I went into this book thinking this was a domestic thriller kind of in the league of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window or so many other similar books. But His Perfect Wife surprised me (in a good way) with some of the themes in the book.
About the Book
Before she disappeared, Alexandra Southwood lived an average, happy life: devoted to her wonderful husband, Marc, and caring for her two beautiful daughters. But now, held in a room against her will, Alexandra is forced to think about all she’s lost, and imagine how Marc and her daughters are coping in the wake of her disappearance. And as she envisions Marc’s distress, she can’t help but remember their courtship, their marriage–all that he saved her from and all that they’ve built together.
Marc’s pain is visceral. He thinks of nothing but her. Even when the police discover Alexandra’s bloody belongings by the river, turning their missing-persons case into a murder investigation, he cannot accept that she is lost to him. He shifts from total despair to frantic action, embarking on his own journey through the dark maze of secrets she kept and passions he never understood. Following a trail that leads him to find answers to questions he never meant to ask, he’s forced to confront how frighteningly little he’s grasped about the woman he loves.
My Review
This is not a hard-core thriller. It’s a book that uses the hoary old Gone Girl style plot device of a missing woman. However, it uses that premise to discuss feminist issues – the role of women in the house and in the workplace, the invisible work that women do. And how it is never really possible to have it all, even in these enlightened times.
I also liked how the author connected the mystery of the missing woman to performance art. This is not an art form I am familiar with, and it was interesting to learn about so many varied types of artists and the weird things they did that constituted art. Also, some of the artists and art works she talked about are actual pieces, and it was quite interesting looking them up on the web.
That said, the story as such is pretty predictable. Within the first 50 pages, I had a fairly clear idea where the story was going. I hoped there would be some twists and turns but this isn’t that sort of a book.
I saw quite a few mixed reviews for this book on the internet. And I think it’s probably because it’s not as thrilling as it’s advertised. That said, I really did appreciate this book for its unusual take on the standard domestic thriller genre, and (bit of a spoiler here) loved how the dynamics of the couple’s relationship played out. A nice, quick read, with a little something more that made me think.
Overall, enjoyable.
