Review: THE SECOND WIFE, Ali Lowe

• 
  this edition published 2026 by Hodder & Stoughton
  
• ISBN 978-1-399-74218-4
• 364 PAGES

Synopsis (Publisher)

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 Take

Tightly plotted with at least 3 shock revelations.

You wouldn't want to meet these people on any cruise you embarked on.  

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

4.5, THE TRIVIA NIGHT

4.8, THE SCHOOL RUN

4.6, THE RUNNING CLUB  

Review: THE TRIVIA NIGHT. Ali Lowe

• 
  This edition, published 2022 Hodder & Stoughton
  
• supplied by my local library
• ISBN 978-1-529-34882-8
• 356 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Question: How long does it take to tear someone's life apart?

Answer: Sometimes just one night.

From the outside the parents of the kindergarten class at Darley Heights primary school seem to have it all. Living in the wealthy Sydney suburbs, it's a community where everyone knows each other - and secrets don't stay secret for long.

The big date in the calendar is the school's annual fundraising trivia night, but when the evening gets raucously out of hand, talk turns to partner-swapping. Initially scandalised, it's not long before a group of parents make a reckless one-night-only pact.

But in the harsh light of day, those involved must face the fallout of their behaviour. As they begin to navigate the shady aftermath of their wild night, the truth threatens to rip their perfect lives apart - and revenge turns fatal.

THE TRIVIA NIGHT is a gripping, domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth.

My Take

Here is a Trivia Night quite unlike any that you've ever attended.

Four couples sit at a table, and general knowledge questions take a back seat. What happens at this night will have a long tail of consequences that none of them could have foreseen at the beginning. Lives will be changed forever.

There is a twist at the end that I really didn't anticipate.

Question for the reader:
Who is the author of the Prologue and who is she writing to? (there are plenty of clues)

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.8, THE SCHOOL RUN
• 4.6, THE RUNNING CLUB
  

Review: THE RUNNING CLUB, Ali Lowe

• 
  this edition made available by my local library
  
• first published in UK by Hodder & Stoughton 2023
• ISBN 978-1-529-34887-3
• 415 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

You pay a premium to live in this town. But someone's paid with their life.

The rules of the running club are the same as they have always been: keep your breath steady, keep your mind sharp, record your laps! Only now there's a new one: don't get killed. The wealthy community of Esperance is picture-perfect. Big houses, stunning views, beautiful people. A brand new running track for the local club to jog around in the evenings. From the outside, it looks like paradise.

But the women of the town know the truth: you can hide anything - from wrinkles to secrets from your past - if you have enough money.

You could even hide a murder. 

My Take

Ali Lowe is one of those newish Australian authors that just grab you with a plot with so many twists, turns, and undercurrents that you just have to know what happens. The fact that it is crime fiction is an extra bonus. You work overtime to make sure you put it all together!

Highly recommended.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.8, THE SCHOOL RUN

Review: THE SCHOOL RUN, Ali Lowe

• 
  this edition from Hodder Stoughton UK 2024
  
• ISBN 978-1-399-71781-6
• 389 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

How far would you go to protect your reputation?

For parents living in the beautiful coastal town of Pacific Pines, all their hopes and dreams are pinned on the outcome of the annual Gala Day hosted by St Ignatius Boys' School. To be accepted into the prestigious institution, their sons must battle it out, facing rigorous rounds of physical and mental tests. Their parents will stop at nothing to ensure their sons succeed.

But after one boy is struck down in a hit and run, the scandals, secrets and lies that entangle three mothers threaten to unravel their seemingly perfect lives . . .

How far will the women go to, not just to save their families - but also their reputations?

My Take

The Prologue tells us at the very beginning that someone has been hit by a car, but we don't know who the victim is nor who is driving the car, but we suspect that it has been deliberate. The result is that those questions remain with us as we read on. We learn about the selection process and meet some of the families and their boys who will be participating in Gala Day which starts the process. 

The action begins on a Saturday with Kaya Sterling and her son Ollie who have only recently arrived from Western Australia. Ollie is the son of Paul, a past captain of St Iggy's. It was Paul's dying wish that Ollie enrol at the school. 

We then meet Estella Monroe who lives next door, and has twin sons who will also be trying to enrol  in St. Iggy's. We don't meet the third mother Bec Lloyd, and her family, until Sunday. Her son Cooper will also be trying for selection.

The author then weaves a fascinating web of the relationships between these women and their families. Things are indeed not simple and we learn some very complex things, and we still don't know the answers to our questions.

In the last few chapters the story takes some very unexpected turns.

Highly recommended.

My rating: 4.8

About the author

Ali Lowe has been a journalist for 20 years. She has written for bridal magazines, parenting titles, websites and newspapers in London and then Australia, after she moved to Sydney fourteen years ago on a trip that was meant to last a year. She was Features Editor at OK! in London, where she memorably stalked celebrities in Elton John's garden at his annual White Tie and Tiara ball.

Ali lives on the northern beaches of Sydney with her husband and three young children