Review: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam
Publishing Date: April 13th, 2013
Genre: Adult Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 394 pgs
ISBN: 9780399159343
Source: Borrowed from the Library



Summary from Goodreads:

At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died...

Imagine that 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 just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, 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. 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 secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.

My Review:

What Alice Forgot was a book I really enjoyed and this book has been getting a lot of good hype. I have to say that this book lived up to the hype. I both listened to this book and read this book. While I was in the car I listened to it and when I was at home I read the book. I found that I was so hooked to the story I couldn't wait to be in the car to listen to it. I also found myself staying in the car a few extra minutes to finish listening to the book. It was that addictive. 

The novel starts off with a prologue about Pandora's box. It basically makes you think about the human nature to be curious and to want to know what they shouldn't. It really sets the tone of the story which is told in the perspective of three women. The first woman is Cecilia, a super organized successful mother and wife. She finds a letter tucked away in a box in the attic; the letter is written by her husband with the express directions to only open in the case of his death. She hems and haws over whether or not she should open it. In all honesty I don't know how she holds out for so long. I am the nosiest person alive and I would have a hard time holding off from opening up something like that. Who am I kidding? I'd rip that puppy open after maybe a minute or two of deliberation. We all know the thing about Pandora's box is that while you may find something good in this box, inevitably something bad comes with it too. I don't think I need to tell you that the mystery of the book lies in Cecilia's letter. 

The second woman in the book is Tess. She has just moved back in with her mother because her husband has announced that he is in love with her cousin. Tess has a small boy and her storyline focuses on how the affair has affected her. One side affect Tess's heartbreak is a slight interest in her ex boyfriend. I really liked this character. Even though she was handed a tough break, she remains strong and doesn't allow her husband and her husband to step all over her. She also has a little sass in her.

The third woman in the story is Rachel, an older woman who has a great relationship with her grandson. She has been dealing with something for a long time, the death of her teenage daughter. 

All these stories end up weaving together to create a beautifully written book. When you pick up this novel be prepared with a good chunk of time to dedicate to it. You will not want to put this down at all. If you are listening to the audio version of this book you will enjoy the Australian narrator. It's enchanting and you'll find yourself looking for reasons to drive somewhere so you are able to listen to it. 

Also can we please discuss the cover appeal? I love the look of the flower in the midst of being destroyed. It's a great photo and I would buy this book on the cover alone. Overall I think it's safe to say that I quite enjoyed the quick paced, curiosity filled novel. Go out and get this book as soon as you can!