The Book Whisperer Reviews a Chilling Debut Novel

The Book Whisperer Reviews a Chilling Debut Novel: The Last Mrs. Parrish

Writing a review of Liv Constantine’s The Last Mrs. Parrish is tricky. How much can one tell about the book without giving away the whole story? This review will contain questions, but no spoilers!

Let’s begin with Liv Constantine who is actually two sisters: Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine, both authors of books under their own names. The Last Mrs. Parrish represents the first book on which the sisters have collaborated, mostly through FaceTime and email since they live three states apart. Lynne and Valerie credit their Greek grandmother for their ability to develop noir stories. They both say they spent hours listening to their grandmother tell stories.

To read about Liv Constantine, check out the sisters’ Web site: www.livconstantine.com.

To learn about Lynne, visit her Web site: www.lynneconstantine.com.

Valerie’s Web site is www.valerieconstantine.com.

The Last Mrs. Parrish has received a great deal of praise from newspapers, journals, and authors. Publisher’s Weekly describes Amber Patterson, the first storyteller in The Last Mrs. Parrish as another addition “to the pantheon of Gone Girl-type bad girls.” Library Journal concurs by saying of The Last Mrs. Parrish: “Deliciously duplicitous… equally as twisty, spellbinding, and addictive as Gillian Glynn’s Gone Girl or Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train.”

The words duplicitous, thrilling, captivating, and shocking all describe The Last Mrs. Parrish and Amber Patterson’s concerted efforts to destroy Jackson and Daphne Parrish’s seemingly perfect marriage so that Amber can become the final and lasting Mrs. Parrish will anger readers because of Amber’s duplicity. They will also be curious about Amber’s next move and next move.

After doing quite a bit of research, Amber Patterson joins a fitness club where she knows Daphne Parrish works out regularly. Amber has decided she is tired of being poor and overlooked. She wants what Daphne has: a wealthy husband, a home overlooking the water at Bishops Harbor, Connecticut. Only Daphne and the two bratty daughters stand in Amber’s way. They are mere distractions, however, for Amber will not be swayed from her plan.

To ingratiate herself into the Parrish family, Amber accidentlly bumps into Daphne while walking on a treadmill, and Amber drops the magazine she has been reading. Daphne picks up the magazine, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, and she asks Amber, “Are you reading this magazine? Amber explains that her sister Charlene has died of CF.

Amber lowers her eyes to make herself look sad. Immediately, Daphne is taken with the slight young woman. Readers also learn at that moment that Amber has no sister who has had CF; her three sisters are alive and well, but Amber has not seen or spoken to them in three years. Daphne, who lost her sister Julie to CF, does not need to know Amber’s truth if Amber’s plan is to take root and grow.

From this chance encounter and exchange of information about sisters who have died of CF, Amber begins her inroad into Daphne’s home and marriage. Amber’s first goal is to gain Daphne’s confidence and be invited to join Julie’s Smile, the CF foundation Daphne runs in her sister’s name to help CF families.

Amber is cunning and careful; she lets slip only bits of information and continues to play upon Daphne’s own loss in order to keep insinuating herself into the Parrish household, ultimately wishing to meet, seduce, and marry Jackson Parrish, wealthy real estate developer.

To all outward appearances, Daphne and Jackson Parrish are the ideal couple, still madly in love after two children. Jackson buys Daphne expensive presents. In their household, they have a French nanny who cares for the children, a full-time cook, and a weekend babysitter. To anyone such as Amber, Daphne has everything that Amber wants and Amber is determined to get it regardless of the cost to Daphne and her daughters.

The Last Mrs. Parrish is told in two parts. The first half of the book provides readers with Amber’s story, so we see the event only through her eyes and her desires. Amber is certain Daphne is a control freak. After all, one has only to look at the contents of the refrigerator to see that. All of the foods are lined up according to height and carefully placed in the refrigerator. The children are not allowed chips or candy, only healthful snacks. Amber sneers at the rules she believes Daphne lives by.

Constantly, Amber sees the lavish Parrish estate as hers. She imagines herself sitting on the deck eating breakfast and admiring the expansive view. All the while Amber is putting her devious plan into action, she continues to befriend Daphne, the woman she wishes to hurt the most by replacing her as Jackson’s wife.

The second part of the story is Daphne’s story. Having read nothing about The Last Mrs. Parrish except that it was Reese Witherspoon’s December pick for her book club audience, I was surprised when Amber’s story ends and Daphne’s picks up.

Having the two women tell their stories independent of one another in the two halves of the book is a terrific plot device. Readers become completely absorbed in Amber’s tale – whether we like her or not, we wonder about her future. Then we have a complete turnaround and see the same story from Daphne’s point of view.

The Last Mrs. Parrish keeps readers guessing until Daphne’s own plot becomes clear. And what is that plot? Is Daphne plotting to expose Amber for the lying hypocrite she is? Or does Daphne have her own diabolical scheme underway? Perhaps the advice, be careful what you wish for would be good for the characters in The Last Mrs. Parrish.

I would agree with author Karin Slaughter who write “The Last Mrs. Parrish is an addictive and twisty debut.”