The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (2013)

Despite what the title would seem to indicate, the titular husband isn't the only one with a secret in this popular novel, and he isn't even the focus of the narrative. His secret does impact the lives of all three of the female protagonists, however, so I suppose the book is appropriately, if misleadingly, named.

The three women are skillfully and believably portrayed: Cecilia, the over-achieving, obsessive-compulsive wife and mother who accidentally finds a letter addressed to her from her husband, meant to be opened upon his death; Tess, the self-diagnosed sufferer from social anxiety whose husband and cousin/best friend suddenly announce that they have fallen in love with each other; Rachel, the still-grieving mother whose daughter was murdered fifteen years previously. Their actions and reactions and the way their stories come together create the considerable narrative tension. The plot developments are ingenious.

If this book has a glaring fault, I would say that it is that the men in the story never seem real but more like place holders. Their personalities and motivations are never fully examined, making their actions seem illogical. For that reason, I would classify this as Chick-Lit, mainly meant to be read by women.

I was also a bit confused about the message conveyed about the disastrous consequences of keeping secrets. At the end, when secrets have been revealed, one new major secret is kept. Are readers to assume that some secrets should be kept or to anticipate that this new secret, too, could have negative repercussions in the future?

The Husband's Secret is quite interesting and quickly read, but it is not a book to be kept and reread.