The First Mistake

Sandie Jones

Jun 2019 · Sold by Minotaur Books

About this ebook

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, comes an addictively readable new domestic suspense about a wife, her husband, and the woman who is supposedly her best friend.

THE WIFE: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house.

HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan’s arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved.

HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced . . .

The first mistake could be her last.

Praise for The Other Woman:

"One of the most twisted and entertaining plots."—Reese Witherspoon
"A perfect beach read."—Kristin Hannah
"Whiplash-inducing."—New York Times Book Review
"Such fun you'll cheer [Emily's] chutzpah."—PEOPLE
"This thriller will hit close to home."—Refinery29

Ratings and reviews

I went into the First Mistake with no real knowledge of the plot. I assumed by the way that it was marketed and the plot of the Other Woman, that it was a domestic thriller, and I was partially right. This book confused me so much. I had the hardest time keeping track of who was speaking and what year it was. The first few chapters really dragged for me, and by the time I was interested, I felt completely lost. The characters also really annoyed me. Alice, arguably the protagonist, I went back and forth on. She was sympathetic but dumb, really, really dumb. She was too dumb, all things considered. And Beth, her best friend, just drove me crazy. She was not only the epitome of dumb but also of rude, and I had zero sympathy for her the entire book. The First Mistake was definitely a quick read for me, but it lacked the substance or shock value that would have made it quality.

The more I read of The First Mistake, the more my feelings about it waffled. In the end, it was in the fair to midland range for me. Sandie Jones writes a fast-paced and entertaining story with interesting characters. However, this one was totally predictable. I can even point out the exact moment I had most of it figured out. I even bookmarked it because when I read it, I thought 'surely not, it can't be that simple.' Turns out it can be and was. The problem was that point I bookmarked was pretty early in the story, and from there, it was easy to see why certain other things led to the same conclusion. I think we're given a little too much information too soon and the only thing left is to either finish the book to see if we're right or skim the rest of it. Either way would lead to the same thing. For me, the characters and writing did hold my interest enough to finish, but it was a little disappointing to find the book so thoroughly predictable.

Very good read from beginning to the end . Surprise ending!!!

About the author

SANDIE JONES has worked as a freelance journalist for more than twenty years and has written for publications including the Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly, and Hello magazine. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman was her debut novel and a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick.