The Wives

The Wives (2019) by Tarryn Fisher is a mystery/thriller novel that tells the story of a woman named Thursday who believes her husband, Seth, has two other wives. Fisher is the bestselling author of 12 novels, including Never Never (2023), which was cowritten with Colleen Hoover. Fisher’s novels are edgy and erotic in tone. They span the genres of romance, psychological thriller, and mystery and often feature women in dangerous situations.

The guide uses the 2019 Graydon House edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source material includes depictions of domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, suicide, and miscarriage. Additionally, the source material discusses polyamorous relationships and mental illness in a way that may be unrepresentative of and unfair to their respective communities. Terms such as “delusion” and “crazy,” which appears frequently in the novel, are used in quotation marks to indicate that they are direct speech.

Plot Summary

The novel is narrated from Thursday’s first-person, present-tense perspective and takes place in the Pacific Northwest. Thursday believes that she is Seth’s legal wife. After marrying Seth, Thursday became pregnant but lost the baby in a miscarriage that resulted in an emergency hysterectomy, after which she attempted to die by suicide. Afterward, Seth married another woman so that he could fulfill his desire to have biological children. Seth added his third wife, Hannah, to their relationship and got her pregnant quickly. Thursday finds Hannah’s social media accounts and decides to visit where she lives. She unintentionally meets Hannah, and the two exchange phone numbers. During the meeting, Thursday notices that Hannah’s arm is bruised, and this unsettles her.

Later, Hannah and Thursday meet again for breakfast; Thursday has been unable to stop obsessing over learning more information about her husband’s other wives. Thursday has discovered that Seth’s other wife is named Regina and that Regina is cheating on Seth through a dating site. At breakfast, Hannah admits that her husband has a temper, but she denies that he caused the new bruise on her face. Thursday decides she needs to help Hannah, and she arranges an appointment with Regina, who is a lawyer, to find out whether Seth is harming her as well.

Thursday confronts Seth about Hannah’s bruises, and the couple has a physical altercation; Thursday passes out after hitting her head on the ground. She wakes up in the same hospital in which she had her miscarriage and attempted suicide, and she is placed on heavy medication for patients who have “delusions.” After claiming that Seth is her husband and that the pair are in a polygamist marriage, she is taken to the psychiatric ward. Seth denies being in a polygamist relationship with Thursday, saying that she is suffering from “delusions” again.

Thursday remains in the psychiatric ward for almost a month. She is released after pretending that she believes what the doctors have been telling her: She created an alternate reality to deal with the stress of her relationship with Seth and the loss of their baby. When she is released, she believes that Seth picks her up from the hospital, but in reality, she is still experiencing a “delusion,” and it is her father who picks her up.

Thursday becomes desperate to help Hannah and learn more about Regina; she places a sleeping pill into Seth’s dinner and leaves for Portland. Thursday visits Regina’s office, and Regina recognizes her. Thursday asks about Seth and learns that his parents have been dead for years. Regina also claims that she and Seth are divorced and haven’t seen each other in several years.

Next, Thursday attempts to visit Hannah, who tells her that she has no idea who Thursday is. Confused, Thursday leaves unsettled and decides to follow Regina home. She forces her way into Regina’s house and asks more questions about Seth. Regina reveals that she and Seth really are divorced and that she left him because he was having an affair with Thursday. They discuss Thursday’s miscarriage, and Regina shares the story of her own.

Later, Regina asks Thursday to meet her at a diner. She tells Thursday that Seth is mentally ill and that he has been violent with her before. Regina asks Thursday about the events surrounding her miscarriage, and she claims that she also drank tea from Seth before having her own. Hearing this, Thursday becomes convinced that Seth is intending on causing Hannah to miscarry as well.

Regina gives Thursday Hannah and Seth’s new address. Thursday goes to the condo and tries to speak with Hannah, but Seth arrives and accuses Thursday of being “crazy.” He tells her that they aren’t married and that he only wanted her for sex. Regina arrives and confirms Seth’s story. At this, Thursday becomes enraged and attacks Regina. Seth grabs Thursday to stop her from harming Regina, and Thursday pulls a gun out from her waistband and shoots Seth.

Thursday is arrested and pleads insanity; she is allowed to serve her time in a psychiatric ward because both Regina and Seth encouraged her “delusions.” She slowly comes to understand that she has been manipulated and was experiencing severe “delusions” that altered her sense of reality. Regina visits Thursday in the psychiatric ward and tells Thursday she lied to her because she wanted revenge. In return, Thursday tells her that she is glad they both got away from Seth. Regina laughs at her and calls her “crazy.” In her anger, Thursday knocks Regina backward and slams her head into the floor again and again.