An aspirational couple’s perfect life is shattered when Verity, a successful self-made woman returns home from a Yoga retreat to find her husband Linden bashed to death in the lounge. Nefarious goings-on hurtle Verity and her cousin Addison into a thrilling and dangerous search for the truth where everyone has something to hide. Verity is an influencer based in Bath, and the story is chock-a-block with homage to the beautiful city and its quirky bedroom towns. The believable cast of glittering young professionals all have secrets. As Verity discovers the depth of Linden’s philandering and deceit and her brand ‘Verity Rose’ becomes everything to her. She suspects everyone. Her lookalike cousin Addison provides a voice of reason, reigning her wilder imaginings in. Her best friend Mimi goes AWOL, and the spotlight falls on women and men that have reason to want Linden dead. The writing is stylish and smart. A deadly plot and delectable twist are Christie-esque in their mastery. There’s a whiff of Hitchcock too: MacGuffins, mysterious blondes and tense interiors. She even dips her toe into the ‘Dandyverse’ by namechecking the fated Elodie Fray from 'One small mistake'. Like a Michelin-starred chef, Dandy sets out her delectable mise-en-place and we are greedy to find out where it is destined to go. Piece by piece the evidence builds up and with surgical precision, the murderer is revealed. The chapters alternate between ‘The Wife’ and ‘The Other Woman’ creating dramatic tension and an increasing desire to get at the truth. The authorial voice is strong and sure with snatches of humour, dark, delicious and biting, and insight into Millennial living and angst. Wherever Dandy Smith directs, the reader goes willingly. The Wedding Vow is a lean, sexy and beguiling psychological thriller serving as a post mortem of a toxic relationship. The characters are presented in living colour and the plot is anything but beige. If you are lucky enough to feature in one of Dandy Smith's novels, you better have the chops to keep singing when she sends you purple rain. Some promises should be kept at all costs, like a wedding vow, and like an author who pledges a domestic thriller and delivers a story as fabulous and compelling as this. If you're a fan of Gillian Flynn, Lisa Jewell or K.L. Slater, you will love this novel. Thanks to Embla Books and NetGalleyUK for the eARC. I devoured it.

The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith is a gripping and intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The story revolves around Verity and Linden Lockwood, a seemingly perfect couple who vowed to stay together for better or worse. Five years into their marriage, they've managed to maintain an image of the golden couple. However, everything changes when Linden is brutally murdered in their picture-perfect home. Verity is devastated, but her heartbreak deepens when she uncovers that Linden has been hiding a dark secret – an affair. Determined to discover the identity of the other woman, Verity embarks on a journey into her husband's hidden life, only to find that everyone in her circle could be a suspect – her neighbour, best friend, assistant, and even her cousin. As she digs deeper, the shocking truths about Linden's life unfold, and Verity begins to realise that she never truly knew the man she married. With each revelation, the story becomes more twisted, and Verity soon learns that the truth might be more dangerous than she ever imagined. The book alternates between different perspectives, primarily Verity’s and that of the mysterious other woman, creating a thrilling sense of suspense. The central mystery of who the other woman is kept me hooked throughout, with Smith cleverly throwing in twists and red herrings that make it difficult to guess the outcome. With jaw-dropping moments and a mind-blowing ending, The Wedding Vow is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. It’s a fast-paced, addictive book. The layers of deception, betrayal, and shocking revelations will make this a hit with thriller lovers everywhere. If you're looking for a book that will keep you guessing, this one is for you! Read more at The Secret Book Review.