Prepare for a tale filled with sun, sea and secrets in The Wives, a Channel 5 mystery thriller about three sisters-in-law who turn detective.
Set in Malta, the six-part series stars Tamzin Outhwaite, Jo Joyner and Angela Griffin, as Slyvie, Beth and Natasha, three women whose lives were turned upside down when their sister-in-law, Annabelle, went missing.
A year later, the trio return to Malta and begin investigating Annabelle's disappearance, but as they start to uncover the dark secrets at the heart of their family they wonder if they've bitten off more than they can chew!
"As revelations come to light the ladies take on a detective role," says Tamzin Outhwaite. "What starts off as a relationship drama takes a thriller turn!"
Here's everything we know about The Wives, which promises to be one of Channel 5's best dramas...
The Wives release date
The Wives premieres at 9 pm on Monday, September 16 on Channel 5 and continues at the same time on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 September.
The six-part series continues the following week, with the fourth episode airing on Monday 23rd September and the final two episodes being broadcast on Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.
The whole series will be available on Channel 5's streaming service My5 from Monday September 16. We don't have a US release date.
The Wives trailer
Channel 5 have released a trailer for the six-part drama, check it out below...
The Wives plot
An official synopsis for the six-part thriller describes how three sisters-in-law become entangled in a sun-soaked web of deceit...
"The Wives follows the unravelling of one family in a summer that changes all their lives. Last year, four sisters-in-law and their families escaped to their Maltese holiday apartments, as they’ve done every summer for fifteen years. Sylvie was happily married, Natasha was swimming in wealth, and Beth and Annabelle were thick as thieves.
"But this year, as they come together again, everything is different. Sylvie’s now single and loving life, Natasha’s hiding a desperate financial situation, Beth is barely keeping her life together and Annabelle is, well... dead.
"When Annabelle’s widower Charlie arrives with a new woman in tow, Beth tries to be happy for them, but something doesn’t sit right, Charlie’s new girlfriend looks exactly like Annabelle. Beth’s plans to have a great summer are quickly scuppered by Charlie’s odd behaviour, and her suspicion that there’s more to Annabelle’s death is heightened.
"With lies coming to light and evidence building, the women work together and against each other to unravel the mystery and bring the culprit to justice. But with corrupt officials, drug cartels and career criminals closer to home than ever expected, have they bitten off more than they can chew?"
The Wives episode 1 recap (SPOILERS AHEAD)
The Morgan family are all searching anxiously for Charlie’s wife, Annabelle. Beth calls her repeatedly and we see a phone ringing, positioned precariously on the edge of the cliff. Annabelle’s daughter, Sky, is particularly upset by her disappearance.
One year later, the family return to Malta. Everyone misses Annabelle but they resolve to try and enjoy the summer holiday.
Beth and Natasha arrive with their husbands, brothers, Frankie and Sean. Sylvie is recently divorced from their brother, Tom, but appears happy to be single. Seemingly carefree and playful, Natasha and Sean choose not to divulge that they have actually had to move to Malta as they are in dire financial straits and their house in England has been repossessed.
Charlie arrives with daughter, Sky, plus gorgeous new girlfriend, Jade, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Annabelle. Confused and distressed, Beth pushes Jade into the swimming pool, imagining, fleetingly, that Annabelle has somehow returned from the dead. Jade accepts Beth’s apology graciously but Beth remains uneasy and unnerved by this strangely look-a-like new addition to the Morgan family.
Sylvie has a sexy date with a young local guy, Luca. Natasha’s daughter, Alice, tells her mother that Sean has tried to borrow money from her. This leads to a big emotional meltdown. Natasha can’t believe that Sean won’t ask his brothers for help but is prepared to lean on his student daughter.
Beth continues to be suspicious of Jade and shares her concerns with a sceptical Natasha and Sylvie. On the hunt for some evidence to back up her misgivings, she sneaks into Charlie’s apartment for a good old snoop. When Charlie and Jade return unexpectedly, she hides in their wardrobe where she finds a bag stuffed with wads of cash, alongside Annabelle’s birth certificate.
The Wives episode 2 recap (SPOILERS AHEAD)
A frazzled Beth escapes from Charlie’s apartment and tells Natasha and Sylvie about the bag she found. She surmises that Charlie might have been involved in Annabelle’s death. And possibly Jade too? She heard Jade talking to her (supposedly dead) Dad on the phone and gleaned that Jade and Charlie were having an affair while Annabelle was still alive.
Sean learns that his brothers have business troubles; money has disappeared from a mysterious account. Charlie confesses that the account belonged to Annabelle; she was stealing from their business to fund her gambling addiction. He had been hoping to keep this quiet and pay it back discreetly but he can’t access her estate. Sean and Frankie offer to help him.
At Beth’s behest, the wives follow Jade into town but, unexpectedly, see Charlie in the back streets, meeting a man and exchanging the bag from his wardrobe for a manilla envelope. Beth records this on her phone. That evening she shares the video and Luca spots it while Sylvie is out of the room. He goes to the man’s house and threatens him.
When Charlie produces the envelope and announces that he now has Annabelle’s death certificate (six years prematurely) the women agree that his behaviour is distinctly dodgy.
The family hold an emotional memorial for Annabelle. Later, Sky finds an engagement ring in the apartment. Charlie acknowledges that he bought it for Jade - and proposes to her. Sky is devastated and the wives are angry with Charlie for being so insensitive.
Beth confides in Natasha and Sylvie that she knew that Annabelle was planning to leave Charlie and she has a voicemail which confirms it. The wives agree that they must bring Charlie to justice, little knowing that he has been eavesdropping on their conversation.
The Wives cast
Jo Joyner (EastEnders, Ackley Bridge, Shakespeare & Hathaway), Tamzin Outhwaite (Eastenders, New Tricks) and Angela Griffin (Coronation Street, Holby City, Waterloo Road) lead the cast as sisters-in-law, Beth, Sylvie and Natasha.
Christine Bottomley (Sherwood) plays Annabelle, who's disappearance forms the focus of the story, while Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica, Law and Order: UK) plays her husband Charlie.
Elsewhere, Katie Clarkson-Hill (The Couple Next Door) plays Charlie's new girlfriend, Jade, while the cast is completed by Ben Willbond (Ghosts), who plays Beth's husband Frankie, and Catriona Chandler (Enola Holmes 2).
