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    The Pocket Wife: A Novel
    The Pocket Wife: A Novel
    The Pocket Wife: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Pocket Wife: A Novel

    Written by Susan Crawford

    Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A stylish psychological thriller with the compelling intrigue of The Silent Wife and Turn of Mind and the white-knuckle pacing of Before I Go to Sleep—in which a woman suffering from bipolar disorder cannot remember if she murdered her friend.

    Dana Catrell is shocked when her neighbor Celia is brutally murdered. To Dana’s horror, she was the last person to see Celia alive. Suffering from mania, the result of her bipolar disorder, she has troubling holes in her memory, including what happened on the afternoon of Celia’s death.

    Her husband’s odd behavior and the probing of Detective Jack Moss create further complications as she searches for answers. The closer she comes to piecing together the shards of her broken memory, the more Dana falls apart. Is there a murderer lurking inside her . . . or is there one out there in the shadows of reality, waiting to strike again?

    A story of marriage, murder, and madness, The Pocket Wife explores the world through the foggy lens of a woman on the edge.

    Editor's Note

    Deftly plotted debut…

    A deftly plotted debut from a new lyrical literary voice. Crawford treats the subject of bipolar disorder with respect as her main character tries to piece together reality and whether she could possibly be a killer.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateMar 17, 2015
    ISBN9780062388568
    Author

    Susan Crawford

    Susan Crawford grew up in Miami, Florida, and graduated from the University of Miami with a BA in English and a minor in psychology. She later moved to New York City and then Boston before settling in Atlanta to raise three daughters and work in the field of adult education. A member of the Atlanta Writers Club and the Village Writers, Susan teaches at Georgia Piedmont Technical College and dabbles in local politics. She lives with her husband and a trio of rescue cats in Atlanta, where she enjoys reading books, writing books, rainy days, and spending time with the people she loves.

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    Reviews for The Pocket Wife

    3.5/5

    46 ratings24 reviews

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    • 2/5
      It was extremely irritating how people were never finishing sentences, they were either cut off, drifting off in mid thought, or changed track in mid sentence.... in every single conversation. Other than that it was OK.
    • 5/5
      I picked up this book because one it sounded good and two because this book was compared to The Silent Wife and Before I Go to Sleep. Two books that I have read. I did not care for The Silent Wife but I really liked Before I Go to Sleep. If this is Susan's debut novel then I can't wait to see what her second one will be like. She writes like a professional with years of experience under her belt. This book does mess with your mind a little. While I would not say there are any really big surprises involved in the solving of the murder. It was the way that the truth was revealed that got me. I was with Dana on her side but than I even had a brief period of my doubts about her. Especially when the story was progressing and it did seem like Dana had imagined the whole truth about what happened. It was almost really easy to imagine that she was capable of killing someone. When you suffer from a mental disease it is hard to tell the real world of your own. I brought this book along for a road trip and had it finished in a matter of a few hours. The Pocket Wife is one of going to be one of the hottest books to keep an eye on for 2015. A roller coaster ride of murder, mayhem, and an all out fun psychological thriller to read!
    • 3/5
      A good, fast-paced mystery concerning the death of a suburban housewife and her mentally-ill neighbor who just might be the murderer, if only she could remember the events of the day. A fun read that was definitely a chance of pace for me, but good nonetheless. This book does not quite measure up to the twists and turns of Gone Girl, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed that novel.
    • 4/5
      Found this little gem just browsing while waiting on other books to become available. Kept me hooked and totally didn't guess the ending.
    • 3/5
      Dana Catrell has a history of manic episodes due to bipolar disorder. Her husband and son know that she's in a manic phase and are encouraging her to see her therapist. Dana knows that she's close to spiraling out of control, but she also thinks that she just needs to find certain answers before she commits to treatment. Dana needs to find out if she murdered her neighbor and whether or not her husband is having an affair. The Pocket Wife begins with Dana waking up with little memory of her afternoon. She hears a siren and discovers an ambulance at her neighbor Celia's home. Dana knows that she was at Celia's home earlier in the day, but she doesn't remember coming home or going to sleep. Finding out that Celia was murdered causes Dana to question whether or not she's capable of extreme violence. The primary reason behind this thinking is that Celia has indicated that Dana's husband was having an affair and the evidence was a cell-phone picture. These memories are what send Dana off on a haphazard quest for the truth. But will searching for answers to these questions give Dana peace of mind or send her off the deep end.I found The Pocket Wife to be a rather fast-paced and enjoyable albeit disturbing read. Dana's thoughts and actions jump around quite a bit due to her mania and, as a result, the story jumps around. Is Dana paranoid or is someone sending her threatening notes? Is she seeing things or was there a person in a hoodie in her backyard? It's difficult to separate fiction from reality since she's also hearing the voice of her mother and her Saint Christopher statue is winking and nodding at her. Her husband Peter recognizes that she needs help but doesn't really do anything to help her. There were times when I felt just as unhinged as Dana simply because it felt as if I was falling down the rabbit hole with her. Ms. Crawford does an incredible job at portraying the behavior of a person in a manic phase of bipolar disorder, down to the notion that "I don't need/want medication" way of thinking. If you enjoy reading psychological suspense thrillers then you'll definitely want to read The Pocket Wife.
    • 5/5
      Great book loved the narrator she has an excellent way of storytelling!!!
    • 4/5
      Here's another great read for those who love psychological fiction - The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford. Dana's neighbour Celia has been found murdered - and Dana was apparently the last person to see her. Apparently - because Dana can't remember much of their visit. Sure, they were drinking, but....But, Dana is also bi-polar and off her meds. And she's scared - because what if she's the one who killed Celia? But her husband is acting oddly as well. And so is Celia's husband. What about the nosy neighbour?Oh yes, we have got ourselves a wonderfully unreliable narrator! Which of Dana's memories are the truth? What is imagined? Who is the actual murderer? Crawford captures Dana's fractured thinking extremely well. I love this type of narrator - there is no way to predict which way the story is going to go. I enjoy watching for subtle clues in behavior or dialogue that would perhaps point the way to the truth.Celia's death is at the heart of the novel, but Crawford also explores a marriage in trouble, mental illness and familial relationships in The Pocket Wife - all to great effect. Detective Jack Moss is investigating Celia's death, but he has a rich personal storyline of his own and his own narrative, rife with doubts as well.But I have no doubt you're going to enjoy The Pocket Wife. Definitely recommended. I'll be watching for the next book from this author!
    • 4/5
      This book is definitely for fans of "The Girl on the Train," it is soo similar! A woman with mental issues tries to piece together the last time she saw Celia, her neighbor, before she was brutally murdered. According to the police, she was the last time to Celia alive, but between all the drinks and the mental instability, she can't remember how it went down. Did she really murder Celia?! Told between alternating viewpoint of Dana and Jack Moss, the detective, this story is sure to keep readers at the edge of their seats as they try to figure out what really happened. The webs of deception are thick and the plot keeps you guessing. A great mystery/ thriller and I can't wait to read more by this author. What a fantastic debut!
    • 3/5
      Dana, can't remember much of the last afternoon she spent with her friend. Much can be blamed on the drinking they both did, but to make it even more difficult, Dana is bi-polar, off her meds and slightly manic. Yet, her friend is dead and she remembers only bits and pieces. Could she possibly have killed her?Can't say this was the most suspenseful read but it was different and I sympathized with Dana's struggles. Not only is her husband cheating on her, but as she tries to stay ahead of her mania to find out what actually happened to her friend, she finds herself in a defensive position with the police. Now that was my favorite character, Jack the detective assigned to this case. He has personal problems of his own but he is dogged and sympathetic, regretting past mistakes and trying to do the right thing.The ending, not too sure of, don't think it could have played that way, someone in that particular line of work wouldn't be that naïve. Can't say more because I don't want to spoil it for future readers. A good read, less mystery than character study, but an interesting one.ARC from publisher.
    • 5/5
      This was a very good mystery. I really wasn’t sure of the killer until the end, which is what I like. I loved how it all came together in the end.
    • 3/5
      This novel is mainly about an investigation into the murder mystery of a woman who lives a couple of doors away from the protagonist, Dana. As seems to be the norm in most psychological thrillers these days, the protagonists can't remember what happened due to their past mental illness or the amount of drinking they now do. Dana has bi-polar, a breakdown in her past, and she now drinks too much and also takes pills. Of course, she is horrified to find that she was the last person to see her neighbor alive and her memory is so blurred, she can't remember whether or not she killed her.Like in most of these kind of novels, the husband is up to no good, makes his wife feel trivial, is probably having affairs, etc. Yep, that is Dana's husband who may or may not have been involved with the deceased.A bright spot was Detective Jack Moss investigating the murder. His character had a lot of problems which the author incorporated nicely into the plot. He was one of the characters I could connect with since he was a flawed human being trying so hard to do his job well despite the obstacles, i.e., his boss putting pressure on him to get the murder solved.Overall, I was just glad to get through this book with its all too-familiar characters and can't give it more than 3 Stars.
    • 4/5
      The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford is a highly recommended psychological thriller. The suspense in this debut mystery novel is going to sneak up on you and become quite intense by the end.

      After spending an afternoon drinking too much at a neighbor's house, Dana Catrell goes home and naps, only to wake up and discover her neighborhood, Celia Steinhauser, is now dead. Dana was the last known person to see Celia alive, but Dana can't remember much of what happened that afternoon. Between the alcohol and her worsening bi-polar disorder, for which she has stopped taking her meds, Dana is unsure of what is real and what is a by-product of her own psyche. Could she possibly have murdered Celia? She vaguely recalls an argument. She doesn't think she could possibly be capable of murder, but she can't be sure. And what happened to Celia's phone and the picture on it, of Dana's husband leering at another woman?

      Detective Jack Moss is investigating, but he's got problems of his own. His second wife just left him. It looks like Dana is the most likely suspect, but Kyle, his son from his first marriage, might be involved with the case in some way. Celia was Kyle's GED teacher. Adding to the suspense is the increasing pressure to hurry and solve the case by the prosecutor's office. Chapters alternate between Dana and Jack. While Dana's mania is building and her thoughts are becoming more scattered, Jack is plodding forward with the case, dreading the clues that seem to point to some involvement by his son.

      My appreciation of Crawford's The Pocket Wife increased as I continued reading. Dana's mental state seems to make her an unreliable narrator, but one who also seems to have an acuity and awareness of what is going on around her. I knew she was heading toward a breakdown because she knows she is. Because of this, there is almost a surreal quality to what Dana sees and how she perceives it. Are the notes she finds real? Did she really see a figure in a hoodie? And is her husband really the total jerk he seems to be? (And he really is a complete jerk.)

      The writing quality and descriptiveness is wonderful in this literary thriller. Crawford excels at setting the tone and pace, which helps to slowly build the suspense. This is a character driven mystery and the characters are all well developed, completely unique individuals. I found the conclusion to be satisfying.

      Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of HarperCollins for review purposes.
    • 5/5
      THE POCKET WIFE by Susan H. Crawford, an absorbing psychological thriller debut-an exploration into the mind of a troubled woman, as she questions her actions of reality versus fiction. Dana Cantrell, is a pocket wife, meaning her husband, Peter is too busy for her. On occasion, when she calls, he has a nasty habit of placing the cell phone in his pocket, until he can excuse himself to speak in private. She feels he can store her away in his pocket, pretending she does not exist; at times emotionally absent. Everyone and everything comes first—he is also very secretive with his own private cell phone conversations, running to another room; Dana suspects he is up to no good and suspects he may be having an affair—she does not trust him. Dana also has a history of mental illness, mania, bi-polar, and most of the time she is not on her meds; instead in a fog of Xanax and alcohol. However, she is better now, right? Her marriage is not what it was in the early stages, but she feels she is stable, and sees a psychologist, always reassuring. As the novel opens her neighbor, Celia also her garage sale buddy, has invited her over with some exciting news. Over lots of wine, and talking, Dana is unsure the events of the afternoon. All seems to be a blur the drunker they become. The only thing she recalls is Celia’s interest in showing her a blurry cell phone picture. Was it her husband or possibly Celia’s husband?Now, she finds out her neighbor, Celia has been murdered. Dana is so upset, not being able to recall the events of the day. Could she have killed her? After all, she has a key to her house. Could she have gone back later? Something having to do with the cell phone picture must have led to more tragic events, or possibly she had nothing to do with the murder. However, she was most likely the last one to see her alive.An investigation soon begins. She has to put her detective hat on and even hosts a brunch in order to dig into clues in order to put the pieces of the day together. She begins to suspect everyone around her leading to an intense mystery. She is obsessed to solve the mystery. Her husband, Celia’s husband, a lover, perhaps? If she could only recall the events through her haze of confusion. . . . She begins questioning reality versus fiction…is she crazy, and is she a cold-hearted killer? What if something drove her to commit murder? Detective Jack Moss is investigating the case, and readers learn about his past and personal life. His second wife has left him and Kyle, his son from his first marriage is always in trouble with the law, and they have an estranged relationship. When prints show up, and they turn out to be Kyles, he has to dig deeper, as surely his son did not kill this woman. How are these two connected? In the meantime, Jack’s suspect list grows longer as he is unsure who is lying. Dana becomes paranoid, second guessing herself, suspecting everyone, scrutinizing their every move. As she cooperates with Jack, the suspense and intensity builds for a powerful and emotional mystery of whodunit.From the stylish front cover "promiscuous tart", the title, to the well-developed characters-- a perfectly paced, complex crime suspense mystery of betrayal, marriage, murder, madness, bi-polar, and intrigue. A mix of bunny boiler, suburban desperate housewives, and garage sale buddies!Cassandra Campbell delivers an outstanding performance, perfectly matched for all voices, for an intense page-turner, keeping you on the edge-of-your-seat, from beginning to end.I enjoyed THE POCKET WIFE, more than Girl on the Train, The Silent Wife, and Gone Girl, as Crawford creates her main protagonist likable, smart, intuitive, and someone you can relate to, a character driven mystery. You sympathize with her, as Crawford interjects humor, versus whinny and totally wacky, as most psychological thrillers—holding your interest with a nice pace, twists and turns, and some surprises. You will want to read this one in one sitting, a page-turner. Set aside the time—settle in for hours of entertainment; highly recommend the audio version. If this is a debut, I am looking forward to see what comes next –delighted to discover another talented Atlanta author!
    • 3/5
      Not great but really pretty good
    • 4/5
      I won The Pocket Wife via the Goodreads First Reads program. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.I really liked this! Dana was a likeable character. I was worried the mental illness would be overdone or unrealistic but it seemed believable. The characters were original and interesting, and overall this book was very engrossing. I finished it in two sittings. I figured out the mystery but I don't think it was terribly predictable.As for the bad: some of the sentences were really clunky and it was sometimes difficult to figure out what was being said. And I noticed a mixed metaphor or two, but I don't know whether that's the sort of thing that gets fixed at this stage of the book's publication.But anyway. Really good read. Would recommend to fans of psychological mysteries. It's being compared to books like Before I Go to Sleep and Girl on the Train, and I enjoyed Pocket Wife better than those two, so there you go.
    • 5/5
      Poor Dana, suffering from mental health issues and a cheating husband, after getting drunk with a neighbor, can’t seem to remember if she killed her or not. It is obvious that someone did, but who? Dana? Her cheating husband? The victim’s husband? The detective’s son? A random killer? Or someone else? Filled with twists and turns, this is a good one. I did not see the true killer until the end!
    • 3/5
      A light, quick read. As a thriller fan I found it somewhat predictable and with too little suspense for my taste. It's a step above cozy but not the best choice for gritty thriller readers.
    • 5/5
      My Review:Boom...WOW. This is an amazing book into the mind of Dana Catrell. This is crazy engrossing, has major suspense and was written beautifully. You are going to go a on journey (or crazy awesome ride) through murder mixed with mental illness. This book was one you will tear through, will keep you up late at night and one you will be thinking about long after you finish. This would be a great book club pick!!!
    • 4/5
      I’m left with mixed feelings after finishing THE POCKET WIFE, though overall it was good. This is Susan Crawford’s debut novel, and it’s about a woman with bipolar disorder who may or may not have murdered her neighbor. Dana Catrell was the last person to see Celia alive, and too much alcohol combined with lack of meds has wiped Dana’s mind of the whole terrible situation.The book started off strong, and Dana was an intriguing unreliable narrator. It was difficult to tell for her and for the reader whether her memories were fact or invented. The author did a great job putting readers inside Dana’s mind so they could experience her confusion and frustration too. After a while though, the plot lost the suspense and started to ramble. I’m on the fence over the conclusion of the murder mystery. It was a stretch, though it still worked. 3½-stars.I listened to parts of this book on audio. It was narrated by one of my favorite performers, Cassandra Campbell. Of course, she was wonderful.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      The writing was a little off at the beginning but picked up considerably as the book went along. Very good character development and an inner look at the main character's (Dana Catrell) battle with bi-polar disorder. Very good character development of the Detective tasked with solving the case - his ulterior motive for wanting to be on the case and the inner turmoil he faces with possible suspects. Took a while for the first 'aha' moment, but then nicely added new discoveries to the conclusion, without steamrolling the reader over in the process. Overall it was a satisfying read.
    • 4/5
      The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford will be released in March 2015 and is an absolute must read for those who enjoy a deeply intense psychological thriller. Dana Catrell’s neighbor is murdered and Dana was the last person to see Celia alive, but could she have murdered her friend? Dana suffers from Bi-Polar Disorder and tends towards mania, which unfortunately has left holes in her memory, and she cannot clearly recall what happened that day. As Dana struggles internally, she also must deal with trying to clear her name, if she is indeed innocent, which she is not even certain of, as with most things currently happening in her life. The Pocket Wife is filled with intriguingly complex characters, the right combination of clarity and doubt, expertly crafted with just the right amount plot twist to keep the reader up long into the night. I would not hesitate to recommend The Pocket Wife to anyone looking for an extremely well written psychological thriller.
    • 4/5
      Dana’s neighbor and friend, Celia, has been murdered and Dana is a suspect. But Dana, who suffers from bipolar disorder, hasn’t been taking her medicine, resulting in manic episodes. And there are so many things now that she can’t remember.For Dana, the day Celia died is all a blur. Could she have killed Celia? They had too much to drink that afternoon, and then there was an argument, and that photo – did Celia really show her a photo of her husband with another woman? And now the threatening notes – or did she write them to herself? Is someone lurking outside her house, watching her? Does someone want to kill her too?Using multiple points of view and written in the third person, the reader experiences both the confusion and jumbled thoughts of Dana, a very unreliable narrator, and Jack Moss, the level-headed detective assigned to solve the case. There are plenty of potential suspects and interesting characters including Dana’s unlikable and uncaring husband, a neighbor obsessed with his volunteer job as the head of the neighborhood watch, and even Celia’s own husband, to keep the pages turning on this fast-paced, tightly-framed mystery.Multiple plot twists divert suspicion among the characters and keep the reader on edge. And although new information is routinely uncovered, we keep coming back to Dana in her manic, frenzied and confused state as she tries to remember what happened and make things clear in her clouded mind. The ending went in a direction I wasn’t expecting, but it was an acceptable twist in an enjoyable debut novel.
    • 2/5
      This book was given to me for free by Goodreads Giveaways.

      The Pocket Wife tried to be a number of things, but didn't fulfill very many of them. It was a pleasant read, with some interest in the plot, although the ending didn't quite satisfy me.

      The very first sentence suggests this book is a murder mystery. The investigation wallowed in the miasma of maybe-romance maybe-exploration-of-mental-illness maunderings. The crime was solved by accident more than anything else; not particularly satisfying to this reader.

      As a romance, it got off to a very, very slow start. The book ended with hope for one relationship resolving well, and the implication of a terrible romance starting. Neither satisfied me.

      As a contemporary slice of life, it had a good sense of place with a terrible sense of character. People's inner and outer selves didn't line up correctly, like 2-page magazine spreads where the pages don't match up. Plot needs drove character action as much as actual character motivation.

      As an exploration of mental illness, it did give a taste of what it might be like to experience clinical mania. That bit of good writing was spoiled for me by the clear bias against psychiatric medication, and by the strong implication that one can get mental clarity by force of will alone. It's entirely possible that's not what the author intended; she was writing about one case, not explicitly stating that this is how every bi-polar person should deal with their illness. However, intended or not, the anti-medication bias was very clearly there.

      The book followed the inner monologue of the two main characters. More than once I had to go back and check who's inner monologue it was; the tone and style were very similar. The male protagonist's inner monologue read like an especially introspective woman, not like the dragged-himself-from-poverty-to-police-detective he was supposed to be. It didn't even read as an introspective man's inner monologue.

      I would only suggest reading this if you're specifically looking for examples of first person portrayals of mental illness, or if you're bored and have nothing else to read.
    • 3/5
      Murder Mystery. Audible Audio, A Bipolar woman is the last to see her neighbor alive - as the story unfolds it appears that she is the killer, although she doesn't remember anything after the many sangria's her & Celia shared - only, that she showed her photos of her husband with another woman and Celia's anger over it made Dana realize, she too was having an affair with her husband. - Intriguing mystery thriller that in the end.. although I knew who the killer was, it was just not believable to me so I only think its a 3 star - I didn't hate it... I just didn't love it either.