Review of THE NEW HUSBAND by D. J. Palmer

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.”