It took me a little while to get into The Housewife. The opening did not completely grab me, and I initially found Jo to be a little phony. As I kept reading, though, I realized that was simply who she was. Her awkwardness, impulsiveness, and tendency to overshare are intentional parts of her character, even if they occasionally made me cringe.

The premise itself is definitely one that requires a healthy suspension of disbelief. A woman marrying her deceased sister’s widower in order to uncover the truth about her sister’s death is certainly… unconventional. It is a thin concept on paper, and I was not entirely convinced by it at first. Still, once the story found its footing, I was invested enough to keep turning the pages. It is not the most realistic psychological thriller I have read, but it is undeniably entertaining.

Oddly enough, I found myself struggling to sympathize with Jo, despite everything she had endured growing up. I understand that her abusive childhood shaped the person she became, but her behavior often made it difficult for me to root for her. She is so relentlessly focused on her sister’s death that she practically cannot hold a conversation without bringing it up. At times, her questions felt so intrusive and inappropriate that I found myself wondering how no one around her immediately became suspicious. If your new wife spends every waking moment interrogating people about your late wife, that would raise a few eyebrows.

One moment that especially stood out to me was the discovery of her sister’s hidden note. It felt like one of those classic thriller conveniences where the protagonist just happens to find the one piece of evidence no one else has somehow noticed, despite other people living in and searching the same space. I accepted it because it moved the story forward, but it did feel a little lazy from a writing standpoint.

That said, Natalie Barelli knows how to keep the pages turning. Even when I questioned the logic behind certain plot points, I still wanted to know what actually happened to Jo’s sister. The pacing gradually builds, and once the mystery starts unraveling, it is easy to keep reading “just one more chapter.”

Spoilers Below

The ending worked well enough, although I would not describe it as shocking. By the time everything came together, I felt more satisfied than surprised. The final confrontation delivered the answers I wanted, but I was expecting a little more emotional impact after such a slow build.

I also thought the detective’s role at the end felt a bit too convenient. Rather than following the evidence wherever it led, it almost felt like he had simply reached the point in his career where he was tired of dealing with everything and decided to cut Jo some slack. It wrapped things up neatly, but it did not feel entirely earned.

Overall, The Housewife was an entertaining, solid psychological thriller. It asks the reader to overlook a few implausible moments, and I never fully connected with the protagonist, but it kept me engaged from beginning to end. It may not be the most shocking thriller on my shelf, but it was a quick, enjoyable read that earned 4 out of 5 stars simply because I genuinely wanted to keep reading until I reached the last page.