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A.S.A Harrison’s novel, “The Silent Wife,” begins with the introduction of Jodi Brett, the titular wife. Right off the bat, the book states that a few months from now, Jodi will become a killer. After this tantalizing hint of what’s to come, the story steps back to paint a portrait of a disintegrating relationship.
On the surface, Jodi and Todd have the perfect relationship. Never married, but deeply committed to each other for 20 years, they live a more than comfortable life. Their Chicago condo offers waterfront views. They drive luxury cars and indulge in beautiful artwork, as well as gourmet food.
Jodi is a psychotherapist, who sees only two clients a day. These aren’t challenging people who she is working with. Cheaters, mostly. After a client committed suicide years before, she refuses to see anyone who has more serious problems. The rest of her day is devoted to exercise, shopping, classes she finds interesting (flower arranging, etc.) and cooking.
Todd is the money maker. He is a self-made man, building a real-estate development business from the ground up. Money does cause stress, when a project takes too long or is stymied by environmental or other issues, but he stays afloat, keeping them in the lifestyle they have become accustomed to.
Dig a little deeper, though, and the cracks begin to show.
Todd has a wandering eye and regularly acts upon his sexual impulses, whether with prostitutes or short term affairs. Jodi is aware of these indiscretions and he is aware she knows. However, she is confident he will never stray far from her or the life they built together.
Jodi is a homebody. She doesn’t mind that Todd goes out for drinks with his friends at night. She prides herself on creating a warm, luxurious environment to which he can come. When he is home for dinner, delicious appetizers wait for him. He makes martinis, while she finishes cooking. They eat, drink and gloss over the imperfections of their lives.
When the book opens, however, Todd has done more than engage in a meaningless fling. He has fallen in love, or at least lust, with the stunning Natasha, daughter of his childhood friend, Dean. Natasha is barely 21 and is warm and sensual in ways that the colder, more brittle Jodi can never be. Natasha wants Todd to leave Jodi and after a weekend away together, he warms to the idea. When she tells him that she is pregnant, his perfect life with Jodi shatters forever. Todd always wanted children, but because of experiences in her past, Jodi never wanted the same. She sees their dog, Freud, as a substitute for progeny. The idea of fatherhood is so compelling to Todd that he tells Jodi he is leaving her.
For Jodi, this comes completely out of left field. Todd has always had relationships on the side, but the life she created for them is so perfect she never believed he would abandon it. When he takes steps to cut off her credit cards and evict her from their condo, she snaps.
We know from the beginning that circumstances will make a killer out of Jodi. This novel slowly takes time to build up to that moment. How does someone as rational and calm as Jodi get to that point? The book alternates between chapters entitled “him” and “her” so the reader gets a glimpse into both Todd and Jodi’s lives.
We learn about their damaged upbringings, Todd’s delusional grasp on reality, Jodi’s ability to ignore his infidelities, as well as the little things she does to get revenge on him (hiding his keys, “losing” his cell phone, etc.).
Neither Todd nor Jodi are particularly likeable. Each chapter serves to get them closer to the murder that will eventually happen. But this isn’t a story about the murder. It’s a story about a relationship falling to pieces and how it gets to the point where the death of one partner is the best option for both.
It isn’t a bad book. It’s a little slow at times and, particularly in Jodi’s sections, quite clinical. There is a lot of time focusing on her previous meetings with her own therapist and discussions of psychologists like Freud and Adler, which were a bit boring. Murder is so often about passion, but Jodi’s choices are deliberate and for the most part, thoughtful. Again, this doesn’t make the book bad, but it slows down the pace.
Still, Todd and Jodi’s damaged relationship is an intriguing portrait of the dissolution of a marriage, one worth losing yourself in.
