#ATBR2019 Review: The Third Mrs. Durst by Ann Aguirre @midnightinkbook @jessmapreviews
The Third Mrs. Durst
by Ann Aguirre
Thank you to Midnight Ink for these copies - I've been meaning to read Aguirre for a while and now I'm so happy that I have.
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Publish Date: August 8, 2019
Hardcover
312 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Thriller
My Review:
Ok ladies and gentlemen and lovers of thrillers around. This is a hard one to review for me as an avid thriller reader. It'll be a hit or miss amongst us lovers of the thrills and chills and all around twisty goodness we all look for in our reads in this genre. Here's the reasons why:
You need to suspend some belief and let this story just tell itself. And that is what it does. It's completely plot driven. There's very minimal, to no, character building. I found myself asking questions when it turned sideways around page 70ish. I was happy that I wasn't quite expecting that but there was the WHY. I needed a bit more background than just the *here's the reason* but at the same time, I was actually like oh, ok. I dig ya, girl. (Also, every time I see the name Marlena, I think of Days of Our Lives so it was hard to reconcile a character I wasn't given much build up on. *shrug*)
There are certainly some scenes that you're just flummoxed with.... ok, so no way THAT would happen... and no way THIS would be allowed. But hell y'all - I am actually A-OK with it - it's fiction after all and if you can't suspend belief in fiction, then where can ya? This isn't a new story really. Powerful older man takes on a younger, naive and easily manipulated girl under his wing and makes her his. Once the honeymoon period is over, true colors show and now she needs to get out. So, we've seen this before.
Listen, I don't care if I've seen the story a thousand times, if it still snares me in and keeps me from putting the book down, then I am HERE FOR IT. And that's what The Third Mrs. Durst does - it reels you in. It's a quick and easy read and one I found highly entertaining. I never found myself rooting for any of the characters and I did have questions and/or found some things questionable but at the end of the day, I WAS ENTERTAINED.
I'm torn as I suppose for content itself I may have rated this a little lower but for pure entertainment at face value, I sit happily here.
★★★★
Jessica's Review:
This book was a fun and quick read. THE THIRD MRS. DURST was everything I was expecting it to be and I loved it. The synopsis and prologue give you all you need to know - a controlling and powerful husband and his new wife trying to free herself. I'll make sure to mention now, that this does depict spousal abuse and domestic violence, so that's always good to know going in.
Alright, this is just what I needed in a short thriller. From the start I couldn't put it down and I loved all the twists, the manipulation, the scheming, all of it. I definitely would suspend some belief when going into it, but that's always part of the fun with these types of books. Marlena is a young girl that ran away from home in hopes of a modeling career. When things fall into place, she finds herself in Europe and quickly becomes a well-known and sought after model. This catches the eye of Michael Durst, a handsome and wealthy businessman that wants to make Marlena his. Once that honeymoon phase is over though, Marlena realizes that there's a sociopath under that handsome facade and well-tailored suit.
You don't get a lot of character development, but you get enough to understand the motives and to keep the story moving. It is just bout 300 pages, so things get going right away and they don't stop until the end. I can see some thriller fans loving this one and others feeling underwhelmed. If you're looking for an entertaining thriller read, then look no further!
4 stars
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