss of something, and trying to figure things out and move on.

This is a sequel to the previous novel titled Woman Last Seen, alternately titled Both of You. Two Dead Wives was originally published 8/17/23 first with the title You're the One and then Just Between Us. It appears part of the mystery may be readers having to figure out the title and if they have already read the novel. Personally, I'm not a fan of changing the original title of a novel, especially multiple times for different markets.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/12/two-dead-wives.html

A novel packed with twists and turns and plenty of drama. Kylie has disappeared and shocked the UK by being outed as a bigamist. She had been succesfully living two lives, one with a husband and two children and a second with a rich banker in a penthouse flat. Meanwhile we meet Stacie living by the sea with her father. It is lockdown and, like everyone, they are isolated. The reader knows these lives will be linked but how they are linked is slowly revealed.

This was quite an entertaining domestic thriller with lots of twists and turns.

Dora is an escort and is quite pragmatic about her job and her life. Her exposure to luxury has always created a longing within her soul, but her hopes and dreams have been dashed by a series of bad choices and horrible luck. Earning a living the way she has done affected her outlook on the future but changing anything seems daunting. Until she’s beaten badly while servicing a client. Despite everything, it seems that someone does love her and it’s time to give it all up for wedded bliss. But first, she has accepted one last call to pose as the girlfriend of a long time client. No spoilers.

This was fast and fun and easy to read in a single setting as I had a hard time putting it down. I actually liked the narrator, Dora, with alol her inner musings. Sure, some of the crazy stuff that happens in France seemed to stretch my credulity but I just went with it. The climax was a bit surprising and yes, I did hope it would all turn out OK for Dora.

I’ve not read any other books by this author, but I definitely liked the writing style and the careful plotting. I’ll look for additional titles in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mira for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. Keep in mind that this book is about escorts, AKA prostitutes, and that lifestyle.

I was hooked from the very beginning with this book by Adele Parks. It’s a domestic thriller that does include a subject that might be too taboo for many.
However, if you know me…I thrive on thrillers that are filled with disturbing taboo subjects and if you need to put TW I’m all about it

Easily the most boring chick-lit book I have ever read. Oftentimes they can be fun especially British ones but this was awful. Four non like able women sitting around talking. Blah blah blah. Endless, meaningless detail. Just a really boring book, and that was the first 100 pages, I couldn't bother with the rest.

That was twice as long as it needed to be and significantly less exciting.

Dora’s life has not gone according to plan. Once, she was young and naïve, studying to be an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She believed having been given a place at the prestigious school “was the beginning of everything. Everything marvelous and possible and wild.” Then she met a handsome, charming, older man who swept her off her feet. But their big romance turned into a quintessential tale of heartbreak and abandoned dreams. There was no divorce in progress, as he initially represented, and too late Dora figured out that she was nothing more to him than a dalliance. When things became too inconvenient and complicated for him, he threw money at the problem and abandoned her. Blindsided, the consequences of their affair upended Dora’s life. She was forced to drop out of school and struggled to earn a living without the benefit of a degree or meaningful work experience. For a time, a good friend assisted her, but when he moved on, she had no choice but to reach out to her mother, from whom she had hidden her true circumstances. Her mother was disappointed, but willingly came to Dora’s aid, agreeing to move in and help Dora manage her life and responsibilities. She asked few questions because when she did, Dora evaded them.

However, to make ends meet, Dora became an escort, a dangerous avocation she had to conceal from her mother. She was able to fool her mother for a time about where she was really working, fabricating a promotion to the position of manager to explain the amount of money she was earning and the material things she was able to provide, including a move to a more spacious apartment. She always changed into jeans and tennis shoes before returning home.

But one evening, an emergency arose, and her mother needed to reach her immediately. Frantic to get in touch with Dora, she called the pub where Dora allegedly worked, but learned that not only was she not the manager, but she also hadn’t even worked there for some time. Desperate, she searched Dora’s laptop for the address of her employer, and was shocked and dismayed by the photos she found stored there that Dora emailed to a woman named Elspeth, her “agent.” She was puzzled by the stash of cash tips hidden in Dora’s closet, and taken aback when Dora comes home from work in a short, strapless cocktail dress. Dora’s mother announces she is leaving, taking with her the one thing most precious to Dora, who realizes that fighting her mother’s decision would be a mistake.

Now thirty-one years old, Dora is still working with Elspeth and has formed a close friendship with her neighbor, Evan, a twenty-seven-year-old trust fund baby she met four years ago. Evan will eventually inherit a fortune from his father, who owns an international property and land management company. “He is my best friend and he hates what I do, but he loves me,” Dora explains in her first-person narrative. But she has returned from a job beaten, bruised, and shaken. The client was not a regular, and as he assaulted her, he said, “You disgust me. Stop what you are doing. Stop it now. Or next time will be worse. Next time will be the last time.”

Dora and Evan are extremely close, but have never been romantically involved, even though Dora is well aware that Evan is in love with her and she sees him as the most “sympathetic, humane being” she has even known. Evan experiences extreme mood swings, and Dora has stood by and supported him in his fight with drug addiction. He has dated many women, but never sustained a relationship. Dora knows he needs a certain kind of woman by his side. The kind “who can drop everything at a moment’s notice to pack her Fendi sunglasses and a Chanel bikini and hop on a plane to the Caribbean if the mood takes him. Career women can’t do that.”

Dora is at first sure Evan is joking when he tells her they should marry. “I see his problem. I can also see how he might have concluded I’m the solution.” Still, the idea appeals to her because she cares deeply for him, he will cherish her, and, most importantly, marriage to Evan will ensure that she can leave her dangerous work behind, financially secure. Perhaps she will be able to reclaim the one thing that means the most to her. The idea is especially enticing after her recent terrifying experience, so Dora accepts Evan’s proposal, and they formulate a plan to introduce her to his family. They embark on their newly negotiated romantic relationship, which Dora finds pleasing, and she promises Evan she is permanently out of the escort business.

Except with Evan out of town on business, she sees no harm in accepting one last assignment. A regular client, Daniel, asks her to do one final favor for him. He wants her to accompany him to a chateau in the south of France to celebrate a friend having been made a partner in a law firm. It will only be from Friday to Monday, and they will be pretending that she is Daniel’s girlfriend because all of Daniel’s friends will be attending with their partners. Daniel has always been “a pussycat,” he will pay her handsomely, and it will be a strictly platonic weekend so she will not break her promise to Evan. It should be an easy weekend for Dora in luxurious surroundings. After all, she explains, she reinvents herself every time she embarks on a new assignment, becoming the woman her client is paying for her to be. “I am anyone I want to be. I am no one at all,” she relates.

Dora has no idea that she is walking into a trap. But she quickly realizes that nothing is as Daniel promised, and something is off about the entire setup. His friends are a decidedly eccentric group, and she immediately becomes the target of suspicion, accusations, outright gaslighting. She recognizes one of Daniel’s friends, Jonathan, as the client who beat and threatened her, but futilely tries to convince herself that she is wrong since she never saw the client’s face. Her confidence is shaken, and she wonders if it is because her “life is finally coming together, and I can hardly believe it. I don’t trust my own luck.” Eventually, though, she realizes she is in danger and accepting Daniel’s invitation was a grave mistake. But why is she being targeted? And who is really behind the nefarious charade? The revelation of one last secret could claim not just her future with Evan, but her life.

Through Dora, author Adele Parks explores gender and socioeconomic disparities, as well as greed and power in an inventive and tautly crafted tale about revenge and retribution. Dora is an endearing, sympathetic, and pragmatic protagonist who unsparingly details what her life as an escort is like, offering stark observations about the similarities between the trade-offs made by ordinary women in their dealings with men and those required of prostitutes. She acknowledges the mistakes she has made in her life, and explains both her struggle and desire to disengage from the life she has created for herself despite the enormous losses she has suffered. She is a survivor who acknowledges the codependent nature of her relationship with Evan, but it is based on genuine affection and earnestness, and she is determined that her “hooker with a heart” story will have a happy ending worthy of Hollywood. Are her motives really that simple? Or is she more calculating than her explanations suggest? Parks expertly keeps readers guessing and surrounds Dora with equally interesting supporting characters, especially Evan. He is self-aware. He knows he is a hapless, spoiled, and indulged trust fund baby who has never had to work to earn anything, but is intent on freeing Dora from her treacherous lifestyle. He proves that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to protect the woman he loves. Would he be as eager to rescue her if he knew the whole truth?

One Last Secret is a darkly absorbing and fast-paced story, with the fascinating and multi-layered Dora at the center of an imaginative mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.

Melanie is married with 3 children. Her first child, Liam, was the result of a one-night stand when she was in college, and until she met Ben, she raised him on her own. Now, Liam is getting ready to turn 18. Abi, Melanie's best friend in college, is getting a divorce, and has told Melanie she is coming to UK. Melanie invites her to stay with them. Sadly, Abi becomes more entrenched in their family, doing things that are inappropriate. Ben begs Melanie to ask Abi to leave, but Melanie feels that she can't. Abi reminds her of the life she gave up when she decided to leave school and have her child. However, she can't imagine what Abi would do to Melanie's family.
Twisty and interesting.

There were some interesting twists in this book. I like how the book wrapped up and explained everything that happened. I hated Jake from the moment they win the lottery and I loved Lexie, she is so level headed about the win and tries to make all the right decisions, but Jake, ugh. Overall, the book moves at a quick pace and the twists and turns keep you invested.

One Last Secret by Adele Parks is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Dora, a high end escort in London, is careful about the jobs she takes but after a client badly beats her up and she needs recovery time her only friend, Evan, begs her to leave the business and marry him. She accepts and the two appear to be ready to happily settle into a life together, but then Evan is out of town and an old client, Daniel, begs her to accept one last job. The job requires her to travel to the south of France to a luxurious chateau and pretend to be his girlfriend for double her usual rate. She accepts and quickly discovers it was a mistake.

In the opening of the novel as Dora is introducing herself to us and explaining her job as a sex worker it becomes clear that she keeps details about her personal life very private and also that she has a secret. She is an honest character, but not necessarily a likable character. When she is offered the one last job and says yes, even though she no longer needs the money since Evan is rich and gives to her generously, it is, perhaps, the clearest insight into her psyche. It should have been an easy thing to say no to, especially after just recovering from being beaten by a client.

Told through Dora's first person account, the narrative does hold your attention throughout, like a scandalous celebrity story full of a series of incredibly poor choices. Once she is in France most readers will be telling her to turn around and leave right from the start because it is clear that more is going on than we are privy too - yet. There are plenty of twists and a few shocking revelations to grab and hold your attention even while you have to set disbelief aside.

Once the story moves to France, the pace begins to pick up before taking off at a gallop. The big twists and turns begin to start here and only grow in magnitude up to the shocking ending. Although some readers haven't appreciated the narrative jump back in time that explains Dora's secret and what lead her to the escort business, I thought it added a depth that made some of her present day choices easier to understand.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books via Edelweiss.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/12/one-last-secret.html

This is my first Adele Parks and I am blown away. At the start, I was wondering where the long intro is heading to. Honestly, I did not expect to read a never-ending detail of how this lady became an escort. All the details started to make me lose interest, but I persevered and continued. It sure was worth it as the story progressed with unexpected twists and turns!

Teodora is the aforementioned escort and it started with how she came into this escort business, what she had suffered and endured, how she became so well-trained and making good money. However, as it progresses, she started to lose control and was set-up to lose everything. When her best friend, Evan, proposed to her, I did think that the culprit could be him. However, the story changed and turned back time to way before... when she got pregnant... definitely a curve ball. More mystery ensued and more headaches for me as I tried to grasp it all! A rollercoaster ride indeed with that sinister ending and then the epilogue... another dramatic twist which could lead to book 2!

Oh wow... this is one helluva book! I truly applaud the author; she sure has such a vengeful imagination! The vividness of it all was so surreal with one secret led to another secret and then another! I did enjoy it overall but there was only one setback for me as I got confused... it's good to have an indicator when the chapter starts going back time or onto another person's POV. Maybe I didn't notice it as I am reading it on my old Kobo Touch without backlight and with small fonts. Other than that, thanks to Edelweiss and the publishers for this chance to read an entertaining novel!

3 couples play the lottery as a syndicate each week. When their numbers hit, after the couples have had a falling out, there is resentment towards the one couple that purchased the winning ticket. Lexi and Jake were the poorest couple in the bunch, but now they are the wealthiest. However, there is a lot of resentment between the couples and there is also something more sinister.
Jake loves the newfound wealth, but Lexi is more cautious, and wants to do more important things with their money. She is inspired by Toma, an immigrant who lost his wife and son to carbon monoxide poisoning due to shoddy living conditions in slumlord housing.
When Jake and Lexi's family has a tragedy, their world is completely torn apart.
This is a story of how greed and envy can destroy people.

Make sure to read this book to the end because it is worth it. This is a wonderful psychological thriller. I was enjoying the first third of the book and then I loved the last two thirds. All of a sudden there were plot twists and I was not sure who might have taken this woman and what they might do to her. I had a hard time putting the book down because I had to see who and why this person was doing what they were doing. This was a great web of deceit. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Much like her last novel, Just My Luck, Adele Parks latest novel, Woman Last Seen, has twists and turns that the reader may not see coming, even if she is an experienced domestic suspense novel reader.

Leigh is a young woman who sees a handsome man with his young sons at a park. When the younger son falls off a slide, Leigh rushes to his aid when it appears the father is unable to render help. Leigh accompanies the family to the hospital and soon she and Mark, the father, begin dating.

Flash forward, Leigh and Mark have been married for years, and Leigh is a loving stepmum to the two boys. She works out of town three days a week, returning for four days to care for her family. They have a comfortable, happy family life until the older son, Oli, has become surly and angry with Leigh. Is it just typical teenage behavior or something more?

After Mark and Leigh have a fight, she heads off out of town for work. When she doesn't return on Thursday, and the family can't reach her by phone, they call the police. DCI Clements and her eager partner come to investigate, but get nowhere.

Soon another man, a wealthy Dutch businessman living in London, calls the police to say that his wife Kai has disappeared. DCI Clements handles this case as well, and begins to believe that there may be a connection with Leigh's disappearance, although her boss thinks both women just ran away from their lives, and tells Clements not to waste any more time.

The reader is drawn into this mystery of the two missing women- is there a connection? Both women have secrets they are keeping from the their husbands- is that the connection? The police usually suspect the husband, did either of these men have anything to do with their missing wives either separately or together?

As the story unfolds, there are several red herrings, and the reader will try and put the pieces together even after a big twist in the middle of the story, and a surprise ending that some may find jarring. If you're a fan of the shows on the ID Channel, or a dedicated Dateline watcher, Woman Last Seen is a page-turner of a novel that you will find irresistable. (Note- contains graphic sex scenes and explicit language.)

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Winter 2022 Winter Reads Blog Tour.

I enjoyed the premise of this read, where are these missing women? We become involved in their lives, and wonder what has happened. I was convinced that one person, and then another was involved.
The author had me quickly looking for answers and enjoying this read, but the ending felt rushed, and
a bit disappointing, no, I didn't suspect, and was surprised! When the last page was turned, I felt like there should be a bit more, and some answers were not forthcoming.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Mira, and was not required to give a positive review.

Lexi, Jake and their two children live a fairly normal life. Their life is about to change as they win seventeen million on the lottery. However there is a snag, two sets of friends were in a syndicate with them until just before the win and they pulled out, but they still want their share.

I've never read anything by Adele Parkes before but thought I would give this one ago. I was quite surprised by the story as I was expecting something a little fluffy but it certainly wasn't.

I enjoyed the majority of this book and following the family as the millions come into their lives. Life goes on so there are other issues surrounding the family too.

However once the story reaches the part where there is a party from then on the story for me loses it's way. There was a nice little touch/twist added but the rest was just silly. I think the story towards the end had too many twists which was totally unnecessary.

The majority of this book for was fine, had its moments and was interesting, the final part was a big let down.

I loved this book
Review to come tomorrow I’m tired

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