Take a trip back to the windswept Isle of Wight in the 1780s…

The Wife’s Tale by Christine Wells is described as a “spellbinding story of murder, family secrets and a scandalous affair”. It lived up to expectations.

Liz Jones is a lawyer who works for Nick, a workaholic who lives in the fast lane and expects Liz to be at his beck and call. This lifestyle has taken its toll not only on his own relationships, but on Liz’s as well.  

Just as Liz is settling down with a new husband and agrees to take time off for a holiday and to renovate their new home, she agrees to visit Seagrove, a stately home on the Isle of Wight, to do some research for Nick to enable him to purchase the property. Seagrove has some possible family ties for him and in 1789 was the home of the infamous Delany Nash who scandalised London when accused of an affair with her brother-in-law.

Liz is captivated by Lady Nash’s story of Seagrove and its current tenants fight to keep it in their family. Posing as a writer, Liz quickly becomes entrenched in Seagrove and its inhabitants both past and future. Immersing herself in the research of court documents and handwritten accounts by Lady Nash provided by Nick, she discovers secrets of passion and betrayal, finding herself trying to save everyone, including herself.

The current tenants include the current Lord Nash (Theo) a horticulturist who is engaged to Valerie the current manager of Seagrove and is planning an open day. To Liz, Valerie is all wrong for Seagrove and Theo. It seems Valerie will do more harm than good and that their relationship is one more of convenience than love. Or is this just an illusion Liz is creating because she is interested in Theo?

When Gemma (Theo’s sister) arrives with her boyfriend to renovate Saltwater Cottage where Liz has been staying, she has no alternative but to move into the big house, closer to Theo. As everyone at Seagrove prepares for the open day which will either make or break them, differences in opinion between Valaria and almost everyone else come to a head – with dire repercussions for Seagrove.

Can they still run the open day on their own, with the mess that Valerie has left behind?

A discovery of a secret room during the renovations of Saltwater Cottage could provide the answers Liz has been waiting for, but will they save Seagrove for Theo or Nick? How will everyone feel when they discover the real reason Liz has been there? Will the open day be a success or failure and will Nick get what he wants – ownership of  Seagrove?

As someone who has always been intrigued by time travel, this book was captivating. While no one was actually travelling in time in the true sense of the word, the jumping between time periods had me wanting more. Lady Delany was a captivating character who did what she had to do to keep her family safe in a world where women had no power. Forfeiting her own happiness she marries Richard (Lord Nash) and the brother of Julian (the love of Delany’s life) in order to cement her family’s place in society, with dire consequences for herself. There are many strong female characters in this novel who are struggling over their powerlessness to protect themselves and their families.

This story held me through every twist to a very satisfying ending.

The Wife’s Tale by Christine Wells is available now from Dymocks. Click here to learn more.