Mine
In this riveting tale of psychological suspense, a divorce lawyer risks her career, her sanity, and her life when she falls into an illicit, all-consuming affair with her client—who becomes the primary suspect in his estranged wife’s sudden disappearance.
Young divorce lawyer Francine Day has methodically built her career doing everything right. She’s one big case away from securing her place among London’s legal elite. But when she meets her new client, Martin Joy, the natural caution that has protected Francine and fueled her rise melts away. Powerless to fight the irresistible magnetism between them, client and counsel tumble into a blistering affair that breaks every rule.
Though Martin insists his marriage is over, Francine doesn’t believe him. Certain details he’s told her don’t quite add up. Consumed with a passion she cannot control and increasingly obsessed with Martin’s relationship with his wife, Donna, Francine follows the woman one night . . . and discovers her having dinner with her supposedly soon-to-be-ex-husband.
The next morning, Francine awakens in her neighbor’s apartment with blood on her clothes and no recollection of what transpired after she spied Donna and Martin together. Then Francine receives more devastating news: Martin’s wife has vanished. That dinner was the last place anyone has seen Donna Joy alive.
Suddenly, Francine finds herself caught in a dangerous labyrinth of deception, lies, and secrets, in which one false move could lead to her undoing. What happened that night and why can’t Francine remember? Where is Donna and who is responsible for her disappearance? The further Francine goes to find answers, the tighter the net seems to draw—around her lover, herself, and the life she’s meticulously built.
Genres: Thriller/Suspense
Author: J.L. Butler
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published: June 26th, 2018
Publishing House: William Morrow
My Review
The old game of playing with fire…it’s dangerous, intoxicating, heart pounding and exciting…until it all comes crashing down tenfold and you find yourself crumbled and destroyed.
Having an affair is definitely not the wick you want to set alight!
Francine has made it. A life in the city, a cute apartment, an amazing job as a divorce Lawyer and a possible chance of promotion. She just does not have that someone to share it with!
Here comes Martin, handsome, rich, successful and MARRIED! It happened so fast…one minute he was a client in Francine’s office proceeding with divorce papers and the next minute, Francine is drowning in a murder case. How did she get there?
From cheese and wine to bondage and hot sex, their quickly growing relationship is racing at Formula 1 speeds. It started off so innocently…they met by chance while shopping, enjoyed their conversations and proceeded with real feelings from there on out. But how about Donna, Martin’s soon to be ex-wife? She doesn’t show up to court dates and has been seen to meet with Martin in a restaurant that ended up with a hook-up. Is it a slip back into their relationship? Are they even getting a divorce?
Francine is on Martin’s side for the longest time. As allegations of him killing Donna after her disappearance amount to more and more evidence against him, Francine finds herself left in danger and her job on the line.
What does it take to crack this case? Is Martin a good guy? Or will Francine realize she has made a mistake and rather settle with her neighbor who has been smitten with her for a long time?
A twisted rollercoaster ride that will have the reader guessing till the end!
***
I listened to this novel on audio. I was drawn to the gorgeous cover and I haven’t read a thriller in a while (plus it was available on Overdrive).
I certainly knew that getting involved with a married man would be a bad idea. At some points I thought, come on Francine, you are a smart woman, you should know better than this! But I also know that relationships can be so convoluted with feelings, that I let this trait in character slide and gave her some slack.
Francine and Martin’s relationship which was mostly based on sex didn’t go as deep as I would have liked to hear. It was all about the rush and longing, but less about companionship and love. Considering I knew early this was how it will be and my expectations were not going to be met in more romantic ways, I proceeded anyway as the case of missing Donna had to be solved and I mostly hung on to that.
Albeit the novel being long for its premise it ended up delivering in the last quarter of the book. The murder mystery and general pace picked up and crumbs of clues were falling left and right. With a more exhilarating pace, the suspense builds to a twisted conclusion I could not believe.
The qualities in this book lie balanced on two things: If you like the rush of unapologetically naughty sex and a mystery to solve that boasts with riddling clues to figure out, then you will hit the jackpot as a reader!
For me personally, it was a middle lane, entertaining book. I just don’t hover on either side of those extremes but it was well enough to finish. I wanted it to grab me more, but again as I often do, I went into this book blindly not knowing what to expect. My feelings about it are definitely more positive than negative. It may be the perfect book for other readers…only one way to find out.
Happy Reading :)
