Liv Constantine's fast-paced The Wife Stalker begins with Piper having recently relocated from San Diego, Calif., to seaside Westport, Conn., reinventing herself in the process. She's changed her name from Pamela and bought a wellness center in town.
Joanna is hoping to enter a new phase in her life, too. She's been patiently taking care of the kids and maintaining the household while waiting for the man she loves, Leo, to come out the other side of his depression. After going to a wellness center, he does seem happier--especially when spending time with the center's owner, Piper. Before Joanna can grasp the full extent of the situation, she's been removed from the house, served with papers and cut off from the kids.
But she refuses to go quietly. Joanna starts digging into Piper's past, and finds Leo's new woman has had not only one but two husbands, who both came from money. And now they're both dead, from "accidents" while in Piper's company. Joanna is certain Leo and the kids are in danger, and she's willing to sacrifice everything to keep them out of Piper's clutches.
Sisters Valerie and Lynn Constantine (The Last Mrs. Parrish), who write together as Liv, return to familiar territory with a story about envy and manipulation set in Connecticut, involving people in seemingly perfect lives and women with mysterious pasts. The characters can be frustrating and behave in confounding ways, but the story's swift pace and twist in the final act should keep domestic thriller fans engaged. --Elyse Dinh-McCrillis, blogger at Pop Culture Nerd