The Husband: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller

by Darren O'Sullivan

286 pages, Paperback

Published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! Fast paced and kept changing my thoughts on what happened throughout

[Jessica Vacchiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟
If you’re looking for a book that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat; you’ve come to the right place.

[Jessica Huntley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! It's nice to read a psychological thriller from a male MC perspective. I thought it was going to go a different way from the start but I was wrong. Ha!

The writing drew me in straight away and was easy to read. I did guess one twist but the rest caught me off guard. Brilliantly addictive and binge worthy.

[Andrew Potter-Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me ages to get through this book as I've been a bit of a slump! but the ending was amazing, predictable, but amazing!

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled to get into this book. The sentence structure in the first few pages alone made me put it down for several months. The writing style felt distracting, and I found myself focusing on spotting the next run-on sentence or odd punctuation rather than immersing myself in the story.

I also felt the book was longer than necessary, with 30–50% dragging for me.

That said, I appreciated the twists and turns throughout the story, which offered more than just the final reveal I was expecting. I wish the pacing of the last 25% was consistent throughout as I was fully engaged once I reached that part of the book.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I make no secret of the fact that I am a big fan of this author and, where this book might not have ht the heady heights of some of his previous offerings, it was a thoroughly decent read nonetheless. I think some of this might be due to the fact that it was originally published as an Audiobook only and could have lost something in the translation to page. If I ever get hold of a copy to have a listen to, I'll let you know...
We start with a man getting home early from a night shift only to find his baby daughter alone in the house and crying hungry. His wife is nowhere to be seen. After seeing to the baby he calls the police to report her as missing and, during the initial conversation with them, start to remember other weird things he found on returning home that he initially thought nothing of.
And so begins a tale that had me both interested and intrigued, as well as, on occasion, also rolling my eyes. It was a bit of a slow burn initially, occasionally painfully slow and I fear that some readers may fall by the wayside if they weren't already familiar with the author and his skills. The final furlong however goes at such a gallop that I really did have to rein myself in as I finished the book. I was also a wee bit predictable, and unbelievable, but it was also fun, so there's that! Depends on how forgiving you are as a reader I guess.
One thing that did stand out to me as being not as strong as his previous books was the cast. None of whom I really cared enough about. Not sure why this is, can't put my finger on any specific reason. Apart from maybe the audiobook transfer thing already mentioned, which isn't really helpful in a review, but here we are!
All in all, as already mentioned, not his strongest but it's a worthy addition to an already well stacked back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Joanne Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darren O’Sullivan’s The Husband plunges readers into a psychological thriller that grips you from the first line and refuses to let go. The story starts with a jarring and deeply unsettling moment: a devoted husband and father returns home late at night to find his infant daughter crying in her crib—completely abandoned. His wife, Em, has vanished without explanation, shattering their seemingly happy marriage and leaving behind only questions.

The suffocating heatwave serves as a perfect metaphor for the protagonist’s growing sense of dread and suffocation as he delves into Em’s disappearance. With each passing moment, the narrative peels back the layers of their relationship, exposing buried secrets, unspoken truths, and the cracks that had been hidden beneath their happy facade.

Told from the husband’s perspective, the book captures his emotional turmoil with raw intensity. The baby’s cries are a haunting backdrop, symbolizing the stakes and the fragility of the life he thought he knew. O’Sullivan masterfully blurs the lines between love, trust, and betrayal, leaving readers questioning how well we truly know the people closest to us.

The pacing is relentless, with twists that will leave your jaw on the floor. Fans of Lisa Jewell and K. L. Slater will appreciate the novel’s intricate plotting and its blend of domestic suspense with psychological depth. The husband’s desperate search for answers builds to a stunning conclusion that will linger long after the final page.

The Husband is a dark, gripping exploration of trust, love, and how quickly life can unravel. A must-read for thriller enthusiasts looking for a story that will keep them guessing until the very end.

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced twisted thriller
Rob comes home one night and finds his wife Em is missing and his baby daughter Sophie, is all alone at home. He and his wife are having differences and they are having difficulty in their lives after the birth of their daughter. But Rob believes that it can be handled.
But his wife is missing.
Slowly the things go out of proportion as Rob slowly starts discovering other facets of Em’s life and tries to uncover what had happened to his wife.
His in-laws who come from money had not been impressed with him. Even the police do not believe Rob and think that he is in some way responsible for his wife’s disappearance.
Few locals come to help Rob in his efforts and social media and some inappropriate pictures make things worse in his search for his wife. The money situation in his life is also dwindling and he has to handle that too.
Will Rob be able to find what happened to his wife? Or does he actually have something to do with it?
The story is mostly told from Rob's point of view, occasionally shifting to Em’s past through her diary entries.
Fast paced twisted thriller-mystery Good read.

[Crystal Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley, but my thoughts and opinions are my own.


This thriller is undeniably entertaining, drawing me in with its captivating plot. Although the final outcome didn’t completely surprise me, I found the manner in which the murder was executed to be exceptionally intriguing, weaving a web of curiosity that kept me turning the pages. For the majority of the book, suspense hung in the air, creating an engaging atmosphere that held my interest. However, one notable drawback was the noticeable repetition throughout the narrative, which detracted from an otherwise compelling reading experience.

[Frank Pelletier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a read! I could not put "The Husband" down. Darren O'Sullivan knows how to write a thriller that keeps you hooked. The story gets wild pretty quickly, and just when you think you know what's going on, everything changes.
I stayed up way too late reading this one because I had to know what happened next. If you're good at picking up clues, you might figure out who the culprit is a bit earlier than intended - but honestly, it doesn't take away from the excitement at all. The ending was still totally worth it! If you're looking for a book that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, grab this one. You won't regret it.

[Wendy Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Darren O'Sullivan and he is an author who I automatically buy when a new book comes out. I know I’ll get a great thriller with a twist, a good storyline that deceived and a conclusion that is satisfying.

I’d say this book is a slow burn but being a psychological thriller I’d expect nothing else so found it worked well with the progression of the story and found each chapter pulled me into the story of Rob, Emma and Sophie which had a mix of intrigue which made me want to read to see what would happen right from the beginning and an intricate plot that weaves doubts and keeps you guessing. A brilliant read that really pulled me into the story.

[Heidi Lengenfelder · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "The Husband" by Darren O'Sullivan, Rob returns home from a night shift to find his baby daughter crying and his wife, Em, missing. As he searches for her, he uncovers unsettling secrets about Em's life and their marriage. The story delves into Rob's emotional turmoil and the unraveling of their seemingly happy life, with twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thriller was filled with lots of twists and turns that you don’t see coming.

With his wife missing, the husband is looked upon for why she is missing. The media takes hold of this and stories run wild about what has happened.

The husband feels lost, feels the need to find his wife and feels sleep deprived from caring for the baby to needing to stay awake in case the wife comes home.

The ending throws you, with the incident which makes you shake in fear.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a book by Darren O'Sullivan. You can always guarantee that he will grab you, make you trust no one and then just throw a curveball in the home stretch!

I really enjoyed following the story of Rob, Emma and Sophie. The intrigue built from the start of trying to work it out had me keep turning the pages, until obviously life with a 2 year old got in the way.

I don't think I trusted one person in this book at any time. Didn't know what would turn up next. Another fab book!

[Robin Schiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was a thriller based on a missing wife. Altho the book started out slow it did get much more interesting. It was a bit confusing tho how the chapters kept changing points of view and the continual flashbacks You couldn't always tell how they were connected.

The story did build and ended up with a satisfying conclusion. At one point I was sure I knew the conclusion to the mystery but I was wrong.

[karin whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob and Emma (Em) have the perfect happy marriage. Rob comes home from work early to hear their six month old daughter, Sophia screaming and his wife, Em, gone. He checks the house thoroughly, she is nowhere. He checks outside, thinking maybe she steppe outside for a cigarette, gone. A fast paced story, great characters, even Em, though we don't read her in " Person." A twist, and another twist and the final twist? Wow!!! Didn't see that coming!

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Husband by Darren O’Sullivan was a fast [aced psychological thriller that will have you gripped from the beginning till the very end. The=is book was so good I ended up reading it in one sitting, I loved it, especially as it was a roller coaster ride that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

It was an excellent book and I highly recommend The Husband. Great holiday read.

[AngelaC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A missing wife, a distraught husband, a marriage going through a difficult patch after the birth of a first child - the stage is set.
I had worked out the plot several chapters in advance of an ending that I thought let the book down. It was a bit silly, to be honest, whereas the rest of the book was well-crafted. However, as a thriller, it was eminently readable.

[Latoya Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a faster-paced story with a more thrilling turnout of the villain that would leave a greater impact, yet those were just my expectations.

Overall, the book was well-written, a heart-felt depiction of a father's profound love for his child/daughter, and an interesting read that held my attention until the end.

[Denise Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rob comes home from work in the middle of the night to find his wife, Emma gone and their baby daughter crying, alone in the house. He can’t find his wife. He soon finds out he didn’t really know her at all. This was a fast paced book and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

[Brittany Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was a pretty decent book. It was a little slow for the first half, and then I kind of had a feeling I knew who was responsible, which made it feel a little predictable. But overall, a pretty decent read. I give it a 3.5/5

[Chris Meiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very suspenseful. Awesome twist! Loved it!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good although v stressful. Guessed the twist before it happened, but love the secret WLW storyline that isn't usually a thing in mainstream books

[LANN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Wonder why there are two separate options for author reviews? The one with B.B as an additional author has higher rating and more reviews. Anyways, worth the read.

[Saz Anjum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fast paced enough and you wanted to read more - the villain wasn’t straight forwardly obvious but it didn’t take long to figure it out

[Kat King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book! fast paced and my first instinct on “who” from the beginning was exactly right!

[Mark A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good story. Great ending

[Rebekah Kilby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Guessed the twist 😂

[Jessica Sabec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too slow. Way way too slow . Twisty enough but too delayed

[Nikki Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow starter but picked up pace towards the end