The Husband's Secret

The point on which the plot turns in Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret (#376) is a letter written by an ordinary suburban Sydney husband which he intended his wife to read only in the event of his death.  She, of course, does wind up reading it while he is still very much alive.  Once read, she cannot unknow the contents much as she might want to.  A simple plot device, but in Ms. Moriarty's hands the entanglements and connections and relationships between the characters are masterfully woven and slowly, bit by bit, unraveled in this morality tale.

This was a book club selection I had no intention of reading since I was not going to be able to attend the discussion.  But it was so difficult to snag a copy to read, when I saw it on the short list table at my local library, I couldn't resist seeing what the fuss was about.  In the end, I found it hard to put down until I had finished devouring it!  I can guarantee that The Husband's Secret will provide much fodder for our group's discussion.

I don't want to give anything away here, but if you do read this book, you'll be questioning the characters' motivations, and more importantly, asking yourself what you would do if you were confronted by the same situations.  It's a provocative premise.