The Wife Stalker: A Novel

Liv Constantine

May 2020 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

The bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish—a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick—returns with a psychological thriller, filled with chilling serpentine twists, about a woman fighting to hold onto the only family she’s ever loved—and how far she’ll go to preserve it.

Named one of the most anticipated thrillers of the year by Goodreads, Bustle, SheReads, and Library Journal; A LibraryReads pick of the month 

Breezing into the upscale seaside paradise of Westport, Connecticut, gorgeous thirtysomething Piper Reynard sets down roots, opening a rehab and wellness space and joining a local yacht club. When she meets Leo Drakos, a handsome, successful lawyer, the wedding ring on his finger is the only thing she doesn’t like about him. Yet as Piper well knows, no marriage is permanent.

Meanwhile, Joanna has been waiting patiently for Leo, the charismatic man she fell in love with all those years ago, to re-emerge from the severe depression that has engulfed him. Though she’s thankful when Leo returns to his charming, energetic self, paying attention again to Evie and Stelli, the children they both love beyond measure, Joanna is shocked to discover that it’s not her loving support that’s sparked his renewed happiness—it’s something else.

Piper. Leo has fallen head over heels for the flaky, New Age-y newcomer, and unrepentant and resolute, he’s more than willing to leave Joanna behind, along with everything they’ve built. Of course, he assures her, she can still see the children.

Joanna is devastated—and determined to find something, anything, to use against this woman who has stolen her life and her true love. As she digs deeper into Piper’s past, Joanna begins to unearth disturbing secrets . . . but when she confides to her therapist that she fears for the lives of her ex-husband and children, her concerns are dismissed as paranoia. Can she find the proof she needs in time to save them?

Ratings and reviews

4.5 stars. The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine is an absolutely riveting domestic mystery. Joanna quietly waits for Leo Drakos to emerge from the deep depression he has been battling for several months. She is thrilled when he begins working again but she is soon frustrated to discover that someone else is responsible for his increasing happiness. After Joanna is pushed aside, she is determined to uncover everything she can about the new woman in his life. Piper Reynard’s new beginning in Westport, CT is off to a fantastic beginning. She is the owner of a successful wellness center and she focuses on the positive. After meeting lawyer Leo Drakos, she quickly falls for him and their relationship progresses quickly. Piper is soon stepmom to eight year old Evie and six year old Stelli and she is settling into her new life. As Leo puts in long hours working on his cases, she works on her relationships with her stepchildren. Evie is a delightful little girl who genuinely likes Piper but young Stelli is resistant to accepting her into the fold. Although frustrated, Piper is determined to make her marriage work. Meanwhile, Joanna is doing everything she can to try to win Leo back. She is also fighting hard to regain visitation rights with Evie and Stelli. She deeply resents Piper’s intrusion into their life so she is furiously attempting to uncover her foe’s secrets. Digging deep into Piper’s past, Joanna grows increasingly certain Stelli, Evie and quite possibly, Leo, are in danger. Certain time is running out, Joanna takes extreme measure to try to save the people the loves. Alternating between Joanna and Piper’s point of view, The Wife Stalker is a captivating mystery. The storyline is well-developed and the short chapters keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Piper is a bit standoffish and she desperately wants to put her past behind her. Joanna will go to any lengths to protect her loved ones. With starling twists and eye-popping turns, Liv Constantine brings this mesmerizing mystery to a jaw-dropping conclusion. An outstanding mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend to fans of the genre. I received a complimentary copy for review.

Liv Constantine’s deft facility with sleight-of-hand plotting and diversionary tactics are on full display in her latest thriller The Wife Stalker. Piper Reynard, one of two central figures in the novel, is fleeing a murky past that she seeks to leave behind on the other side of the country. She is the recent owner of a new wellness center in a wealthy CT suburb, leveraging her prior therapist training to cater to a gullible clientele. The story begins as Piper is training her laser focus on a handsome defense attorney who is representing one of her clients. Leo Drakos is a successful but troubled family man who quickly becomes captivated by the beautiful and driven woman. There is only one thing standing in the way of the two lovers: Joanna. Joanna is almost farcically indulgent, overprotective and doting, always seeking to selflessly serve the needs of Leo and the two young children, Evie and Stelli. Despite her ceaseless devotion, Leo jumps at the opportunity to banish Joanna when her needy mother is injured, paving the way for a new life with Piper. Now that Joanna is out of the house, Piper slides into place—clumsily attempting to win over the children who miss their mother and are not as easily charmed as their father. Convinced that Piper is a dangerous black-widow predator, Joanna vows to recapture her rightful position and convince Leo that he has been dangerously duped. Joanna starts digging into Piper’s past, hoping to discover enough disturbing evidence to justify some increasingly desperate attempts to win Leo back. Constantine alternates between the perspectives of the two main female characters, Piper’s in third person and Joanna’s in first-person narration. The two women are cleverly complements and the book’s gripping plot provides creeping revelations into the warped complexity of both. Somewhere along the way, the author also manages to lead the reader astray, and the result is a climax that is breathtakingly unexpected. The Wife Stalker will likely thrill Constantine’s many fans, earning her some well-deserved new ones. In a genre replete with an embarrassment of riches, Liv Constantine manages to provide even the most seasoned thrill seekers an uncommon reward—a genuinely surprising ending. Thanks to the author, Harper Collins and Edelweiss for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

interesting from beginning to end. thank you

About the author

Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Together, they are the bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, The Last Time I Saw You, The Wife Stalker, and The Stranger in the Mirror. Their books have been praised by USA Today, The Sunday Times, People Magazine, and Good Morning America, among many others. Lynne and Valerie are national and international bestselling authors and their books have been translated into 27 languages, are available in 32 countries and are in development for television and film. Lynne lives in Milford, Connecticut; Valerie in Annapolis, Maryland.