The First Wife

In Chandler, Ohio, the police arrest two time bigamist James Todd for murdering his second wife Lee Ann Todd. His third wife Marla Anderson is paying for his defense. The Ford County prosecutor Sheila Grant asks a local clinical psychologist Dr. Kelly Chapman to interview the first wife Jane Hamilton. Jane has come a long way since her accident-prone marriage to James. She runs the Twenty-Something magazine that targets strong women. However, Jane is taken aback when asked to testify at her former husband's murder trial as she has no idea what she can bring to the proceedings. Her best friend attorney Brad Manchester and Kelly get Jane to open her eyes to the truth that her ex spouse was abusive towards her; an adversarial relationship; of which she did comprehend back then as such, but suppressed. Looking back, Jane begins to believe James could turn to murder if his desires are thwarted. This is an excellent psychological thriller with a romantic subplot between Brad and Jane supporting the prime story line of whether James was abusive to his first wife. Character driven, readers will appreciate this powerful tale as Jane realizes her activities at the magazine and as a volunteer since the divorce are motivated by her relationship with James. This is fabulous contemporary thriller. Harriet Klausner