A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Cover says Chick Lit! (historical romance). Male author, and first time novelist. Hmmm…the signs are not good. But this novel was a delightful surprise.
The year is 1907, and Ralph Truitt a wealthy widower is tired of living alone. As the leading businessman in his Wisconsin town, there are no eligible women around so he decides to place an ad for a reliable wife. Catherine Land, innocent daughter of overseas missionaries replies, and is selected on the basis of her plain photo and genteel history.
However the Catherine Land who steps off the train is nothing like the photo. This woman is stunning, but still maintains that the rest of her story is true. They marry, and then begins this dark tale of deception and murder. Catherine actually intends to murder her new husband, take his money and set up a new life with her young lover.
But like reality, the story is never that simple. Catherine and Ralph both have deep sadness and regret from their past. Goolrick reveals the characters gradually, engaging the reader in their lives masterfully. This is a book that must be read in very few sittings because it will be very difficult to stop once you get halfway.
This is a brilliant first novel. The plot is well structured and the characters are complex. And the choice of a Wisconsin winter as a setting perfectly reflects the isolation and depression experienced by the protagonists.
First impressions can be very wrong. I am certainly looking forward to the next book from this author.
