The Wife Between Us

Voice actor Whelan rises to the challenge of narrating this psychological thriller by Pekkanen and Hendricks, which is told from the perspective an unreliable narrator named Vanessa Thompson. She appears to be a scorned woman with an alcohol problem and a disturbing fixation on the younger woman who is engaged to her ex-husband. Even though by now there have been enough novels with unreliable narrators to reduce the element of surprise, the authors use plenty of literary trickery to provide at least three genuine jaw-droppers. Since one of them is more easily hidden on the page than in audio format, reader Whelan is faced with the problem of keeping the secret while playing fair vocally, a task she carries off so subtly it’s unnoticeable until the big reveal. She provides the proper voices for Vanessa, the hot mess of an ex-wife, the about-to-be-wed buoyant Manhattan preschool teacher Nellie, and the man in their lives, Richard, a hedge fund manager who sounds a little rigid. It’s worth noting that, after twisting its plot to the breaking point, this ultra-deceptive novel ends with the advice that “the truth is the only way to move forward.” However, Whelan’s proven ability to coyly project deceit leaves listeners with no guarantee. A St. Martin’s hardcover. (Jan.)