No one knows the import of “One Wrong Word” more than main character Arden Ward in Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest novel. Ward has an unusual profession. She works for an agency that helps polish people’s reputations so they can obtain better jobs, get on high paying boards, and escape bad press. And Ward is especially good at her job.
But when the jealous wife of Ward’s important client thinks that the Joy perfume Ward wears came from her husband, who provides that scent not only to his wife but also to those with whom he dallies, Ward’s boss, who owns the company, claims that he must do what the wife is insisting on and let Ward go. But as her last job, he is offering her the chance to work with the “Garage Killer,” as Ned Bannister is known. Bannister killed a man late in the hours after New Year’s Eve, running over the skateboarding man in the empty parking garage of his office building. Ned was not drunk, and with the help of his expensive defense attorney, was acquitted by the jury. But the knowing looks and the snubs still hurt his wife, who insists that Ward is the one who can help them. Cordelia is sure that Ward can change the minds of those who believe Ned guilty because of what they read in the press and on social media and who act accordingly.
From the start, we realize that something is off with Cordelia, the pampered wife of Ned, who is a wealthy real estate mogul. She wants Ward to help with their reputation and the press, but she also asks Ward to investigate her husband. She keeps claiming that he’s hiding something from her. Her actions and the information she shares cause us to wonder about both Cordelia and Ned.
When there is another car accident, this time to Ned’s defense attorney, Ned is the one in the hot seat. Cordelia is in Florida with her college friends, and their two children are with Ned’s mother in Vermont. So to escape the press, Ward and Ned leave Boston to visit his kids in Vermont. During the trip, Ward gets to know Ned and to see how he engages with the two children.
Ward is torn. She doesn’t know whom to believe, whom to trust. Ned seems like a great guy, good father, and faithful husband. But Cordelia’s insistence that he is hiding something, that he has a wandering eye for beautiful women, and that Ward needs to find the truth, causes Ward to distrust her instincts. She worries that women are the ones not believed. We always believe the men, and she doesn’t want to be guilty of the same error.
As Ward keeps asking questions, her theories of the two cases veer wildly depending on what she has just learned. And while she’s trying to figure it all out, she’s bitterly emptying her office, angry that she’s lost her job because of a lie. It doesn’t matter that she wears Joy simply because it is the fragrance that her late mother loved. Warren Carmichael is firing her anyway. He’s tossed her this one last case that might just give her a better bonus, but he discounts all she’s done for his company. We also learn more from the point of view of the assistant district attorney, Monelle Churchwood, as she helps us understand the big picture.
Ryan is a veteran author. She is a master at throwing curve balls that completely change our field of vision. We thought she was leading us in one direction, but as it turns out she was providing clues that take us not only on a different path, but to a different state entirely. We truly like Ward and her ability to navigate difficult waters with the aplomb of a seasoned sea captain. The final twist is truly unexpected, and we are ultimately appreciative of the engrossing tale and the nail-biting ending.
This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.