the new husband

3 stars

This mystery/thriller messed with my feelings. One minute I liked it, the next minute I hated it, the next minute I scoffed at it. It’s a typical mystery book, with a few twists that make it a bit more interesting than the norm.

Nina’s husband goes missing on a fishing trip. She and her two teenage children learn to cope with their loss with the help of widower Simon. Simon seems to be the answer to all of their problems: warm, caring, understanding and willing to take care of Nina and her children. But is Simon too good to be true? And did Nina’s husband drown to death or did he just abandon his family?

The book starts off slow and steady, dropping little hints that all is not as it seems. Then it takes a veer to the left and the book becomes something much more than it was. I confess that I knew almost immediately certain element of the book, but it was still interesting to see how the author played it out. A reader must always suspend belief when you read a book, but some of the plot lines and actions of the characters were so laughable and so out there that I found myself rolling my eyes and scoffing out loud. But, it still generated a reaction from me, so the author did his job.

This is a quick, entertaining read that will get the readers’ attention. Even though parts of the book are predictable, it’s never boring.