Description:
Illustrator Julia Green believes she's living the American dream until she begins having sleepwalking nightmares. Painting scenes from her dreams awakens her to the hidden abuse and betrayal in her life. Now, just what will she do about it?
Brief description: While Sheila McGraw is well known for her children's and how-to craft books, with her new murder-mystery, The Knife Thrower's Wife, she trades the kid-lit sandbox for the grown-ups' steamy hot tub, confirming that for McGraw, no genre is off limits. Set in Houston, The Knife Thrower's Wife is a twisty, dark, yet at times humorous, domestic-suspense story of one woman's midlife awakening. McGraw started her career as an illustrator and writer for fashion houses and magazines. She transitioned to publishing when she was hired to illustrate the children's classic, Love You Forever, which has gone on to sell more than 32 million copies. McGraw followed with 15 books, including several bestsellers. In 2006, McGraw permanently swapped Canadian snow for Texas sunshine. She resides in a waterfront community in Galveston County, where, if she isn't at her keyboard or easel, she can be found gardening or relaxing by the water. She is the mother of three grown sons.
Review Quotes:
In Sheila McGraw's energetic, polished mystery The Knife Thrower's Wife, cracks begin to appear in a long marriage. Julia loves her husband, Austin, whose portrayal as a mean, even sinister, man is spot-on. The book is realistic in its depiction of a family picking up the pieces of a marital implosion.
In humorous fantasy scenes, Julia slips into daydreaming about how she would react more assertively to people if she had no personal and social constraints.
Visual lines show how Julia feels "tiny, hairy centipede feet of fear" and capture her house as "a domestic detention unit" in the eyes of a big city resident, and in conversations, characters' South Texas mannerisms come out to entertaining effect.
-Foreword (Clarion Review)
The Knife Thrower's Wife by Sheila McGraw is a clever, edgy murder mystery. With a superb sense of drama and a spot-on psychological plot, this book was hard to put down.
I loved the tone of this book, while the plot is dark and takes us into hints of abuse and then murder, the accent is light and charming. You instantly like the damsel in distress; you root for her when she begins to poke her head above the firing line and stand up for herself. Sheila McGraw has woven in female banter that makes you smile into this rather dark walk through murder, along with the internal diagnosis of a broken woman's thought process. Outwardly, Julia is an attractive, talented freelance illustrator, happily married, mother of two and living in Houston suburbia. Inwardly, the past has been squashed and the present is overshadowed by dramatic and memorable nightmares. And the future's not looking so good.
Not only does this tale have an awesome title and book cover, but also an adept, well-thought-out plot. Lots of details make it feel very realistic. I found all the characters well-structured and interesting. Her best friend and fellow artist Trix, was a great supporting cast member as were her twin children. The mystery unravels and culminates with a court case that was spot on and very believable. My favorite line: The mushroom analogy - kept in the dark and fed shit!
Sheila McGraw has crafted a deeply psychological murder mystery, but has written it with a light tone to soften the trauma of murder; I found this made it an extremely enjoyable read.
The Knife Thrower's Wife by Sheila McGraw comes highly recommended.
-Reviewed by Chick Lit Cafe