The Husband's Secret in Aussie Readers

Dec 20, 2016 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, aa-ce, mystery-crime-thriller, australian-author, aa

4.5★
“He had that starved, frightened, sullen look you saw on so many teenager boys. It was as if they needed to both punch a wall and be cuddled.”

I do enjoy Moriarty’s observations, sprinkled everywhere. Everything is not all sunshine and roses in her stories. It’s more swans gliding on the surface while paddling madly underneath. We’ve got crime and tragedy and infidelity, but we’ve also got Easter egg hunts and clever, informed children arguing about world events. And, best of all, this is how ...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it it was amazing

Shelves: provided-by-publisher, aussie-author, arc-are

I am a huge fan of Liane Moriarty and I have enjoyed every single one of her novels, most recently What Alice Forgot and The Hypnotist's Love Story. The Husband's Secret is her fifth adult fiction novel and for me, her best yet.

"For my wife, Cecilia Fitzpatrick
To be opened only in the event of my death"

She found the envelope amongst a stack of old tax records and imagined it contained a sentimental message, given it was dated just a few days after the birth of their first child, fifteen years ag
I am a huge fan of Liane Moriarty and I have enjoyed every single one of her novels, most recently What Alice Forgot and The Hypnotist's Love Story. The Husband's Secret is her fifth adult fiction novel and for me, her best yet.

"For my wife, Cecilia Fitzpatrick
To be opened only in the event of my death"

She found the envelope amongst a stack of old tax records and imagined it contained a sentimental message, given it was dated just a few days after the birth of their first child, fifteen years ago. Cecilia has no idea that the letter will blow her world apart.

The story of The Husband's Secret unfolds from the third person perspectives of three women, Cecilia, Tess and Rachel. At first the connections between these women are peripheral but the secret Jon-Paul has been keeping for decades will change them all.

Cecilia has been married to John-Paul for fifteen years, they have three bright and beautiful daughters and a busy, happy life. Cecilia is the P&C president, a successful Tupperware host and her neat and orderly world is shattered when her husband returns early from a business trip.
Tess is devastated when her husband announces he has fallen in love with her best friend, cousin and business partner, Felicity. Her only thought is to escape and she abandons her life in Sydney to return to her childhood home. Tess isn't interested in renewing old friendships but finds she can't resist the attentions of an old flame.
Every day is an effort for Rachel. It is only the presence of her toddler grandson that relieves the grief that has haunted her since her teenage daughter was murdered more than twenty years ago, and now her son and his wife are moving to New York. Bereft, Rachel renews her obsession with the man she suspects murdered her daughter, a man that teaches at the school where she is a secretary, a man she is convinced is really a monster.

With consummate skill, Moriarty winds her way through a minefield of moral ambiguity as her story explores the very personal implications of choosing between right and wrong. I'm desperate to avoid spoilers so I can say little except that the author challenges the simplistic notions of guilt, of punishment, of justice and redemption.

The Husband's Secret is so successful in large part because of Moriarty's wonderfully crafted characters. The everyday rhythms of their lives render these complex women familiar somehow and I quickly became invested in their fate. As a mother myself I understood each women's concerns about protecting their children and I empathised with them as they struggled to decide how best to do so.

The Husband's Secret is a compelling, thought provoking novel, inspired by an article about real life deathbed confessions and their surprising consequences. An intriguing examination of conscience, love, betrayal and forgiveness this novel will stay with you well after the last page has been turned.
...more

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Oct 04, 2013 Sheree rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, contemporary-fiction, reviews, aussie-author, read-in-2013, womens-fiction

The Husband's Secret is an unputdownable look at the human psyche, the complexities of conscience, right and wrong. There's a slow peeling back of layers, puzzle pieces gradually forming a complete picture.

Funny, poignant, shocking, heartbreaking, The Husband's Secret is all this and so much more. Liane Moriarty's characterisation is superb, and likable or not, the characters are relatable in their strength's and flaws.

Three women; Cecelia her ordered life shattered by her husband's devastating ...more

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May 19, 2013 Janine rated it it was amazing

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I can say I will definitely be reading more!!
A wonderful book! I loved the way she wove the different characters in together, and it was not easy to put down. Recommended by anyone who likes books about female friendships and womens contemporary fiction.

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Nov 06, 2013 Kathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommend, favorites, mystery, recommended-by-others

Books that have received rave reviews and come highly recommended are opened with a bit of trepidation, as I so want to like the book and be a part of its cheering crowd, but there exists that possibility that I won't feel the love. Well, I can assure you that I feel the love for The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and am happy to join its fan club. It's an emotionally difficult read due to the heartache and loss the characters suffer, but it offers a gleam of hope through the hurt. No one wa ...more

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Mar 10, 2014 Nancy rated it liked it · review of another edition

As this kind of book goes, I enjoyed this although, as anyone who knows me knows, I am not a big fan of 'commercial women's fiction', 'chicklit' or anything else along those lines. But I did read this in one sitting and I was captured the story. I did want to 'find out what happened' and I think it had been well thought out. I also really enjoyed the fact it was set in Australia which warmed me to it, and I have recommended the author to some of my friends as well. ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Tango rated it liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed the characters and plot but found the ending was a bit too contrived, particularly the epilogue.

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Sep 11, 2013 Alane Kataria-Rennie rated it liked it

This was fluffy, but fun. It was very obvious at times and I'm usually not one to guess the ending or catch on super quickly.

I read it to revisit some Sydney places that I love and miss. It was somewhat good for that. ...more

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Dec 12, 2017 Dzintra aka Ingrid rated it it was amazing

What a read! My friend gave me this book after she had finished it and it took all my might to NOT turn the pages to see what was happening! Many twists and turns in this one!

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