The perfect wife: A (kind of weird) sci fi mystery thriller

Ugandan born JP Delaney is a British writer of psychological thrillers, also published as Tony Strong and Anthony Capella. I've not read anything by the author under any of the pseudonyms. I gave The perfect wife a go as it sounded original, and that's a tough ask in a crowded genre. Read on for my thoughts on the (kind of weird) sci fi mystery thriller.

The perfect wife | Published August 2019 | Read October 2024

The perfect wife opens with Abbie waking up in hospital with no memories. The man in at her hospital bed claims to be her husband, Tim, a major player in the tech world and founder of a successful Silicon Valley robotics start-up. Abbie is told that she is a gifted artist who adores her husband and son and loves to surf. Tim says that she experienced a terrible ordeal five years ago and has been brought back to life. As Abbie starts to put the pieces together, she questions everything and everyone around her. What really happened five years ago? Can she trust Tim?

I have to give props to JP Delaney for originality. If you're looking for something a bit different and you can suspend disbelief, then give The perfect wife a go. It's definitely unique! I'm not usually a sci fi reader but I liked the AI parts of the story.

Delaney has done a good job of producing a contemporary book with cool vibe, but it doesn't quite work for me. It feels like Delaney couldn't quite decide what kind of book he wanted to write. There is no doubt that the book is clever and imaginative. It tries hard to explore some important themes, including the impact of technology on society, free will, and what makes someone/thing human. Tim and Abbie's son is autistic, and I thought Delaney did a nice job of sensitively and authentically portraying autism in young children and treatment approaches to the condition.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the book overall, though, and I struggled to give it a rating. I saw one reviewer on Goodreads describe the book as a combination of Westworld, The Stepford Wives and Gone girl and I tend to agree. Other reviewers have commented on the points of view Delaney takes in the novel. There are three of them: a second and third person perspective on Abbie's past and present narratives, and an omniscient narrator. I didn't mind that approach and I didn't guess who the unknown narrator was until it was revealed at the end.

If I were to sum up my thoughts on The perfect wife, I would say that the premise is super intriguing and the book is unconventional, but unfortunately the ending lets it down. I had to go back and read the last chapter again and I'm still confused. I also felt that Tim and Abbie are painted as stereotypes and rather one-dimensional. Tim especially felt very cartoonish - a thinly-veiled fictional version of Steve Jobs. The book does make you think, but the ending is ridiculous and weird. Ultimately, there are good bones to the story, but it doesn't materialise into a good book.

Rating: ⭐⭐