The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Hello everyone. Hope you are well.

Are you a house lover or are you happy where you happen to land?  Hubby and I love houses and are always looking at the real estate listings.  We recently saw a mansion, yes, a real "have a heaping helping of our hospitality" Beverly Hillbillies mansion, that is on a street we used to live on.  We've been in this enormous, nine bedroom, house several times. The mega-estate is on the market and the listing is shocking. The current owners have filled this historic house with glass block walls, seven foot tall concrete nude statues, and enough gilded brick a brac that even Belle Watling would throw up. Guess it's a good thing that there are endless kinds of houses, something for everyone's taste (even if it's bad). Books are the same way, fun for all.

I recently read The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.  This thriller is a wink to Jane Eyre, which you'll recognize if you've read the classic.  A Wife Upstairs is about a young girl, Jane, who has started a dog walking business and works in a prestigious neighborhood. One day she meets Eddie, the mysterious owner of the house she admires.  She finds him charming and is saddened to hear that his wife has passed away recently, in a boating accident.  Of course, in true genre form, Eddie has secrets, but so does Jane. As a romance between Jane and Eddie blooms, Jane becomes nervous her secrets will be told and that perhaps Eddie isn't the dream man she thought he was.  This was a quick, fun read.  I guessed the ending early on, so will you if you read lots of thrillers, yet it was still very enjoyable and had a satisfying end. 

Back to the REALLY important stuff, if you don't know who the Beverly Hillbillies are or their theme song, I'll be forced to throw you in the ce-ment pond! If you don't know who Belle Watling is....frankly, my dear, I don't give a...