Summer Reads, Sneaky peeks: The Adulterer's Wife by Leigh Russell

Available here

Blurb

 When Julie finds out her husband is having an affair, she tells her two best friends. They sympathise with her situation, and take her out drinking to cheer her up. Having been married for twenty years, Julie thinks her life can’t get any worse - until she finds her husband dead in bed beside her. The police establish he was murdered. Not only that, but they are aware Julie knew about her husband’s adultery, and she becomes their main suspect. Julie sends her teenage son to his grandparents in Edinburgh while she fights to prove her innocence. With all the evidence seemingly pointing to her, she is charged with murder. The only way she can clear her name and escape conviction is by discovering the identity of her husband’s killer. Out on bail, she employs a private detective to help her. Investigating her husband’s life, she discovers more secrets her husband had been hiding from her. But the truth is never straightforward. 

Author Biography

Leigh Russell has sold well over a million books in her Geraldine Steel crime series. She has also written two trilogies in the crime genre, and her books have been translated into French, German, Italian, Turkish and Chinese. Leigh's books have been shortlisted for two CWA Dagger Awards, and she has twice been a Finalist for The People's Book Prize. She chairs the CWA Debut Dagger judging panel, is on the board of the Crime Writers Association, and is a Royal Literary Fellow. The Adulterer’s Wife is her first stand alone psychological thriller. 

Sneaky Peak Extract  from The Adulterer’s Wife

‘Oh, this isn’t a social call,’ he assured me. ‘But in consideration of my services, there is still the question of the outstanding money.’

‘Don’t tell me you’re expecting the balance of your fee? You didn’t exactly do anything to deserve it.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘You can't have forgotten I was nearly killed while I was working on your case. We’ll have to adjust my fee to take that into account. Danger money.’ 

We glared at one another for a moment, but I wanted him out of the house. With no time to bargain, I made a snap decision and offered to pay him half of the balance of his outstanding fee. 

‘I’m sure you’ll agree that’s a very generous offer,’ I added in as firm a tone as I could muster.

He laughed at me. ‘You're hardly in a position to haggle.’

Kicking the front door closed behind him, he took a step towards me, his mud-coloured eyes glittering.

‘It’s going to cost you a lot more than that to silence me.’