I was eager to read this book as it is set in Far North Queensland, where I live. Yes, there’s a bit of poetic licence but, on the whole, it was a good depiction of the area and good use of its unique flora and fauna.

The book setting starts in Sydney though, where Jen and her son, Jasper, are still living before they travel to the Mossman area in Queensland to start a new life with her husband, Jon, after Jen’s part in a fatal car accident. The idyllic lifestyle in paradise doesn’t quite pan out as well as Jen had hoped and the cracks in her marriage turn into full blown canyons pretty quickly.

The themes covered were topical - domestic violence, coercive control, PTSD, alcoholism. However, I thought the book needed tighter editing. It was good but just seemed to fall short of being great. I will admit I’ve gone off domestic thrillers lately but if you're a fan of this genre, it is just as good as some of the more popular ones I've read. I certainly flew through this one and it kept my interest.

3 1/2 out of 5

Firstly, love a book set in Australia. I found it to be a bit predictable. Love my domestic thrillers so I was really keen to read it. It was good but I couldnt say it was great.

After Jennifer's accident and escaping jail time, she convinces her husband Jon, that moving somewhere new and starting afresh is what their family needs. But Jon is never home and always working and Jennifer can't seem to forget the accident. Can they make it work?

This debut domestic thriller by Aussie author Susannah Glenn had me so intrigued throughout. I loved the short chapters and the twisty tale the author has spun. The big twist at the end had me reeling - I didn't see it coming at all! I am so excited to see what Susannah Glenn writes next. Highly recommend picking up her debut if you get a chance!

Between Husbands and Wives by Susannah Glenn is a difficult book to describe. Ostensibly it is about a husband and wife (well, derrr), and about a recent tragedy that's impacting on Jen to the extent she's not sleeping, she's yelling at her son and becoming forgetful. They move away in the hope they can start afresh and it kinda seems like it might work, but Glenn imbues in this something unsettling that keeps readers' spidey senses tingling. Jon is a doting father and husband, but even Jen is worried about the way he embellishes stories to the extent they're downright lies. He's very smooth and confident and we're told he's stunningly handsome. And then there's a sense of possessiveness or control in his behaviour which is exacerbated here as Jen starts to regain some independence.

I enjoyed this book but the foreshadowing felt a little obvious. Perhaps it's just because I've read similar books or read so many psychological thrillers. It meant I guessed people weren't who they seemed and was immediately suspicious of others. Similarly Jen - supposedly smitten by her husband and very much under his thumb - becomes suspicious of him very quickly. It seemed strange as she's not really given us any indication she's had reason to doubt him before. Of course we readers are on the outside looking in, so it feels a bit obvious. As did the secret they're desperate to keep.

What I very much enjoyed here was the setting in which Glenn places us (Mossman, Port Douglas and the Daintree) and she does a great job of conveying Queensland's far north. Its pace, its weather and the dichotomy of its calm serenity and its dangerous wildlife.

I'd definitely recommend this read - it's well paced so hard to put down - and although I'd guessed much of the outcome of this book I was keen to see the fallout. I should add that Glenn also throws in an interesting twist I didn't pick, so we also see a different side of Jen

3.5 stars

What an intriguing story, set in North tropical Queensland which starts off in Sydney. The story follows along the characters of Jennifer and Jon, husbands and wives always keep their own little secrets but this is a secret worth finding out as someone hasn't been very honest of something that has happened or who they really are. Can you trust them? Maybe, maybe not.

Between Husbands and Wives
Susannah Glenn

Fans of Sally Hepworth and Liane Moriarty take note. Between Husbands and Wives is a page turning domestic thriller set in Far North Queensland, looking for a fresh start to escape their past.

With their marriage buckling under the stress, moving to the Daintree region might be the balm they need. But as Jon pulls long hours at his new job and Jennifer makes plans to absolve her lingering guilt, cracks soon form in their idyllic new life. Will their dark secret be exposed?

“What if I’d made different choices the night of the accident? What is it about the human condition that compels us to look back? To wallow in futile contemplations of alternate actions with different - better - consequences. Why do we get stuck in thoughts we know are useless? Destructive? No amount of regret, despair or self - loathing can change the past.”

This is escapist holiday reading at its best. There are many themes displayed including family, friendship, independence, domestic violence and coercive control. Secrets abound and the twists keep coming. I always love a book where things aren’t always what they seem. The ending is rather blindsiding as some of the twists you see coming which lured me into a sense that I knew what was coming then bam, blindside.

Between Husbands and Wives is the debut novel by Australian author Susannah Glenn, a brooding domestic drama that constantly builds tension. Right from the first page there’s a pervading sense of grief and trauma surrounding Jen Ashby, the story’s main character.

A car accident lies in Jen’s recent past, an incident that appears to have virtually stripped her of her confidence and this has prompted a move out of the hustle and bustle of Sydney and up to the far more quiet Far North Queensland town of Mossman. In the early stages we’re given small tasters of information to spur us on to keep reading to find out why the family is fleeing the big city.

When Jen and five year old son Jasper arrive at their new home they’re greeted by a jubilant Jon who had arrived early to start his new job with the local council. From the moment they arrive it feels as though warning bells are sounding from Jon’s reminder of the sacrifice he’s made in moving for Jen to his disapproval over her plans to resume her photography career.

As an observer, the coercive control being used by Jon was very obvious, but clearly the mental trauma that Jen had been through was enough to leave her doubting herself while also being prepared to excuse his behaviour. In many respects there was an air of inevitability about where the marriage was heading. That being said, the road leading there is loaded with unexpected twists and turns making for some delicious moments.

As well as proving to be a dramatic domestic thriller, Susannah Glenn has presented the Daintree region of Far North Queensland in the most wonderful light. The beauty, danger and tranquillity are present in equal measure highlighting the paradise that lies outside the more densely populated tourist spots.

The problem of domestic violence in its many different forms has provided rich fodder for the crime fiction industry and in her debut novel, Susannah Glenn has done a creditable job in the portrayal of Jen Ashby. Once a strong and successful professional photographer, we witness in Jen a woman who doubts herself, excuses abusive behaviour and goes out of her way to please the person who’s making her life difficult. There is still strength to be seen but it’s painfully slow to emerge.

Between Husbands and Wives is a slow build story filled with suspense and intrigue, a domestic drama that is set in a majestic part of Australia and is wonderfully described in the narrative.I feel that a good domestic thriller should provoke strong emotional responses from the actions and responses of its characters and that’s exactly what I felt while reading this story. This was particularly the case over the dramatic final few chapters that provided a satisfying ending.

My thanks to Pantera Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC that enabled me to read, enjoy and review this book.

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summed Up: A Scenic Dive Into Secrets

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Debut Aussie novels are always a yes from me and ‘Between Husbands and Wives’ is no exception!

From the first page, the scene was set perfectly and I was whisked away to Far North QLD (and seriously considered a move there after Susannah’s vivid Daintree descriptions! 🏝️)

The characters and their current situations were described in equal detail to the point I found myself picking favourites and struggling with a few who really tested my patience and ruined my enjoyment of reading the book.

The storyline teased past events and secrets, but it took some time to explain the relevance and get to the good stuff. When the plot twist finally dropped, it was worth the wait!

Though a bit drawn out and with some characters feeling a tad irrelevant or frustrating, overall this was an entertaining debut with a big shock factor ending.

Thank you to Pantera Press and NetGalley for the sneak peek.