Maya is tragically killed by a bus when she steps off a street corner. Part of the book is determining if it was suicide, an accident or if she was pushed. One of the things that I like about Lisa Jewell's books is that each one is different and unpredictable--this is true of The Third Wife.

We get deeper into the mind of Adrian as time goes on, but more so too, how all the family seem to get on together even the ex wives. Unusual, maybe, maybe not. I absolutely adore Lisa Jewell books and have read them all. I especially loved Ralph's Party, Dream Street and The House We Grew Up In. I was overjoyed to see this had been released and couldn't wait to start it. The stories of Lydia, Dean, and Robyn are each engrossing on their own; combined with the over-arching storyline of their father, they make for an irresistible read. Anyone who has ever pondered the nature of family or imagined finding a long-lost sibling will be captivated by The Making of Us. Shelf Awareness.com She saw a bus bearing down, bouncy and keen. She squintedinto the white light on the front, looking for a number. It slowed as it neared her and she turned and saw a bus stop to her left, with people standing at it. Adrian is the epitome of being one selfish, self-obsessed, and loquacious bastard. Always thinking the grass is greener on the other side. Never once reflecting how his actions may affect his ex-wives and children. Now alone and watching his ex-wives move on with their life with their careers and new companions, self-realizations being to occur.We have Maya, she is the third wife of Adrian. Adrain is a 'nice' man, he's a good Father, [so it seems] and leaving his first wife, well, these things happen, then the second wife, well......takes two [so I though]. An emotionally intelligent, brilliantly plotted and beautifully written examination of a very modern family that will keep you gripped until the end. Daily Mail, Books of the Year

I honestly didn’t like any of the characters, and it goes without saying that I hated Adrian the most. That being said, he was he most well-developed character and for this I applaud the author when it came to wielding such a selfish, arrogant, and ignorant husband/father. This one is another family drama rather than a crime based mystery. Like the The House We Grew Up In the focus is on one family and the damage that one parent has wrought on everyone around them. In this case the husband Adrian has left two previous wives, and children, and is now on his third wife who has just suddenly died in mysterious circumstances. Wanting the best of both worlds, he has his new younger wife, and his children he sees on the days he’s scheduled to be with them that conveniently live with his ex. He thinks he’s a great father, yet leaves all the responsibilities of raising them to his ex’s, and ignores the fall-out and problems that arise from his actions. So narcissistic is Adrian, he feels that he can’t help it if all women find him desirable. Unbelievable! I actually know other friends.. (Families of the '90's they called themselves)... that did just what these people did. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone comes a riveting family drama with a dark mystery at its core, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes.

Up until that point the various ex's and children from former marriages had all seemed to get on so well that they even took holidays together. We meet Jane... (The mysterious woman), who answers Adrian's add. She comes to see the BILLIE -the CAT, a couple of times. She even considers dating that cat to decide whether or not to take him. We know something is odd about this woman immediately, but we don't know what. She leaves her phone behind...(with no phone numbers on it except Adrian's) I.am sad to say that I feel this is by far Lisa's weakest work; It felt like it had been written by someone else. The plot is extremely flimsy and I didn't like any of the characters, particularly the self obsessed and extremely naive, Adrian. I was intrigued to find out who 'Jane' was and her purpose for 'stalking' Adrian but even this became somewhat tedious. In what ways are Maya and Luke similar? What do you think sparked their connection with each other?

There is nothing normal about our family, dad. I mean, what were you thinking? How did you think it was going to be OK just to keep building families and then leaving them?”” There was some nice humourous moments concerning Adrian, clearly a man who enjoys the initial stages of a relationship - I actually laughed that it was suggested he was already working on Number Four. Yet... After Maya dies...(tragic accident, or suicide?), from stumbling in front of an oncoming bus, Adrian - at first feels more alone than any other time in his life. He is left with Maya's cat, Billie. Since he has not ever really liked cats... he puts a sign up ...looking for a home to give it away stars. A very believable contemporary story where we see a grown man eventually come of age, via a detour of a marriage or two. This is the first book I have read of this author, and stumbled across it on the library shelf whilst looking for The House We Grew Up In. Prepare to totally forget about your family as you become immersed in someone else’s. Stellar MagazineIt's a book about very complex family dynamics, secrets and betrayals, it's extremely well written and very readable, I really enjoyed reading this novel and read it over a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, I was surprised it was finished as I had been so immersed in it. By the end of the story, my feelings for Adrian had totally changed. I felt like I had been duped. It all boiled down to his selfishness and total disregard for anyone else’s feelings. He had convinced himself that just because he was happy, so was everyone else around him. In a way, maybe a typical guy, oblivious to the feelings of those around him? The words passed through her mind, clear and concise in their meaning, like a sober person leading her home. And then those other words, the words from earlier. She closed her eyes, gripped the lamp post tighter as she felt her balance slip away from her. She smiled to herself. This was nice. All this color and darkness and noise and all these fascinating people. She should do this more often, she really should. Get out of it. Live a little. Go a bit nuts. A group of women were walking towards her. She stared towards them greedily. She could see each woman in triplicate. They were all so young, so pretty. She closed her eyes again as they passed by, her senses unable to contain their image any longer. Once they'd passed she opened her eyes. Whilst the mystery was enthralling, the characters were hard to connect with - which definitely hampered my enjoyment.