The Husband's Secret: The hit novel that launched the author of BIG LITTLE LIES Paperback – 29 Aug. 2013

Finally. Finally, finally, finally. A book that lives up to its praise. This was genuinely one of those books I could not put down and, when I had to, I could not wait to get back to. From start to finish, it gripped me and had me intrigued.This is one of those books that definitely leaves you thinking, "What would I do?". What would I do if I were Cecilia, Rachel, or Tess? How would I react? What would I want? What ultimate decision would I make?Each of the stories intertwines beautifully to bring together a complete story of three women interconnected by one terrible secret. The husband's secret. I remember when the secret was finally revealed and I felt this strange numbness. Almost like I knew that was going to be the secret, when in all reality I did not.While the book did raise questions for me - "How could Cecilia react the way she did to that secret when she was so willing to jump to the sexual abuse conclusion earlier?" "Why did Rachel choose what she chose in the end?" "Why didn't Cecilia immediately worry about her and her daughters' own safety?" it also reminded me what a difference a day, a week, a SECOND can make in someone's life. One minute you're blissfully unaware. The next minute your life is changed forevermore.I think there may have also been a bit of the personal element in it for me. Having had a close friend who was murdered 20 years after the character in the story but in the same way and in the same suburb touched such a raw nerve for me that I was very intrigued with Rachel's story.This is one of those books that really does make you wish there were more pages at the end. Having said that, I think it wound up beautifully and, unlike the current trend which seems to be "Get in as many pages as possible even if the story loses credibility or essence", this one was the perfect length. It did justice to each story and left me with lingering thoughts rather than frustrating questions borne from lack of conclusion.I will be picking up more of Liane Moriarty's work in the future. If this is her writing style and MO, I could get used to it.

This is a great, rattling read. It is not, as Sophie Hannah annoyingly reviews it, 'Literally Unputdownable'. If it were... well, you get the point. But it is certainly metaphorically unputdownable - I read it in a day. I love the way that Moriarty puts her characters on a turning pedestal and allows the reader different perspectives on their quirks and foibles. For example, Cecilia is great in the first chapter: funny, charming, with a hilarious internal monologue that expresses her obsessions and worries in a really empathetic way. Later, through Tess's eyes, her character appears less likeable, her flaws - fussiness, perfectionism, an utter inability to keep quiet - in sharper relief. Moriarty deepens - as well as broadens - many of her characters in this way: Rachel as herself, Rachel from Cecilia's point of view; Tess from Rachel's. She's very good on female friendships, and I particularly loved the relationship between Tess and her mother, Lucy.The result is a book so enjoyable that you don't really notice its flaws until you stop reading. I found myself, about 10 minutes after finishing it, thinking 'Well, really? Really? Was that believable?Would she/he have reacted like that? Is that reaction even possible?' For me, that's not a deal-breaker, but it may be for some readers, so watch out!And although I really distrust novels that attempt to tie all the plotlines up in neat bows, I have to say I really enjoyed the Epilogue. The moral of the story seems to be 'Do what your other tells you', and I'll second that.

I absolutely adored this book. I bought it after I saw it on several best sellers lists, and I can see why it was there! I honestly thought it was going to be one of those easy to read, chick lit, feel good books. And it was (maybe not the feel good bits) - for the most part.The stories of three very different women are brought together through a secret hidden in a letter.My favourite of the three women was Tess, which was weird, as I kind of think the story could have unfolded without her. She had a fantastic narrative, witty and charismatic, and the author dealt with the questions and issues about the demise of her marriage very well, but she didn't really have a role in the plot. It was almost primarily her role to make the character of Connor more real, and to make the reader care for him more, rather than have a direct impact on the storyline. I mean, yes, she is the reason the climax of the story occurs after she cancels her date with him (I hope that doesn't give too much away!) but the situation the characters ultimately find themselves in could have happened in a million different ways.The story of Rachel is obviously heartbreaking. I loved the relationship she had with her grandson - it honestly highlighted how close grandparents can be to their grandchildren. I think this relationship is often disregarded as the parents are the ones that make the important decisions, and grandparents are expected to just live with it, when in fact, as in the case of Rachel, grandparents can probably love their grandchildren as if they were their own child. I think it's important these situations are acknowledged and I think the author does this amazingly well.Cecilia is the kind of mother that I would love to become - the one who knows everyone, holds the best birthday parties, has an active part in the school life. However, I can imagine it's exhausting, and no wonder Cecilia almost cracks under the pressure of her life and the secret she has to carry. I do find it interesting that the story unfolds around the time that Cecilia finds out the secret, rather than as a direct result of it. It all just seemed a little too coincidental at times, when it could have been quite straight forward to make Cecilia's discovery the reason the secret comes to light.However, that said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It could possibly be the best book I've read this year. I had to re-read the epilogue to ensure that I had fully got it, and also so I could relive part of it again.