The Fourth Wife

Set in 1882 Utah Territory, this follows Hazel, an anxious young pianist who gets lied into a plural marriage with a man who is a nightmare wrapped in a pious smile. The crumbling manor, the phantom piano music, and the slow realization that every promise made to her was a lie builds into something genuinely creepy. Jacob is a villain you will love to despise. What really got me was the sister wives. Abby, Flora, and Prudence each bring something different to the story, and watching all four women finally band together against the man who trapped them is deeply satisfying. The pacing wobbles slightly in the middle, but the emotional payoff at the end more than makes up for it.

In 1879 Utah Territory, Hazel Russon is forced into becoming the fourth wife of a man she’s never met—trading her dreams of love and independence for a life of obedience within a strict Mormon community. At first, her new husband seems kind, but the reality of sharing a crumbling mansion with his other wives quickly unsettles her. Strange music echoes through the halls, blood seeps from the walls, and ghostly apparitions begin to appear. As tensions rise among the sister wives, Hazel struggles to distinguish real danger from supernatural terror. With her sanity fraying, she must uncover whether the true threat lies within the house—or the people inside it. This novel is told entirely from Hazel’s point of view, offering an intimate, unsettling glimpse into the life of a Mormon plural wife in a historical setting. Through her eyes, the reader is drawn into a dark, gothic atmosphere where suspense builds alongside a deeply personal narrative. The characters are distinctly drawn, each with their own personality and presence. The author does a strong job of fully developing them and bringing them to life, adding depth to the story’s emotional core. Blending elements of romance, horror, and folklore, the story leans heavily into feminist themes, the ways women were conditioned to distrust themselves. One of its most disturbing aspects is the portrayal of how young girls and women were taught to believe that natural thoughts and desires were evidence of evil within them—anything that strayed from doctrine, a husband’s authority, or religious expectations was framed as the work of the devil. This creates a powerful commentary on control and internalized fear, though it also results in a portrayal of the Mormon faith that is far from flattering. While the premise is compelling, the execution may not work for every reader. The pacing is quite slow, and it takes a significant portion of the book to build momentum. By around the halfway mark, the plot becomes largely predictable, which lessens the impact of its suspenseful elements. Ultimately, this is a story that intertwines man-made oppression with supernatural overtones. It offers a haunting exploration of power, belief, and autonomy, though its deliberate pacing and foreseeability may make it a less gripping read for those seeking a fast-moving thriller.