Rachel Hawkins makes her debut on the adult thriller scene with The Wife Upstairs, a deliciously gothic contemporary retelling of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Down-on-her-luck Jane is living with an odious young man, saving up for a place of her own and an escape from the horrors of her past, when she catches a break and is hired as a dog-walker by several people in a well-to-do neighborhood in Birmingham, Ala. Jane meets Eddie Rochester in a near-miss as he backs out of his driveway; the charismatic, handsome widower immediately sets to winning her over, even going so far as to adopt a puppy so he can hire her to walk it.
When Jane first learns that not only is Eddie single but also a widower, readers discover the darker side of Jane's desires and ambitions. "The joy that had bloomed in my chest... had been a dark and ugly thing, the sort of emotion I knew I wasn't supposed to feel, but I couldn't really make myself care. He's free, she's gone, and now I have an excuse to see him every week. An excuse to be in that gorgeous home in this gorgeous neighborhood."
Despite glimpses of this darkness, it's easy to root for Jane as her inner monologue describes her hardscrabble life and the ways these wealthy women treat someone they view as less-than, but Hawkins also has Jane swiping the occasional piece of jewelry or bit of cash. Jane is determined to get what she feels she's owed, one way or another.
The relationship between Eddie and Jane develops quickly--a sign to Jane and readers that something isn't right. But Jane weighs her options and chooses material security--a place to live, a seemingly unlimited spending allowance and a surprisingly genuine set of friendships with the same women she stole from just weeks before. Readers familiar with Jane Eyre will be waiting to learn what happened to Eddie's first wife and, sure enough--Mrs. Rochester is alive, held captive by Eddie and narrating her side of the story in occasional chapters.
Despite the similarities, Hawkins (the Hex Hall trilogy, for young adults) doesn't follow the expected narrative, instead building the suspense and keeping readers waiting until the last pages--possibly even longer--for answers. No one is what they seem. If everyone is lying, who is the protagonist and what will they risk for their safety? Is anyone a good person? The Wife Upstairs is a sure bet for anyone looking to curl up with a domestic thriller and stay up far too late. --Suzanne Krohn, editor, Love in Panels
Shelf Talker: For fans of domestic thrillers, gothic novels or Jane Eyre, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs is a compelling retelling that deftly serves up a delicious mystery with a side of biting social commentary.