The Husband's Secret has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for many weeks. The book is constantly checked out of my public library and many patrons have raved about the book. Naturally, I wanted to know what was so great about this book so I put myself on a long wait-list for the book. When I did finally get a chance to read it, I was disappointed and thought the story would be completely different.

Description: Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
   Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she's an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband's secret.

Review: The Husband's Secret is a page turner and it doesn't take long for the reader to be enraptured by the story. Moriarty works the Pandora myth and the metaphor of the Berlin Wall quite nicely in her book. I didn't have any problems with the way the book was written, but I do have issues with books that deal with cheating/affairs, and choices without any consequences. The Husband's Secret hit all of these hot buttons for me and as a result, I didn't care for any of the characters nor did I find anything redeemable about them.
  The book contains three separate story lines that sort of come together. Cecila is what many would call the ideal wife. She strives to be perfect in every aspect of her life, but she is frustrated in that she can't seem to capture her husband's interest and intimacy. She jumps from one assumption to another about why they haven't been intimate. She finally gets her answer by finding a sealed letter written by her husband with strict directions of not opening it after he dies. Cecila's husband is very much alive and the temptation of what secret he is hiding is what fuels the book's suspense. Unfortunately, we find out the secret a little too early in the book which would have been fine except Moriarty didn't really go deeper beyond the surface of the truth.
  Like Cecila, Rachel is the role of a good mom whose daughter was murdered. The storyline of Tess, a young woman who finds out her husband and best friend/cousin are having an affair, does not serve any purpose to the book's story arc. Cecila and Rachel's plot lines are tightly connected while Tess's story line is more a coincidence. 
  I can see how the author tries to show how one might not really know their spouse, but the concept of justice and forgiveness which would have given this book more depth is glossed over. It almost comes across as a satire rather than a thought provoking book which left a bad taste in my mouth when I was finished it. The Husband's Secret was book that was not right for me and once again I was swept away by the hype. If it wasn't for the hype, I wouldn't have picked it up.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language, sexual situations and mature themes. Recommended for older teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain, Dear Thing by Julie Cohen