SPOILERS - The first half of the book is told from alternate views. You, the reader, assume that it is Vanessa and her replacement. The truth is that it is Vanessa now and Vanessa (Nellie, Richard's nickname for her) preparing for her wedding to Richard.
Richard was an abusive husband and Vanessa escaped, kind of by pushing Richard and his assistant together (much like The Last Mrs. Parrish) but she did not think that Richard would want to marry the assistant. The whole book is Vanessa's reaction to the news and her fear that she put this innocent woman in grave danger.
She does end up convincing Emma, the replacement, that Richard was dangerous and she called off the wedding, but not before Richard nearly strangled Vanessa to death. It turns out that Emma was the daughter of Vanessa's college fling, her married professor. AND Vanessa's therapist was once a victim of Richard's.
OH! And it is revealed that Richard's sister, Maureen, had a sort of sick fascination with her brother.
So many different twists and turns add up to be a very good book!
Someone recommended this book to me and I said I've read it already – but then realised I can't remember exactly what it was about as it was so twisted! But your blog post helped jog my memory. :-)
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