THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF BIG LITTLE LIES. One of the Best Books of the Year—Entertainment Weekly One of the Top Ten Books of the Year—People At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read… Cecilia,
If you’re reading this, then I’ve died…
Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not only the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive…
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. But that letter is about to change everything—and not just for her. There are other women who barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they, too, are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.
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I literally couldn’t put this book down. I absolutely love the way the characters all have their own drama going on that is woven together so brilliantly and at times unexpectedly.
Loved it!
I am quickly becoming a Liane Moriarty fan.
When I read the cover jacket summary, I was highly intrigued. What did this man do that he wrote a letter to his wife that should be opened upon his death… maybe I should do something like that! But wait… do I have a secret I need to reveal… yes… worth putting in a sealed letter that I can’t disclose until I’m dead and buried… no… so I guess this won’t be something I need to do in the future. Eh, I tried.
But reading the book is something to do! And it did not disappoint. It has many different characters and focuses on 4 or 5 stories that interweave throughout the different people’s lives. Figuring out who is who takes a little while, but once you do, you totally see the story coming together. And when it finally does with the tragedy near the end, you’re heartbroken.
I would definitely read another book by this author. I have recommended it to several friends. Nice job!
Small spoiler in this paragraph so skip it if you haven’t read the book yet… Fate? Karma? Is it fair to inflict that on someone who had nothing to do with the original crime except that the recipient was related to the perpetrator of the original crime? I found it unfair given who is impacted, but ultimately, it gives the reader something very intricate to think about.
This book threw me for a loop!! OMG the twists and turns and the ending! Don’t pick it up unless you have time to not put it down!
Perhaps you’re familiar with the saying, “When you point one finger, there are three fingers pointing back to you.” The truth of this saying becomes abundantly clear as author, Liane Moriarty, weaves three seemingly separate storylines into a single tapestry. As the dramatic threads become irrevocably intertwined, secrets that had lain dormant for decades emerge and meet head-on in the climactic conclusion. A pagee-turnerr that was difficult to put down.
This is the second book that I have read by Moriarty and I have really enjoyed both of them. This one pulls together three separate story-lines into one quick paced enjoyable read. Her writing style is simple and the book is an easy read. I thought the secret in the letter was relatively simple to figure out but I was intrigued by how Moriarty would have her characters’ react to the info they discover. At certain times I was truly surprised by their reactions. That’s not to say that I found them unbelievable because who am I to say how people will react when confronted with shocking news? I did find the book to be a little too coincidental for my liking but it was still a good story. The epilogue sealed the deal for my 4-star rating however. Moriarty manages to tie the book back to the prologue and give the reader pause about just how the simplest nuances in life can dramatically alter the entire future.
I just love Liane Moriarty’s books — they’re utterly compulsive, and even though they always have some sort of dark, overwhelming secret boiling at the center, they are often also funny and deeply relatable, with the sort of characters you feel like you know well after only a few pages. The Husband’s Secret was just as good as any of her others, with a twist that truly took me by surprise, and moments of redemption and humanity that made it impossible to put down.
This book made me want to not get married even more than I already don’t want to! I’ve been a huge fan of Liane Moriarty’s mystery and psychological thrillers for a while now, and this one doesn’t fail to keep me captivated till the very end.
Cecilia Fitzpatrick thinks she knows her husband inside out, so she’s stunned to accidentally discover in the attic a sealed envelope with, “For my wife – to be opened only in the event of my death” written on it. When she unintentionally mentions it to him on the phone, his reaction makes it clear that the last thing he wants is for her to open that envelope – but why?
The story then jumps to another woman, Tess, whose husband has fallen in love with someone else. Astonished and distraught, Tess makes plans to go and stay with her mother in Sydney, taking her young son with her. Segway to a third woman, Rachel, whose much-loved daughter died many years long ago and whose life now centers on her grandson. Soon after, the three women’s lives will cross and the secret that Cecilia’s husband has been guarding for so long will impact on them all.
I think the major idea here is Pandora’s Box. What happens when you open the box and discover what secrets people are hiding? If we knew those secrets, could we still love them? Still live with them? Still be married to them? These questions and the premise of this book made me realize I have serious trust issues with people. But that’s for another time.
Moriarty’s captivating plot and style of writing throughout this book makes me truly enjoy mystery and thriller novels again. While some people would argue they didn’t like this book because of the unlikable characters, pace and even the plot, I’d say it isn’t for everyone. But for those of you avid thriller and suspense novel lovers; who enjoy a gripping and well-written mystery that showcases the painful and even grisly sides of life with a wee bit of satire, you won’t want to pass on this one.
Read more of my review here: https://bit.ly/2T4NLT1
Liane Moriarty is an extraordinary writer. This book weaves the tales of three families together through tragedy, revenge, and love. To tell the truth, I didn’t want to like it (because I wanted to give advice to most of the characters!), but it was so compelling that I put aside my own work and just read and read. It left me feeling quite sad, but that could be because I share some of Rachel’s story. It’s well worth the read.
I read “The Husband’s Secret” immediately after reading “Big Little Lies” and it was great. Though it could probably be characterized as a mystery book, I’m more inclined to call “The Husband’s Secret” general fiction. It makes the best use of Moriarty’s skill for character development and it is extremely touching, capturing human relationships in a way often missed by “thriller” writers. I was nervous to read another novel by Moriarty as I haven’t good things about “Truly Madly Guilty,” but I would recommend “The Husband’s Secret” to anyone who was a fan of “Big Little Lies.” I may even say I liked it more. A quick and entertaining read.
This book is suspenseful and deals with relationship drama! Everything I want!
She is such a skillful writer. You think you are enjoying a light beach read and then it hits you…
This is a amazing book!! I love how the charters were well developed and intertwined in unexpected ways. There was details the author discussed that I hadn’t even thought about. It was a little suspense, mixed with a little womens lit. The ending (no cliffhanger) was unexpected. The foreshadowing was awesome and well placed. It kept me wanting more. I will be reading to more from this author!!!
This was the first Liane Moriarity book I read and I loved it! I went on to read everything else she wrote. I enjoyed this one more than her famous “Big Little Lies” though it was also excellent. I wish they would make a series of “The Husband’s Secret”.
Ms. Moriarty mixes an eclectic set of characters into a compelling tale of tragedy, loss, and redemption. Her prose speaks with a voice that is honest and painfully sharp, yet hopeful. This could be YOUR life.
Although I found the disclosures in the epilogue enlightening, I felt the ending was slightly less than satisfying. Life is like that.
~ D. L. Orton, author of the award-winning Between Two Evils series (Book 1: Crossing In Time: A Dystopian Love Story (Between Two Evils Book 1))
Thought-provoking. For every action there is a reaction, but mostly we’ll never know all the reactions that came from a single action.
What a brilliantly woven story! I laughed, I gasped, I ached, I thought “what remarkable insight” countless times.
I didn’t want to put it down.
Now that I’m finished, I know what I must do: go find everything else written by Liane Moriarty and devour it NOW.
Why? Because her words speak the hard truths: our selfish motivations, our comical emotions, our awkward fears. Moriarty seems to get all that foolishness we bury within ourselves and give it unapologetic support. Instead of ignoring her inner voice as an embarrassment, as most of us do, she embraces its ridiculousness and finds a way to express all that delicious humanity on paper.
I read through some reviews and was quite surprised that not everyone enjoyed it. I was totally gripped. There is something so real and so frightening to think that a neighbor, a friend or even a family member is a coldhearted killer. Sends ice down my back.
The story takes place over 7 days, and is told from the view point of three different women. At the beginning they don’t know each other but their lives are woven together by invisible silk strands.
There’s Cecilla. A woman who has it altogether, her life is orderly, neat and idyllic, why wouldn’t you just want to be like her? She has everything it seems, loving husband, beautiful daughters, friends, family, nice house and even makes a fortune selling plastic containers!
And there’s Tess. Timid, shy but happily married with a wonderful son, a caring husband and a cousin who is more like a twin and always by her side. They’ve set up their own business, and they’re doing really well.
Then there’s Rachel. Oh my Lord, Rachel. Rachel broke my heart and I cried at the end. She was happily married once. She did have two great kids, once. But then one day someone murdered her daughter, strangled actually. Her pain is raw and I felt it all.
We come into their lives 27 years after the murder of Janie (Rachel’s daughter). In the exact same moment, their lives are sent on a collision course, 7 days before Easter, the anniversary of the death of Janie. It starts when Cecilla finds a letter her husband, John-Paul, wrote years ago and lost. As Cecilla holds the letter that states – To Cecilla, to be opened on the event of my death, Tess’s husband and her cousin explain, ever so regretfully, that they are in love and want to be together. At that precise moment, Rachel is told that her only joy in life – her little grandson, is being taken across the world. And so the crash begins.
Have you ever played pass-the-parcel? That’s how I felt the book read, like each time the music stops and someone rips off the next layer of paper but the prize still isn’t visible, so on it goes until the music stops again. Instead of becoming clearer, the mystery kept deepening, more intricate and definitely more compelling to read. Moriarty, in my opinion, is a master storyteller. Her characters so gripping, the plot clever the timing spot-on. The Epilogue reveals things that no one knew and I just kept thinking… this author is brill. Emotions run hot and heavy throughout and this is definitely a thriller that is more about people and how they think than the murder itself. I really thought it was a great read, I certainly couldn’t put it down.
Wow! This book is full of unpredictable events and quite tragic too…
The Husband’s Secret
At first I had a hard time getting the characters straight because it kept flip flopping from one person to the next, but finally was able to really get into the book and I didn’t want to put it down, I was blown away by the whole story plot and was not disappointed on all the twists and turns, loved how every character was linked together!