The Next Mrs. Parrish

The Next Mrs. Parrish belongs to the psychological thriller genre, made popular by authors like Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Deep Water) and Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca, Jamaica Inn), and more recently by authors like Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Dark Places) and Lucy Foley (The Paris Apartment, The Midnight Feast).  It therefore focuses on building suspense, creating convoluted plot twists, and describing deeply dysfunctional relationships. However, rather than placing the full emphasis of the narrative on action-packed sequences, such novels rely upon the slow buildup of tension between characters whose private psychological landscapes become just as tangible as the physical setting of the story. In this way, much of the “action” takes place in the mind, and first-person narration is often employed to create a vivid sense of certain characters’ biased perspectives on the world. This tactic is used to great advantage in The Next Mrs. Parrish, in which Daphne’s narration conveys her deeply conflicted emotions over her decision to reestablish contact with her abusive ex-husband. Her thoughts also provide new insight into Jackson’s behavior, and she simultaneously seeks to navigate encounters with him even as she recognizes his manipulative strategies. The high-tension tone of her ruminations acts as a counterpoint to the ostensibly innocuous physical settings of her first few interactions with Jackson, and the authors use this approach to inject a sense of danger into even the most mundane moments.

In addition to conforming to many of the characteristics of the psychological thriller, the novel also occupies a unique space within the subgenre of domestic noir, which typically focuses on the darker undercurrents of domestic life and highlights the tension and deceit lurking beneath seemingly perfect relationships. Domestic noir often focuses on the roles that women play within the domestic sphere, illustrating the various ways in which even the most conventional of roles can become sources of power, manipulation, and even violence. Constantine’s novel exemplifies these themes through the psychological war that rages between Daphne and Amber, who must both navigate a high-society world driven by concerns of wealth, status, and social standing. The novel's setting in the affluent community of Bishops Harbor therefore amplifies the personal stakes involved because the characters’ actions are driven by their desire to either maintain or elevate their respective positions within this elite society.

While The Next Mrs. Parrish readily conforms to the conventions of the domestic noir subgenre, it also stands apart in its astute explorations of the myriad ways in which past traumas and secrets influence present actions. The novel suggests that the domestic sphere, which is so often idealized as a space of safety and comfort, can also become a battlefield that blurs the lines between victim and perpetrator. By interweaving themes of deception, revenge, and the price of ambition, Constantine’s work deepens the genre and offers a cold and calculated portrayal of the desperate lengths to which people will go to protect—or destroy—their carefully curated lives.