Over the course of more than a decade, LynDee Walker has established herself as a superstar in the crime fiction arena the old-fashioned way—with dedication, tenacity, and grace. What is most amazing is the depth and breadth of her literary output—everything from her two traditional mysteries series (featuring both Nichelle Clarke and Faith McClellan) to the more action-adventure-focused Turner and Mosley Files thrillers written in collaboration with Bruce Robert Coffin. Not one to ever stop learning, LynDee Walker is now launching her first domestic suspense novel—The Pastor’s Wife—and no one will not be surprised to hear that this is yet another subgenre where this fan-favorite shines. In fact, with her innate understanding of motive and human psychology, domestic suspense may very well be where LynDee Walker has her greatest success so far.
The plot of The Pastor’s Wife will be catnip for devotees of domestic suspense. Set in a small suburban oasis known as Whitney Falls, the novel follows Martha—who is new in town under suspicious circumstances—as she is befriended by Mary, the wife of the local Pastor. The more these two women learn about each other, the more layers of their secretive selves are exposed, until the reader finally realizes that everything they thought they knew was just another façade designed to keep everyone at arm’s length—including the reader themselves.
Domestic suspense thrives in small town communities. LynDee Walker populates Whitney Falls with a host of characters readers will find themselves quickly bonded to. Each individual brings a new complication to the relationship between Martha and Mary as their tangled web heads towards becoming a true Gordian knot.
In the end, The Pastor’s Wife is a complete success. The breakneck speed and the sheer volume of twists makes the cliched “rollercoaster read” the ideal descriptor. The novel has garnered quite a bit of hype—in this case just the right amount of buzz with a follow-through that more than delivers on that promise. Domestic/psychological suspense aficionados will immediately clock this as the perfect marriage between author and subgenre. In this subgenre, it’s all about character (even when plot looks so dominant) and LynDee Walker excels at crafting people readers care about (even when we shouldn’t). This in no way diminishes the well-crafted (and batshit crazy, in only the best way possible) plot that keeps readers glued to the pages.
Domestic suspense fans are always looking for something that breaks the mold and takes the subgenre in new directions and The Pastor’s Wife certainly does that and more. Something that is simultaneously both entirely believable and deliciously over-the-top. LynDee Walker’s The Pastor’s Wife is not to be missed and will likely appear on many “best of” and award short lists as the year comes to a close.
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BUY LINKS: The Pastor’s Wife by LynDee Walker
Disclaimer: An e-galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
