Book Review: The Quiet Wife by Diane Saxon

I’m excited to be welcoming Diane Saxon to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Quiet Wife.

I want to be ordinary. To fade into the shadows where no one notices me and live a quiet life. A normal life.

But I am not ordinary. Not anymore.

I’ve been keeping a secret. From my colleagues, my friends and most importantly, my husband – who knows nothing of my past life.

Twenty years ago, at college, a boy became obsessed with me. Craig Lane believed he could make me love him back if he just tried harder. When I rejected him, he did something so horrifying, it’s the stuff of nightmares. All my nightmares.

Now I’ve been informed by Victim Support Services, that boy – now a man – has been released from prison. The news terrifies me.

Am I safe? Or does Craig still carry the same obsession he did when we were seventeen? I don’t know. I’ve ignored every letter he’s ever sent me.

Now strange things have started to happen: flowers have been left on my doorstep, my cat keeps going missing. Someone is watching me. Knows where I live. I am sure.

Worse, something even more sinister could be stalking me from the shadows. Because I have another secret…

My past is coming to get me. One way or another.

*****

Soriah doesn’t want to remember what happened to her twenty years ago. However, when she receives a letter through the post, all the fear from that time returns to the surface. Revenge is being sought and it’s coming straight for her. 

Having not read anything by Diane Saxon before, I was intrigued by this book and so was delighted to be invited onto the blog tour for The Quiet Wife. 

Told from the point of view of Soriah, Craig and the mysterious ‘Fox’, from the moment I opened this book… well, it hits you with one big wallop and doesn’t stop until the end. The pace is fast, the narrative has many twists and turns and by the end, I felt like I’d been into battle – one where you know you’ve read a well written thriller. 

I’m not going to lie, the themes explored within this novel are hard going. I found it a little triggering and I haven’t experienced any of what Soriah went through. Seeing how she was treated and the blame that’s put upon her is an interesting and outright frustrating commentary on our society and how women can or have been treated or not been taken seriously. Oh, I went into a bit of a rage – I had such a reaction to it. The author does approach these themes with care though and shines a light on things. Diane Saxon doesn’t shy away from the difficult subjects. 

Soriah has tried to rebuild her life. I felt very sorry for her throughout and wanted to give her a hug. 

The supporting characters are a varied bunch. Some I liked more than others. All of the people in this book are flawed, complicated and layered. 

The Quiet Wife is an adrenaline fuelled, emotionally filled story that will stay with me for a long time. I look forward to seeing what Diane Saxon does next. 

About Diane Saxon –

Diane Saxon previously wrote romantic fiction for the US market but has now turned to writing psychological crime. Find Her Alive was her first novel in this genre and introduced series character DS Jenna Morgan. She is married to a retired policeman and lives in Shropshire.

Diane’s latest novel, The Quiet Wife was released by Boldwood Books on 20th February 2025. Click here to buy on Amazon and Waterstones. 

Say hello to Diane via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.