The New Husband is a riveting thriller about the lies we tell ourselves from D. J. Palmer, the author of Saving Meghan. What makes Simon Fitch so perfect?-He knows all her favorite foods, music, and movies. -Her son adores him. He was there when she needed him most. -He anticipates her every need. -He would never betray her like her first husband.The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes.… like her first husband.
The perfect husband. He checks all the boxes.
The question is, why?
Nina Garrity learned the hard way that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But with Glen gone—presumably drowned while fishing on his boat—she couldn’t confront him about the affair or find closure to the life he blew apart.
Now, a year and a half later, Nina has found love again and hopes she can put her shattered world back together. Simon, a widower still grieving the death of his first wife, thinks he has found his dream girl in Nina, and his charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina’s teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, while her friends see a different side to him, and they aren’t afraid to use the word obsession.
Nina works hard to bridge the divide that’s come between her daughter and Simon. She wants so badly to believe her life is finally getting back on track, but she’ll soon discover that the greatest danger to herself and her children are the lies people tell themselves.
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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The New Husband
By: D. J. Palmer
REVIEW
I always think I can figure out who did what, but I’m always wrong. The New Husband is not a predictable story. I mean that in a good way, though. It’s a psychological thriller with more twists than I imagined, and it certainly kept me interested. For a good suspenseful read, I recommend this book.
The New Husband by D.J. Palmer is a domestic drama and thriller all wrapped into one. This isn’t a super twisty read and you have to suspend disbelief, but it is thoroughly engrossing and readable. I listened to the audio and January LaVoy voices Nina (and others), while Rebecca Soler voices the daughter Maggie, and they both did such a great job. I couldn’t stop listening to the audio and it didn’t take very long to get through this one. Once you get past an initial shocker the rest of the book is basically just wondering what is going to happen next and how things will wrap up. I was hoping for more twists at first, but due to how much I enjoyed it and how quickly I read it I ended up being ok with the lack of twists.
This is the first book I have read by Palmer and I fell in love with his writing, it was so smooth and suspenseful and I loved how even though The New Husband is a slow burn, it was still paced really well. I also enjoyed the different perspectives and I liked both Nina and Maggie, although I think I actually liked Maggie’s perspective a bit more overall. This is a great book to go into knowing as little as possible, and I’m glad I didn’t read the synopsis again before starting it. Overall, a quick, perfectly paced read that should make psychological thriller lovers happy campers!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Wow, all I can say is wow. So much to say, but don’t want to give away a thing. This book scared the heck out of me! You think you have a clue and then you don’t. You think it can’t get more twisted and sick and then it does. It is dark, dark, dark, smart, intriguing, twisted, horrific, explores psychopathy and how potentially if one isn’t truly present in their lives how easily the could be duped.
Nina is in the shocked to discover all the secrets her husband had been keeping before he disappeared. In a short time she meets and is in a full on relationship with a too good to be true man. Almost everyone falls for Simon, except for Maggie which brings a certain amount of tension that Simon senses. Maggie is the best character in the story. She is mature and wise beyond her years. This is a well written psychological thriller that will keep you on edge and a little freaked out until the end.
Nina & Glen’s marriage struggled with the normal burdens of child rearing & long work hours. When Glen disappears suddenly & mysteriously, Nina & her two children are naturally devastated. Learning that Glen had had a secret affair was an even bigger blow to Nina. As Simon, a local teacher, begins to spend time with Nina, she finds herself less alone & determined not to make the same mistakes she made with Glen. The relationship progresses & the two buy a house together. For the most part, Nina’s two children, Maggie & Connor, accept the move. Maggie, however, feels there is something not quite right with Simon. She chafes at his attempts to get closer to her & his vigorous campaign to get Nina to leave her new job. Maybe Maggie is more intuitive than Nina gives her credit for?
This was a real thrill ride of a read! Very well written & creepy enough that, at times, I felt a bit nervous simply turning the page. Very strongly recommend.
Thank you very much to Netgalley, the author, Daniel Palmer, and the publisher, St. Martin’s, for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Oh my word. Wow. Great book
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Glen Garrity goes missing while on a fishing trip, leaving behind his wife, Nina, and two teen-aged children, Connor and Maggie. His boat is found covered in blood, but his body has never been found. Was it an accident, did he stage his disappearance or was it foul play? Nina soon learns that Glen had been leading a double life and that just because you love someone, it doesn’t mean you know them.
17 months later, Nina has somewhat come to terms with her husband’s disappearance and is letting go of the past. She and her children will be moving in with her soon-to-be-fiance, Simon, who will end up being the second man in her life that she loves and doesn’t know. Simon, a teacher at the kids’ high school, hits it off with Connor. Maggie, on the other hand, is sure her father is still alive and will return to the family. Simon’s charms fail to win her over, and Maggie does see the darkness inside Simon. However, their increasingly contentious relationship means she is just the girl crying wolf and no one will believe her until it’s too late.
The book is written from more than one perspective, including Nina and Maggie’s. While the story-line has some surprises and nothing is quite as it seems, I felt the book (a hefty 384 pages) was slow-paced and repetitive. First, we hear Nina’s version as it happens, then we relive it when she tells her therapist, then we relive it yet again as she thinks about it, then we hear it from Maggie’s perspective. In the end, it’s not enough to keep the momentum of the story flowing at a thriller pace. Second, Maggie’s narration seems written for a YA audience. Her perspective is vital to the telling of the story, but a lot of time is spent on Maggie’s teen-age angst as she is bullied in school, which becomes boring. Third, I know it’s a cliche, but this is a Lifetime movie. You will physically yell things at the book: open your eyes, how can you not see that, are you really that stupid, get OUT of the house!!
It’s an entertaining book if you’re looking for distraction.
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#The New Husband #StMartin’spress #D.J. Palmer
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was extremely enjoyable! It was a page turner from the start. The characters are rich and interesting. The plot is intriguing and keeps you guessing with multiple surprises and enough suspense to keep you hooked. The story is centered around Nina, her two children and Simon, her new man. When Nina looses her husband, Glen, in a boating accident she has to move to the other side of town and tries to move on with a new man, Simon, who seems perfect. Everyone starts to adjust to the rumors and their new life. All except Maggie, Nina’s daughter, who sees something different and not so perfect in Simon. As the story evolves their worlds begin to unravel. Great book which would make an awesome movie!
Psychological thrillers are not my “go to” genre, but this one sounded interesting and I do recommend it, even if thrillers, murder mysteries, suspense is not your favorite. Nina really knows how to pick men, NOT. The story begins with what looks like a possible murder scene. Nina’s husband, Glen, usually goes fishing on Saturdays with the family dog, Daisy, but another fisherman finds the boat adrift, with only Daisy and a lot of blood on deck. What happened to Glen? The lake and surrounding area is searched, but no body or clue to what happened to Glen is found. But then slowly it is revealed that Glen has been leading a secret life- or has he? After a few months, while Nina and their 2 children are very vulnerable, about to lose their house and mov win with her parents, another man enters her life- Simon, a high school social studies a robotics teacher. While Nina, a trained social workers, who has been out of the work force while she was raising her children, refuses to consider marriage, they do move to a new house together. But it is 13 year old Maggie, that refuses to believe that her Dad is not coming back or the things that he is accused of. The book jumps back and forth between Maggie’s perspective and that of the narration. Lots of twists and turns, but it is Daisy who saves the day.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Be careful who you date! This book made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! A truly great read about a family terrorized by a psychopath. I loved it!
As the story opens, things have been rough for thirteen-year-old Maggie. She has been ostracized by her former friends at school. Nearly two years ago, her father, Glen, disappeared without a trace — he never returned home from his regular Saturday morning fishing trip. Even though her mother commenced proceedings to have Glen declared dead, Maggie has never believed that he won’t be back. While she continues mourning her father, her mother, Nina, has entered into a relationship with Simon, the science teacher at Maggie’s school. Worse, they are moving into a new home . . . where Simon will be taking up residence with them.
Nina believed that her twenty-year marriage to Glen was a happy one. She gave up her career as a social worker because Glen earned a comfortable living as an investment adviser and amply provided for the family. But everything changed when Glen left one Saturday morning, as was his custom, to go fishing, and a few hours later police officers were on the doorstep bringing Daisy, their beloved dog, home. They informed Nina that Glen’s boat was found abandoned . . . with blood on the deck. Worse, a text message from an unknown sender delivered a photograph of Glen with another woman. Nina learned that Glen had not been employed for nearly two years before he disappeared. Every day, he pretended to go to work but was secretly draining the family accounts in order to make ends meet. Nina believes that Glen is deceased, his body submerged in the lake.
Nina agreed to go on a date with Simon when he brought Daisy home after she apparently slipped out the unlatched front door — a mere twelve weeks after Glen went missing. They have gradually grown closer and Simon wants to marry. Now Nina is out of time and her options are limited. Her financial situation has put her at a crossroads: move to Nebraska to live with her parents or accept Simon’s offer to finance a move into a new home. Nina knows that the transition is going to be difficult, especially for Maggie, who does not like Simon and wants nothing to do with him. She has kept her license to practice social work current and wants to remain in New Hampshire. And she has grown to love Simon, who is doting and attentive, and understands her needs and desires. Indeed, he has an uncanny ability to anticipate them. Still, Nina was profoundly hurt by the revelations of Glen’s duplicity and betrayal, and she’s struggling to achieve the level of intimacy and trust with Simon that he desires. Nina admits to her therapist that she didn’t think she would ever date again after what Glen did to the family. It doesn’t help that Simon’s scent is curiously like Glen’s, conjuring memories of her years with her husband. As time passes, Nina begins to notice troubling behavior by Simon, but she chalks his conflicts with Maggie up to her daughter’s grief about losing her father and refusal to acknowledge that he will not be coming back. Unlike Connor, who readily welcomed Simon into the family and revels in the attention he gets from Simon, but never received from his father. Her lack of self-confidence causes her to excuse her misgivings about Simon’s behavior, blaming herself instead of rationally analyzing his conduct and recognizing how troubling and destructive it is.
Meanwhile, Maggie exasperates Nina by, for example, blaming Simon when her school project goes missing. Because of Nina’s own vulnerability, she chalks Maggie’s misgivings about Simon up to teenage angst, coupled with the ongoing process of grieving Glen. She dismisses Maggie’s claims that Simon is exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior. But Maggie will not be deterred, especially after she sees a dark, but fleeting expression on Simon’s face that frightens her and confirms her suspicions about Simon’s character and capacity for cruelty.
Palmer establishes those conflicts among the characters at the outset and gradually ratchets up the tension through successive encounters and events. He likens the story to a “frog in slow boiling water, which is in reference to the biological phenomenon that if you slowly heat water on a stove, a frog in a pot won’t sense the danger in time to escape.” His stated goal was to set a pace that mirrors real abusive relationships in which the lurking danger is not immediately cognizable. “Each little moment in the book is written to be one degree hotter than the previous until the boil begins.” And it begins in earnest when Palmer reveals what is really happening. At that point, the race is on to see if and which of his characters will discover the truth before it is too late for some or all of them.
Palmer effectively employs alternating narrators to tell the tale. Maggie’s first-person narration is compelling, moving, and authentic. She is a typical teenage girl dealing with extraordinary circumstances. Not only has she lost her father, she is being asked by her mother to adjust to having a new man take up residence in the family home. That man is a teacher at the same school she attends which makes the situation more uncomfortable. Maggie wants nothing to do with Simon. She relates the pain of being ostracized by her friends, and her burgeoning friendship with Ben, a boy on the spectrum who, like her, is not popular but is intelligent, loyal, and supportive. He befriends her in the school lunchroom, and she begins confiding in him. Her believable narrative details her growing suspicion of Simon with her adolescent emotions and logic fully and endearingly on display. She will not be dissuaded, convinced that Simon has ulterior motives and determined to discover and expose them so that her mother will finally believe her and take action.
Nina’s experiences are recounted through a third-person narration and one other narrator appears about halfway through the book, rounding out the various perspectives employed to tell the story.
The tension builds at about the midway point in the story when a major revelation sets the tale on an unexpected trajectory. Once Palmer explains what has actually transpired, his focus turns to whether Nina will believe mounting evidence that she has, because of her gullibility, loneliness, and hurt, placed herself and her children in danger. It’s then a page-turning race to the conclusion. Will Nina recognize that she has been subjected to psychological abuse, gradually and systematically isolated from her support systems, and find the strength to extricate herself . . . before it’s too late?
The New Husband succeeds as a fast-paced, entertaining thriller, as well as a nuanced character study. Palmer convincingly and compassionately portrays a family in crisis, victimized by emotional and psychological abuse, and the manner in which individual family members eventually recognize and respond to the truth.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
I wanted to like this more than I did. I think there were just too many highs and lows. Maybe too many words. It just dragged in some parts. I did enjoy the many perspectives though. I had a hard time with Nina. She’s an intelligent woman. It’s hard to believe she’d be so naive, so unaware. I want to believe that if I were in her situation I would be better at recognizing the signs. Of course, I’m not sure I would be, but it was still disappointing and frustrating.
My Review
#DJPalmer
#stmartinPress
#TheNewHusband
This was such a rollercoaster ride Simon Finch.
This was the first book for me to read by DJ Palmer and what a wonderful book this one had me on the edge of my seat clear up till the end of the book. Kept me awake till 3 in the morning. Once I picked the book up there was no putting it down.
Simon Finch was in love with his first wife and he needed to bring her back into his world into his mind. He loved recreating what she was..
So for him destroying others was his Joy. A man who had a dark side. Wanted everyone to believe he was the good teacher the one who knew how to take care of children. He could support a family no need for Nina to work it was dangerous for her to work he needed her to be at home take care of Maggie.
This man was controlling.
When Glenn disappeared.
Nina believed her husband had done a lot of bad things.
Quit his job but in actuality been fired…
This book was well-written I loved this book.. what a fantastic Story one that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat till 3 a.m..
Thank you DJ Palmer
Thank you netgally
For allowing me to read this book…
This book is crazy, intense, and creepy, but in all of the best ways. While it did start off slow, once a certain point is reached the book turns in into a wild ride. Violence, kidnapping, stalking – The New Husband has it all. On the other side of the spectrum, there is also a lot of love in this book. The protagonist, Nina, and her children are all fantastic. I don’t have kids, but I imagine that is how family relations would be impacted during the events of this book. This book also shows what can happen when family and friends band together to solve and overcome problems. This book is an intense domestic thriller, so if you like that kind of story, give it a shot!
D.J. Palmer’s THE NEW HUSBAND begins with disconcerting insidiousness and escalates into a twisting, heart-pounding, hell ride of a thriller. Compulsive page-turner to a powerful finish.
Oh boy the thrills and coffee spills this caused was crazy! My second book I’ve read from this author and I loved it even more! The shock and surprise, this leads the reader into a huge web of lies! Don’t always trust to fast or easily, some people are never who they seem!
I totally recommend this to readers who live for the psychological thrill! Hold on, it’s gonna be a twisty ride!
The New Husband by DJ Palmer was a thrilling and engaging read that had me at the edge of my seat. What is the truth and who can you trust? Nina was devastated when her husband disappears and she loses everything and discovers his secrets. But now she seems to finally be moving on with the perfect man. But is there such a thing as a perfect man? Her daughter and friends do not believe so. What follows is a story full of twists and turns and that will keep you captivated.
Happy reading!
My Rating:
Content Rating: 18+
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller
Published: April 14, 2020, by St. Martin’s Press
Do we ever really know what our spouse is capable of doing? We love them, we trust them, we raise children with them, and we sleep next to them every night. But do we know what they are capable of doing? The New Husband is the book that will have you looking over at your spouse and wondering what secrets they are keeping from you.
The author of The New Husband, D.J. Palmer, is not new to writing and has written many books under the name Daniel Palmer. I found this book to be well written, and the characters carefully crafted. The story is told from two narrators, Nina and her daughter Maggie who are totally at odds with each other. And then toward the end, we hear from a third narrator. This book is a slow burn, however about halfway into the book, the wickedness is revealed, sometimes a bit over the top, but that’s one of the things I liked about it. The New Husband is a twisted psychological thriller that will have you on edge, wondering what will happen next. Has Nina found her one true love.?
Nina Garrity, the mother of two, is happily married to her husband, Glenn. Glen goes fishing, on Lake Winnipesaukee, one morning and doesn’t return. His boat is found with a large amount of blood on the deck, and his dog, Daisy, but no Glenn. It is revealed that maybe Glenn was not the perfect husband; Nina finds out he has lost his job and has been having an affair. Glen has left Nina not only emotionally devastated, but also her financial situation is precarious at best.
In this vulnerable state of mind, Nina falls for the sweet, sincere Simon Fitch, and seventeen months after her husband’s disappearance, they are moving in together.
“If someone had told Nina a few years ago that she would end up living with the social studies teacher from her daughter’s middle school, in a new house they bought together, she would have broken into a fit of laughter.”
Nina’s daughter Maggie is not happy; first, Simon is the social studies teacher at her school, and secondly, she sees something in him that doesn’t feel right.
“I hate him. I absolutely, positively hate him. Maybe, if after a year or something, Mom had wanted to go out on a date, sure, fine, go do it.”
However, Nina’s son Conner likes Simon and embraces him as part of the family; this causes somewhat of a clash between the two siblings. Despite all the turmoil, Nina and Simon are determined to make this new family work. That’s all I am willing to tell you about this story, as I don’t want to ruin all the creepy fun you will have while reading this book. But what I will say to you is that Daisy was the hero, in my opinion.
The New Husband is a story about obsession, lies, and deception that will twist and shock you. It’s a story about wanting something so much you will go to any lengths to get what you want. At times this book pushed the limits of what is plausible, but that is what made this book fun to read. What I didn’t like about the book was the epilogue, The New Husband went from an edgy, creepy read, and then it came together a bit too cleanly. Although this book does start slow, it delivers in the end, so don’t give up, stick with this book to the end, and happy reading.
* Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published. *
** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and D.J. Palmer. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **
4.5 Stars
Wow! I quite liked this story of a newly widowed woman trying to move beyond a devastating tragedy and betrayal. It’s goint to be really hard to review this without spoilers, so this may be short. I wouldn’t want to spoil a thing.
This psychological thriller/ family drama isn’t my typical read, but the description looked interesting and I was in the mood for something suspenseful. I defintely got that with The New Husband. From the start of the story, Simon seemed like a creep but only the daughter sees the deep level of creepiness. Nina and her son Connor are almost clueless. It’s not easy recovering from Glen’s disappearance and betrayal.
The story is told in mutliple point of views, and I liked that about the story because it kept pulling me forward. There are some cliched scenes in this that seemed like they were out of a made for TV movie, but I really didn’t mind that. It did take a while for the story to really get rolling, and once I got to that point, the story really took off and I couldn’t put this down. The second half of the book is quite good in terms of pacing and tension and I found myself cheering at the point one of the clueless actually start waking up!
I really did enjoy this story and found myself staying up late to get to the ending (which I loved) and even re-reading bits I read too quickly in my haste to find out what happened. Those are good indicators for me when gauging my enjoyment of the story.
So, overall, a good story. There’s a bit I didn’t see coming and I loved that about it. The first half of the book is a little slow, but the second half more than makes up for it. Loved the ending. This was my first book from this author and I would definitely check out future titles.
An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.
Nina’s husband disappeared some time ago, leaving her with two children. At that time, the teacher of Nina’s daughter, Simon, proved to be the knight in silver armor. He was simply the personification of perfect husband and ideal partner, anticipating all of Nina’s needs.
But, what would be the real reason behind so much perfection?
A psychological thriller that brings to the end the real reason for so much perfection… and persecution.
3,5 stars
I started this read without reading any reviews from this and not much of the synopsis except for the title that pretty much tells me all I would ever need. The story opens up with someone’s disappearance from a fishing boat, which we learns later is Glen. Mystery of his disappearance starts to ramp up and as the layers are peeled, the story really begins to take a drastic turn.
I enjoyed this thrilling ride of a read. The excitement that built up will keep you turning those pages. DJ Palmer leaves trickles of hints and clues to a crescendo of an ending that blew me away! This was fun and I enjoyed it!
DJ Palmer wrote an addictive read that I really enjoyed. The built up was so thrilling and the suspense titillating!!
Pick this up now for a cure for any reading slump or a change of pace! Really enjoyable read I recommend!