The Wife’s Secret

Caroline England

Oct 2017 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

Previously published as Beneath the Skin

‘I was gripped immediately’ KATERINA DIAMOND, author of THE TEACHER

‘I didn't want this book to end.’ ELISABETH CARPENTER, author of 99 RED BALLOONS

Three women. Three secrets.

Antonia is beautiful and happily married. Her life is perfect. So why does she hurt herself when nobody’s watching?

Sophie is witty, smart and married to the best-looking man in town. She likes a drink, but who doesn’t?

Olivia is pretending to be a happy wife and mother. But her secret could tear her family apart.

Their lies start small, they always do. But if they don’t watch out, the consequences will be deadly.

‘I loved Beneath the Skin. It's so beautifully written and kept me hooked right to the end. Caroline England knows her wonderful cast of characters inside out. I didn't want this book to end.’ ELISABETH CARPENTER, AUTHOR OF 99 RED BALLOONS

'I loved this book. A clever, glamorous, observational, page turning read which pulled me in right from the start until the pivotal, and most satisfying end. Beneath the Skin transcends the ordinary crime genre, taking it to another level.' AMANDA ROBSON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF OBSESSION

‘Beneath the Skin is a startling debut. It slowly put me under its spell, until I was absolutely beneath its skin. With characters that pulsate off the page, complex relationships, and dark mysteries, this novel follows the lives of four couples. Their dramas are revealed slowly, patiently, and beautifully, until the breath-taking climax. I can’t recommend this enough.’ LOUISE BEECH, AUTHOR OF HOW TO BE BRAVE

‘Four couples with interlocking histories; eight individuals, all with secrets that are ready to explode. Set in the lush heartland of the Cheshire countryside, this is a tautly elegant psychological thriller, razor-sharp and utterly believable. I loved it.’ SARAH JASMON, AUTHOR OF THE SUMMER OF SECRETS

Ratings and reviews

Relationships come in all sizes and shapes. Love, hate, anger, happiness, and a myriad of other emotions. Relationships take effort to maintain and lies and secrets don't always come to light. When they do .. the relationship will never be the same again. Four men, good friends, married to four very different women. They all seem to have one secret or another. The women who have become friends over time don't always like each other. Antonia is a cutter. She witnessed something awful as a young girl and has never forgotten. One drinks way too much and way too often. One knows she married a man who doesn't love her. The weight they all carry is exhaustive ... and secrets will come to light. This is a debut novel that allows the reader to take a peek into all these lives .. and mostly think how lucky we are. Although a well-written interesting read, I wouldn't label it as a 'thriller' .... it seems to be more a mystery than anything else. The very first pages should have set the tone for the entire book, but it didn't quite make it. Very slow in places, confusing chapters at times , everyone involved has a voice, but mostly the women. The second half of the book was better, but the ending was somewhat disappointing. While this was not the book I expected it to be, this author is certainly one to watch for. Has also been published under the title .. THE WIFE'S SECRET Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of BENEATH THE SKIN. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own. 3.5 Stars

So many twists and turns, I couldn't put it down but I do wonder about mine, Sami and the new baby.

Extremely hard to get through. Storyline all over the place, hard to connect to story and characters.

About the author

Caroline England is a former divorce lawyer based in Manchester. Beneath the Skin is her first novel.