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The end of a marriage is never easy—especially when the end is less than amicable. And in The Exes’ Revenge by author Jo Jakeman, one woman is forced to team up with some unlikely allies as she fights her ex for both her son and her life.
The story finds devoted mom Imogen anxious to escape the control of her abusive soon-to-be-ex-husband, Phillip. He’s always been harsh and selfish, but when he shows up demanding that she and their son, Alistair, move out of their house and threatens to sue for full custody, Imogen becomes desperate. A moment of panic then causes her to do something completely unthinkable, and she soon finds herself trying to figure out how to handle Phillip while suddenly bonding with his ex-wife and his new girlfriend over the mess he’s caused all of them.
The author sets up the tension by starting at the end of the action—at Phillip’s funeral. From there, she jumps back in time, counting down the remaining days. In this way, she piles mystery on top of suspense. Not only will readers feel the tension of each passing day, as Imogen—and, later, Phillip’s other exes—battles against his violent and increasingly erratic behavior, but they’ll also try to figure out how, exactly, Phillip meets his end. Does Imogen finally have enough of his abuse? Does one of the other women? Or is it something else entirely? And the answer doesn’t come until the final moments.
Admittedly, though, it takes a while for the real suspense to build. When Imogen first faces off against Phillip, it seems like an extremely heated custody battle. But when things escalate—and the other exes end up getting involved—it becomes much more tense and gripping.
The more readers get to know Phillip, the more terrifying he becomes—a violent, selfish, and entirely hateful character, who will go out of his way to make the women in his life miserable. His single-minded need for revenge goes above and beyond everything else—to the point that he’s clearly come unhinged. Meanwhile, Imogen stands strong—not for herself but for her son. She’s clearly not as heartless as her ex—and that sometimes gets her into trouble—but she’s motivated to turn things around. And as the other women join the battle, each brings a different perspective—and a different reason for fighting back against the man they once loved.
This delightfully dark revenge thriller is full of both suspense and surprises. And no matter how twisted things may get, readers will be eager to see how it all comes to an end.
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