Book review: The Second Wife by Ali Lowe

The Second Wife by Ali Lowe is the third book I’ve read by the English-born Aussie author and features warring siblings of the grown kind and a punitive and ill-tempered father… albeit one who’s a billionaire and celebrating his 70th birthday. It unfolds from several points of view that of birthday boy Irving’s wife, (Gen), Irving’s daughter in law (Celia) and Molly the cruise concierge for the elite 9th deck revellers. Their stories are interspersed by transcripts of a podcast, made following the fateful cruise which ends in a death… or two.

About this book

The Fairchild family have it all. At least that's what anyone watching the family of billionaires board the opulent Titan Pacifica would think.

But as Sydney Harbour Bridge starts to disappear in the rear-view window of the luxury liner, so too does any pretence that this is a happy family.

Unbeknownst to his children, CEO and patriarch Irving had planned to use the cruise to reveal his long-awaited succession plans. As glasses clink and elaborate dinners are served to the most notorious of Sydney's elite, it will soon become all too clear that family loyalty can only take you so far.

And although six embark on the journey of a lifetime, not all of the group will make it back to dry land again . . .

My thoughts

We’re first introduced to Molly who I initially liked… until I didn’t. I thought she’d be our main narrator and one we were meant to bond with but we learn things about her from other crew members that initially I wrote off as rumours, but then we see a side to her ourselves that raises suspicions.

Gen is either 46 or 56 years of age(!!!), compared to Irving’s 70… so much younger either way. They’ve been married three years and she seems genuine and likeable, though now seemingly disgusted by her husband given that she’s deciding when and where to kill him. Celia’s married to Ridley who’s constantly belittled by his father, his sister Marina and her husband. Ridley’s expecting to take over his father’s company so shocked here when Irving makes an announcement that his son-in-law will (instead) have that honour.

Either I wasn’t paying sufficient attention or Lowe deceptively leads us astray here in terms of the connection crew members, including Molly, have with the Fairchilds and secrets they’re keeping. Either way there’s a lot simmering away and that’s even before the first body is found.

The narrative here flows nicely and I liked the way Lowe times the podcast transcript interjections, helping to clarify, contradict, or emphasise the scene we’ve just read.

My niece has worked as a dancer on Norwegian cruise lines and I know that her living arrangements as a crew member were very different to those of guests, but here I was very impressed by the details Lowe goes into about life below deck. Equally fascinating is the glamour and largess of those who can afford to stay on the ninth deck. Even references to the bathroom products used or type of goodies stocked in the not-so-minibars in the staterooms helps place readers in the decadent surrounds. Or at least wistfully imagine it… when we’re not chiding ourselves for desiring such entitlement.

This is an enjoyable read with some great and nuanced characters and several sleights of hand!

The Second Wife by Ali Lowe was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton.

I received an electronic copy of this book for review purposes.