Exactly What Was Promised

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Sandie Jones' latest novel, The First Mistake, is a tale of domestic suspense, and a dramatic one at that. This novel is perfect for fans of her past work, as well as new fans looking for a quick read and escape.

You've heard the story before. A wife. A husband. The best friend. In the world of suspense novels, that combination always ends in heartbreak, drama, and danger.

Alice has a perfect life, two children, a great business, and a husband. But is everything as it seems? Her husband, Nathan, has become distant of late. Meanwhile, her best friend, Beth, has always been there for her. Always. But is that enough to maintain the trust?

The First Mistake is an extremely quick read and is a novel perfect for fans looking for a brief escape from their world. Better yet, it's a great starting point for anybody hoping to dive into the world of domestic suspense.

That being said, I did not enjoy this novel as much as I had hoped. This novel has two sides of the same coin: It is exactly the novel promises to be. That's great and all, except that it also meant that it was ultimately predictable. Thus, if you've read a lot of suspense, you're probably not going to be all that thrilled with this novel.

The writing was decent, and the characters themselves were interesting. My biggest complaint about the novel is that I was able to suss out the biggest parts of the conclusion within ten pages, and I'm really not exaggerating there. I kept hoping for a surprise twist, but nothing (beyond what I expected, that is). That's why I'm saying this will be a good novel for somebody that hasn't read too much of the genre – there's a good chance they'll still be surprised.