Did you love The Wife Stalker? Did you read The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine and have questions about what was going on? Who was after Sloane? What was the ending? Come ask and answer questions and let’s discuss the book in this Spoiler Discussion for The Senator’s Wife.
Spoiler Discussion for The Senator’s Wife
Find what you need:
Character List
Plot Summary
What was the Ending of The Senator’s Wife?
Spoiler Discussion for the Senator’s Wife?
Character List for the Senator’s Wife
Sloane Emerson Chase Montgomery (48): wealthy philanthropist
Senator Robert Chase: Sloane’s first husband, died two years earlier.
Senator Whitaker “Whit” Montgomery: married to Peg and then Sloane
Peg Montgomery: Robert’s cousin and Whit’s first wife
Emmy Chase: Sloane and Robert’s daughter, a lawyer in California
Athena Karras (Pamfilis): home health aid to Sloan
Clint: Athena’s handler
Madalyn Sawyer: rich, attractive DC philanthropist
Fred Sawyer: Madalyn’s elderly husband, a billionaire real estate developer
Rosemary Chase: Robert’s mother and Sloane’s former mother-in-law
Camille Chase: Rosemary’s daughter and Robert’s sister; best friends with Sloane from childhood.
Brianna Rifkin: Sloan’s assistant at the foundation
Doris: Sloan’s housekeeper
Mac Blade: friend of Rosemary’s
Congresswoman Faye Chambers: a friend of Rosemary
Grace Minnows: former colleague of Robert’s
President Marshall Beckermann
Anne Beckermann: first lady and friend of Sloane’s
Vice President Chester Bishop
Linda Rodriguez: Whit’s assistant
Michelle Sommer: person Peg confided in about Whit’s cheating.
Yvette: Sloane’s cook
Plot Summary for the Senator’s Wife
Sloane Montgomery, a forty-eight year old philanthropist in DC, has had tragedy in her life but is finally ready to put all that behind her.
After Sloane’s first husband, Senator Robert Chase, was tragically killed by his distraught cousin, Peg, who was furious with her cheating husband, Senator Whit Montgomery.
But after a two year mourning period, Sloane has moved on.
She has moved on by … marrying Whit. Yes, the alleged cheater. It was all a misunderstanding, he says.
The newlyweds are ready to start their lives together, as soon as Sloane gets through her hip replacement surgery. Sloane has had lupus since her twenties, and needs the surgery to repair the ravages from the disease.
Whit insists on hiring Sloane a home health aide. Athena seems perfect for the job.
The one person who hasn’t moved on is Sloane’s former mother-in-law, Rosemary. It rankles her that Whit has basically taken her son’s place. Whit lives with Robert’s widow in their DC mansion and spends weekends at their Delaware beach house.
So Rosemary decides to investigate both Whit and this new health aide.
Leading up to her surgery, Sloane is disturbed by the fact that Whit is spending time with Madalyn, a rich donor to his campaign. And yes, the SAME woman Whit’s first wife said he was cheating with.
But Sloane trusts her husband.
Sloane’s surgery goes well, but she doesn’t recover as well as hoped. Athena makes her delicious smoothies and Whit buys her gifts and makes her tea.
Still, she’s exhausted. Her eyes bother her. She forgets things. And why do Athena and Whit seem so chummy?
Rosemary tries to warn Sloane that Athena isn’t who she seems, but Rosemary is attacked and ends up in the hospital.
Sloane spies on Athena, and Athena is also snooping around the house and Sloane’s office at her charitable foundation. Whit is still hanging around with Madalyn. Yes, he cheated with Madalyn when he was married to Peg, but this time he’s going to behave.
What Was the Ending of The Senator’s Wife?
Concerned about Sloane’s deterioration and alarming hallucinations, Whit gets her doctor to order an MRI. It shows that Sloane’s brain has been damaged.
Athena convinces Whit that Sloane needs to be put out of her misery and offers to do the job. Whit leaves town to give himself an alibi.
Sloane’s daughter Emmy, worried that she can’t get in touch with her mom, calls her grandmother Rosemary and then jumps on a plane.
Sloane manages to break into Whit’s home office, where she finds 1) the report from the PI that Rosemary hired and 2) a watch belonging to Whit’s first wife’s father. Whit claimed it on his insurance as lost. What? Is Whit actually as awful as his first wife said?
Sloane’s daughter arrives, but she’s too late. Athena tells Emmy and Rosemary that Sloane has passed away from an overdose.
Whit is overjoyed to have all Sloane’s money.
He killed his first wife, Peg, after she accidentally shot her cousin Robert. He changed out Sloane’s post-surgery antibiotics to cause a lupus flare.
He gave her Belladonna to cause hallucinations, and dilating eye drops to mess up her vision. He blocked Emmy’s number on her phone. He’d never stopped sleeping with Madalyn.
He calls the police to frame Athena for stealing some “gifts” he gave her. He’s also been taking kickbacks from the housing lobbyists.
The next morning, he goes to Sloan’s foundation and finds … Sloane, Emmy and Athena, who is actually an FBI agent.
The FBI had been looking into the deaths of Robert and Peg.
They were also investigating whether Whit had defrauded the department of Housing and Urban Development and whether Sloane, who gave grants through her foundation, was in on it. They didn’t expect Whit to try to murder Sloane. (Uh… okay. Let’s discuss this below.)
Whit gets arrested and Athena, Emmy and Sloane all go to Crete, where Athena is from.
Spoiler Discussion for The Senator’s Wife
As I said in my review of the book, I did like the gaslighting element of this one, which reminded me of old movies like Gaslight and Rebecca.
BUT there was also a lot about this book that made me go, “huh?”
First off, there were just not that many suspects. Whit was the obvious choice.
My questions about The Senator’s Wife
Why would Sloane marry a man that her husband’s cousin said was an adulterer?
If the FBI thought Whit might have murdered Peg and Robert, why would they say nothing to Sloane? Did they not investigate this at all?
If Whit was the primary target, why send Athena into their home? Why not get her hired as a senate intern or something? Or have her pose as someone who wanted to bribe him.
If you love books like this, which I generally do, check out this domestic thriller by the same author. You could also try this British book that was made into a Netflix series, or this book, also made into a Netflix series.
And if you like the Greek themes in this one, try this book, a favorite of mine!
— Why would Sloane marry a man that her husband’s cousin thought was an adulterer?
Because she thought Peg was crazy and Whit manipulated her. She was also probably lonely with Emmy just having moved across the country.
— If the FBI thought Whit might have murdered Peg and Robert, why would they say nothing to Sloane? Did they not investigate this at all?
That was the first crime that was even successfully charged. He didn’t look suspicious until they were sure Whit was a criminal. Also they might not have had jurisdiction. As far as Sloane is concerned, it’s explicitly stated in the book that once they started looking into it, they thought Sloane might be involved.
— If Whit was the primary target, why send Athena into their home? Why not get her hired as a senate intern or something? Or have her pose as someone who wanted to bribe him.
Sending Athena in was the chance they had available. Also, Senate interns have access to no secrets and the bribery thing would have looked much more suspicious. Also, because of the money laundering through Sloane’s charity, they thought she might be involved. If Sloane had been involved, this would have been easily the least suspicious way.
Thanks so much for coming to discuss with me!!!
#1 If true, Sloane is really a terrible judge of character. And definitely a woman who respects men more than women. But definitely possible.
#2: Okay, but if Whit and Sloane were conspiring to kill Robert and frame Peg, why? Why not just divorce their spouses? This whole murder and conspiracy an awfully complicated way to be together.
#3: Makes sense, thanks!
I am glad you wouldn’t have fallen for it. Sloane was a little too perfect for me, but I do enjoy a good gaslighting story!