The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

A complimentary advanced readers copy was provided to me.

I have always loved how a book can transport you to another place, another time...can completely immerse you in the storyline to the point that you are there alongside the characters and living and breathing their joys, their sadness, their fears. During a time like we are living in, the ability to escape is a wonderful opportunity that awaits in books. I recently completed reading The New Husband by D.J. Palmer (aka Daniel Palmer, son of Michael Palmer) and it did not disappoint, it had me fully engrossed and wanting to keep reading (to borrow a word I saw describing another book - unputdownable).

The New Husband is a riveting thriller about the lies we tell ourselves from D. J. Palmer, the author of Saving Meghan.

Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you know them.

Nina Garrity learned that the hard way after discovering that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But Glen's gone―presumably drowned while fishing on his boat―so she can't confront him about the affair or any of his other misdeeds. A year and a half after the accident, Nina considers herself a widow, even though the police never found a body. Following a chance encounter with Simon Fitch, a teacher from her daughter Maggie's middle school, Nina finds love again and has hopes of putting her shattered life back together.

Simon, a widower still grieving the suicide of his first wife, has found his dream girl in Nina. His charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina's teenage son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, but Maggie sees a far darker side to this new man in their lives. Even Nina’s good friends wonder if Simon is supremely devoted―or dangerously possessive.

But Nina is committed, not only to her soon-to-be new husband but also to resuming her former career as a social worker. Before she can move forward, however, Nina must first clear her conscience that she's not making another terrible choice in a man. In doing so, she will uncover the shocking truth: the greatest danger to her, and her children, are the lies people tell themselves.

Wow! That really is my first response to this story. The first couple of chapters were a little slow, as he was setting the scene and I wasn't sure where we were going, but once it got going, I didn't want to stop. I needed to know what really was going on - how did Simon seem to know so much, why did he seem to be so controlling yet not really, how was he always there at just the right points, what was Maggie seeing and why wasn't her mom and brother seeing the same things, who was telling the truth. And the twists, the turns, the unexpected...wow! (there's that word again)

I liked the story-telling method he used of having multiple characters share the story from their lens, allowing the reader to get different point of views around the same events and allowing you to draw your own conclusions. The story was so realistic and plausible, the thrill is so real and told in a way that really pulls you in to the story and the lives of the characters.

I definitely recommend this fast-paced, chilling read from DJ Palmer. Definitely a book that will have you so engrossed, you may be able to forget (temporarily) what's going on around you. The New Husband is scheduled for release in hardback on 4/14 but looks like you can get the Kindle version now.

You can learn more about DJ Palmer and his books on his website. And, since we all have a little more time now, if you love a thriller, be sure to check out other books by DJ Palmer (and Daniel Palmer) and Michael Palmer. I have not been disappointed by any of them that I have read.

As I thought back on the story, I actually found myself reflecting on the other books written by Daniel Palmer and those written by Michael Palmer. Michael Palmer wrote a number of medical thrillers and as I read them, I would always wonder how did he come up with these ideas. Concepts that were so well written and told that you knew that they could be true but didn't really want to believe that they could be true. Yet, here we are living the real life version of a medical thriller and as in the books, I feel like we don't know the whole story yet and we just keep reading, hoping that we will learn more and find the answer that will resolve this and allow us to breath a collective sigh of relief and return to (a new) normal.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.