The Twilight Wife

By: A. J. Banner

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

From best-selling author A.J. Banner comes a dazzling new novel of psychological suspense in the vein of S.J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep and Mary Kubica's The Good Girl that questions just how much we can trust the people around us.

Thirty-four-year-old marine biologist Kyra Winthrop remembers nothing about the diving accident that left her with a complex form of memory loss. With only brief flashes of the last few years of her life, her world has narrowed to a few close friendships on the island where she lives with her devoted husband, Jacob.

But all is not what it seems. Kyra begins to have visions - or are they memories? - of a rocky marriage, broken promises, and cryptic relationships with the island residents, whom she believes to be her friends.

As Kyra races to uncover her past, the truth becomes a terrifying nightmare. A twisty, immersive thriller, The Twilight Wife will keep listeners enthralled through the final, shocking twist.

©2016 Anjali Writes, LLC. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Mediocre, ordinary listen. Would not recommend.

With all the great books of the psychological thriller and women's story genre out there these days, this read is a waste of time. It had all the right components, but the timeline is rough, uneven and therefore difficult to follow. Characters we're uninteresting and lines we're repeated over and over (I'm sorry, are you OK, I'm fine ) with no progression. These factors combine to make it very difficult to hold the reader's interest. Time after time, I would have to rewind and repeat because my mind had wandered. I struggled to finish. Just didn't care.

I usually enjoy Ms. Campbell's narrations and chose this book because of her, but her usually crisp, clear voice had been replaced by a ridiculous breathy, wispy version of Marilyn Monroe. Very annoying and difficult to imagine any kind of strength or intelligence behind it! Pass.

Great Read!

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. I immediately felt in sync with the main character and couldn't wait to unravel her story.

The storyline reminds me of The Girl On The Train- dark deception that slowly reveals itself through memories and flashbacks. I loved the way the flashbacks were seamlessly intertwined into the present day narrative.

It was a tiny bit slow and repetitive in some parts and I would have liked the 'big reveal' (of Kyra finding out the truth) to go on a bit longer without Jacob finding out- the ending came very quickly for me. That being said I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good and easy mystery read!

+ the audible narration is two thumbs up!

Good

Takes a little while to pick up but it does. Good narration. At first some of the transitions were fast and seemed out of place until you realize this is reflecting the kyra's way of processing thought after the accident.

Good twist...

I saw the ending twist a little differently, but a good twist all the same. Didn't love the breathy narrative, but it fit well with the story.

Narration was torture

The story was very entertaining and had a surprisingly fun twist at the end. The narrator's slow, breathy voice was so painful to listen to, however, that I had to actually speed up the narration to make it sound like a normal person speaking.

A Different Twist than EVER Expected.

Miss Banner had done it again with a story of a place that all of us wonder about. Being there would terrify us and yet; enjoying this story about the loss of self was a reminder to me that everyday is worth living and enjoying to the fullest. The twist at the end was something I never would of expected.

Captivating

Great book. Grabs your attention. Twists you dont see coming. You can't stop until you finish it. I would definitly recommend this book to everyone.

Twisted memory

Somewhat predictable, but did hold my interest. I would recommend it to someone who likes the suspense and psych type.#twisted#obsessed#Tagsgiving#Sweepstakes

The sea holds all secrets, memories, and dreams

The Twilight Wife by A.J. Banner is the story of Kyra Winthrop, a marine biologist in her 
mid-thirties who is suffering from memory loss due to a head injury.  Kyra’s journey to recovery is fascinating, mysterious, and frustrating all at once.  The setting and her marriage appear to be perfect - at least at first.  As the story progresses, doubt seeps in, carried by a wave of Kyra’s dreams mixed with possible memories.  The uncertainty is palpable...What is real?  Who can be trusted?  What actually happened?  Why?

Most of the characters are very well-drawn..  However, it is the setting and the sense of being trapped in a very remote environment- an alternate universe - that gives this book its unique and compelling power.  

Uncertainty and mystery hang over every aspect of the story and all of its characters, including Kyra herself.  For at least a portion of the book, the reader is not entirely sure what sort of person Kyra is or used to be before her injury.  The plot twists in very unique ways that did surprise me.

The Twilight Wife is a clever, tightly constructed novel.  The performance provided by Cassandra Campbell contributes substantially to the overall mystery and suspense.  Her slightly haughty delivery makes the reader a tiny bit unsure about Kyra, which is perfect.  

However, I was still left with mixed feelings.  While The Twilight Wife is entertaining and well-crafted, it left me wanting.  I think this is because in order for the story to unfold as it does, the reader must be kept at arm’s length.  Reading this story during the time of a pandemic which keeps everyone apart physically and psychologically highlights this intrinsic disconnect.  At any other time, I might’ve viewed this device as a bonus, but at this time, it just made me a little sad and dissatisfied.

A struggle to get through

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I got very bored of this book. My mind would wander to other things. I want a book to take my mind off of mundane things and this book did the opposite

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting was the story itself. Lost memories, who can you trust etc. The least interesting was that is was so slow paced. The main character seemed and spoke like an idiot.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator sounds almost whiny the entire time. She drove me crazy

Could you see The Twilight Wife being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No. I am not sure how one could compare this to Girl on the Train or any other of those books however I'm sure if this was made into a movie it would probably be written better than this book.

Any additional comments?

Not a recommendation. Not sure if I even care to bother finishing it.