Synopsis:
Some people just need killing.
Marlena Altizer Durst lives in her husband’s shadow. He controls her every move—what she wears, the food she eats, and the friends she’s allowed to make. If she disobeys, there are… consequences. And he has all the power, so nobody would believe her.
Her Cinderella story has been well-documented and it seems that she leads a fairy-tale life. But nobody ever wonders if Cinderella was happy after she married the prince. Marlena has traded freedom and safety for luxurious imprisonment, and most days, that seems like a bad bargain. Death may be the only exit she’s allowed. Just like his first wife. And his second.
Unless she flips the script.
And gets away with murder…
Review:
This book was very far from what I was expecting when I first read its description. It sounded like it will be another domestic thriller where the wife is a powerless, weak victim of a manipulative husband, the kind that keeps the illusion going for a long while before showing his true character. So imagine how surprised I was when I discovered that the roles might not be so clear as they seemed and when the story turned into a real action movie! And no, I’m not exaggerating. One evening, when I was browsing Netflix for something interesting to watch, I remembered that there was a movie or a TV series that I didn’t finish yet and kept me hooked. It took me a few seconds to realize that what I was actually thinking about was the book I was reading and not a screenplay! But the whole story turns into a movie in your mind and trust me, in a very good one!
In the same time, the fact that the book is so visual, it means that somehow, it doesn’t have as much depth as other books. The accent goes more on the action, on the details that create visual scenes instead of the characters motivations. Yes, we do know something about the heroine’s reasons, but no other characters’ motives are really exploited. Not the bad ones, not the good ones either. We just get some very general ideas, like love or egocentrism, care for the family members, an abnormal wish for control or revenge and that’s pretty much all. Because of that, the secondary characters look more like chess pawns, moving on the board automatically, along with the heroine and not because of their own will.
But overall, The Third Mrs. Durst is a quick, easy and full of adrenaline read and I doubt the readers will have any complaints. It keeps you hooked and curious to find out what other crazy turn things will take and leaves you with a satisfied smile when you turn the last page.
My Weekly Book 