The Senator's Wife by Liv Constantine

This is a fun read where everyone seems to have an agenda and people are not who they appear to be. With Washington DC as a backdrop and rich and powerful players at the forefront, one could all too easily believe the plotline.

Robert is a senator and he and his wife Sloane are vacationing with their friends Peg and Whit, a congressman. Peg is suspicious of Whit cheating on her and in a drunken fit where she pulls a gun on her husband, she accidentally kills Robert in the crossfire and then herself. Fast forward two years later, and Sloane is now married to Whit.

Sloan suffers from Lupus. After a scheduled hip surgery, a home health care worker named Athena is hired to assist Sloane. Sloane struggles with her recovery and begins to experience pain, forgetfulness and hallucinations. This makes it near impossible for her to carry on with her charity work focusing on building shelters for abused women and their children. As Sloane's health slips further and further downhill, Whit swoops in to be named as a trustee so he can do the work for her while simultaneously seeming to develop feelings for Athena.

Rosemary, Sloane's former mother-in-law, decides to get her friend Mac, a private investigator, to do some sleuthing and he makes a report. It's discovered that Whit is having secret meetings with other Washington lobbyists involved in the housing authority and always at a location where the vice president is dining. Adding to the mystery, there's a revelation that Athena has a questionable background and makes secret phone calls to an unknown man named Clint. Soon Mac's report goes missing and he turns up dead. When Rosemary and her friend are violently attacked it's clear that something nefarious is afoot.

Trying to figure out who, if anyone, is gaslighting Sloane while Washington elites are carrying on with their shady and dangerous dealings make this novel exciting! Add in characters that keep you guessing whether they're good or evil just adds to the entertainment. In my opinion, Liv Constantine (who is actually a sister author duo) can be counted on to produce an enjoyable and twisty read, and this one is no different.