"The New Husband"

“The New Husband”
Written by D.J. Palmer
Reviewed by Diana Iozzia


“The New Husband” was an exciting and entertaining thriller, that follows a mother named Nina, who’s daughter is very suspicious of her new stepfather, Simon. Nina is a very strong-willed and likable character, whose first husband either perished or disappearing during a fishing boat accident a few years ago. After falling in love with her daughter’s teacher, Simon, Nina feels happy and at peace. When her daughter, Maggie, begins to suspect that her new stepfather is lying and has a hostile temper, Nina feels empowered to protect Simon and her family, by squelching the lies. So why does Simon seem so perfectly innocent when he’s around everyone? Is he just the perfect fiancé, who cooks wonderful dinners, loves his new stepchildren, and always remains a calming presence? Or is Maggie right, that Simon is truly dangerous?

I have always loved thrillers like this; the new partner joins the family and perhaps they are not all that innocent. D.J. Palmer is not a new writer to me. I read his book “Saving Meghan” over the summer, which again, was a novel where you are not meant to trust the narrators or any characters for that matter. Palmer creates appealing and interesting characters, with relatable traits and qualities that either allows the author to build trust or completely demolish it. We readers project our trust and distrust onto the characters, siding with those who uphold the same morals.

I truly enjoyed this novel as a whole, but there were some aspects that did not cement this book as a perfect new favorite. To begin, I personally did not enjoy the perspective told through Maggie. Having an omniscient narrator tell the rest of the story was great, but Maggie’s perspective certainly flawed the story. A thirteen-year-old narrator would not use the vocabulary, idioms, and overall language that this one did. For example, Maggie uses the word “miffed”. She explains events in ways that adults would, using expressions that thirteen-year-olds do not use, unless they are English and History prodigies.

Additionally, there are quite a few cheap cliffhangers that finish off certain chapters, attempting to create shock value. These cliffhangers are immediately popped like balloons the very next page, leaving the cliffhangers to be unnecessary and a tad over-dramatic. For example, Simon enters the living room, with a gun!!! Wait. Next page, it’s revealed that since he’s a history teacher, it’s a Civil War musket he plans to take on a field trip. There are a few more mystery thriller tropes that could have been eliminated. How many times do we need characters to have an allergy, that naturally is played upon by the villain?

I truly love the red herrings in this story. This is one of those mysteries until the absolutely last page that prevents you from being completely sure of the truth. Switching from so many different clues and details, with suspicious elements and scares, Palmer truly accomplished creating his plot efficiently.

Lastly, I found the final act of this story to be very well-executed. The reveal of the villain occurs halfway through the book, leaving the main characters to decide whom to believe, while also trying to escape to safety. Although I certainly enjoyed “Saving Meghan” more, this was an excellent addition to the mystery thriller and psychological thriller sub-genres. I believe if you enjoyed books like “The Girl Before”, “A Nearly Normal Family”, and “The Whisper Man”, you’ll enjoy this. I truly loved the family element, how much one would go to save their family, similar to the other books suggested here.

This was a four-star read for me, which is still pretty great. Although the book will not cement itself as a favorite, I will still highly recommend it to those who enjoy reading thrillers.

I received an advance edition of this book in exchange for reading and reviewing purposes. Thank you to the wonderful St. Martin’s Press for organizing this opportunity.