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 episode 3 recap (SPOILERS AHEAD)
When the brothers return to England to help Charlie access Annabelle’s estate the wives start investigating Annabelle’s death. Beth invites Jade to dinner so they can interrogate her. Sylvie asks Sky to help identify the man on Beth’s video. Through social media Sky identifies him as Consulate official, Vinay Taneja. While shopping for groceries Natasha’s card is declined but she is rescued by Luca who pays her bill. Natasha tries to make light of her financial problems.
At dinner, a distraught Sky reveals that Charlie is selling their apartment. Jade admits she was with Charlie the night that Annabelle disappeared. So, Charlie has an alibi but it is clear that the brothers lied about being together that evening. Luca breaks into Natasha’s apartment, finds proof of her financial instability and starts tracking her phone.
Sylvie and Sky stalk Vinay and observe him in a sexually compromising situation. Luca offers to pay Natasha to hide a bag for him. Beth heads to the Consulate where she meets Vinay but when she starts probing he has her ejected. When Sylvie confronts Vinay about his affair he arranges to meet the wives at a bar. However the “VIP" area turns out to be a cellar where they are locked up. Sylvie admits that she has had sex recently with Charlie, Natasha owns up to her bankruptcy and Sylvie then tells them that Charlie can’t be Sky’s father as he is infertile.
Vinay finally turns up and warns the women, in no uncertain terms, not to pursue this investigation. He releases them and reveals that it was Charlie and "another guy" who purchased the death certificate. Could this mean all the brothers were involved? In the dark streets a van and a car speed towards them, leaving the wives trapped, fearing for their lives.
The Wives episode 4 recap (SPOILERS AHEAD)
The van driver is revealed as Luca who says he has come to help them but the wives are wary. How did he know where to find them?
Back at the apartments the wives admit that the brothers must know more than they have admitted to but Beth wants to stop playing detectives. It’s too dangerous. Natasha and Sylvie pretend to go along with this to pacify her.
While Beth gets immersed in party planning for Sylvie’s birthday, Natasha and Sylvie go to the tennis club to check their husbands’ alibis for the night Annabelle disappeared. They enlist Jade to help them sneak past reception and into the security room where they succeed in accessing the CCTV.
Natasha admits that she is scared of what the CCTV might reveal as Sean was raging about Annabelle calling in a loan just before she disappeared. However, the footage shows that the brothers were all at the tennis club as they had claimed.
An anonymous social media account called OceanMagic22 starts courting Sky and tells her they know what happened to her mother.
Natasha decides to take Luca up on his offer to hide a bag in return for payment. She discovers that the bag is brimming with casino chips.
The wives, Sky and Jade go out to celebrate Sylvie’s Birthday. Later, Jade drops Sky home alone before joining the wives at the Pink Flamingo night club. Sky receives another message from OceanMagic22 suggesting that they meet up.
Natasha revisits the CCTV and discovers that Tom left the club for some time during the evening. So - maybe he - or all of the brothers - were involved in Annabelle’s death? As the wives consider these implications, the men return unexpectedly. Their reunion is interrupted by Jade announcing that Sky has gone missing.
The Wives episode 5 recap (SPOILERS AHEAD)
The family all search for Sky. Natasha discovers that her car is missing too, with Luca’s bag hidden in the boot. Sky can’t drive but it looks like she must be the culprit. Sean discovers that the wives have been playing detectives and he agrees with Natasha that Charlie may have been involved in Annabelle’s death as he is due to inherit all of Annabelle’s money.
Natasha’s car is found crashed but there’s no sign of Sky. Despite her pleas, the police refuse to let Natasha access the vehicle. The search continues in earnest until the wives finally spot Sky heading towards a parked van. In the ensuing kerfuffle the van makes a hasty getaway. Sky is furious; she was supposed to be meeting OceanMagic22 who was going to tell her what happened to her mother.
Sean tells Sylvie that on the night that Annabelle disappeared Tom left the tennis club to visit Annabelle but when he got to the apartments she wasn’t there. Jade uses Sky’s phone to arrange a meeting for them all with OceanMagic22.
Luca insists that Natasha return his bag immediately. Natasha tells the wives about her predicament. Beth then astonishes Natasha and Sylvie by telling them she thinks Frankie may be Sky’s father. Meanwhile, Frankie shares the same revelation with Sean.
At the old radar tower the wives wait to meet OceanMagic22. A van arrives but it’s not OceanMagic22. It’s Luca, furiously demanding the return of his bag. He is armed and extremely edgy; his brother is being held captive and will be killed if he doesn’t return the casino chips. Luca is about to pull the trigger when another van smashes into him. The wives assume that Jade has come to their rescue until the driver is revealed as Annabelle!
The Wives ending explained (SPOILERS AHEAD)
Annabelle tells the wives she was kidnapped by Luca who had been hired by Charlie to kill her. She survived by paying Luca off and faking her death. She couldn’t go to the police as Luca had threatened to kill Sky and so has been in hiding for a year. She contacted Sky by posing as OceanMagic22.
Jade arrives, shocked to encounter Annabelle. They bundle a very battered Luca into Annabelle's van and return to the apartments. Beth accuses Annabelle of sleeping with Frankie and she doesn’t deny it.
When Beth confronts Frankie about his infidelity he begs her not to leave him. Sean is shocked to find Annabelle in Sylvie’s apartment. Luca goes missing.
Sylvie and Natasha hunt for Luca. Sean goes to meet his brothers and Beth takes Annabelle to the police to tell them her story.
Sean tells Charlie that Annabelle is alive and that she thinks he tried to have her killed. Desperate to avoid arrest, Charlie heads to the port with Sky and Jade. Frankie alerts Beth and she makes her way there too, closely followed by the police. Charlie is about to leave on a boat when the police arrive and threaten to shoot him. Beth encourages him to see sense, Charlie capitulates - and is arrested. Sky and Annabelle have an emotional reunion.
Some weeks later Frankie visits a broken Charlie in prison. He then goes to meet Beth and asks for a reconciliation but Beth cannot forgive him. Next port of call is meeting Luca! He tells him to finish the job he paid him to do a year ago - and then to leave Malta for good.
The family get together for a glamorous night out organised by Sky. When Annabelle teases Beth she snaps and shoves her into the pool.
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).
