The Husband's Secret

By Liane Moriarty

Women's Fiction | Psychological Thriller

My Review

Whilst her husband is away on business, Cecilia discovers a sealed letter he'd written years earlier with strict instructions it should only be opened in the event of his death. She now faces a moral dilemma — should she satisfy her curiosity and read it or should she put it back and forget all about it? With absolutely no idea of its contents, she gives in to temptation. The only problem is — once seen, it can't be unread.

I thought The Husband's Secret was an enjoyable read. It's about three women — Cecilia, Rachel and Tess — who are all facing upheaval and change. At the beginning their lives appear to be unconnected but as we read further we see how their stories converge. Rachel was by far the most interesting with her critical unspoken musings, which were, at times, hilariously blunt.

Set in Australia, the story didn't grab me as much as I'd hoped it would. It was unhurried rather than gripping and suspenseful. Whilst I found it a pleasant read, I felt it was missing a killer twist to elevate it to the next level. The epilogue went some way to providing an interesting and unusual ending but for me the book was a little too pedestrian.                             

Book Source: Purchased copy

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐

Paperback: 432 pages

Publisher: Penguin; 01 edition (29th Aug 2013)

The Blurb

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.

The Author

Liane Moriarty is the bestselling author of eight novels: Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist's Love Story, The Husband's Secret, Big Little Lies, Truly Madly Guilty and Nine Perfect Strangers. 

The Husband's Secret is a worldwide bestseller which has sold more than three million copies and been translated into over forty languages. Big Little Lies is now an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning HBO series, produced by and starring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. 

Liane lives in Sydney with her husband, son and daughter.