My Husband's Wife

A Novel

By: Jane Corry

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

“[A] must-read thriller...My Husband’s Wife has an ending that will change the way you view marriage forever.” (Bustle)

“If you loved Gone Girl and The Talented Mr. Ripley, you’ll love My Husband’s Wife. It’s got every thriller’s trifecta: love, marriage, and murder.” (Parade)

“The novel’s plot is as provocative as its title.” (The Washington Post)

From the best-selling author of The Dead Ex, a deliciously addictive psychological thriller about the powerful effects of little white lies on three intertwined lives - and when those secrets become deadly.

When young lawyer Lily marries Ed, she’s determined to make a fresh start and leave the secrets of the past behind. But then she takes on her first murder case and meets Joe, a convicted murderer to whom Lily is strangely drawn - and for whom she will soon be willing to risk almost anything. But Lily is not the only one with secrets. Her next-door neighbor Carla may be only nine, but she has already learned that secrets are powerful things. That they can get her whatever she wants. When Lily finds Carla on her doorstep 12 years later, a chain of events is set in motion that can end only one way.

©2017 Jane Corry (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Full of twists and turns, [My Husband's Wife] draws you into its complicated world within the first chapter, and it doesn't let you go until you've turned the final page. Corry's talented storytelling and brilliant writing make even the most seemingly obvious aspects of the novel appear in surprising ways. A must-read book for fans of the kind of psychological thrillers that have been all the rage.” (Bustle)

"[My Husband's Wife] nicely fits into the psychological suspense genre that’s riding a slipstream of popularity, thanks to the success of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.... Addictive...[a] seemingly unending trove of delicious disasters and deceits.” (Washington Post)

“If you loved Gone Girl and The Talented Mr. Ripley, you’ll love My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry. It’s got every thriller’s trifecta: love, marriage and murder.” (Parade)

An unexpectedly thoughtful and complex saga

Don't let the title fool you; this book is about more than a husband and a wife. There is a lot going on in this story and it requires attention to follow the different characters and plot lines. When the reader soon begins to untangle the yarns, however, the story will captivate.
Ultimately, I found that no detail of the story was placed without a reason, and there are a lot of details. The full experience of this story is worth the attention!
This is a great book, and I say "unexpected" because the description barely scratches the surface. This sweeping tale chronicles the lives of Lily, her husband Ed, and Carla, who grows from the precocious child next door to a beautiful, calculating and complicated young woman during the course of the story, which takes place over a period of more than fifteen years. There are other important people, of course, including a man whom Lily defends in court, who speaks in riddles, and to whom Lily is inexplicably drawn; The man in the shiny car who helps to shape Carla's perception of relationships; the brother who will never truly die.
The first several chapters of this book made me unsure if I would like it, but soon I was totally absorbed in the characters' lives. The author doesn't skimp on paradoxes within people and their relationships, the internal struggle of good versus evil, and the fact that people and situations are rarely black and white.
Ultimately, this rewarding book will absorb you, shock you, make you think about things in ways you maybe haven't before. The narration by Rosalyn Landon is nearly perfect for this book.
Lose yourself in the narrative and decide what your own truth is by the time you reach the end- you'll be surprised. This is a worthy book and I really do recommend it.

"Lies...They start small and then they multiple"

My Husband’s Wife alternates between the perspectives of Lily and Carla. Lily is a lawyer starting her first murder case, freshly home from her honeymoon in Italy with Ed. Carla and her beautiful, single mother live nearby. The stories overlap, and weave in and out of one another. Throughout, there are hints of something sinister about both Lily and Carla—you wonder what has happened in Lily’s past, and what may happen in Carla’s future. Expect themes of obsession, guilt, and jealousy.

I was a little surprised, when I double checked, that there is only one narrator. Rosalyn Landor does a superb job, and changes her voice well for each character and situation.

What I enjoyed about this book was that it manages to be a thriller without just centering on the murder case as you might expect. Instead, it is just another piece in the larger puzzle of their lives. Is this book as good as Gone Girl?—no. However, I do think it will turn out to be a popular book in its own right.

weak

I struggled to finish this one. I had high hopes because of the excellent reviews, however I felt it lacked a lot of development between the characters and dragged through the middle. wouldn't waste time on this one.

Twists and turns until the last word

I saw some bad reviews for this book, but I'm very confused by them because this book was so unpredictable and interesting. There were a lot of far fetched scenarios and odd moments but the story propels you to go with it. As cliche as it sounds, if you like Girl on a Train, The Broken Ones and Cut to the Bone just to name a few, this is a great stand alone mystery thriller. I recommend this book.

Not For Me

I prefer stories where there is at least one likable character. Only a couple of very minor characters in this book could be considered ones you'd like to root for. A few reviews compared this book to "Big Little Lies" and called it a psychological thriller. Not true. I couldn't wait for the story to end and didn't care how it ended. I think it's lazy when an author uses one character to 'explain' what happens at the end instead of allowing the reader to discover twists and surprises. Just can't recommend this one.

Can't stop won't stop!

Would you consider the audio edition of My Husband's Wife to be better than the print version?

Yes, the voices really help to build all of the different characters and make a movie in my mind.

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favorite?

Karla, as a little girl.

Any additional comments?

This has been my favorite book of the last year. The layers are so good and keep me interested and wanting more and more!

YESSSSSSS!! Wow!!!

Okay, just forget for a second that this story is implausible and is harder to believe than any book in the Harry Potter series... it's REALLY entertaining and I'm hard to please. I would probably rate this performance and storyline at the top of my list, and I'm an avid listener. I'm an audible junkie, to be honest. The characters are well fleshed out and no one is perfect. She made me like the characters in spite of their horrific life choices. Actually, I didn't like every single character, but she did a great job explaining their motivations. I found them captivating even if they were morally repugnant. Just buy this book right now. SERIOUSLY. BUY IT RIGHT NOW!

Well written

This book was well-written and the narration was very well done. That being said....I really disliked this book. I didn't care about a single character in this story, actually I heartily disliked ALL of the main characters. I need at least one person to root for, not so much here. I will try the authors other book and hope for a more likable cast/story!!

Some of the most dislikable characters ever

I have rarely felt so little empathy for every character in a book. Absolutely all of them were just completely unlikable, whiny and plain annoying.
The ending feels a bit "all this for that" but doesn't really make any sense. I don't know if the point of the book is to tell you that karma will get you in the end but if it is it didn't need to be so long.

Totally unbelievable!

Would you try another book from Jane Corry and/or Rosalyn Landor?

Rosalyn Landon was perfect and I would listen to another book narrated by her but I wouldn't read another book by the author!

What was most disappointing about Jane Corry’s story?

The women were so smart but made to be so dumb! How can a 22 year old that has made it through law school still not understand the concept of wrong and right ! She was 22 with a grudge from when she was 10! Ughh just horrible !

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favorite?

None !

Do you think My Husband's Wife needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Not really! I am an hour out from the ending and am having a hard time finishing it !

Any additional comments?

The story could have been so much better , it almost seemed like she got tired of writing half way through the book and threw in some cliches wrapped up in "suspense " and published it ! Nothing made sense at all even the inner thought of the little girl and the pencil case! She was 10 not 4! Just seemed as though there was no research done for these characters! The secret the protagonist was holding was so futile that the build up around it made you frustrated because it wasn't that bad of a secret to mull over! The little Italian girl was extremely smart but why would a 10 year old think that someone was going to murder them because they saw the word murder on a piece of paper? The mother kicked Larry out so why all the fuss about Lilly telling him to quit it ! They never really answered the question as to why she had the overaion to intimacy with jack ! Just to many unanswered questions! Why go to law school for all that time and try to be just like the women you blame for your mothers inevitable break up with a married man and subsequent lifestyle change? Nothing makes sense!!