What My Husband Did by Kerry Wilkinson is another compelling, unputdownable mystery from an author who has long held a place on my must read list. Be prepared to cancel your plans, because once you crack this one open you will not want to stop.

A young girl is found near a stream one winter evening, a twelve year old named Alice. It is not long before word reaches Maddy, who is shocked by the discovery, but becomes even more alarmed when she realizes that her husband Richard has not come home, and was identified by an eyewitness as the last person to be seen with young Alice.

Dual timelines alternate between Maddy's childhood with her father, one that was marked by tragedy, and the current mystery of Richard's whereabouts and potential involvement in the unfolding events. The author's ability to paint such a vivid picture of life in a small village is what really drew me into the narrative, and I was desperate to learn how it would all unfold.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC.

It’s an OK read, but I wasn’t as drawn to the story as I hoped I would be. I felt like it moved quite slowly, and things only started happening halfway through. It is well-written, but I did not warm up to any of the characters. They all felt too distant to me. Even though there were two separate timelines, it still felt somehow cold. I enjoyed the aspect of the protagonist going through the same thing twice, once in her younger days, and once as an adult, but she still remained emotionally like she would have been only a side character to me.

This is my first Netgalley review. I really enjoyed this book. Gripping storyline and some great characters. I did not not expect the ending. Great imagery of the countryside. I will definitely read more of Kerry's books.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read! There are many mysteries within but all are answered. The back & forth of the protagonist’s resent life & childhood was a bit abrupt but it did have bearing on the present mystery. It will reel you in & keep you hooked. I think this is my favorite Kerry Wilkinson book so far. Enjoy!!

Alice, daughter of single mom Gemma, is found face down in a stream.
Maddy's husband, Richard, is last seen helping her into his car.
Maddy tries to piece together whatever happened, find her husband and ward off the small town anger.
This book started off fast - immediate action, police investigating, town turning on Maddy. Then the firstly half dragged. It didn't get intense until shirtless before halfway through. The author's did a great job showcasing small town mentality. Maddy wavers with her desire to find her husband let alone concerns regarding his possible guilt.
I was so distracted, the ending totally caught me off guard.
Excellent read.

It's rare for me (as I suspect it is for most other readers) to have the luxury of reading a book at a single sitting. It's even more rare for me to actually want to do that. Such was the case here; I was hooked from the git-go and, had it not been for a husband who depends on me to feed him at least once a day, I'd have plowed straight through.

Early on, we see 12-year-old Alice getting into a car driven by Richard - the husband of Maddy, in turn the mother of a college-age daughter. Nothing to get excited about, really, except that soon thereafter, the girl is found near death in a remote area of Leavensfield, England, the small but rather snobbish community in which Richard and Maddy live. To make matters worse, Richard - a university lecturer - didn't come the night Alice was found. Nor did he show up the next night, and Maddy's text messages and calls go unanswered.

Almost everyone in the community turns against Maddy, presumably figuring she was somehow aware of what Richard did (and may have even helped him do it). Meanwhile, she wrestles with a childhood event that left emotional scars (a few interspersed chapters let readers in on what happened back then). And then, Maddy gets a sign that fills her with both hope and dread; which one wins out is the stuff of which edge-of-seat experiences are made.

I can't say I was totally thrilled with the ending - nor was I very fond of the catty, shallow residents of Leavensfield - but whole thing certainly made for an exciting adventure with plenty of twists. Highly recommended, and many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

This was my 2nd book by this author and just like the first, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. What My Husband Did focuses on life in the very tranquil town of Leavensfield. Richard and Madeleine (Maddie for short) live very peaceful lives there. Until one day Madeleine along with her best friend's husband stumbles across a girl's dead body who's reported to have been last seen getting into Richard's car. To make things worse, Richard is missing. Madeleine doesn't know what to believe...
This story was written mostly in the present with some flashbacks to Maddie's childhood with her father. That made it quite interesting especially when similarities started showing up.
The plot was interesting with the author doing his trick of changing stories just when I was engrossed in one. That made me flip through the book quickly because I wanted to find out happened next both in the past and present.
The surprise reveal was just that. A surprise! I was suspecting a lot of things but I honestly was not expecting that. Unfortunately, I cannot write too much without spoiling it for other readers. I guess you'll just have to get it yourselves.
As with the last book, I am definitely willing to try more of this author's writing

This book can be read by older teens and adults. There are some adult themes so younger children should not read this

In the village of Leavensfield, everything is as picture perfect as any town could be. With cozy cottages and a population to match, it's an ideal setting for Richard and Maddy to settle down in. Both Richard and Maddy lead pretty much mundane lives until one day 12 year old Alice is found beaten and lying face down in a ditch; and Richard has gone missing... Coincidence?

What My Husband Did is a very engaging novel. Written with a series of flashbacks between past and present, the reader gets to unravel the mystery behind Alice's brutal beating and the mysterious disappearance of Richard.

I wouldn't call this novel a psychological thriller, but it is a suspenseful read that will be sure to please fans of the Mystery & Thriller genre. Four stars. I really liked it.

I received a digital ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This review is concurrently being posted to my Goodreads account; and will post to my blog and Twitter accounts on 11/10/20. Reviews will post to retail sites on publication day.

I have followed this author for many years although I do find over the last year or so his style of writing has changed. I did enjoy this book but I found I had to really concentrate with it being written in two threads, it didn't have me on the edge of my seat, the characters were good throughout and it was brought to a satisfactory ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.

I’m afraid, for me, this is an OK read.

There are two threads, one involves the lead character, Maddy as a child and it’s about her and her father and an incident that has massive ramifications. The other is about Maddy’s husband, Richard who goes missing the same night that the body of a young girl is found.

Maddy and Richard live in a small village and what I did enjoy were the descriptions of village life and how claustrophobic it can be. Also, the creeping tension between Maddy, the lead investigator and the village.

It’s neatly wrapped up at the end, it’s just I couldn’t really engage enough to enjoy it. I found my attention slipping and for that reason I can’t say I enjoyed it. Having said that, I didn’t dislike it and I’m confident it will find its audience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

I love a fast paced thriller! This is a new to me author... we get hooked immediately into the story with Alice getting into Richards car and reappearing almost dead in the water. Madeleine wants to know what her husbands involvement is! Good twists and turns, suspense, and thrills! I really think this book will appeal to so many groups of people and will be discussed at book clubs all around!

Very exciting book! With good twist and turns.
This one was a great book. Which I didn't want to put it down.
The writing was great! They story was awesome!
Overall great book to read!

Can you ever really trust your spouse? What if you had doubts but nothing conclusive? Great marital thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed

Great thriller with plenty of intrigue and thrills.
The writing is skilled and the plot fast paced. I really felt immersed in the little village as the author described it all so vividly.
This book kept me guessing from start to end and I rushed through it desperate to know the reveal.
I can really visualise this is a television show.
A great read.

"He's a mess, with deep red marks around his neck and a scabbed indent on the side of his head near his ear. His eyes are closed once more and there's a wheezing, groaning noise creaking from his lungs."

12 year old Alice has been found unconscious in a stream.
Maddie's husband is missing.
Are the two connected?
Living in a small village, Maddie is hounded by rumours that her husband was the last person to see Alice before her accident and is responsible. But she doesn't know what to think.

This was such a great book. An exciting story line filled out mistrust, betrayal, twists and enough suspense to keep you hooked from page one.
It really does have you on the edge of your seat, and like the main character, you find it really hard to know who to trust and what to believe.
This is the first I've heard of this author but I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this.

What an amazing book, I knew from reading the bio I would love it. I loved Kerry’s writing and I’ve now found another author I’ll be hooked on! All throughout reading this book I found myself able to totally relate to Maddy, living in a small close knit village can be tough, everyone knows everyone’s secrets and are quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. Alice is found in a stream, someone has hit her head and left her for dead, her husband Richard has also not been seen since last night, hasn’t been in touch so of course it all looks so suspect. My heart was pounding reading this, such a suspenseful read. Absolutely brilliant.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kerry Wilkinson for allowing me to read this Arc.
I am an avid fan and supporter of all of Kerry Wilkinson's books. But I have to say that this one left me deflated. I found it boring and just felt that what was supposed to be a psychological thriller ended up being a small town drama.
Not one of Kerry Wilkinson's finest.

I'm a big fan of Kerry Wilkinson so I was excited to read this one. I think it's probably one of my favourites of his.

The mystery really had me guessing, I couldn't read it fast enough to find out what on earth was going on. I thought the past chapters about young Maddy and her dad were really sad, in a good way if that makes sense! I liked the extra dimension it gave her as a character.

I love how the locations in Kerry's books are almost a character in themselves, I could just imagine the claustrophobic little village where everyone knows each other's business. I also really enjoy Kerry's writing style, his little witty observations thrown in every now and then.

My one issue is the blurb: 'I know that revealing my own darkest secret about Richard’s first wife could prove his innocence… but even if I do, he’s still missing. Is everyone right, and is my husband on the run? And will telling the truth about my past turn my own daughter against me, and tear our lives apart for good?' - Maddy's secret has nothing to do with Richard's ex-wife and why would it turn her daughter against her? It seems like the author was going to take the story in a different direction but then changed his mind and forgot to change the blurb!

Overall I would 100% recommend this book.

This was another great read by an author whose books I just can’t resist. 12-year-old Alice is found presumed dead in a stream by a local dog walker one cold winter’s evening. The dog walker raises the alarm with a nearby neighbour Madeleine, and when the police arrive, they discover Alice is still alive but has suffered terrible head injuries. Madeleine is shocked by the discovery, but finds she has other things to worry about when she gets home and finds her husband, Richard is missing, and the last time he was seen was when Alice was getting into his car….

The prologue takes you straight into the mystery of what happened to Alice, ensuring that you are hooked into the story from very early on. I liked Madeleine’s character and sympathised with her throughout the whole story. Being drawn into Alice’s attack by a neighbour who raised the alarm, Madeleine’s situation goes from bad to worse with every turn of the page. She was understandably worried about where her husband was, and when she is shown CCTV stills of Alice getting into her husband’s car, she begins to doubt everything about him. The big question which eats away at you throughout the book is whether Alice’s attack and Richard’s disappearance are linked. The majority of the villagers have obviously made their own mind up about what has happened and, personally I think they treated Madeleine awfully!

The story twists and turns throughout, ensuring you are as confused as poor Madeleine is. The chapters alternate between her story in the present day and from when she was a child. I have to admit, whilst I found Madeleine’s childhood story quite sad, I didn’t quite understand the relevance of it until much later in the book. The storyline switched between the different time frames well and wasn’t in the least bit confusing. The present-day investigation into Alice’s attack was thought provoking and there were enough characters who behaved oddly or who seemed like they had something to hide to make you see suspicion in all of them!!

The storyline moved along at a good pace, giving you time to consider everything but not leaving enough time for you to lose interest! It was a dark, gripping and chilling plot, and what I love about this author is that he doesn’t have to resort to blood, gore and overly graphic descriptions to get his point across! There was so much deceit, guilt and mistrust in this story, and some parts genuinely chilled me to the bone! The writing, as usual by this author, was hypnotic and I didn’t want to take my eyes off the page for fear of missing something! Full of suspense and mystery, this book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions right through to the very last page. Highly recommended!!

This book was honestly disappointing.
Being described as a gripping psychological thriller, I just expected more. The story was pretty mediocre, the entire storyline from the past about her father felt completely unnecessary and it just made the read very boring. I kept hoping for some twist involving that story, but it never came. The ending was pretty unexciting and the twist was okay but not amazing, and at that point, I was already kind of over the story.
I still liked the characters, Kylie was really fun and Maddie was pretty likable. I could have done without all the small-town drama as well, but that at least added some entertainment. I also think the atmosphere could have been improved - there was a huge lack of suspense or thrill and I missed the typical urge to theorize and find out who did it.