A Book Review-The Husband's Secret

Overview From Barnes and Noble

At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that is not meant to be read...

My darling Cecilia,
If you’re reading this, then I’ve died...

Imagine 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 only the life you have built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine 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, 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. There are other women who barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they, too, are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

I finished this book last night. Just before we lost power due to a very powerful thunderstorm. (I remembered to unplug the computer as I haven't yet gone out and purchased that surge protector). I am a bit familiar with this author as I have read her book What Alice Forgot, which I really enjoyed.

This book involves the lives of three women: Cecilia (a successful Tupperware lady married to John Paul), Tess, (a young mother whose husband falls in love with her cousin) and Rachel (a middle-aged woman who cannot get past the murder of her young daughter, which took place 20 years in the past). The letter, written by Cecilia's husband, ties all of these women together in one way or another. I don't think I could have kept the secret (or stayed with the man) and what Cecilia does with the secret was interesting.

And appalling, as far as I'm concerned.  In the end this book's lesson is once Pandora's box is opened, chaos ensues. Or the lesson could be that everyone has secrets and what you do, or don't do, with them can send your life into different directions. I didn't think the characters were likable at all. I found all the women to be rather pathetic for one reason or another. I have read many reviews on this book and people thought the secret was predictable. I didn't find that to be so. The secret is told early in the book. Dealing with the secret is what the book is all about. And in the end Karma sucks!! Big time for one little girl!

This book gets a solid *** stars from me. A good book; just not a great book.