Publishers Weekly
11/15/2021
Two stories of revenge drive this uneven thriller from Hamilton (The Last Wife), both told by Charlotte Wilson, a scam artist who’s trying to go straight. The first tells how Charlotte was willingly seduced by her soon to be husband, Sam, into a life of preying on gullible cruise ship passengers. The second finds Charlotte estranged from Sam and attempting to build an event- and travel-planning business tailored to the needs of wealthy clients. When she begins receiving text messages from Sam stating that he has been threatened, she ignores them, until the anonymous blackmailer sends her a message, “I know what you both did,” followed by a demand for money. Before she can message Sam, he disappears. Meanwhile, Charlotte accepts an offer to work as a personal assistant aboard a private yacht sailing from the Bahamas to Barbados. During the voyage, Charlotte realizes that her stalker must be on the boat, and the threats escalate. The Caribbean backdrop and exciting finale make up only in part for a lead lacking self-awareness, insight, and wit. Hamilton has done better. Agent: Hillary Jacobson, ICM Partners. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
In The Ex-Husband, Karen Hamilton shows us the deliciously dark side of paradise. Amid the glitzy, wealthy, sun-kissed, at-sea lifestyle in this twisted thriller, we find con artists, threats and lies, and the cold certainty that no matter how far out you sail, you’ll never escape your past. —Tara Laskowski, author of One Night Gone and The Mother Next Door
"In THE EX-HUSBAND, Karen Hamilton takes her readers on a wild ride, all the way from Cornwall’s sandy beaches to a sun-kissed Caribbean cruise…but not everything is as beautiful and serene as it seems. Someone has more than a few axes to grind, and they’re out for revenge no matter what. As tensions rise and secrets are uncovered, it’s anybody’s guess who will survive. Fast-moving and twisted...Sure to be another smash-hit.” — Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Sister Dear and You Will Remember Me.
"The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton is the perfect slow-burn thriller. Set in the luxurious world of cruise ships, this deftly plotted novel features a complicated, compelling protagonist desperate to escape her past and right her mistakes. Chapter by chapter, Hamilton expertly builds the danger until you're hanging on tenterhooks, racing to the end. Tense, twisty, and absolutely gripping, it's impossible to put down." Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge
“Don’t let the idyllic setting fool you—The Ex-Husband takes its readers on one dark and twisted ride. With secrets, lies, and rapidly escalating tension, this story will hold you captive until the searing final pages. Karen Hamilton is masterful at crafting a simmering, transportive, edge-of-your-seat thriller. Escape into this luxurious, deceptive world where you won’t know who to trust until it’s too late.”—Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
Library Journal
08/01/2021
Charlotte happily grabs a job as personal assistant for an engagement party aboard a private luxury cruise ship, eager to start over after divorcing her disreputable con-artist husband, Sam. But Sam has gone missing after leaving her opaque messages about threats he's been receiving, and as increasingly creepy events unfold, Charlotte wonders if someone onboard knows about her past. Following the best-selling The Perfect Girlfriend and The Last Wife.
