L.G. Davis delivers a masterclass in psychological suspense with The Janitor’s Wife, a domestic thriller that peels back the layers of an ordinary marriage to reveal terrifying secrets. The story follows Viola, whose quiet life as a school janitor’s wife shatters when she discovers her husband Alex has been hiding a sinister double life. What begins as a curious find – a box of photographs featuring a woman who looks just like her – spirals into a harrowing quest for truth where nothing, and no one, is what it seems.
An atmosphere of unease
Davis excels at building slow-burning dread through everyday details – a neighbour’s lingering stare, a misplaced house key, the growing disconnect in her marriage. The small-town setting amplifies Viola’s isolation, making her increasing paranoia feel both justified and dangerously volatile.
The author’s tight, efficient prose keeps the tension coiled like a spring, with short chapters that propel the reader forward.
Themes of identity and gaslighting
At its core, the novel explores the erosion of self that comes with manipulation. As Viola uncovers Alex’s lies, she’s forced to question her own memories and perceptions in a way that mirrors real-life gaslighting dynamics.
Davis smartly avoids clichés by making Viola neither a helpless victim nor an improbably fierce heroine – her reactions feel raw and human, which makes her plight all the more unsettling.
Strengths and shortcomings
The book’s greatest asset is its relentless pacing; scenes of domestic routine become loaded with menace, and Davis plants clues with surgical precision. However, some secondary characters exist primarily to move the plot forward, and the final twist – while shocking – could benefit from more groundwork earlier in the narrative.
Still, the climax delivers visceral satisfaction, by balancing revelation with lingering questions.
Final thoughts
The Janitor’s Wife stands out in the crowded psychological thriller genre by combining the slow-burn tension of The Girl on the Train with the marital horror of Gone Girl. It’s a story that preys on universal fears: Who truly knows their partner? How well doe we know ourselves? Davis proves that the most terrifying monsters wear familiar faces.
This book would be almost perfect for fans of The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, and The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine.