As Husbands Go

A Novel

By: Susan Isaacs

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Susan B. Anthony Rabinowitz Gersten assumed her marriage was great—and why not? Jonah Gersten, M.D., a Park Avenue plastic surgeon, clearly adored her. He was handsome, successful, and a doting dad to their four-year-old triplets. So when Jonah is found dead in the Upper East Side apartment of a second-rate "escort", Susie is overwhelmed with questions.

It's bad enough to know your husband's been murdered, but even worse when you're universally pitied (and quietly mocked) because of the sleaze factor. None of it makes sense to Susie—not a sexual liaison with someone like Dorinda, nor the "better not to discuss it" response from Jonah's partners. With help from her tough-talking, high-style Grandma Ethel, Susie takes on her snooty in-laws, her husband's partners, the NYPD, and the DA as she tries to prove that her wonderful life with Jonah was no lie.

A rare mix of wit, social satire, suspense, and a moving story about a love that just won't give up, As Husbands Go brilliantly turns the conventions of the mystery on end as Susie Gersten—suburban mom, floral designer, and fashion plate—searches not so much for answers to her husband's death as for answers to her own life.

©2010 Michelle Hoover (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“[A] smart-alecky whodunit/surprisingly sweet love story…Isaacs brings it all together in this fast and furious ride through wanton greed, fragile relationships, and love worth fighting for.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Two queens of chutzpah and couture conduct a brazen investigation. Isaacs’ latest Jewish-gal-in-distress adventure purrs along perfectly––sharply funny, all-knowing, and marvelously diverting.” ( Booklist)

“Isaacs’ fans will enjoy another sharp-tongued romp through the New York privileged classes and their foibles." ( Kirkus Reviews)

The negative reviews made me get it…

I’m going to specifically search for reviews like “Omg this is sooo superficial” and “privilege much!?” and “excessive descriptions- blah blah blah” and I’m gonna listen to those books. Why? Because this book made me laugh. It was entertaining. It laughed at itself, which made me chuckle throughout. I miss laughter, jokes, poking fun at privilege, poking fun at life. I’m tired of getting a lessons in offense, politics and social justice in every fictional book I purchase. This book let me breathe. The narration was good, the story is creatively and wittily written, there’s suspense/ mystery- for me it’s a win.

I do agree that grandma Ethel could have been a bigger role. She, though a self-centered abandoning mother, is fabulous.

Great Listen

I couldn't shut my IPod off. Well worth the time and expense. A great listen.

Not up to Susan Isaacs usual standard

What was most disappointing about Susan Isaacs’s story?

I have read many of her other books and almost always enjoy them. The characters in this book were universally unlikable and unsympathic. Even the sleuthing aspects of the story were disappointing. The narrator was not very good, but it may be the fault of the poor storyline. These were characters to whom I could not relate and I live in the city where this story takes place. Very disappointing book, not up to her usual standards.

Not sure I can finish this....

Okay, I'm only through chapter two so I'll give it a bit longer. I get that she's a pampered, rich doctor's wife but I'm already bored with her excessive descriptives: marble floor, onyx this, silk that, cashmere robe, monogrammed linen, blah, blah, blah. Long Island overload!

disappointing

The narrator is very good, although I can't tell if the book is very dull or the narrator has such a calm voice I kept falling asleep. If the superficial mentioning of labels and names were deleted the story would be half as long.
There are a few laughs, although not near as many as I thought. For some reason I thought Grandma Ethel would play a bigger part and that a larger part of the book would be focused on finding the killer, rather than on how the wife looks and feels and reacts. Slow slow slow. I only made it through 4.5 hours.

What a Disappointment for a Susan Isaacs Fan

What disappointed you about As Husbands Go?

The plot was thin, the first quarter of the book consisted of Susie, the wife whose husband was murdered, drone on about her furniture, her clothes, her home furnishings- letting the reader know how expensive and elite her life was and how beautiful she and her friends were.The rest of the novel was a snore; Susie and the other characters seemed to be sleepwalking through the narrative. The first book I read of Isaac's was Shining Through and I loved it- the next one was "After All These Years" which was not as good as 'Shining" but this one was the least interesting one yet.

Would you ever listen to anything by Susan Isaacs again?

I'm not going to buy anything of hers again- I'll probably try another one from the library but no more money spent on this uneven writer.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narration may have had some impact- the narrator also sounded drugged in her delivery. There was an exchange between Susie and her cousin Scott and they both sounded completely snowed. Maybe this was to emphasize depression but to me it emphasized how uninteresting and boring this narrative was.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from As Husbands Go?

Not sure about that but the only time it was remotely interesting was when grandmother Ethel and her partner Sparky entered the narrative but even they seemed to be cardboard cut-outs.

Any additional comments?

Jus disappointment that an author who wrote something as engaging and creative as Shining Through could put out 'As Husbands Go" a novel that seemed to have been whipped out to fund a quick expensive vacation.