Thriller

Review: The Secret Wife by Emily Shiner

September 6, 2026

Synopsis:

What happens when the perfect family trip becomes the perfect nightmare?

Cara is a devoted mother to two little girls. She loves her hectic life, but she looks forward to a relaxing weekend alone while her husband, Michael, takes the kids on a camping trip.

But their dream trip turns into a nightmare when their daughters are taken, deep in the forest.

One is returned safe. But one is still missing.

As Cara and Michael frantically search for their little girl it becomes clear that this is no random abduction – her disappearance is linked to shocking secrets which are only now being revealed.

And Cara begins to wonder how well she really knows her husband. Is the stress making her paranoid? Or is she finally seeing him as he really is?

Time is running out. How far will Cara go to find her daughter?

Review:

It became clear early on that this would not be your average camping trip. That’s an opening that immediately sets the tone and had me eager to find out what really happened.

Cara is looking forward to a weekend of me time, with her husband and their two daughters away on a camping trip. Based on what I learned about her early on, this is well deserved. Her husband loves them, but he came across as someone with a few red flags that he tried very hard to hide. Having both POVs made his thoughts even more obvious, and made me instantly dislike him. He was hiding it well, but a few comments here and there that sounded well intended couldn’t disguise the fact that he expected those around him to do as he asked. If you don’t comply, he will push you until he gets what he wants.
When one of her daughters forgets her favourite stuffed animal, Cara does what any good mother would do. She puts her daughter first and follows her husband to the campsite, only to discover that he has left the girls alone for a short while and their worst fear has come true. When they return, their daughters are gone.

This one had me so hooked that I couldn’t put it down. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, and discovering what really happened, while realising that the person you love has something to hide, is never a good thing. Was I 100% convinced by the story arc at the end? No, but the final pages made me root for Cara.

🌙 Recension: The Secret Wife by Emily Shiner
📚 Genre: Psychological Thriller
📅 Release Date: December 5, 2021
📖 Publisher: ‎Inkubator Books
📱 Read as: Kindle
📗 available in various formats – included in Kindle Unlimited
💸 Bought
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 274
⭐️ 3.5/5