Leo and his wife, Emma, are deeply in love, both with one another and with their preschool-aged daughter, Ruby. Now that Emma has (with any luck) beaten cancer, they can look ahead to a promising future. But as they wait to hear back about the results of Emma’s latest scan, Leo, an obituary writer for a major London newspaper, contends with the prospect of death as he often does --- by writing an obituary.

"In addition to being a propulsive suspense novel, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE explores important questions about trust, betrayal, mental illness, trauma, and when (if ever) it’s acceptable to hold things back from one’s spouse."

In this case, Leo decides to write what’s called a “stock” --- an obituary for a notable person that’s drafted in advance of their death so that newspapers aren’t caught flat-footed upon their inevitable demise. Emma, an accomplished marine biologist and former television host, certainly falls into this category. Who better to write her stock than the man who knows her better than anyone?

But when Leo starts delving into Emma’s background, he notices some strange inconsistencies that diverge from what he’s always known of his wife’s life story. Details about her university education, the circumstances of her contract termination with the BBC, even her name --- all seem to differ from what Leo thought he knew. And what is Emma’s apparent connection with a notable actress who has recently disappeared?

Chapters in Rosie Walsh’s new novel alternate points of view between Leo and Emma in the present day, as Leo uncovers strange and surprising details. And as Emma soon suspects, her carefully constructed cover story is about to come crashing down. These narratives are supplemented with journal entries and glimpses into Emma’s past. Even as Leo questions everything about Emma’s identity, the one thing the couple thought was rock-solid --- their love for one another --- begins to seem increasingly fragile, too.

The way that Walsh constructs her novel is bound to keep readers guessing, even if they figure out some of the secrets and surprises before Leo does. Walsh is especially adept at linguistic trickery (such as using pronouns instead of names) to manufacture surprises down the line. Short chapters and constantly changing viewpoints will keep readers hooked as much as the suspense does, and they will want to stick around to find out what happens next for Emma and Leo.

In addition to being a propulsive suspense novel, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE explores important questions about trust, betrayal, mental illness, trauma, and when (if ever) it’s acceptable to hold things back from one’s spouse. Walsh doesn’t tie up every loose end --- one character, in particular, remains something of a cipher --- but readers nevertheless will come away from the book both satisfied and reassured about the power of forgiveness and the resilience of love.