Book Review: The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

First thing’s first…The author’s name is Liane Moriarty. MORIARTY. You may have seen through previous posts that I enjoy Sherlock Holmes – the books, the TV programmes, etc… So the fact that the author’s name is so uniquely linked to our dear Sherlock is pretty cool. However, I am too lazy to google her and find out if that is in fact her actual birth name.

Anyway, about the book. I think that this is the first book I have read that is set in Australia, certainly modern Australia, and I found this an interesting aspect of the book. It helped me visualise what life is like there, and is a nice break from the traditional stories of the Western world, being dominated by America and the UK.

The book itself was an easy read, not at all demanding, which makes it a nice break from the strenuous material I have been reading for Uni. I liked the parallel stories of the lives of people linked to each other, and being able to see the characters from different views – both personally and the front that they put on for others. I found it interesting that the stories are told from the perspectives of the female characters – although I felt they did rely on the male characters quite heavily.

One thing that I just did not get was the emphasis on the Berlin Wall. I just can’t see why that much detail was included when the story didn’t need it. I have to admit, it seemed like pointless page fodder.

The Husband’s Secret is a modern tragicomedy and the perfect book if you are looking for a quick light read. I would recommend this book mainly to commuters.

3.5/5