Enjoyment (stars): 1.5
Total rating (stars): 3

I never request an E-ARC if I don't think I will absolutely love the book. My Dead Husband was no exception; it sounded like a psychological thriller that has everything I love - Ellie escapes an abusive marriage, but her nightmare continues even after her ex's death. Someone is out to ruin her life, and Ellie suspects that it's her toxic former mother-in-law, or worse, that her ex-husband faked his death to ruin her life.

I am so sad to say I was highly disappointed in this book. The women, especially Ellie, read like a female character written by a man for men. The narrative is crude, unnecessarily shocking and very offensive. At least to me, as a woman. There are SO MANY content warnings with this book, and none were handled well.

As I read the book, I was secretly hoping the plot wouldn't go in the direction it went. With that said, I really enjoyed the idea of the plot. And despite the choice of strong and crude language, the novel was structurally well told. The best thing about the book was the frantic atmosphere. I really felt it as Ellie's world falls apart.

I listened to the audiobook produced by Dreamscape Media and Narrated by Ella Lynch. She did a great job with the material given and really helped bring the story to life.


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing a copy of My Dead Husband.

This book was intense, to put it mildly. I listened to the audio version and thought the narrator was great. The storyline was disturbing and I’m not sure I could recommend it though.

Whoa!

This book is brutal, engrossing, triggering and explosive...in all the best ways. I was completely engrossed in this well-written thriller from the first word.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to review this audio ,unfortunately I couldn't finish some of this disturbing content.

0.5 stars rounded up

I nearly never give a book a rating lower than 2 stars, so that says a lot right there.

Although it has a good start, the book becomes pretty dragged and annoying fast as all the nasty, wrong things happen to Ellie. Now Ellie is a widow, her husband committed suicide but she is more than relieved as he was quite abusive.
Things start to take a turn for the worse, as Ellie starts being mistreated at work, belittle by her boss and abused by her clients. However she does find a new boyfriend that sheds some light in her dark world.

The book is also related from Ellie's mom perspective, and more precisely her journal entries describing her how she met someone when she was young.

The first half of the book is alright and then we start having a multitude of foul language being used. But that's not even half as bad as the ending where a lot of twists are happening and the revelations are disturbing, shocking, obnoxious.

I won't say that this book as triggers, it has far more than that. Starting with the language used (which is beyond foul), the actions of the characters and the turn of events. The only way I can describe it all is sick.

I do not understand the author (the need to put something like this on paper).

I do not recommend this book to anyone. I can't think of any sane person enjoying this book or any part of it.

I am puzzled how this book gets to be published. It shouldn't, in my opinion.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Woah I couldn’t stop listening to this psychological thriller. It just kept getting worse and worse for Ellie!!!!! This had soooo many twists and turns and some I never saw coming. Loved it!

Trigger Warning ~ Every nasty awful thing I can think of happens!
Story starts when Ellie finds out that Kayden her abusive husband committed suicide and leaves a note that she is the blame.
Ellie is actually very pleased that she has finally escaped from her husband’s vicious abuse. But now she is getting frighten phone calls and other situations that appears someone is out to ‘get her’!

The abuse was very descriptive and very disturbing to read. Additionally, these characters are awful,
I wasn’t sure this was going to work for me. I love psychological thrillers so hung in there!
However, it only got worst ~ never got to the fun twists and turns that I love in psychological thrillers.

I know there are readers who enjoy this as there are a lot of great reviews~ however, it didn’t work for me.

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 8, 2022.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for opportunity to listen to this book and provide honest feedback. Some trigger warnings listed at end of review to avoid possible spoilers

Overall I enjoyed this book. With that in mind, there were some very descriptive parts and foul language. That doesn’t normally bother me but just something to keep in mind if you have little children around (I found out very fast not to listen to this with my child nearby). Nonetheless I enjoyed the overall story and flow of the book. I would definitely read more by this author. At first I wasn’t a fan of the narrator however I ended up getting used to the voice and rhythm and it didn’t bother me anymore.

Trigger warnings:
Suicide
Attempted suicide
Domestic abuse
Domestic rape
Pedophilia /incest
Mental illness such as schizophrenia
And possibly more I’m not recalling.

Oof. Let’s get the trigger/content warnings over right away. Mental illness, sexual abuse, mental abuse, physical abuse, incest, minor/adult relationship, murder, literally anything you’d think.

There is so much going on in this book. It’s very demented and disturbing. I would definitely describe this as a psychological thriller verging on horror. Every single character has deep trauma that keeps getting revealed and the way the story evolves keeps you guessing who the villain is in the story. I’m not thrilled with the way schizophrenia is used in the story, and feel like it was unnecessary and used as a fall-back at times.

Overall, the story is compelling, and I couldn’t stop listening (even if I wanted to). The end comes on pretty quickly and is highly disturbing, and I’m not sure I completely bought how everything ended so neatly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. The only way I can describe this book is disturbing.

The description of the book is a pretty far cry from the actual content. Based on the jacket, I was expecting a book about a woman who isn't sure if her dead husband has returned or if she's losing her mind. What I found instead was sordid story so farfetched and deranged that it was difficult to listen to.

It's difficult to write an accurate review without spoilers, but the extended length of this plot and the depth of the malice involved are just completely insane.

The story is well written, but some kind of indication that the story is much, much grittier than currently described would go a long way towards helping it find it's audience. Fans of 'All the Beautiful Lies" by Peter Swanson, "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn, or "Tampa" by Alissa Nutting would probably the best type of reader to market.

2 (?) stars

I will admit, I’m a bit confused by the initial high reviews this book has gotten so far. It’s not badly written, I suppose, but the content is very much not for me. Truthfully, if it weren’t for the high (ish) ratings and the fact that I needed to review the ARC, I might have just DNFed this one, which is really rare for me. It’s not really a thriller as much as it is a dramatic story with some flashbacks…virtually every character in the book is damaged and/or depraved in serious, disturbing ways. They’re also all the victims and/or perpetrators of some horrific acts. No warnings or real hints as to the type of content are provided within the description of the novel, but it deals with repeated and graphic scenes of abuse and assault (all sorts- physical, sexual, mental/emotional, etc.) as well as pedophilia, incest, and a few other horrible things. I couldn’t really get past a lot of that content because it was woven throughout the whole story...it was fundamental to the plot. I don’t know if this is the kind of work the writer usually creates, but it’s definitely not a book for me, nor is it one I would recommend to others.

This book did not do it for me. It was wayyy to sexually graphic and should have some abuse trigger warnings.

The narrator was fine but the content of this wasn't to my liking.

I received this book from the publisher Dreamscape media and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Definitely glad I read this one as an audiobook rather than the physical copy. The narrator was great and I’m not sure I could have gotten through it if I read the physical copy. The content of this book is definitely dark and twisted, so check trigger warnings before reading (abuse, mental illness, suicide, etc)

Ellie finds out her abusive husband has killed himself and feels grateful that’s he is out of her life. The terror doesn’t end though and Ellie is the victim of personal attacks to her character as well as an actual break in at her house. It is told through Ellie’s pov as well as in the past through her mothers journal entries while she is dealing with a mental illness. After continuous attacks, Ellie and her new boyfriend Freddie go to Scotland to find out if her husband truly is gone. The twists in this one are good, but it just felt like it had far too much going on and it was a ‘let’s throw anything and everything we can at the reader and hope it works out’. Sadly, this just wasn’t a favorite for me.

I have read a few books and after thinking a bit, thought well that wasn’t for me, but I still thought it’ll be for someone. As for this one…So many nopes from me. I have never DNRed a book, even when I wanted to. I am no prude, like at all. Or opposed to taboo. But my goodness, I FORCED myself to finish this book, being new to NetGalley and trying to be gracious for a new ARC. Not to mention trying to give an honest review, but wow this book is DEPRAVED.
The premise sounded so interesting!! I’ve never read this author before, but a book marked as a mystery and a thriller? Sign me up!!! I was so excited! I requested this book after I read the description. BUT this book should come with a plethora of trigger warnings. And I’m one to not even pay attention to trigger warnings. But those who could be triggered, I worry for their mental health regarding this book.

This is not a thriller. Barely a mystery. I could forgive most things due to fiction. But good googly moogly, this depravity was over the top in every aspect of the book. MAYBE if I could emotionally connect to any of the characters, I could “get” the need for such details. But nope. Main character was obnoxious and whiny. And maybe that’s bc I was listening to the audiobook. If I’d read it in my own voice, then maybe …maybe I would’ve liked/empathized w Eleanor. Or any of the characters. Bc in reality I would. But in this book world, I did not.

I’ve finally, FINALLY reached the last chapter. Then the epilogue started. Thinking okay…let’s wrap this up. But it got even more disgusting and inhuman. I am not negating these things happen and in such as depraved ways as depicted and def even more so. But it’s like the author just picked and picked and picked each and very horrific form of abuse and added some characters, a HEAVY dash of even more mental health issues and I guess a plot.

This book clearly has good reviews. Not sure why but maybe it’s for you. If I could suggest one thing for the publisher, trigger warning TF out of this book. The way it’s advertised in the description, no one in their right mind would think this book would be as sick as it is.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the arc.

If you like dark and twisted thrillers then The Dead Husband by N.J. Moss is a book for you!

This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way though. A couple chapters in I thought I had it all figured out, but I was not prepared for the twists and turns this psychological domestic thriller had in store for me.

In this story we meet Ellie, whose abusive husband has recently died. While we are initially relieved it turns out the nightmare she is living with continues.

“From there it progressed with the everyday casualness of abuse. How pathetically and tragically simple it had been.”

This is a story told in two timelines. The current one with Ellie trying to regain control of her life and the past, told through her mother’s journal, that documents her mother’s history of mental illness.

At times this book was a disturbing an uncomfortable read. However, it is a captivating story despite the many trigger warnings including, but not limited to, child abuse, domestic abuse, incest, and sexual assault.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ALC of My Dead Husband. Ella Lynch did a wonderful job narrating and bringing all of the characters to life.

This is perhaps the most twisted book I’ve ever read. My Dead Husband by NJ Moss made my insides clench, my face pinch in disgust & my mouth voice expletives throughout my reading of it. I think a hallmark of great writing is being able to illicit many feelings from the reader, & this book definitely achieves that! I will say that I typically enjoy mysteries/thrillers & the puzzle it creates, but this book was just a bit too much for me.
This book showcases the spiral of psychological warfare. It illustrates the damage caused from abuse & generational trauma. It demonstrates many toxic & uncomfortable relationships:
There is so much happening with shifting viewpoints, changing timelines along with several twists that I was confused at times.
I did like the author’s writing. I also thought the subtle escalation of threats between flashback memories, illusions, hideous phone calls & more created an epically disturbing tale. NJ Moss was able to spin a dark & brutal mystery into a quick novel with ease.
If you like dark mysteries & thrillers, I would check trigger warnings & then proceed reading!

Trigger warnings- This book contains &/or mentions abuse, suicide, attempted suicide, rape, abortion, animal cruelty & graphic violence.

Thank you to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to the audiobook in an exchange for an honest review.

I believe the author has a good story line but really didn't need the profanity and descriptions. Definitely not for everyone

After receiving a phone call that her estranged abusive husband is dead, Ellie believes that he life will start to get so much better. However, she couldn't have been more wrong. She starts getting harassing phone calls at work, she's convinced she keeps seeing her dead husband, and bad things just keep happening to her. Ellie and her new boyfriend then head to Scotland to confirm that her husband is really dead. While on the trip Ellie brings back memories from a year that she blocked out as a teenager which only leads to more tragedy for Ellie...


Trigger warnings: This book was intense! There is a lot of abuse, rape, pedophylia, insest.

Despite this book being very disturbing I enjoyed the fast paced story.

Ellie is thrilled when she learns that she is finally free of her abusive husband forever. After learning of his suicide, she tries to move on with her life. She meets a new man and things quickly heat up between the two of them. But strange start happening to Ellie, as she seems to be targeted for some unknown reason.

For the sake of honesty, this book just was not for me. I am not one that is easily offended and can usually handle difficult subjects, but it was much too dark and disturbing in my opinion. I felt that the story contained an excessive amount of rape, violence, foul language, and incest. The book was well written and clearly well thought-out. I did enjoy switching points of view throughout the book to learn about Ellies mothers’ life, and what happened when she was going through the worst of her schizophrenia. I listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. It was an excellent performance from Ella Lynch.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and NJ Moss for allowing me to listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley, NJ Moss, and Dreamscape Media for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I wasnt quite sure what I was getting into when I started this one but it definitely held my interest from the beginning. I was quickly pulled into the story and trying to figure out who was harassing our main character. I liked the multiple twists throughout the book but man, the subject matter in this one was dark and disturbing. I would recommend reading trigger warnings before you start this one to see if you are up for it. Overall, it was a quick listen (with a great narrator) and the author did a great job. This one is out on 3/8/2022!