Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Other Woman
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: London
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: three.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and freelance journalist.
AVOCATIONS:Interior design.
WRITINGS
Contributor to periodicals, including Daily Mail, Woman’s Weekly, and Sunday Times.
SIDELIGHTS
Sandie Jones has long worked as a professional writer. Her main field of expertise lies in journalism, an industry she has freelanced in for decades. Some of her work can be found in such publications as the Daily Mail and Sunday Times. She has also released a novel: The Other Woman.
Jones participated in an interview about the book on the Crime by the Book website. There she explained what ideas lent toward the book’s creation. “I loved the idea of focusing the story on a mother-in-law because it is such a unique relationship, as it is one of the very few adult relationships we don’t get to choose,” she said. “We fall in love and HAVE to accept his/her parents as part of the package, and so it is no surprise that those relationships are so often strained and difficult.” Jones added: “There is also an element of control that the mother or father might have over your other half which will always cause stress as you compete for their attention.”
Protagonist Emily Havistock leads The Other Woman. At the start of the novel, Emily is in the midst of what should be one of the happiest periods of her life. It all begins when she encounters Adam, an attractive and successful man who easily captures her heart. While there are a few odd components to their relationship, such as Adam’s shiftiness about his background, Emily opens herself up to the possibility of a future with him. Yet everything begins to take an unsettling turn when Adam brings Emily home to his mother.
Pammie, Adam’s mother, proves to be everything but the average mother-in-law. She and Adam are deeply attached to one another, to the point that Adam is sharply defensive against even the smallest of criticisms against her. It isn’t long before Pammie begins to make it known that she does not appreciate Emily’s presence. She attacks Emily in subtle ways—yet her subtlety does not last for long. Worst of all, there is little Emily can do about it without ending the relationship outright; Adam refuses to listen to Emily’s concerns. In fact, he denies that Pammie poses a problem within their relationship at all. For a while, Emily tries to shrug off the problem as best she can. Yet things steadily grow worse. Pammie always makes sure to treat Emily poorly whenever Adam isn’t around to witness her behavior. Emily counters against Pammie’s abuse repeatedly, determined to help her relationship thrive in spite of her mother-in-law and her onslaughts. Soon she can no longer doubt her perceptions or the truth of Pammie’s behavior. Over time, Pammie begins working even harder to drive Emily away from Adam. With no other way to defend herself, Emily decides to try a new tactic in terms of fighting Pammie off. Emily also finds herself being simultaneously interested in Adam’s brother as Adam reveals his own true, darker colors. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews called the book “melodramatic yet wildly entertaining, with a smashing twist.” Library Journal reviewer Mary Todd Chesnut remarked that The Other Woman is an “addictive debut thriller.” A writer in Publishers Weekly expressed that “fans of plot-driven psychological thrillers will enjoy the ride.” On the Crime by the Book blog, one reviewer stated: “Readers who love suspense novelists like B.A. Paris and Clare Mackintosh will find themselves swept right along in Jones’ breezy, binge-worthy storytelling.” Gabino Iglesias, a contributor to the Criminal Element website, concluded that The Other Woman is “a strong debut that announces the arrival of an author who isn’t afraid to let her narrative comfortably inhabit an interstitial space between fear and love.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2018, review of The Other Woman.
Library Journal, July, 2018, Mary Todd Chesnut, “Family Feuds,” review of The Other Woman, p. 56.
Publishers Weekly, June 11, 2018, review of The Other Woman, p. 43.
ONLINE
Belle About Town, http://belleabouttown.com/ (June 14, 2018), Emily Cleary, “Five Minutes With… Debut Author Sandie Jones,” author interview.
Crime by the Book, http://crimebythebook.com/ (July 13, 2018), “Author Q&A: Sandie Jones, THE OTHER WOMAN,” author interview; (August 20, 2018), author interview and review of The Other Woman.
Criminal Element, https://www.criminalelement.com/ (August 21, 2018), Gabino Iglesias, review of The Other Woman.
Sandie Jones has been a freelance journalist for over 20 years, interviewing celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Isla Fisher, Simon Cowell and Naomie Harris.
Her debut novel, The Other Woman, is a psychological thriller about the destructive relationship between a woman and her partner's mother.
If Sandie wasn't an author she'd be an interior designer as she has an unhealthy obsession with wallpaper and cushions!
She lives in London, England, with her husband and three children.
SANDIE JONES has worked as a freelance journalist for over twenty years, and has written for publications including the Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly and the Daily Mail. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman is her debut novel.
Author Q&A: Sandie Jones, THE OTHER WOMAN
July 13, 2018
Q&A: Sandie Jones, Author of THE OTHER WOMAN
Minotaur Books; August 21, 2018
If you’re a reader who loves keeping up with the hottest new psychological suspense novels, you’ve probably already heard the buzz surrounding Sandie Jones’ debut THE OTHER WOMAN. Releasing in August from Minotaur Books, THE OTHER WOMAN is perfect beach reading material: twisty, page-turning suspense that you’ll want to devour in one sitting. I'm thrilled to welcome Sandie Jones to Crime by the Book today to give CBTB readers an exclusive glimpse into THE OTHER WOMAN in anticipation of its August release! If you've loved domestic thrillers like BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by B.A. Paris and LIE TO ME by J.T. Ellison, you will love Jones' addition to the ever-growing psychological suspense genre; moreover, you'll love that Jones puts her own unique spin on the genre in her debut, too. Where many domestic thrillers focus on a romantic relationship (often between a husband and wife), THE OTHER WOMAN shifts focus in a very fun way: the story's titular "woman" isn't a mistress or a spouse, she's a soon-to-be mother-in-law, and the dark and tense relationship at the book's core is between this woman and her son's new fiance. Jones strikes an engaging and addictive balance between the psychological suspense themes we all know (and love!) and a fresh take on the genre in her debut; I binge-read THE OTHER WOMAN about a month ago, and can vouch for what a fun "popcorn reading" experience it is. Bring this one to the beach with you this summer for an engrossing vacation read.
While you wait for THE OTHER WOMAN's release in about a month, you can learn more about the book in today's bog post: an exclusive Q&A with Sandie Jones, sharing all the background information you'll need to know about one of summer's buzziest domestic suspense novels. In my Q&A with Sandie, she shares the inspiration behind her debut, the path that led her to write her first book, and of course, the dark and chilling character at the heart of it all. Many thanks to Sandie for taking the time to answer my question about THE OTHER WOMAN, and to Minotaur Books for facilitating this Q&A! Read on for more information on THE OTHER WOMAN and my Q&A with Sandie Jones.
About THE OTHER WOMAN:
HE LOVES YOU: Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam’s perfect, the man she thought she’d never meet.
BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.
AND SHE'LL STOP AT NOTHING: Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.
THE OTHER WOMAN will have you questioning her on every page, in Sandie Jones' chilling psychological thriller about a man, his new girlfriend, and the mother who will not let him go.
"The Other Woman is an absorbing thriller with a great twist. A perfect beach read.”―Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Great Alone
"A twisty, deliciously fun read."―Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Wife Between Us
"Fun and fiendishly clever with a twist you will not see coming. Make room in your beach bag for this one!" - Wendy Walker, bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten
"Thoroughly entertaining. Pammie is the mother-in-law from hell!" - Michelle Frances, #1 bestselling author of The Girlfriend
The Other Woman: A Novel
By Sandie Jones
Author Q&A: Sandie Jones
Crime by the Book: First things first - thank you so much for stopping by Crime by the Book to introduce us to your forthcoming release THE OTHER WOMAN! Can you share with us a quick overview of the book in your own words?
Sandie Jones: The Other Woman is a psychological thriller about Adam and Emily, a young couple whose happiness is threatened by someone so much more dangerous than a mistress or bitter ex-wife. There is nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and this is the story of just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants?
CBTB: What first inspired you to write THE OTHER WOMAN? Can you identify one moment when the idea popped into your head, or did it develop over time?
SJ: The idea came about as a result of talking to friends and acquaintances who all seemed to have a mother-in-law story to tell! But I was imagining a more humorous take on it, perhaps a comedy or light-hearted chick lit novel. But the more I wrote about Pammie, the more sinister she became and once I started, I couldn’t stop!
CBTB: At the center of THE OTHER WOMAN is a less-than-likeable woman named Pammie. How would you describe Pammie to readers who haven’t had the chance to meet her yet?
SJ: Ooh, where to start?!? Pammie is all your worst nightmares comes true. On the face of it, she is the typical matriarch of the family, seemingly holding everything together with good humour and grace. But behind-the-scenes, she is anything but, and it’s Emily who bears the brunt of her wicked ways and viciousness. There is NOTHING she wouldn’t do to get Emily out of her son’s life.
CBTB: Readers will love that THE OTHER WOMAN puts a unique spin on the domestic thriller; the “woman” of the story’s title isn’t a mistress, but a soon-to-be mother-in-law! Why did you want to focus your suspense novel on this particular kind of relationship? What made this relationship compelling to you?
SJ: I loved the idea of focusing the story on a mother-in-law because it is such a unique relationship, as it is one of the very few adult relationships we don’t get to choose. We fall in love and HAVE to accept his/her parents as part of the package, and so it is no surprise that those relationships are so often strained and difficult. There is also an element of control that the mother or father might have over your other half which will always cause stress as you compete for their attention.
CBTB: THE OTHER WOMAN has some fantastic twists and turns in store for readers - particularly in its ending! How did you go about plotting your story? Did you know the outcome from the beginning of your writing process?
SJ: I had absolutely no idea where it was going when I started! I didn’t plot it out or know the ending, I just started at the beginning and worked my way through it. Sometimes I’d read a passage back and wonder where on earth it had come from and how I’d got there. Once I let my imagination go, I was honestly astonished at where it took me! The ending was something that developed over time, it certainly changed two or three times, but once it hit me, I couldn’t write it quick enough!
"We may all look normal from the outside, but scratch the surface and we’re all dysfunctional and we all have secrets." - Sandie Jones
CBTB: Speaking of writing process - what does a typical writing session look like for you? Did you have a strict writing routine while working on THE OTHER WOMAN?
SJ: I wrote The Other Woman for nobody else but me, to prove to myself that I could do it. I didn’t tell a soul what I was doing, as I didn’t want to be under any pressure, so I just squeezed the writing in whenever I could; in waiting rooms, on a bus, waiting for my children to come out of school! That is the joy of writing – you can do it anywhere. Once I’d finished it and was offered a publishing deal, it got a bit more serious and I had to have concentrated periods of time, locked away, to work on the edits.
CBTB: Readers will be excited to learn that THE OTHER WOMAN is your debut novel! Congratulations! Has novel writing been a long-time goal for you?
SJ: I’ve been a journalist for over twenty years and I’d often be asked when I was going to write a book. But reporting and writing fiction are two very different beasts and just because you’re good at one doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be any good at the other. I held it off for a long time, assuming it would be a dismal failure, or worse, I wouldn’t enjoy it, but as soon as I started I wondered what on earth had taken me so long! I love the freedom that fiction gives you and wouldn’t be able to stop now if I tried!
CBTB: When you’re not writing crime fiction, are you a reader of the genre as well? If so, could you share a few suspense novels that you’ve recently read and loved?
SJ: Oddly, even though I didn’t intend to write crime/thrillers, it is my preferred genre to read, so maybe I was subliminally drawn to write that way?!? I loved BA Paris’s Behind Closed Doors, which was the book that inspired me to have a go at writing fiction, and Clare Mackintosh’s I Let You Go is one of my all-time favourites. I also love anything that Harlan Coben writes; Six Years stands out for me.
CBTB: Now that THE OTHER WOMAN is slated for release this summer, what are you working on next?
SJ: I’m writing another domestic noir thriller, based on the lies and secrets hidden within a seemingly normal family. I love exploring the dynamics of sisters, brothers, partners – every family is made up of such a hotch-potch of characters and personalities. We may all look normal from the outside but scratch the surface and we’re all dysfunctional and we all have secrets!!
Many thanks to Sandie Jones for taking the time to answer my questions about her debut novel, THE OTHER WOMAN! Stay tuned for a full review of Sandie’s debut novel later this summer.
Five Minutes With… Debut Author Sandie Jones
Posted on June 14, 2018 by Emily Cleary in At Home, Books
Sandie Jones had always thought about writing a book, but believed she could only do it from a beach hut, overlooking the swirling ocean, with a constant supply of black coffee and Gitanes cigarettes. But apart from the fact she doesn’t smoke or drink black coffee, last year she realised this romantic notion was only holding her back, and she finally got stuck in. Roll on 2018 and her debut novel, The Other Woman, is about to be released to much fanfare….
Tell us a bit about the plot of the book…
The Other Woman is a psychological thriller about a couple and the destructive relationship triangle they find themselves a part of. Emily loves Adam and Adam loves Emily, but standing between them is someone who is so much more dangerous than any bitter ex-wife or attractive work colleague could ever be, and that’s his mother Pammie. She sets about destroying both their relationship and Emily herself, stopping at nothing to get what she wants. Emily has to decide whether Adam is worth fighting for – or indeed dying for.
Pammie is the MIL we all hope we never get. So, the inevitable question – what is your relationship like with your MIL?!
Unfortunately my own MIL is no longer around, but she couldn’t have been further from Pammie if she tried. But I was lucky, many aren’t, and there is so often that chink in the armour of even the most supposedly perfect, happy family. Pammie is an exaggeration of all those MIL’s I’ve heard about from friends and acquaintances.
The book fits in to the categories of both women’s fiction, and psychological thriller. Is it a help or a hindrance to write a book that branches across genres?
As a debut author, I didn’t really set out to write any particular genre – I just wrote the story I wanted to write, which in the beginning would have sat comfortably under the umbrella of women’s fiction. But as my writing progressed, the storyline became a little darker, a little more sinister, and Pammie just kept turning it up a notch, which surprised even me! To be able to span two genres, both of which are extremely popular, is definitely helpful and very exciting.
What is your writing routine?
I can take a while to get going in the mornings, so I normally deal with social media or tackle research first thing. By 10, I’m ready to write and dependant on how it’s going, I’ll go through to the evening (bar, the children coming in from school and cooking tea!) I don’t plan or map out, I just write and see where it takes me. I set myself a target of 1,000 words a day, which will be my absolute minimum – I like to do closer to 2,000 in an ideal world, but that will depend on whether I’m fully invested in a scene or what’s going on. If I’m struggling for too long, I’ll abandon what I’m doing and change tack, which, for me, is always successful.
Music is my greatest inspiration and can change the way I feel in minutes, but unfortunately I have to have complete silence whilst I’m writing, otherwise I can’t hear the words or how they flow. I’m hoping that will change!
Could you share the process you went through to get your book deal?
I honestly never thought about getting The Other Woman published whilst I was writing it. I wrote it for me, just to prove I could do it and when I finished it, I thought it might be worthwhile sending it to five agents, all of whom I selected because they either represented authors I admired or specialised in the type of book I’d written. The most I was hoping for, if I was lucky, was some constructive criticism or feedback, so when all of them requested to see the full manuscript I was completely taken aback. I asked Google the question: ‘What does it mean when an agent requests the full manuscript?’ The answers erred on the side of caution, so I tried not to get my hopes up. But then three asked to meet me and Google said that this was very positive news indeed! I signed with the brilliant Tanera Simons at Darley Anderson and together we worked on getting the manuscript ready to send to publishers. Within a couple of weeks, we had offers in from the UK and US, and Brazil, Poland, Hungary and Serbia quickly followed! It’s truly the stuff dreams are made of!
Which writers inspire you?
I always enjoy Harlan Coben’s books and Clare MacIntosh is brilliant. I Let You Go is one of the best books I’ve ever read. The author who inspired me to write The Other Woman is BA Paris, who two years ago released her debut novel Behind Closed Doors. I was caught in the middle of a whirlwind as people read it, spoke about it and recommended it. I’d not been a part of a more powerful word-of-mouth campaign than that. It taught me that people still loved books and all the time I felt I had one in me, it seemed silly not to write it.
Traditionally male writers have had an easier time of it getting published. Do you think this is still the case, or is it now a level playing field?
I don’t know the stats, but it definitely feels as if women are getting as fair a shot at it as men. I’ve been to several showcases recently and the panels have been heavily weighted towards women (particularly with debuts). There is also a broad range of ages represented, which is always refreshing to see. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if a good book is written by a man or a woman, aged twenty-two or seventy-two – it’s a good book, and so will get published.
You have also worked as a journalist. Tell us a bit about that.
I’ve been a freelance journalist for over twenty years, interviewing celebrities for the national newspapers and women’s magazines. I love my job, but for some reason I began writing The Other Woman one January morning last year, in between interviews and write-ups. I never imagined that I would be able to, or want, to stop working, so it was important that I carried on as normal. Once the editing process started in August, I had to stop for a while, as it’s very intense, but I was back to it by October. I’m very lucky that as a freelancer I can pick up and carry on working around whatever else I’ve got going on.
What can we expect from any future books?
There is another book in the making, which will most probably straddle the women’s fiction/psychological thriller genres again. I enjoy writing about normal people, in extraordinary circumstances which, hopefully, readers will find relatable. It’s those family dynamics that so often catch us off guard that I’ll be exploring again.
The Other Woman, by Sandie Jones, is out today, June 14th, Pan, £7.99 paperback. Follow Sandie on Twitter @realsandiejones and Instagram /sandiejones_author
Jones, Sandie: THE OTHER WOMAN
Kirkus Reviews. (June 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Jones, Sandie THE OTHER WOMAN Minotaur (Adult Fiction) $26.99 8, 21 ISBN: 978-1-250-19198-4
A woman meets her dream guy, but his mother is something out of a nightmare in Jones' debut thriller.
Emily Havistock is immediately attracted to the handsome Adam Banks when they meet each other's eyes across the room at a networking event for her London consulting firm, and even though she wasn't looking for a boyfriend, it doesn't take long before they're seeing each other every night. Emily's last relationship ended in disaster, but she feels a true connection to Adam, although he's not forthcoming about his past. A couple of months into the relationship, he invites her to meet his mother, Pammie, and assures Emily that Pammie will love her. On the way, when Emily makes a light joke about his mom's taste in music, Adam snaps at her. One would think that Emily might have considered cutting her losses then and there. But, no, Emily is enamored with Adam, so she vows to make it work. What follows is a hellish sequence of passive aggressive nastiness on the part of Pammie that would bring any woman to her knees, begging for mercy. Emily doesn't feel like she can confide in Adam since he treats his mother like a saint, but she does have the support of her flatmate, Pippa, and best friend Seb. It doesn't help that Emily feels undeniable sparks with Adam's younger, very attractive brother, James. Things with Pammie eventually come to a head in a spectacular way, and Emily begins to realize that Adam may not be as perfect as she thought. Emily, who narrates, is relatable even if readers will root for her to put the fiendish, and fiendishly clever, Pammie in her place and smack Adam for not sticking up for her. Jones ratchets up the tension to the breaking point and throws in a curveball that will make readers' heads spin.
Melodramatic yet wildly entertaining, with a smashing twist.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Jones, Sandie: THE OTHER WOMAN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A543008927/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=620b5599. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A543008927
Family Feuds
Library Journal. 143.12 (July 2018): p56.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
* Jones, Sandie.
The Other Woman.
Minotaur: St. Martin's.
Aug. 2018. 304p. ISBN
9781250191984. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250192011.
THRILLER
DEBUT When Emily encounters Adam in a crowded London bar, she is immediately attracted to his good looks and boisterous personality. Their relationship is fairytale perfect, until Emily is introduced to the other woman in Adam's life--his mother, Pammie, who takes an instant dislike to her. As the relationship with Adam progresses, Pammie's focus on criticizing, belittling, and undermining Emily rapidly intensifies. She craftily delivers her barbs with Adam out of earshot, which causes him to dismiss and resent her repeated claims against his mother. Emily seems to be fighting a losing battle as the woman's antics threaten to derail the romance. When the schemes turn more serious, Emily fears that her antagonist might be dangerous and decides to take matters into her own hands. VERDICT Pammie is every young woman's worst nightmare: a mean mother-in-law (on steroids) in this addictive debut thriller. Readers' pulses will race as they anticipate how she might strike next and be completely knocked off balance by the shocking ending.--Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights
Zettel, Sarah. The Other Sister. Grand Central.
Aug. 2018.384p. ISBN 9781538760901. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781538760895.
THRILLER
Geraldine Monroe, a recently fired professor specializing in the works of the Brothers Grimm, returns to the Michigan hometown she had fled two decades ago after her mother died under suspicious circumstances. Her sister Marie remained at home with their father, Martin, and over the years has helped expand his real estate business by working as his dutiful assistant. Although Martin is highly regarded in their town, the sisters have suffered years of emotional abuse under his rule. Geraldine's return and erratic behavior serve as the perfect distraction from the real purpose of her visit--she and Marie have devised a plot to murder their father. But as family secrets are revealed, Geraldine and Marie both begin to question if they can trust each other to follow through with their plan. In this foray into adult domestic suspense, "House of Spies" series YA author Zettel's knack for writing realistic dialog, as well as her ability to juggle multiple time lines and narrators, keep the tension high. Readers will wonder who's the good sister, the bad sister, and the villain, even after the story is finished. VERDICT An engaging psychological thriller, perfect for its sharp dialog and portrayal of not-so-happy families.--Anitra Gates, Erie Cty. P.L., PA
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Family Feuds." Library Journal, July 2018, p. 56. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A544877377/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=249942f0. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A544877377
The Other Woman
Publishers Weekly. 265.24 (June 11, 2018): p43.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Other Woman
Sandie Jones. Minotaur, $26.99 (304p)
ISBN 978-1-250-19198-4
To smitten Emily Havistock, the narrator of British author Jones's engrossing-if-flawed first novel, sexy London IT recruiter Adam Banks seems like the perfect catch--until she discovers Adam has a pretty big catch himself: Pammie, his meddlesome widowed mum with whom he seems hopelessly enmeshed. As Emily becomes painfully aware, her sexagenarian adversary will stop at nothing to split up the couple (including faking a breast cancer diagnosis); and, Emily starts to suspect, might even have had a hand in the death of Adam's previous girlfriend. Far from having the desired effect, however, Pammie's machinations make feisty Emily all the more determined to land her guy, a single-minded focus that leads her to ignore glaring warning signs that the volatile Adam might not really be the one for her--or indeed the man she thinks he is. The startling if unbelievable 180 at the end of the road will spin readers' heads, but not enough to compensate for all the contrivance to engineer it. Still, fans of plot-driven psychological thrillers will enjoy the ride. 200,000-copy announced first printing. Agent: Tanera Simons, Darley Anderson (U.K.). (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Other Woman." Publishers Weekly, 11 June 2018, p. 43. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A542967292/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ac309642. Accessed 18 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A542967292
Book Review: THE OTHER WOMAN by Sandie Jones
August 20, 2018
THE OTHER WOMAN by Sandie Jones
Minotaur Books; 8/21/18
CBTB Rating: 4/5
The Verdict: binge-worthy suspense perfect for the last few weekends of summer
Summer is winding down, but there’s still time to sneak in a beach trip before autumn arrives—and when you do, Sandie Jones’ debut THE OTHER WOMAN belongs in your beach bag. Fast-paced and binge-worthy, THE OTHER WOMAN is a strong example of what I like to call “popcorn reading”: a suspense novel with serious entertainment value that begs to be devoured in one sitting. THE OTHER WOMAN will appeal most to fans of domestic suspense novels like B.A. Paris’ BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, but Jones' debut contributes a fresh angle to the genre that makes it a worthy addition to your TBR in its own right. The story’s titular “other woman” isn’t a mistress… it’s a mother-in-law named Pammie, and she’s bad news in the best way. What begins as a fairly standard psychological suspense setup (woman meets nearly-too-good-to-be-true man, and a romantic relationship ensues) quickly becomes deliciously dramatic and sinister; Pammie has no intention of letting her son marry our story’s protagonist, and the lengths she’s willing to go to will equal parts shock and entertain. Remember that romantic comedy Monster in Law? THE OTHER WOMAN is like that, but with a dark, vengeful twist. If you’re in the market for a lighter suspense read with a genuinely jaw-dropping finale, Sandie Jones’ debut belongs on your TBR.
Plot Summary:
HE LOVES YOU: Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam’s perfect, the man she thought she’d never meet.
BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.
AND SHE'LL STOP AT NOTHING: Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.
THE OTHER WOMAN will have you questioning her on every page, in Sandie Jones' chilling psychological thriller about a man, his new girlfriend, and the mother who will not let him go.
It’s a classic story: girl meets boy, girl and boy fall in love, girl and boy (hopefully) live happily ever after. Granted, in this case the “girl” and “boy” are successful adults who happen to cross paths at a bar… but you get the picture. In Sandie Jones’ modern-day fairytale-gone-wrong, there’s one very serious obstacle to their otherwise happy union: the boy’s mother, Pammie. Manipulative, cunning, and downright chilling, Pammie is exactly the breath of fresh air my domestic suspense reading list needed. Jones turns a genre trope on its head in her gripping debut; where readers might be lured by the book’s title into assuming this story features an affair or a mistress, the truth is much more entertaining. Emily has found her perfect man in Adam, but there’s one serious - and very difficult to circumvent - obstacle: Adam’s mother. The brilliance of this setup is twofold. First and foremost, it’s relatable: if you haven’t experienced a strained mother-in-law relationship yourself, you’ve surely heard of one. Second, it centers around a relationship far more permanent than an affair: affairs can (hopefully!) be avoided, but relationships with the parents of your partner or spouse are much harder to steer clear of. Inject this very ordinary relationship with a healthy dose of hostility, and the result is the delightfully twisted relationship that Pammie and Emily share.
Speaking of relatability, what makes Jones’ debut work so well is the quiet way in which Pammie makes her disdain for Emily known. There’s certainly drama to be found within this book’s pages, but THE OTHER WOMAN relies most heavily of all on Pammie’s under-the-radar menace—and it’s this understated quality that makes her such a fun antagonist to read. Pammie is keenly attuned to social niceties and expectations, and she uses this innate sense of propriety against Emily at every possible turn. It’s a unique brand of psychological warfare, and it plays out between the two women over the battlefield of holiday meals and wedding planning. Without spoiling anything, my personal favorite scene in the book involves a holiday tea gone very wrong—or very right, if you’re on Pammie’s team. Much of THE OTHER WOMAN feels like watching a trainwreck you just can’t look away from: we know exactly what Pammie is up to, and we cringe as we watch Emily endure the very public humiliations and trials her future mother-in-law puts her through. It’s wickedly entertaining, and readers will feel for Emily as much as they will cheer on Pammie’s cunning schemes. And make no mistake: Pammie truly is the focal point of this story, with Emily and Adam merely pawns in Pammie’s games. If you love an antagonist who's oddly endearing even while she does truly terrible things to those around her, you'll love (or, rather, love to hate) Pammie as much as I did. Jones balances the melodramatic and the ordinary to pitch-perfect effect in THE OTHER WOMAN; the result is a psychological suspense novel that manages to be just dramatic enough to entertain without losing the underlying relatability that makes it such a creepy read.
Readers who love suspense novelists like B.A. Paris and Clare Mackintosh will find themselves swept right along in Jones’ breezy, binge-worthy storytelling. THE OTHER WOMAN truly is a one-sitting kind of read; from its pacing to its page-turning fun, this is exactly the kind of suspense novel that belongs in your bag as you head to the beach or pool for Labor Day. You’ll be best suited for THE OTHER WOMAN if you want nothing more than to be totally entertained for an afternoon—this book won’t be the right choice if you’re looking for darker or grittier crime fiction, but that’s absolutely not a negative. (You know my mantra: it’s all about expectations!) THE OTHER WOMAN is just plain fun to devour, and Pammie is an antagonist for the ages. And let’s not forget the whopper of an ending Jones has in store for readers… talk about a twist. If you’re looking for the next BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by B.A. Paris, this one is a strong contender.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions my own.
Bonus: Q&A with Sandie Jones
Sandie kindly took the time to answer a few of my most pressing questions about her debut novel, and an excerpt of our conversation is below! You can find the full Q&A here.
CBTB: What first inspired you to write THE OTHER WOMAN? Can you identify one moment when the idea popped into your head, or did it develop over time?
SJ: The idea came about as a result of talking to friends and acquaintances who all seemed to have a mother-in-law story to tell! But I was imagining a more humorous take on it, perhaps a comedy or light-hearted chick lit novel. But the more I wrote about Pammie, the more sinister she became and once I started, I couldn’t stop!
CBTB: At the center of THE OTHER WOMAN is a less-than-likeable woman named Pammie. How would you describe Pammie to readers who haven’t had the chance to meet her yet?
SJ: Ooh, where to start?!? Pammie is all your worst nightmares comes true. On the face of it, she is the typical matriarch of the family, seemingly holding everything together with good humour and grace. But behind-the-scenes, she is anything but, and it’s Emily who bears the brunt of her wicked ways and viciousness. There is NOTHING she wouldn’t do to get Emily out of her son’s life.
CBTB: Readers will love that THE OTHER WOMAN puts a unique spin on the domestic thriller; the “woman” of the story’s title isn’t a mistress, but a soon-to-be mother-in-law! Why did you want to focus your suspense novel on this particular kind of relationship? What made this relationship compelling to you?
SJ: I loved the idea of focusing the story on a mother-in-law because it is such a unique relationship, as it is one of the very few adult relationships we don’t get to choose. We fall in love and HAVE to accept his/her parents as part of the package, and so it is no surprise that those relationships are so often strained and difficult. There is also an element of control that the mother or father might have over your other half which will always cause stress as you compete for their attention.
Review: The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
By Gabino Iglesias
August 21, 2018
The Other Woman
Sandie Jones
August 21, 2018
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones is a debut novel and the most twisty, addictive, and unputdownable thriller you’ll read this year.
Take a visual tour of The Other Woman with GIFnotes!
Sandie Jones’s The Other Woman is a shape-shifting novel that, much like its characters, never truly is what it seems. It starts as a lighthearted and humorous tale of newfound love and then slowly spirals into a tense, maddening tale of deception and repressed anger that has an unexpected, manipulative character at its core. In fact, there is almost nothing in the first 100 pages of the book that would indicate the narrative being read is a strong psychological thriller. Instead, Jones lures readers in with quirky characters and relatable situations before unleashing what she has in store.
Emily is in love with Adam. They have been dating for four months and are already sharing holiday meals with his family. In Emily’s eye, Adam is almost flawless and could easily be the chosen one, the man she grows old with. Unfortunately for them, there is someone else in their relationship: Adam’s mother. A gentle, older woman by the name of Pammie, Adam’s mother seems like a normal, caring mother—but there is more to her than that. It all starts with miscommunication and small acts of control. Then, it escalates. Is Emily imagining all of it? Can Pammie be as nefarious as she sometimes seems?
The Other Woman is not a standard psychological thriller. Its pace is much slower, and the few elements that tie most contemporary psychological thrillers to crime are almost nonexistent. The latter is no problem at all, but some readers could struggle with the former if they are accustomed to narratives in this genre moving forward at breakneck speed. For example, as mentioned above, the first third of the book is spent showcasing the budding relationship—including how they met—and getting to know Emily as she discusses her life/relationship with her friends. Despite this shortcoming, the novel ends up being a solid debut for two reasons: the psychological and emotional turmoil Emily undergoes and Jones’s knack for dialogue. Also, the way the tension crescendos is worth mentioning. It all starts with noticing a few small things and escalates from there:
There was the tiniest frisson of anger bubbling up inside me and, if I hadn’t had too much to drink, I most probably would have left and driven home. Had I known that James would be here, and that I’d be expected to sleep on an old sofa, I would have stayed with my parents. I wanted to be with Adam, and I thought he wanted to be with me, but here I was, having to pander to his mum’s needy behavior and defend myself.
While Emily and Adam share the spotlight, it is Pammie who ultimately emerges as the most memorable character. She is never entirely sweet and is controlling from the start, but by the last third of the novel, things that happened earlier take on a somewhat more sinister shade when seen under the light of new revelations. In a way, Pammie doesn’t grow or change; she is the same monster from the first few pages, but the way that monster is slowly revealed makes for some very interesting reading.
Read an excerpt from The Other Woman!
If the pace is not great, Jones makes up for it with heavy doses of mental anguish, frustration, and anxiety. Emily is a tad insecure, and that makes her think about everything too much. She makes excuses for Pammie at the start. Then, she sees what’s going on (or at least what she’s sure is going on) and puts up with it in the name of love and not coming between her beloved and his mother. Later still, she is forced to face her rival without the benefit of other possibilities to cushion their interactions, and that’s when she gets abused, threatened, and even triggered:
I smiled as if her vicious words were rolling over me like water off a duck’s back, but every syllable was like a sword cutting through the very strings that held my heart in place. I felt as if I had gone back in time, been transported back to primary school, to when nasty Fiona had loomed over me in the corner of the playground, and had laughed as I lay sprawled on the ground, my blue gingham dress caught up around my waist.
Ultimately, The Other Woman is a novel about questions. What happened before? What will happen next? What is Pammie capable of? What has she done in the past? That uncertainty, coupled with a twist that should be left for readers to discover, makes this a strong debut that announces the arrival of an author who isn’t afraid to let her narrative comfortably inhabit an interstitial space between fear and love.