Review: The Golden Cage by Camilla Lackberg

Title: The Golden Cage

Author: Camilla Lackberg

Published: July 2020, Knopf Publishing Group

Format: ARC Paperback, 352 pages

Source: Publisher

Summary: 

An exhilarating new
novel from a global superstar–a sexy, over-the-top psychological
thriller that tells the story of the scorned wife of a billionaire and
her delicious plot to get her revenge and bring him to his knees.

Faye
has loved Jack since they were students at business school. Jack, the
perpetual golden boy, grew up wealthy, unlike Faye, who has worked hard
to bury a dark past. When Jack needs help launching a new company, Faye
leaves school to support him, waitressing by day and working as his
strategist by night. With the business soaring, Faye and Jack have a
baby, and Faye finds herself at home, caring for their daughter,
wealthier than she ever imagined, but more and more removed from the
excitement of the business world. And none of the perks of wealth make
up for the fact that Jack has begun to treat her coldly, undermining her
intelligence and forgetting all she sacrificed for his success. When
Faye discovers that he’s having an affair, the polished facade of their
life cracks wide open. Faye is alone, emotionally shattered, and
financially devastated–but hell hath no fury like a woman with a
violent past bent on vengeance. Jack is about to get exactly what he
deserves–and so much more. In this splashy, electrifying story of sex,
betrayal, and secrets, a woman’s revenge is a brutal but beautiful
thing.

My thoughts: I’ve been a fan of Camilla Lackberg for years, having fallen in love with her Fjallbacka series, which is a police procedural series. While I haven’t read all ten books yet, I was ecstatic to see that she had a new stand-alone coming out and thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to read it.

I loved this book! Right from the start it pulled me in and never let up. I’m always a fan of a good revenge story and this one put all other ones I’ve read to shame. This is one sexy, smart, over-the-top revenge story that maybe you’ve seen before, but never to this extent. And while I was trying to work out just what was happening, I finally just gave in to the enjoyment of the book and took it as it came…it’s that good and I just lost myself in it. This book is incredibly readable and bingeable – once you start reading it, you are not going to want to put it down, so don’t start it thinking you are only going to read a few chapters.

I had such a love/hate relationship with the characters we meet. I admit I was a little ambivalent about Faye at first, but she really grew on me as I got to know her and I loved that the story flashes back in time throughout the book to her childhood, so you really get a good understanding of just who she is. It also gives us a good history of Faye and Jack’s relationship, starting in the present and then flashing back to when they first got together. You can see the evolution of their relationship, which is important for later on.

I loved the relationships that Faye developed after her marriage falls apart, especially the female ones. Chris was always her rock and that whole storyline just gutted me. At first I wasn’t sure why it was included, but it was needed. It speaks to Faye’s overall character and her loyalty to those she loves.

I cannot recommend this story enough…it’s got steam, it’s got entertainment value, it even touches on some timely topics. This was a fantastic read and just further reinforced my love of Camilla Lackberg’s writing. I’ll be catching up on her Fjallbacka series as I wait to see what she comes up with next!