The Husband's Secret

By: Liane Moriarty

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

"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.

©2013 Liane Moriarty (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Spellbinding.... A knockout!” (Emily Giffin, New York Times best-selling author)

“The Husband’s Secret is so good, you won’t be able to keep it to yourself.” (USA Today)

“Lip-smacking and sharply intelligent.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Great twists and turns!

What made the experience of listening to The Husband's Secret the most enjoyable?

Several things made listening to The Husband's Secret enjoyable. 1. I liked the way the story lines of the three main characters were intertwined but the interaction with one another is that of acquaintances. 2. I liked the way an event impacted each character's life. 3.. Listening to Caroline Lee use her voice to distinguish the different characters. 4. I loved the way all the loose ends were all tied up in the epilogue.

What other book might you compare The Husband's Secret to and why?

I think The Husband's Secret could be compared to The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton because of how one event changes the course of several lives.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are so many scenes that come to mind...................

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction but I did have some anxiety.

Any additional comments?

I found myself making predictions that had to be changed over and over.

Interesting

The storyline takes twists and turns that make you want to keep reading. I developed a connection with some of the characters and found it hard to put down.

What a great read!!

Would you listen to The Husband's Secret again? Why?

Absolutely. It was entertaining, topographically satisfying, and color rich without being neon. Super pleasant to play whether for 5 minutes or 55.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Husband's Secret?

Polly and the car. It siddled in then quietly took my breath before I could brace against it.

What about Caroline Lee’s performance did you like?

Everything! Her voice and talent add tremendously to the experience. She does a lovely job.

If you could take any character from The Husband's Secret out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Connor Witbe. I want to know more of his story and history with the other characters.

Any additional comments?

I'm off to the next book by Ms. Moriarty and Ms. Lee.

Great Summer Read

This book was the book club selection for June. And I have to say that I was glad it was selected after reading A Wanted Woman.
This will be a spoiler free review. That's right! I will not tell you what the letter says. Nope! Not a peep!
So.... This story revolves around several characters and the crazy mayhem going on in their lives. One, Cecilia finds a letter in her home's attic from her husband telling her not to open it until he is dead. At the time he is on a business trip on another continent. The mother of 3 young girls has a perfect live and this letter might end all of that (or might not). Hmm!
Then there is Tess. Tess's husband comes out and tells her he is having a non-sexual affair with her cousin Felicity. I know right! Can you image?
Oh and there is poor Rachel who sits in mourning over the death of her daughter Janie decades later.
All of these stories and characters start out as separate situations but quickly become one. And by the way you don't have to wait long to find out what the letter is all about but the process getting to it makes you flip pages quickly. And unlike so many ladies in the book club, I had no idea what the letter would say. I was completely shocked by the information revealed. I still think about how I would react if I was in Cecilia situation. I mean... WOW! What a shocker?
Overall, I thought it was a great audiobook. The only down point would be there were a few too many characters to keep up with and their stories seemed to be just background noise. I think the Felicity and Will storyline could have been eliminated completely and it would not have affected the storyline at all.
The book is a great summer read. The main characters are really well written and full of GUILT! That could be an alternative title to this book. LOL! Everyone is shackled with guilt from past actions, from unkind thoughts, from everything under the sun. Yes! They are Catholics.
The narrator Caroline Lee did a good job of reading this audiobook. Her accent seemed to be in keeping with the Australian setting.
If you need a good summer read, I would recommend this book without a doubt. You might need a pen and paper to write out notes of "who is who" to help you in the beginning. But it's worth it!

Loved it.

I listen to this in my car and found myself parked in my driveway not wanting to stop the story.

Annoying voice but good characters

This is a pretty good book. The woman who read it inhabited the characters well, but I didn't find it a pleasure to listen to with her oftentimes staccato & stern British accent. The story was sometimes blah but I'm glad I stuck it out because the ending had an interesting twist that made a good life lesson.

Good book!

Any additional comments?

Read this before you read Big Little Lies. I have a feeling I would have rated it higher if I had... I like her writing style. Kind of Mauve Binchy'ish where you get insights into all the neighbors lives.

Thoroughly Enjoyable!

I loved this book from start to finish. Liane Moriarty creates a cast of characters that it's impossible not to care about. Great listen!

Wonderful book, stunning performance

What made the experience of listening to The Husband's Secret the most enjoyable?

The story unfolds slowly, and like an onion, peeling away layer and layer until each character is left raw and real. You think it's a story of unrelated characters, but as the book progresses you begin to see how incredibly intertwined their lives really are. You cannot stop listening!

What other book might you compare The Husband's Secret to and why?

I can only think to compare it to the other book by the same author that I've listened to, which is Big Little Lies. It has the same depth of character development and secrets that build upon themselves until a stunning finale.

What does Caroline Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator brings the same energy and emotion to the story as a parent might reading a book to a child. The different voices, accents, and dialects that she gives to each character really helps the book come alive.

If you could take any character from The Husband's Secret out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would probably take Connor Whitby out to dinner. He seems pretty sexy, in my opinion.

Any additional comments?

This book is wonderful!

Unrelateable characters for me

Any additional comments?

Not my favorite Moriarty book, but a solid story line. Unfortunately I felt unable to relate to the characters. Narration was good.