Nina’s husband Glen has gone missing. The authorities found his fishing boat with blood, lots of blood, but no body. It was close enough to shore that he’d maybe been able to make it, but there was no trace of him there either. Divers couldn’t find anything. Nina and her two children were devastated.
As the months go by, Nina leans more about Glen, about mistakes he had made, mistakes that cause his family difficulty in their recovery and leave them vulnerable. Nina thought she’d have to move in with her parents in Nebraska. And then she met Simon Fitch.
Technically, Nina had met Simon previously. He is a teacher at the high school, and her son had been in his history class. Simon is a kind and thoughtful man. He returns their dog Daisy, who had escaped the family home. He takes Nina out on dates, helping her to feel like she has a future again. He cooks her favorite foods, bonds with her son Connor over football and robotics, he makes Nina feel like a princess. And when he suggests they move in together, Nina knows that it’s her chance for a better future. It’s her chance to stay in their hometown, so her kids can stay in their schools and not have to give up any friends or favorite activities. Simon seems to be the perfect man at the perfect time.
Except that Maggie can’t stand him. Nina’s daughter can’t seem to accept the fact that her father has left them, or worse. She can’t accept Simon as a father figure. And she is miserable in the house with him. As Nina tries to move forward in her life, spending time with her best friends and getting a new job, she feels he chill of discouragement in her home. But is all of it coming from Maggie, or is some of it coming from somewhere else, somewhere Nina can’t quite pinpoint?
Told from Nina’s and Maggie’s perspectives, The New Husband is the latest novel from D.J. Palmer, who wrote last year’s Saving Meghan. This is another complicated family thriller, with twists that you won’t see coming and that you will need some time to recover from. It’s a twisty, twisted story of family members being ripped apart and trying to put themselves back together in the only way they know how. Their survival lies in being stronger together, but will they let life’s struggles push them apart instead?
I really enjoyed this book. There is darkness, but it’s handled with intelligence and grace, which not all thrillers can accomplish. This is a step up from your average family story, a tale of discernment and discovery that will eave you on the edge or your seat.
Galleys for The New Husband were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.