Book Review: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Husband's Secret

Author: Liane Moriarty
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Chick Lit | Contemporary | Mystery
Released: August 29th 2013
Review Source: Penguin Books

From the author of the critically acclaimed What Alice Forgot comes a breakout new novel about the secrets husbands and wives keep from each other.

My Darling 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 so terrible it would destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others too. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive . . .

Cecilia Fitzpatrick achieved it all - she's an incredibly successful business woman, a pillar of her small community and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia - or each other - but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband's devastating secret.

Wow, this book has left me utterly exhausted. It starts out with Cecilia's story. We are introduced to her and get a glimpse of things to come when she stumbles upon a letter addressed to her from her husband, John-Paul, which reads only to be read "in the event of my death". That immediately got my wheels turning. Should she place the letter back until that day arrived? Should she read it? What would John-Paul say about it now? Right about the time when you think you may get the answer, the story switches gears and introduces us to Tess.
Tess has just learned that her husband and her cousin Felicity have fallen in love. Of course they have been considerate enough not to have had sex yet. Very thoughtful.
In the next few chapters we are introduced to Rachel. Rachel is mourning the loss of her teenaged daughter, Janie. The teenaged daughter who was murdered over 20 years ago.

The story goes back and forth between our primary characters Cecilia, Tess and Rachel and how they are each simultaneously dealing with their personal nightmares.
Cecilia learns a life-changing secret about John-Paul. Tess reunites on a whim with an ex-lover while her husband and cousin plan their future together. Rachel, well Rachel is now about to lose her son and grandson because they are moving to the States.

Several chapters in the meaty part of the story starts to unfold. We start to see how these women's lives all intersect and how they relate to each other. We see that one letter will change the course of all of their lives forever. I admit in the beginning I found the story a bit confusing, jumping from one characters storyline to another. But once I got to know them, I felt attached to each of them and I wondered how I would handle their issues had they been mine.

Before I actually read the book I found a review of the audio version and how the narrator's Australian accent made the story flow. I actually began read it in that accent and it helped. Really.
You will experience shock, betrayal, pity and sadness. You will cheer for some and condemn others. This book is a roller coaster of emotion and surprisingly of lessons learned.

This was my first book by the author and I would recommend it for those who enjoy a storyline with a good twist.