“Got a secret, Can you keep it? Swear this one you’ll save. Better lock it, in your pocket, Taking this one to the grave.”
Keep in mind, all I know about Pretty Liars is this theme song. I once tried to watch it with my sister and she became so annoyed with my questions, told me not to watch it and I’m pretty sure changed the channel.
I only bring it up because the theme song was constantly playing in my head as I read book #31 of 2018. So I digress.
Book Read: The Husband’s Secret
Author: Liane Moriarty
Number of Books Read: 31
You’re happily married, with two daughters, have a successful Tupperware business, and besides a few things here and there, you’re living the dream. Then you find a letter, addressed to you to be opened after your husband’s death. But he’s alive, and really doesn’t want you to open it. (“Got a secret…”)
This is Cecilia Fitzpatrick’s current nightmare. The secret in this letter could impact not only her and her husband John-Paul’s lives, but the lives of those in their town. Cecilia has to make a choice after reading the letter - stand by her man and continue the secret, or fess up to the one woman who needs to know.
As the book progresses, Cecilia’s life beings to intertwine with Tess O’Leary’s, your average mother who is dealing with her own shit, and Rachel Crowley, a mother set on finding the truth. Tess moves to the area after her best friend/cousin and her husband announce they are in love (but don’t worry, they’ve never slept together). She flees to her mother’s house, finding herself taking care of Cecilia when the secret makes her physically sick, and hitting it off with an ex-boyfriend. All while she wonders where she went wrong.
Rachel is stuck in the past, trying to blame someone for her daughter’s death, even fixating on someone who has “lies in his eyes.” While she dotes on her grandson, she knows little about her own son and how their tragedy impacted him.
All comes to light when Tess’s cousin and husband each show remorse, Rachel is out for revenge and ends up hurting the innocent, and Cecilia, while suffering a tragedy of her own, is overwhelmed with guilt. Can the secret be held in? Or will everything come crashing forward with unknown consequences?
My suggestion: go to the library (or a book store), pick up this book, and find out.
Moriarty does it again with another addicting book with a few twists and turns. While at some point you can easily guess the secret and who did it, you’ll be wondering if it all ever comes to life. This book kept me reading, and was the first book in awhile I haven’t wanted to put down.
My taste in books is constantly changing - I love a Nora Roberts novel as much as the next person - but Moriarty writes in a way that makes me want to read all her novels, just so I can find out if any aren’t as good as I hoped. Honestly, Big Little Lies was such a hit, that maybe HBO should pick up this one as well. I could see Nicole Kidman in the starring role.
While you might not be cursed with the Pretty Little Liars theme song running through your head while reading (or writing this blog because it’s really stuck now), you’ll be glad you picked up this one. Or should I have kept it a secret all to myself?
Next Read: The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek
