Nina is devastated when her husband vanishes from his fishing boat although bloodstains suggest a major accident. After two years of struggling to keep her family home and provide for her two children Nina moves into a new home with Simon, a teacher at her daughter's middle school. Nina is in no rush to remarry but feels it's either this or moving out of state to live with her parents. Although Simon is more than willing to cover all expenses, Nina wants independence and to Simon's dismay eventually finds a job as a social worker.

Although Nina's son Connor appreciates Simon's help, her daughter Maggie sees how Simon lies and manipulates the family. When she begins receiving secret messages from her father she realizes it's up to her to set things straight. With one trusted friend she's determined to reunite her family.

I enjoyed the suspense but had trouble understanding why Nina didn't just return to work rather than move in with Simon, a man she obviously didn't know well enough, especially when her daughter expressed fear.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This suspenseful novel by D.J. Palmer was the first of his books I have ever read. I was not disappointed! The characters were engaging and interesting, and yet mysterious enough to keep me guessing as to how the book was going to turn out. I became really invested in Nina’s life, and really wanted her to find love and a stable life again. This book kept me guessing, and I found myself reading it well into the night. I look forward to reading more by this author!

4.5 Stars

“I guess when you shine light into the dark, you see it for what it really is, and it loses all power over you.”

Nina Garriety has it all. A loving husband, two beautiful children and a loyal dog. But in an instant, Nina’s world comes crashing down around her. Her husband, presumed dead, has hidden a double life, and she now finds herself in dire need of a way to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Enter Simon Fitch…a local history teacher that is perfectly perfect in every way. Perhaps too easily he enters into the Garriety household, and as each day passes, more and more light is shown on Simon’s true nature as well as the secrets behind Nina’s missing husband…

Show of hands, how many remember the old 1987 slasher/horror movie The Stepfather staring Terry O’Quinn? If not, go use Google and get caught up. Fun fact, it’s based loosely on a true story. Are you ready? Now, grab your popcorn, because DJ Palmer has woven a dark tale of second chances that makes for a very twisted yet fun read! Highly recommend!


**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **


Quote I loved:
“If you closed yourself off to people different from yourself, you might be missing out on something great.”

This is a thrilled and mind boggling psychological thriller by D.J Palmer. Following the collapse of her husband Nina seeks out answers. There is a cast of characters as she tries to find these answers, and Nina finds herself involved in manipulation, gas lighting, and plenty of secrets and lies. This book would make an excellent book club book!

The New Husband
A Novel
by D.J. Palmer
St. Martin's Press
General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for my digital ARC. I will recommend this book for others. I found this book a great read and highly entertaining. Will purchase for my library.

Maybe my expectations for thrillers are too high.

I thought that going a long time without reading thrillers would correct the problem. I thought I was just absorbing too many back to back, so I went back to fantasy, and let my love for thrillers go to the wayside. And then I saw the plot for this, and get super excited.

A missing husband. A life restarted. Secrets coming to the surface, lies people tell themselves, and a new boyfriend who may or may not be dangerous to a woman and her children.

MAN, doesn't that sound great?

The first problem is the start of the book. It is so slow. It is ABSOLUTELY PAINFULLY slow. At about 39% in, I came to Goodreads to check the summary again, because I was more than a little worried I'd done it again, picking up what I thought was a thriller but which was, in fact, a domestic drama. Nope, the reviews say the twist and reveal are INCREDIBLE, keep pushing through.

And things really started working for me. The suspense, the curiosity, the need to know the truth behind the suspicions. They were there, and they were building.

And then not even 50% in, we find out the truth. And it absolutely ruins the rest of the book. If we had continued this game of "Is it real or are we crazy", this could've been an amazing story, and the reveal would've blown my brain out the back of my head.

As it was, I ended up rolling my eyes and watching the percentage bar begging it to get closer to 100%.

Dammit to hell.

The New Husband is a fast-paced, intense psychological thriller with plenty of twists that will keep readers guessing throughout. Nina Garrity lost her husband 17 months ago when he presumably drowned while out fishing on his boat, although his body was never found. Now Nina is moving on with a new boyfriend, Simon, who he met because he's a teacher at her daughter Maggie's school. Simon is seemingly perfect to everyone except Maggie who thinks there's something off with Simon. Is he the perfect new husband or is he the family's worst nightmare? Readers who enjoy thrillers with strong characters and excellent twists will want to check out The New Husband asap. Highly recommended!

D.J. Palmer has written a book to entertain, but it also scared me, kept me reading much later than I should have been awake, and had me cheering for a thirteen-year old and hissing whenever Simon appeared on the scene. The synopsis, briefly, is that Nina Garrity’s husband Glen disappeared seven months ago. Now, she has re-located herself and her two children into a smaller home and is living with Simon Fitch, a teacher at the middle school who seems to be the answer to her needs. Connor, her son, is as enamored with Simon as Nina because Simon plays ball with him and is teaching him to use power tools and build a robot. Maggie, the aforementioned thirteen year old, is not fooled by Simon and is determined to show her family the dark side that only she seems to be able to see. This book started slowly, but like a train, it quickly picked up speed and was hard to put down and a thrilling read. Nina does not see Simon’s dark side until she returns to work and then she is really in for a surprise as she works to protect her family from the evil that is all around them. I think my favorite character was Maggie’s new friend Ben. When all of her regular friends desert her, Ben sees her dilemma and sits with her at lunch. Ben is also the only character in the book willing to give Maggie the benefit of the doubt and listen to her qualms about Simon. I liked his calming presence and his attitude of attacking a problem with logic and thoughtfulness. All in all, this book was amazing! There were some really surprising twists that I had me dropping my jaw in absolute awe at how well the author tricked me. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers that will chill you through and through.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and also a hard copy from St. Martin’s Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This was a bit slow at first but definitely picked up quickly with twists and turns everywhere. Some of these stories can be overly predictable but this one actually had surprises the reader doesn’t see coming. A grieving widow tries to start a new life with one of the teachers from her kids’ school. She starts finding out disturbing things about her missing husband, who is suspected to be dead. Her older son likes the man she’s seeing but her middle school daughter does not. There’s just something unsettling about him. So she makes it her business to uncover things, , sometimes with dangerous consequences. A psychological thriller to the core for everyone involved.

I love books like this that are fast-paced, suspenseful and sometimes creepy with good strong characters and a great plot. Nina's husband Glen goes out fishing with the family dog Daisy and the boat is found with only Daisy in it. Nearly two years later, Nina decides to move on with her life and Simon Fitch, junior high social studies teacher and robotics coach, enters the picture. Nina has two children, Connor and Maggie. Connor likes Simon but Maggie does not which causes a lot of conflict after Nina and Simon buy a home together and move in. This book was hard to put down and was good from the first page to the very end. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a very suspenseful, twisty story.

Simon Fitch seems almost too good to be true and that may actually be true. For now, he and Nina Garrity and her two children are trying to become a family. It's not going well and their lives rapidly spin out of control. Shocking events reveal a horrific secret. The New Husband has all the components a psychological thriller should have. The perfectly paced plot is gripping and riveting. The characters are three dimensional and as a result, readers get to know them quite well. Well written, this totally engrossing story is a true page turner. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's press. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

“The New Husband” written by D.J. Palmer is an intensely addictive over the top psychological thriller. This is the second book I have read by this author and I enjoyed this book just as much. I was instantly hooked, I could not put it down. I devoured it in one sitting. It kept me turning pages late into the night, eager for more. It was a little slow moving in the beginning but the further I got into the story, the more hooked I became. There were so many twists and turns, I just had to know what was going to happen next the how and when the truth would come out. As I kept reading the suspense mounts and the intensity increases keeping me on the edge of my seat. The ending was surprising and not what I expected. Great Read!!! I will definitely continue to read books by D.J. Palmer. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and D.J. Palmer for an ARC of “The New Husband”.

On the surface, Nina and Simon appear to be going through normal issues many blended families experience, but we soon realize something more sinister may be in play. D.J. Palmer kept me on the edge of my seat and up too way too late because I was HOOKED. I would love to see this adapted for the big screen! All I can say is WOW. I loved it!

WOW.
“The New Husband” is incredibly difficult to put down. It is comprehensively compelling, perfectly paced, and relentlessly suspenseful. The characters are realistic with relatable narratives and gradual cognitive development. The action is well dispersed and leaves the reader with an addicting dose of self-reflection, adrenaline, and fear.

Thrillers and mysteries are typically troubled by unbelievably ignorant and incompetent characters to allow the story to play out while ultimately infuriating the reader. DJ Palmer was massively successful at avoiding this problem by developing a thorough network of sensible details in a plot that navigated like a game of chess. He is specifically spot on at surrounding the reader with tactics and methods commonly employed by long-cons and master manipulators.

Excellent story aside, the novel is well written. The diction is proper with intelligent and readable verbiage. This will be one of the few novels I will find myself reading again.

Nina and her children Connor and Maggie have just moved into their new home with Nina's new boyfriend. Her husband Glen went fishing 17 months ago and never returned. His body was never found and he was presumed dead. Nina moved on with her life and met a new man. His name is Simon Fitch and he is absolutely perfect! He adores Nina and her children, although Maggie is weary of him and doesn't like him at all. He treats Nina well, dotes on her, cooks her favourite meal, and loves her dearly.

I loved the alternating chapters from various POV's. It gives perspective on various characters' views and their world, opinions and feelings. Simon was described quite differently from Maggie's and Nina's POV - Nina thought he was the perfect boyfriend, kind, caring, loving and sweet. Maggie thought he was mean, cruel, and believed he had a dark side. It was interesting to read from these opposing POV's.

A novel that will have you guessing and second-guessing the whole way through. I loved this chilling, creepy, domestic thriller novel and if you haven't added this to your TBR list be sure to do that now! You'll love this book!

A very masterfully written thriller that kept me on my edge of my seat. It really was a real page turner for me.
The husband and father of 2 went fishing one day but his boat came back with only his dog. As police investigate his disappearance they conclude he was either dead or ran away. Nina his wife discovers he had an affair was distraught and feels betrayed. Along comes a wonderful stranger Simon who wants to comfort her and care for her financially. Timing couldn't be more perfect. Maggie the daughter doesn't trust him. But Conner the son thinks he is awesome. Who is right?

Eh... this book couldn’t keep my interest, very predictable.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had a fun time reading The New Husband. It seems as though lately all the books I've been reading have been about abuse of women. It's been too depressing. But The New Husband was a pure, take-a-leap-of-fictional-faith thriller. It started a little slowly, but at about the 50% mark, WOW! Did not see that coming!! And it's a thrill ride from there on.

The story is about Nina Garrity and her two children Maggie and Connor. One day her husband's fishing boat is found deserted and with lots of blood onboard. He has either intentionally disappeared or is dead. In searching for reasons for his disappearance, Nina learns some disturbing things about her husband that she had no idea of, so after a year or so, she decides she needs to move on. Enter Simon, a widower and high school teacher. He sweeps her off her feet and quickly bonds with her son Connor. Her daughter, Maggie, is not at all enamored with Simon, and once they all move in together, the atmosphere is toxic. That's all you need to know before you start reading. No spoilers here.

D. J. Palmer is a talented writer, and he wove a tight psychological thriller with his latest offering. All the characters are well developed, but for me, the stars of the show were 13 year old Maggie and her best friend, Ben. They were such smart, believable characters. But I also liked Maggie a lot. Finally a heroine who makes smart decisions and does her best to make peace between Maggie and Simon while not losing herself in hew new man.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The New Husband will be published on April 14, 2020. You should definitely give it a read.

The New Husband had just the right amount of suspense, with plenty of plot twists to keep this book interesting till the very end!! Nina was in the right place of vulnerability for Simon to swoop in and turn her life upside down. I wanted to scream at Nina to wake up and listen to her friends and children.

Nina thought her husband Glen had betrayed her and then gone missing. She opened up her heart and home to Simon, who seemed like a very good man on paper. Boy was she wrong. I would say this is a perfect thriller!! I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advanced copy for my honest review.

Nikki

You know THAT book that has you crawling out of your skin because…? THE NEW HUSBAND by D.J. Palmer is one of those books for me. Disturbing, kind of creepy, a little terrifying and populated with characters that I either loved to hate or loved to love, and let’s not mention the ones I just could not figure out their actions.

Nina and her children were left alone when her husband suddenly disappeared, leaving only bloody stains on their boat and a boatload of dirty little secrets to remember him by. Was he dead? Did he escape the life he was living? Was the man Nina thought she knew really a snake in the grass?

Simon, a grieving widower comes into Nina’s life just when she apparently thought she needed him most, fast forward to them planning to wed and buying a home together. One of Nina’s children is on board, the other, not so much. As this tale unfolds, so many secrets will come to light, so many lies will be unearthed, so many lives will be scarred.

I spent half my time wondering on what planet Nina saw herself as a good mother, she spent so much time wrapped up in “love” with Simon. Her husband hasn’t even been missing for a year and half, yet, she is playing house with another and her daughter is suffering. Her son seems to been okay, but he is more of a shadow character, someone to balance out the picture. I had many issues with Nina, and I have to say, the character that made the book for me was her daughter, Maggie, the only one not wearing blinders. (Wow, way to make a teen feel like a non-person, Mom)

I have to appreciate the author’s ability to give me hives, to have me angry, frustrated, and just plain shaking my head. Of course events were over-the-top, created to drag readers in, like watching a disaster coming head on, and being unable to look away! For that, D.J. Palmer gets my undying admiration as a writer and builder of worlds. That said, most of his characters need therapy or lessons in unselfish behavior or perhaps adulating 101.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from St. Martin's Press! This is my honest and voluntary review.