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Mike Wells
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The Drive-By Wife (Complete Story): A Dark Tale of Blackmail and Obsession Kindle Edition

by Mike Wells (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 179 ratings
Allen and Cynthia Hunt’s marriage is on the rocks.

When Allen suspects his wife is cheating on him, he secretly follows her…only to inadvertently get them both tangled up in a serious crime.

The couple soon finds themselves blackmailed by a deranged truck driver—with Cynthia the object of the seedy man’s obsessive desires.

Unable to go to the police, they must fight off the twisted trucker, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Readers are strongly advised to set aside a considerable block of time for this one--after you start the book, you won't be able to stop. Another totally gripping novel from MIke Wells, "The master of the unputdownable."

From Rabid Readers Reviews:

The Drive-By Wife is a wonderful psychological thriller in the vein of "Cape Fear" and "Misery." If you like Stephen King, Dennis Lehane and Gillian Flynn, you will like Mike Wells.

"This book is a gripping, absorbing and disturbing portrayal of domestic strife leading to a violent nightmare." - Emma Hunneyball, Book Reviewers (UK)

"Excellent character development, plot line is through-the-roof original, and the whole premise is marvelously bizarre and intimidating." - The Word Verve, Alpharetta, GA (USA)

"If you are into psychological crime thrillers grab this book." - Reviewer CristiAk, Juneau, Alaska

"I have read most of the great thrillers and this is right at the top with them. Wells does not disappoint." Sheena Jennings, Butte, Montana (USA)
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  1. Print length
    276 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    January 18, 2014
  5. File size
    1.6 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00F0RO6SA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mike Wells Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 18, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 276 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1301504602
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 179 ratings

About the author

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Mike Wells

Mike Wells

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Mike Wells is an American bestselling author of more than 25 "unputdownable" thriller and suspense novels, including Lust, Money & Murder and Passion, Power & Sin. He is also known for his young adult books, such as The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer, The Wrong Side of the Tracks, and Wild Child, which are used by English teachers in high schools and colleges worldwide. Formerly a screenwriter, Wells has a fast-paced, cinematic writing style. His work is often compared to that of the late Sidney Sheldon, with strong and inspiring female heroes, tightly-written scenes, engaging action/dialogue, and numerous plot twists. He currently lives in Europe and has taught in the Creative Writing program at the University of Oxford.

Please follow Mike's blog at:

http://mikewellsblog.blogspot.com/

Connect with Mike on Twitter and Facebook:

http://www.twitter.com/MikeWellsAuthor

http://www.facebook.com/MikeWellsAuthor

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
179 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book a fantastic read with unexpected situations providing suspense throughout. The writing quality is well-received, and customers appreciate the pacing, with one noting how the story moves quickly.

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ReadabilitySuspensePacingWriting quality
12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, with several describing it as a fantastic read, and one noting it's a page-turner that keeps them waiting for the next page.

"...Haha. Drive-By Wife is a thriller that will keep you reading...." Read more

"Really good read. I really enjoy Mike Wells books. I hope he writes a lot more. I can highly recommend his books." Read more

"Books 1&2 are great. They are interesting and entertaining. They make you eager to keep turning to the next page...." Read more

"...Wells does not disappoint and like his other great books this keeps you interested and not wanting to put it down until reaching the end...." Read more

11 customers mention "Suspense"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's suspenseful plot with unexpected situations and surprises. One customer describes it as a fast-paced psychological thriller with a through-the-roof original storyline.

"...The author has woven a tight psychologically intense story. I will be thinking about it for awhile...." Read more

"Books 1&2 are great. They are interesting and entertaining. They make you eager to keep turning to the next page...." Read more

"...If you love a fast paced psychological thrillers, this is the book for you...." Read more

"...It has a great storyline that was believable and kept me waiting for the next page...." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book well-paced, with one customer noting that the story moves quickly.

"...The pace never slows down and will keep you turning pages long into the night...." Read more

"...This story moves quickly with many plot twists, but does not fulfill its potential...." Read more

"...Billy is such a frightening villain! Well written and well paced! Thanks once again for the great read Mike! Worth every cent!" Read more

"...A gripping novel. I highly recommend reading this fast paced novel" Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book.

"...Billy is such a frightening villain! Well written and well paced! Thanks once again for the great read Mike! Worth every cent!" Read more

"Well written and kept my attention all the way through. Plan to read another of his books." Read more

"The writing skills of the author...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Frances Hampton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Intense
    Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Wow. That was intense! This was one of those books that you get close to the end you want to slow down and make reading it last a little longer. Trouble is you are hurtling along at a 110 with sketchy brakes. The story was absolutely twisted. Early on I found myself trying to imagine what I would do. I'm a hiker. Thankfully I do not hike alone or, after reading this, I might never have hiked again. Towards the end I was just trying to breathe evenly. I do not like recapping a story - the author has a synopsis; my retelling may give something away. I do have to say this is one of the rare books where I did not like either the husband or the wife, (though she is a bit above him, if I were forced to choose the more likable one). With the ending the way it played out, I am disturbed the person I liked most was the maniac. I cannot recall that happening to me before. Definitely not certain what that says about me. Haha. Drive-By Wife is a thriller that will keep you reading. Good thing it is not long because once I really started I did not want to stop for any reason. The author has woven a tight psychologically intense story. I will be thinking about it for awhile. If you are into psychological crime thrillers grab this book. I need a whiskey or four and a smoke now, (interesting since I am only a social drinker).
    6 people found this helpful
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  • dinie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Really good read. I really enjoy Mike Wells books. I hope he writes a lot more. I can highly recommend his books.
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  • Kitty L Edwards
    5.0 out of 5 stars Keep turning that page
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
    Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase
    I really enjoyed The Drive by Wife. Even though it is an older book, I am glad I picked it up. I didn't see what was coming. And the book was left so that there could still be another. Mike Wells does it again.
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars The writing skills of the author.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Books 1&2 are great. They are interesting and entertaining. They make you eager to keep turning to the next page. However, I see no connection between book 3 to books 1&2.
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  • Angel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Real Thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Cynthia and Allen Hunt are an upper middle class couple. Cynthia works for a book store that specializes in rare editions. Allen has recently started his own accounting firm and is working more hours than Cynthia thinks is appropriate for them. Feeling hurt and alone, she decides to have an affair with a fellow student in her class. While walking up a hiking trail to his place, she is attacked but is saved by HER HUSBAND. There is a strain on their marriage as Cynthia tries to tell Allen she did not have an affair. A few weeks later, their world is turned upside down.

    If you love a fast paced psychological thrillers, this is the book for you. The pace never slows down and will keep you turning pages long into the night. I would suggest you get Book 1, 2 and 3 instead of getting just Book 1 for free from kindle. While Book 1 keeps you turning pages, you'll just end up going back and purchasing the 3 in 1 and catching up on the back story. Well worth the price. I will be reading more of Mike Wells.
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  • joan stein
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Enjoyed sometimes too much dialect between two main characters
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  • Sheena Jennings
    5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZINGLY THRILLING A MUST READ!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2013
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is the latest from Mike Wells and was not a disappointment. It has a great storyline that was believable and kept me waiting for the next page. I have read most of the great thrillers and this is right at the top with them. Wells does not disappoint and like his other great books this keeps you interested and not wanting to put it down until reaching the end. Wells is diverse in topic and has captured my interests as has Grisham and King. You will enjoy this his latest work and I encourage you to enjoy his other books. Now to re-read some of his other books until the next new release.
    Helpful
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  • Ralph Nightingale
    2.0 out of 5 stars An Okay Story That Moves Quickly
    Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    After Allen rescues his wife Cynthia from an attacker and disposes of him without notifying the authorities, they are blackmailed by an evil trucker named Billy, who witnesses the events. Billy demands that Cynthia act as his wife on a weekly basis, when he returns from his travels. All efforts they make to extricate themselves from this situation only make matters worse and strains their marriage. This story moves quickly with many plot twists, but does not fulfill its potential. There is little depth to the characters, and many of the plot elements strain credibility.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • poorva
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on December 5, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Excellent!!!!
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Page turner and very enjoyable
    Reviewed in Australia on June 25, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed these three books and they were really, really page turning! A great light read!
    Report
  • Rani S
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping and Absorbing Intense Pyschological Thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    After having the author's more well-known novels - 'Lust, Money and Murder' and 'Power, Passion and Sin' I was keen to read more.

    I would say this book is one of Mike Well's hidden gems! It's basically a psychological suspense thriller. When I first picked this up I thought with a title like 'Drive by Wife' it would be about some nut who kidnaps someone's wife and then ends up on the run with the husband trailing them, and the wife constantly trying to get away but failing. However it was nothing like that at all!

    The story is based in the San Francisco area of California and is about three individuals Allen (the husband), Cynthia (the wife) and a third person who enters their lives and who goes by the name of 'Billy'. Billy is a very big beefy and heavily bearded, truck driver who wears boots and a hat made of snakeskin and has the D-E-A-D tattoo on his knuckles and not much else is known about him at this stage. Allen and Cynthia have a lacklustre marriage, long having fallen out of love after 10 years of marriage. Allen works long hours running a not very successful accountancy business and Cynthia works in a bookshop in a well to do neighbourhood.

    Allen suspects his wife of having an affair and follows her to the rendezvous point. While there he sees some man sneak up on Cynthia and attempt to rape her. Allen rescues Cynthia and accidentally assumes he has killed the man with the hard rock he used to knock him out with. In his panic, instead of going to the police he attempts to hide and bury the body in a remote deserted area. One thing he doesn't know is that he has been seen by this 'Billy' character and what follows is an earth shattering entry of this third person into Allen and Cynthia's lives. Next what follows is blackmail, with Billy saying he won't go to the police about what happened provided Cynthia agrees to be his 'Drive by Wife'. A term meaning where one day each week, Billy arrives at the house and pretends to be the husband, with him spending the night and leaving the following morning. Allen has to be absent.

    Things don't go as planned and the whole thing spirals out of control. Nothing turns out as expected. Allen does a number of things to stop the stalking of his wife but he finds Billy is one step ahead of him and his frustration sees no end. He gets deeper and deeper into trouble resulting in deep emotional turmoil until he makes a decision which has a calming effect on him. However by this point he has no control over the events that follow and this is when the story gathers pace to its ultimate end.

    I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a novel, I could visualize each scene of the book quite vividly. There is so much packed into this book - deceit, manipulation, mind games, stalking, fear, nightmares, murder, blackmail, emotion, anger, hate, frustration, action and suspense to name but a few. The last part of the book really picks up in both pace and action and had me nail biting and on the edge of my seat. This book is a real winner for me because I didn't see what was coming towards the end, it was all very unexpected and shocking. I also loved the interactions between Cynthia and Allen and it never ceased to amaze me how well they could read each other even without them saying anything. One could instantly tell if the other was lying or if they meant something else. It was also very difficult to outsmart Billy. A brilliant and intense suspense thriller!!!
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  • marza
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story
    Reviewed in Canada on May 1, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I liked it
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Another captivating story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2015
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A well put together story, hard to put down. Sympathies alter as the tale progresses, another sign of a well considered book. The only negative was the unexpected inclusion of book one of the 'Lust,Money & Murder series at the end. Not too disappointing if I hadn't already read it. I thought that there must be another twist coming. However, it doesn't take away from an enjoyable and well written book
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