The story revolves around three women and the strange and sometimes strained relationships between them. It begins with the death of one of the husbands which leads to lots of questions, unresolved conflicts and later, reveals secrets each of the three friends have.

Chapters are short and narratives told from each woman's perspective. The ending wasn't what I expected so I'm glad I made it to the end. It was an interesting read but I was expecting something more thrilling.

Wish You Were Gone by Kieran Scott is a 2022 Gallery Books publication.

When Emma’s abusive husband dies suddenly, and in a most bizarre manner, she doesn’t even bother with pretending to be a heartbroken widow. The man was a monster, and frankly, the only thing she’s feeling is relief.

But there is a mystery to tackle. What was Jack doing in the hours leading up to his death? How exactly did he die? Accident? Suicide? Why is his best friend behaving so uncharacteristically?

Dealing with the aftermath of her husband's death is a challenge- Emma must think of her two children, the will, and the strange tension between her two very different best friends- Gray and Lizzie.

As Emma begins sorting through the last days of Jack’s life startling secrets come to light- secrets that will reshape all their lives… forever.

I’m not sure how to categorize this one. It’s an odd mix of contemporary drama and mystery, with a dash of psychological thriller thrown in for good measure. But no matter which way one chooses to label it, it was an absorbing novel, and kept me engaged and curious from beginning to end.

The big reveal at the end did take me by surprise, as did the whodunit parts. The characters all have intense reactions to the situation, and it was interesting to see how people responded to the death of a man both admired and despised. The dynamics between the characters is also intriguing because they all seem to be keeping big secrets and all seem to be either in competition with- or suspicious of- each other.

The story does move at a slower pace than I would have liked, but not to the point where I ever felt impatient. I just think we could have gotten to the Finish Line a tad bit sooner than we did.

Other than that small quibble, I enjoyed this book. I will definitely read this author again!

4 stars ( )

I didn't want to put this down! Great bits of drama, dysfunctional family, thriller... really kept me reading. Interesting characters with secrets. ( )

A friend and I selected this as a buddy read for a book involving a strained paternal relationship. This is a twisty, layered domestic thriller with multiple points of view. The audio production enriched the experience for me, with a cast of six actors. My buddy and I were both on the edge of our seats! I wanted to slow down because I was enjoying this so much, but I could not. CW: death of parent, active alcoholism, emotionally abusive and physically threatening/dangerous parent.

Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Intense. Captivating. Really kept me guessing. James’ death is ruled an accident, but Emma suspects otherwise. And she is right.

At some point, all the main characters had a motive for wanting James dead. And I found myself thinking “good for them, he needs to be gone.” From the outside, Emma and James’ marriage seemed perfect. But Emma and her children knew better. How do you grieve a man that the world seems to think was a great guy but you knew otherwise?

Everyone is trying to figure out what led up to the accident that took James’ life. There are flashbacks throughout the book building up to the day of the accident. There are a lot of secrets that will be revealed.

The pace was perfect. Just as I thought I was close to figuring out it out, another crumb was dropped causing me to then have to reevaluate it. Lots of surprises scattered throughout.

I really liked the characters. There’s Emma and her best friends Gray and Lizzie who are keeping secrets from Emma and are always fighting for her friendship. Lizzie’s daughter Willow hangs around with Emma’s children Hunter and Kelsey. Emma’s friend Gray was probably my favorite. She was a no-nonsense person and did what had to be done. And finally, there is Gray’s husband Darnell, who is also James’ business partner.

As much as I loved the book, I wasn’t sure about that last chapter. Was it really necessary? This is a who-done-it mystery/thriller and family drama all rolled into one. I highly recommend it! ( )