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My Husband's Son

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When an eighteen-year-old claiming to be her husband’s son shows up at her front door out of the blue, Carrie Winter is floored. It's completely unexpected. Then, you can't expect someone you didn't know existed. She’s shocked to find out that her husband has been hiding this major secret from her. Carrie thought she knew the man she married but now, she’s not so sure…

TJ seems pleasant enough. He cooks for her and engages in polite conversation. However, strange things start to happen upon his arrival. A teenage girl is found murdered and another has gone missing. And then, while trying to piece together TJ’s history that both her stepson and husband seem to be hiding, Carrie discovers the death of TJ’s mother may not have been an accident after all.

The more Carrie investigates the deaths and missing girls, the more secrets she finds out about her seemingly perfect development. What does she really know about the neighborhood she lives in and the people she lives with? And, is letting TJ into her home the biggest mistake she’ll ever make?

356 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2024

955 people are currently reading
1190 people want to read

About the author

D.L. Fisher

5 books406 followers

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5 stars
739 (25%)
4 stars
940 (32%)
3 stars
861 (29%)
2 stars
279 (9%)
1 star
67 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews
Profile Image for aeryn rose.
361 reviews1,129 followers
December 27, 2025
2⭐️

This literally felt like any other thriller out there and I honestly found this to be a bit stupid. My favorite thing about this was that it was only a few hours to finish. I wanted to give up like 2 hours in, but I felt the plot was okay enough to finish.

Let's start with the idiotic, stupid characters. The FMC, my god, she was just so damn dumb and irritating. I understand the most thriller characters aren't supposed to be all that, but in this one she was arguably so annoying. Why is it that in thrillers the FMC's put themselves into danger and all the common sense leaves their heads? IT'S SO ANNOYING. Why can't thrillers just have smarter characters, or at least some with an ounce of matter to their brain? The other characters were fine, just your typical bland, generic suspects that don't actually do anything.

Side note: The FMC in this book was also straight up RUDE. She had such a bitchy personality and her "sly" insults were just so unnecessary. She was so unlikable even from the very beginning.

The plot of this book was alright, but honestly it just wasn't unique. Nothing about this book is unique or especially interesting. Was it quick and harmless? Yeah, but there wasn't much substance. I felt like this entire book was just going in circles. It was a good book to put on while coloring and tuning out the world, I just wish it was more interesting and just more engaging. Instead, it just felt like an unsalted cracker, dry and bland. The plot twist at the end wasn't even that good either. Ugh I just wanted MORE! More substance, more twists, more surprises.

Overall, this book just blends in with all the other stereotypical thrillers and it's not even on the better side. The characters weren't that good and the plot was meh. Not the worst thriller ever, but definitely not the greatest. This was okay for what it was, but this just wasn't for me. It was basic and bland, but I will say, it wasn't entirely too boring; I was busy ripping my hair out from how irritating the FMC was. 🙂

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 🔪💙

I don't really listen to thrillers much anymore, but I'm on an audiobook kick and nothing can stop me 😈
Profile Image for Tonya.
784 reviews189 followers
November 4, 2025
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it definitely will not be the last. I was gripped from start to finish. The plot is perfectly paced, unpredictable, and has unexpected twists throughout. A surprise stepson, an unsolved murder, and missing girls bring chaos to this normally quiet neighborhood. Who is innocent and who is guilty in this twisted tale of secrets and deception? “ Gated communities like ours don't keep people out— they keep secrets in, where they can fester and spread.” The final twist was jaw-dropping.! Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for my copy.
Profile Image for WHL (Bill).
305 reviews21 followers
December 24, 2025
I couldn’t do it. This one was a DNF for me.
This was my first time reading D.L. Fisher, and unfortunately it didn’t land. The plot was weak, the main character was irritating, and the constant inner dialogue made it hard to stay engaged. On top of that, the story leaned heavily on clichés, and the overall premise just felt unbelievable.
I saw plenty of five-star reviews claiming a mind-bending ending, but I wasn’t willing to push past the halfway mark to get there. A strong ending doesn’t excuse a slog to reach it.
Honestly, the best thing about The Stepson was that it was free with my Audible membership.
Profile Image for *ੈ❀joanna ₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁·ꕤ.
71 reviews20 followers
January 10, 2026
haven’t had time to read bcs work has been exhausting, so decided to listen to an audiobook instead. found this book on audible premium catalogue. picked randomly and so i ended up with this book. started out weird, lack of description and all. i finished the book and i still don’t know what the characters look like, their height, their skin, eyes, or even the color of their hair…

it was kinda fun to listen, but the plot was predictable. not interesting enough. the fmc is stupid, the story line is outright stupid. literally everyone is super naive. so many characters mentioned and they don’t even show up. and omg the fmc is just… so stupid. and the ending sucked. and i don’t even know why the title of this book is “the stepson” when he is not even the main character ???
Profile Image for Yara’s Library.
82 reviews96 followers
May 13, 2025
★★★★☆

The Stepson is a gripping domestic thriller with plenty of twists and a fast pace that kept me hooked from the start. Carrie thinks she has the perfect life, until a stranger shows up at her door claiming to be her husband’s son. From there, things spiral fast, especially when local teenage girls begin to go missing and TJ becomes the prime suspect.

I really enjoyed the building tension and Carrie’s increasing doubt about everyone around her, including herself. The story blends drama, mystery, and just the right amount of suspense. Some parts felt a little over the top, but it made the ride even more entertaining.

A twisty, binge-worthy read that’s perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with a suburban edge.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books, and D.L. Fisher for the ARC!
Profile Image for Lauren Self (lauren.shelby.reads).
514 reviews48 followers
May 9, 2024
So good! DL Fisher does not get enough hype. Read her books!!!

Carrie has it all.. big fancy mansion, handsome successful husband, the works. So when the doorbell rings on her wedding anniversary she’s completely blindsided by this young man saying her husband is his father.
Soon after, it appears there may be someone dangerous in their neighborhood, and she can’t help but wonder if it’s her new stepson.

I love DL Fisher’s writing style. She is witty and so much fun to immerse yourself in the story. And I love a good epilogue to tie up the whole book!

Read if you love books you don’t know who to trust, Dateline episode feel, possible serial killer, and a narrator you can’t help but be on their side.

Thanks so much to the author for my advanced copy!

Pub date 5/7
Profile Image for Sara.
42 reviews6 followers
December 26, 2025
3/5⭐️Entertaining and full of twists. A bit predictable, but a quick read.
Profile Image for Nim.
131 reviews4 followers
May 4, 2025
On her one-year anniversary, Carrie meets the stepson her husband never told her about. As if that were not stressful enough, teenage girls start to go missing in her gated community. With a husband that is clearly not telling her everything and a stranger who is her stepson now staying in her house, Carrie doesn't know who to trust outside or inside her home.

One of my ultimate pet peeves is a first-person POV character keeping something major from the reader. It always comes off as disingenuous. This book had this happen in spades. The MC sees someone in a suspicious position and says something to the effect of 'Omg I can't believe he is here...' And then... nada. She doesn't let us know anything, but she does keep thinking about what she saw without mentioning who the shocking person was. It's artificially forced and frankly lazy. "I wonder if anyone else feels it or if it's just me. Then, no one else has seen what I've seen. No one else knows what I know." Yeah Carrie. Including the reader! Who was there with you!! This is a cheap attempt at building tension when your mystery cannot stand on its own two feet. At one point our MC is talking to the police about this person she saw and the way they both spoke around it was so unnatural that I just had to throw my hands up and not care anymore.

While I think the premise had promise, I hate to say the execution wasn't there for me. Aside from my pet peeve, everyone in this book acted so off-the-wall in an uncanny valley way. There is an epilogue that I almost missed and that had a couple twists — one of which I predicted and another I did not. The pacing is what this book had going for it. It was a fast-paced read and I was able to finish it in one day.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this free arc in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for anovelaccount (Kayla).
274 reviews42 followers
June 2, 2025
Yikes. I don’t think I’ve ever rated more than one or two books with one star, but this book was bad. I am honestly completely shocked and surprised to see a high rating. Did we honestly read the same book?!

So, yes, I probably should have dnfed, but I assumed it would be a quick read and truly never thought it would be a one star read for me.

But here’s the thing: the writing here is really, really bad. I promise I’m not trying to be unnecessarily mean, but it genuinely sounds like a middle schooler wrote this book. The expressions and phrases used…yikes. This was definitely my number one issue with the books, but also…

‼️Spoilers below‼️

I guessed every single plot twist. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It honestly was incredibly predictable, especially because the title itself gives things away! It’s supposed to be this last minute crazy revelation in the epilogue, but I kept waiting for THE STEPSON to somehow be important to the plot.

Also, this was a huge issue for me in another VERY popular thriller that I won’t name for spoilers’ sake, but along with the overly insane juvenile writing style, you also have poor plot writing by forcing your FMC to not reveal who she saw for a lot of this book, even though it’s written from her perspective, and we the readers are with her when she makes her grand realization. It’s holding something above the readers so you can have a plot twist later. The problem is, that’s NOT how people think! It boils down to lazy and poor writing.

I’ll stop there. I’m not trying to crucify the author or people who liked the book; CLEARLY this one wasn’t for me. I’m just confused why people liked this. 😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Dirty D.
293 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2025
She thought she had it all, the designer clothes, the handsome rich husband, the fancy mansion in a gated community… what she wasn’t expecting was a full-grown stepson to ring the doorbell. One she never even knew existed! Suddenly her secure little world if flipped upside down. Her handsome rich husband is keeping secrets and this gated community isn’t so safe when the neighbors teenage daughters start turning up murdered!

What secrets are these posh neighbors next door really hiding behind their closed doors? Is the darling little Stepson a serial killer or is it just an unfortunate coincidence?

I love me a good thriller and this was a new to me author. I wasn’t sure where this was going to take me at first, but let me tell you, it was one heck of a ride! I will be looking for more of Fisher’s books in the future!

*Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review*
Profile Image for Angel **Book Junkie** .
1,921 reviews9 followers
January 5, 2026
The audiobook? Fantastic. Truly the saving grace here. The narrator deserves a raise, a trophy, and maybe a vacation. The story itself is thrilling, the atmosphere is eerie, and the characters are absolutely unhinged in the most entertaining way.

And then there’s Carrie.

From the very beginning, I didn’t buy a single thing she was selling. She felt superficial, unreliable, and honestly in need of a reality check. Every time the plot tried to get dark and creepy — especially with the missing girls storyline, which was genuinely chilling — Carrie would swoop in and overshadow everything with her chaos. It’s like the book had a great thriller simmering underneath, but Carrie kept knocking the pot off the stove.

By the end, I was more exhausted by her than invested in the mystery. So despite the strong narration and some truly eerie moments, this one lands at 2 stars for me.
Profile Image for Caitlin Drohan.
35 reviews
January 9, 2026
I enjoyed this, I really tried to be in the moment and found the twists pretty good. Easy read which was a nice change from the last few I’ve read.
Profile Image for Kate Rohrich.
4 reviews2 followers
December 28, 2025
I’m honestly surprised I even finished this. Some of things the narrator was thinking and saying were just absolutely ridiculous, it felt like nothing happened the whole book, and the reveals were so oddly paced.
Profile Image for Diane Elizabeth Taylor.
307 reviews14 followers
May 2, 2025
Carrie has the life she always wanted in her perfect home with her perfect husband and her best friend Marnie a few doors down. The ambience cracks wide open with the unexpected arrival of her husband's teenage son, TJ, a secret she never knew. As if that wasn't enough, the idyllic neighborhood is rocked by the disappearance of teenage girls, and suspicion falls heavily on the newcomer. Carrie's perfect world unravels, but she refuses to believe TJ is behind the disappearances, leading her to start her own investigation, putting herself in danger. This quick read offers a decent blend of domestic drama and suspense, making it an ideal page-turner for a relaxing day at the beach.
The twist was there and the ending was all tied up as neatly as the bow on Carrie's car.
Many thanks to Joffe Books for the ARC.
Profile Image for Kyreadsthrillers.
234 reviews27 followers
April 30, 2025
The Stepson was a quick, twisty read that kept me entertained the whole time. It definitely falls into the popcorn thriller category, dramatic, fast-paced, and full of surprises. I didn’t see the twist coming, which made it even more fun to read.

I just wish there had been more character development. I didn’t feel very connected to anyone, and a little more depth would’ve made some of the big moments hit harder.

Still, if you’re looking for something suspenseful that you can fly through, this one’s worth picking up.
34 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2025
I found this neither "addictive" or "thrilling", just plain boring and I was glad to get to the end.
Profile Image for Stacey.
225 reviews
June 30, 2025
Bennett, a rich lawyer, and his wife, Carrie live an idyllic life in their fancy neighborhood. Everything is perfect until one day Bennett's son from a previous relationship shows up at their front door, essentially throwing their perfect life upside down. Why? Because the same night TJ shows up a girl is found murdered in the neighborhood, the start of many. When Carrie finds out an important clue to get the heat off her new stepson she almost ends up being killed herself. With a shocking ending what you think closes out the case doesn't necessarily stay that way!

Oh boy this book was fast paced and easy to read from the start! I couldn't put it down. It read so well like someone was just telling me a story and I loved it! I couldn't really figure out who the killer was or what the ending would look like and just when you think it's over, well a twist comes I didn't expect! Would highly recommend if you like domestic thrillers! 4.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley, D.L. Fisher and Joffee Books for allowing me to review this ARC!
Profile Image for McKenzie.
369 reviews101 followers
April 5, 2024
Another great book from D.L. Fisher! I’ve read all three of hers now and have loved them all!

This psychological thriller will suck you in from the very beginning! The premise was so intriguing and will keep you engaged and entertained throughout!

Such an addictive popcorn thriller with lots of untrustworthy characters. It is very bingeable in the sense of both its pacing and the length of the book.

And in typical D.L. Fisher fashion it ends with bang! And from what I hear we will be getting a sequel coming too! I can’t wait!!

Recommend checking this one out!🖤

Thank you @dlfisherthrillers for this #gifted e-copy and including me on your book tour!🫶🏼
Profile Image for Tasha.
150 reviews17 followers
November 18, 2025
Wow, what a fun ride this was! You have nosey neighbors, family drama, marital secrets, and surprise after surprise in this fast paced popcorn thriller!

I was able to guess most of the twists but it was still very entertaining to unravel them as the story went on. I very much enjoyed the writing and the flow kept a great pace throughout the book, I never felt bored.

On the outside looking in, this high class, tight-knit community seems to have it all and have it all together... well things are not always what they seem now are they? 😏

Definitely recommend, I can't wait to dive into book two, The Widower
Profile Image for Janice Meek.
22 reviews
January 18, 2026
The Stepson is a supposed to be a thriller that unfortunately struggles to find its footing, landing it a mediocre 2.5 out of 5 stars.

The premise—a tense domestic drama involving a suspicious new family member—starts with promise. However, the execution feels conventional. The pacing is inconsistent; long stretches of internal monologue are followed by a rushed climax that feels unearned. The characters lack the depth needed to make the "twist" truly impactful. It’s an okay choice if you’ve exhausted your TBR pile, but ultimately, it’s a forgettable addition to the genre.
Profile Image for Lark _thebookchamber.
571 reviews66 followers
July 10, 2024
This one was so bingeable.. is that a word? No? Oh well 🤪
I loved this story and loved that it was able to have me hooked RIGHT away! I loved the twists and turns, and while it wasn’t action packed, I felt like it was just the right amount of surprise! The epilogue had me at a loss for words because I was not expecting THAT! This is my second book from this author and I’m coming to realize that she is going to be a favorite for my thriller needs! 💖
Profile Image for Robin Lacey📚.
88 reviews2 followers
January 14, 2026
it wasn’t completely terrible, could have been a lot better if the characters had depth. I felt the ending was strung together last minute
Profile Image for Jocelyne LeBlanc.
22 reviews
January 5, 2026
Wasn't sure about reading this book. but very happy I did. if you like a little suspense/somewhat detective you'll like this one. It kept me trying to guess the ending but I love a Twist!!
Profile Image for Gianna Coraluzzi.
207 reviews
December 24, 2025
For a book with 4 stars i had higher expectations.

The writing was repetitive, the characters are 20’s & 30’s but are in a world where its more plausible as late 20’s/early 30’s & 40’s-50’s.

The story was predictable & the twist did not have a big impact
Displaying 1 - 30 of 271 reviews

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