Wife by Charlotte Mendelson: gifted, hyper-real fiction

Charlotte Mendelson’s last book, 2022’s The Exhibitionist, was hailed for its frank and honest study of dysfunctional relationships. It was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and named Novel of the Year by The Times. With such accolades it comes as no surprise that Mendelson should return to themes of abuse and betrayal in her new novel, Wife – albeit with an important twist. This time around, the dysfunctional relationship is that between two women.