Someone Else's Husband

by Kimberly McCreight

New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight delivers a tour de force of character-driven the story of two women whose secrets and desires entrap them in a deadly love triangle.

You had to rely on the power of love. That he loved you enough not to do the thing that would break your heart.

It was paper-thin ice on which to stake your survival.

Gretchen Falk, a Park Avenue sophisticate born into great wealth and blessed with a storybook marriage, knows she lives a charmed life, and she’s not about to risk losing any part of it. That’s why she tried to convince Richard, her devoted husband and father to their three children, not to join his old college friends on an expedition almost eight thousand miles away, to the imposing peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. Little did she know the beautiful artist climbing alongside him might prove the far greater danger.

Frankie Callahan’s dream of artistic success is within reach, with her career-making exhibition at a celebrated New York gallery only weeks away. If all goes well, the show will leave her financially independent, free of the tainted money that ties her to a past—and a man—she’s desperate to escape. To mark the end of this chapter, she is going to climb Kilimanjaro. But when she learns she’s the sole female accompanying a group of male friends, Frankie realizes that nothing about the trip will be as she expected. She certainly hasn’t counted on meeting anyone like the very charismatic, very rich, very married Richard Falk. By the time the group descends—with one fewer than when they began—they have lost more than they ever could have imagined.

Now, just two weeks after returning to New York, Frankie is dead, her East Village loft a blood-soaked crime scene. When Richard is charged in Frankie’s death, it falls to Gretchen to piece together how the life she so carefully constructed could have imploded so completely. There are only two things Gretchen knows for she’s the only woman Richard has ever loved, and he would never hurt anyone.

Someone Else’s Husband is the sweeping and suspenseful story of two women on a collision course with love—and with each other—in which no one is right and everyone is very, very wrong.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary, Thriller Suspense

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 16, 2026

About the author

Kimberly McCreight is the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels including RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA, A GOOD MARRIAGE and LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER. SOMEONE ELSE'S HUSBAND is forthcoming from Knopf June 16, 2026. She has been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony and Alex awards and her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and optioned for film and television. She attended Vassar College and graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She lives in Brooklyn. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook and at kimberlymccreight.com

Reviews

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic character driven mystery that once got going was impossible to put down!

Gretchen’s husband, Richard, has just been arrested for another woman’s murder. Gretchen is completely blindsided and refuses to believe that her husband would have an affair, much less murder somebody. She begins to dig into Richard’s relationship with the victim. The victim, Frankie, had met Richard when they both were assigned to the same tour group to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. The details of this trip are shown from Frankie‘s point of view.

The novel explores the relationship between Gretchen and her husband as well as Frankie and “someone else’s husband”. The crime itself, while prevalent, takes a backseat and focuses more on the character aspect.

This was a slow-burn, character-driven mystery. I think with so many books, there is a reliance upon jaw dropping twists and OTT endings. This did not rely on any of that and made for just a really good, realistic read. I didn’t realize I missed those kinds of novels until I read this one.

I have read the other previously and enjoyed her novels, and this one is no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 ⭐️

Someone Else's Husband by Kimberly McCreight is a slow-burn, twisty mystery that had me constantly shifting my suspicions.

The story revolves around two total opposites: Gretchen, a meticulously composed Park Avenue elite, and Frankie, a free-spirited artist. Their worlds collide when Frankie ends up as the only woman on a guys' trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with Gretchen’s husband, Richard. When Frankie is later found murdered and Richard is arrested for the crime, both women's hidden secrets are forced into the light.

Because it's told through dual POVs, you get a closer look at both women. They are both deeply flawed, but McCreight makes them so easy to empathize with that it makes their messy drama incredibly compelling to read. Plus, with the story interspersed with grand jury transcripts and anonymous journal entries you are constantly sorting through the puzzle pieces. Frankie is guarding plenty of her own past secrets, and this mixed-media structure ensures you never really know who to trust or what actually happened.

Deep down, this is a character-driven story about hidden heartbreak and finding a way forward. The tension builds perfectly, leading to a final showdown where all the secrets crash together flawlessly and watching all of those puzzle pieces finally click into place is incredibly satisfying. Anyone who loves messy domestic drama will definitely want to pick this up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Reisa Bolog · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this as an Arc because I liked another of her books. But this story did not catch my attention. It was so drawn out and so many unnecessary details. I feel like if the author just went with the Kilimanjaro story, it would have been much better. Way too long and the chapters were extremely long winded.

[Corinne Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of twists & turns and red herrings scatterred throughtout that kept me guessing. This was a slow burn character-driven story where you had a lot of characters to keep up with. When one of those characters is murdered, we get a whodunnit. It starts right off the bat with a knock on the door of Richard & Gretchen’s NYC apartment in the middle of the night with a warrant to search their home. Both are totally caught off-guard and have no clue as to what’s going on. Midway through the book, I found it to drag a bit, but it was overall an entertaining read. If you like whodunnits, wealthy people drama, then this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley & Knopf for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Trisha]

I love this author! Can't wait to read this!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Adina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf publishing & Kimberly McCreight for this digital ARC.

Someone Else’s Husband is a smart, twisty thriller that kept me guessing from start to finish. Kimberly McCreight did an excellent job scattering red herrings throughout the story - just when I thought I had the killer figured out, another clue or character detail sent me in a completely different direction. I love when a book keeps me on my toes like that. The pacing is tight, the tension builds steadily, and the final twist was absolutely worth the ride. It landed in that perfect sweet spot of surprising yet believable, the kind of reveal that makes you rethink everything that came before it. Overall, this was a gripping, well‑crafted thriller with plenty of misdirection and a payoff that delivers.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars

This one didn’t suck me in and the subject matter didn't interest me like I thought it would. I also found the plot and "whodunnit" of it all to be predictable. The details of the ending seemed pretty far fetched… and I didn’t find myself caring about the characters at all (Gretchen was especially insufferable to me).

I think that Kimberly McCreight is a great author and her books are well written- this one just turned out to be a miss for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this arc!

[Ashley Landry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars Thanks netgalley for the ARC read!

So this was very promising in the beginning but about midway we started dragging.. I definitely feel like it could've been shorter and not soo drawn out just to get to the point. The concept was great though!

[Emily Carnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A back and forth timeline from dual points of view, the author had me staying up past my bedtime to see what happened next.

I like how there were breadcrumbs of the mystery throughout the whole book. It kept my interest the whole time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for the advanced copy of this book.

[Keri Gilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you ever put on a movie while you’re doing other things, and it’s just playing in the background… until you realize you have no idea what’s going on and you actually need to sit down and pay attention? That’s exactly what happened to me with this book.

I was reading two books at the same time, and I quickly realized this one needed my full attention.

It’s told in dual POV and across multiple timelines, so you really have to keep up or you’ll get lost. Trust me.

The chapters were a little longer than what I usually prefer, but it wasn’t too bad. What I did struggle with was connecting to the characters, and I’m not entirely sure why.

The story itself was interesting. It follows Gretchen, who is married to Richard, a Goldman Sachs executive, and living that polished New York socialite life. Then there’s Frankie, the other woman. The story moves between Gretchen and Frankie’s perspectives as Gretchen starts to realize her life may not be as perfect as she thought. With Richard’s arrest for the supposed murder of Frankie, we get court testimony, police interviews, and even diary entries woven into the story.

This really turns into a full-on whodunit. I want to say I was surprised by the outcome, but I wasn’t. I started to piece things together as I was reading.

Overall, this was a 3.5⭐ read for me. It was good, but not great.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher & the author for sending me an ARC to review.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renowned New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight artfully blends high-end literary fiction with the tense elements of a legal thriller in her gripping narrative in SOMEONE ELSE'S HUSBAND.

Two women, each harboring hidden truths and fervent desires, whose lives become dangerously intertwined within a complex legal framework. As they navigate the repercussions of their pasts, they become ensnared in a perilous love triangle that challenges not only their ethical boundaries but also the very foundation of their identities.

Through intricate character development and a profound exploration of morality and justice, McCreight weaves a tale that unfolds with unexpected twists, ultimately revealing the delicate balance between ambition, betrayal, and the pursuit of truth.

PARALLEL LIVES COLLIDE IN A DEADLY PSYCHOLOGICAL LOVE TRIANGLE
When Meticulously Curated Worlds Smash into Reckless, Fatal Desires. Two Complex Women Entrapped in a Toxic Web of Wealth and Deception.

Elevator Pitch
When a wealthy Park Avenue socialite tries to stop her husband from joining his college friends on an expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro, she cannot predict that the only woman on the trek—a striking, rising artist trying to outrun her own past—will alter their lives forever.

Intro: This exquisite literary thriller delivers a masterclass in domestic deception, mapping the collision course of two complex women entrapped in a toxic web of wealth, secrets, and a deadly love triangle.

Vibe:
High-end, slow-burn literary suspense that trades cheap shock value for razor-sharp social commentary and devastating emotional nuance.

The Vibe Check
~Dueling Narrators:
~Atmospheric Vertigo:
~Domestic Deception:
~Slow-Ramping Dread:

FROM THE KILIMANJARO PEAKS TO A BLOOD-SOAKED SOHO LOFT
"Where Savage Terrain Mirrors the Dangerous Unraveling of Manhattan’s Elite."

Setting: Shifting between the pristine, high-society drawing rooms of Park Avenue, Manhattan, the raw, claustrophobic vertigo of a treacherous expedition on Mount Kilimanjaro, and a blood-soaked East Village artist loft.

Genre: High-End Literary Suspense / Psychological & Legal Thriller

AN UNFLINCHING LOOK AT FAULTY TRUTHS AND FORBIDDEN LOYALTIES
"Discovering That True Safety is an Illusion When Your Life is Built on Lies. Where No One is Entirely Innocent, and Everyone Has Something to Hide."

Standout Characters:

~Gretchen Falk: A refined Park Avenue sophisticate born into great wealth, fiercely protective of her storybook marriage and pristine societal standing.

~Frankie: A striking, independent artist desperate to escape a tainted past, whose pursuit of financial freedom leads her into a fatal web of wealthy men.

~Richard Falk: Gretchen's charismatic, ultra-rich husband, whose hidden desires and reckless choices spark a catastrophic chain reaction.

Themes: Structural rot behind wealthy facades; the dangerous shapes of forbidden love; systemic female vulnerability vs. raw rage; the paralyzing weight of self-deception; and the transactional nature of high-society marriages.

Author Writing Standout: The legal background of author Kimberly McCreight shines through her incredibly disciplined, analytical prose. She handles complex multi-perspective pacing with extraordinary grace. Rather than relying on unreliable narrator gimmicks, she balances the human capacity for self-deception with an evocative atmosphere. McCreight constructs fully realized, flawed female protagonists whose raw rage and deep-seated vulnerabilities command center stage throughout the entire mystery.

Title Significance: Someone Else's Husband strips away the surface romanticism of infidelity to expose the grim, dangerous reality of loving someone who legally, socially, and emotionally belongs to another narrative—ultimately showing how ownership over people breeds destruction.

Why You Should Read: If you crave rich, character-driven mysteries like Reconstructing Amelia that completely bypass generic popcorn thriller tropes, favoring structural elegance, psychological depth, and meticulously earned plot twists instead.

Takeaway: True safety is an illusion when your entire life is constructed on a foundation of meticulously curated lies and unacknowledged betrayals

My Thoughts:
SOMEONE ELSE'S HUSBAND is an absolute masterclass in character-driven psychological suspense. Published by Knopf, this book effortlessly elevates domestic thriller structures into the high-end literary fiction they are known for (and a favorite genre of mine).

The structural use of Kilimanjaro as an emotional and physical crucible is brilliant. It exposes the moral decay of its characters before bringing the reader back to the cold reality of a New York police station. The ending is both shocking and meticulously earned, cementing McCreight's status as a top-tier voice in legal and psychological thrillers. The author is known for constructing deeply flawed female protagonists whose raw vulnerabilities command center stage.

Verdict 5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An absolute tour de force! A definitive 5-Star for connoisseurs of top-tier psychological suspense.

Recs: Pair it with the meticulous legal tension of A Good Marriage or the complex domestic unravelling found in Like Mother, Like Daughter.

Audio Standout: I am looking forward to listening to the audiobooks narrated by an all-star cast and some of my favorites: Elena Rey, Annette Amelia Oliveira, Samantha Desz, Jonathan Todd Ross, Dan Bittner, Will Damron, Leanne Woodward, Chris Andrew Ciulla, George Newbern, Giordan Diaz, Max Meyers, Jane Oppenheimer, and Kristen DiMercurio.

Special thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: June 16, 2026
June 2026 Must-Read Books

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone Else's Husband by Kimberly McCreight

Gretchen Falk has it all, has always had it all. Born to wealth that she has no worries about losing, she went for the man she loved rather than a man that fit into the plans of her high society and judgmental parents. But, her husband, Richard, wanted to earn his keep so he worked hard to become a success in his own right. Likeable, easy going, a hard worker, a great father, Richard is a husband that Gretchen will do anything to keep so even when she notices things that make her question Richard's loyalty, she does her best to ignore what she sees so as not to rock the boat and press issues she might not want to face. Actually, she does this with their three children, too, allowing them to follow paths that aren't so good, thinking that is a kindness rather than making their lives even more difficult.

But now Gretchen is finding she can't just stand by and ignore the signs she is seeing. Richard had gone on an expedition to climb Kilimanjaro with his college friends and when she sees the light in his eyes on their video calls and finds out a woman, Frankie, was on the climb, too, Gretchen is sure that the woman is distracting Richard in ways that Gretchen fears. Feelings are complicated when one of Richard's long time friends dies on the climb so it's more difficult to discern where Richard's thoughts lie when he gets home.

The story opens about two weeks after the trip and with Richard being arrested for the very recent murder of Frankie. We then see events as the timeline goes back and forth between past and present and this way of showing us the past made the story even more intriguing to me. We also get to sit in on police investigations, attorney meetings, and read grand jury transcripts and learn more about everybody in bits and pieces. I love that I was surprised towards the end of the book because I read so many mystery/thrillers that I don't often get fooled by a story.

There are a lot of characters but I mostly kept track of them fairly easily. The main characters would have been better off making different choices in their lives but each of them have outside forces (often parents) that cause them to act or act out in ways that aren't in their best interests. It's easy to judge the characters and I think all of them might benefit from making fewer excuses and picking the harder choices in life (see, there I go judging again).

Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf and NetGalley for this ARC

[Jayme C ( off until Monday!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gretchen Falk, wasn’t thrilled when Richard, her devoted husband and father to their three children, wanted to join his old college friends on an expedition almost eight thousand miles away. This year, on their annual “men’s trip” they planned to climb the imposing peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Little did she know that Frankie Callahan, the beautiful artist and only female climbing alongside the men, just might prove to be the far greater danger.

Frankie Callahan is celebrating her upcoming exhibition at a celebrated New York gallery by climbing Kilimanjaro. If all goes well, the show will leave her financially independent, and hopefully free of the hush money she took from a man in her past-A powerful man who had her screaming silently the night he assaulted her and has kept her silently screaming ever since.

She had not counted on meeting anyone as charismatic as the very married Richard Falk….

And, she could have never imagined that by the time the group descends—that they would do so with one fewer than when they began—

Now, just two weeks after returning to New York, Frankie is also dead, and her East Village loft is a blood-soaked crime scene.

When Richard is charged in Frankie’s death, it falls to Gretchen to piece together what really happened-both on the Summit and in the loft- if she is to preserve the home life she has so carefully built over the years.

This multi-layered mystery began a bit slowly as it set up-probably because of the LONG CHAPTERS, as opposed to books with short, punchy chapters which always keep the pace of a story moving along more quickly-

BUT patience paid off, and I soon found myself HOOKED and unwilling to set the book down!

The story unfolds from the alternating POV’s of both women, with chapters from a STALKER- peppered throughout.

GRETCHEN’s chapters are told from the time period AFTER the death of Frankie often with Richard Falk’s Police Interview transcripts following her chapters.

FRANKIE’s chapters from BEFORE her death give us insight into what happened on the CLIMB, and in the days after she returned home and were occasionally followed by Grand Jury Transcripts.

If you are tired of twists that come out of left field and crave a more plausible mystery to keep you up at night-you can pick this book up on June 16, 2026.

Check out DeAnn’s review to see if she enjoyed it too!

Thank You to Knopf for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

[Emma (thrilledtoreadya) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone Else’s Husband follows Gretchen, a New York City socialite whose seemingly perfect life unravels overnight when her husband Richard is arrested for the murder of another woman. As she starts digging into what really happened, especially during the Mount Kilimanjaro trip where he met Frankie (the victim), the story slowly reveals just how much she didn’t know.

This is definitely a slower burn, but in the best way. The mystery is there, but it takes a backseat to the characters and their relationships, which are what made this feel so compelling and real. It’s an insightful look at marriage and human relationships, especially in terms of what it means to truly know someone, how easily secrets can build over time, and how trauma informs the way we bond with others.

I loved how layered both Gretchen and Frankie were. No one is perfect, and the story purposefully makes sure we know that as it is told to us through their POVs. Watching them come to terms with the cracks in their lives and their own deficiencies was one of the most interesting parts, and how well done their internal struggles and introspection is really highlights how character-driven this novel is.

Mixed media in a book is always a win for me, so I loved the police interviews woven throughout. Trying to piece everything together alongside the investigation kept me hooked, and I’ll be honest, it’s not easy to trick me, but this one definitely did with some of the twists.

I really appreciated the contrast in settings. Moving between New York City and Mount Kilimanjaro added such a unique layer. The polished, high-society NYC life vs. the intensity of the climb made the stakes feel even more heightened.

I also loved reading the acknowledgements and finding out that Kimberly McCreight is not just an incredible author, but also a mountain climber! It makes the Kilimanjaro sections feel even more immersive knowing that real experience is behind them.

Overall, this is a smart, emotionally driven thriller that builds tension quietly but effectively and is truly stunning character work. If you love thrillers that feel grounded and character-focused, you will definitely enjoy this one!

[Jennifer B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book review 📖

📜Someone Else’s Husband
✍️Kimberly McCreight
📠Knopf
📚Mystery/ Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: June 16, 2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @aaknopf for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the publisher:

Gretchen Falk, a Park Avenue sophisticate, knows she lives a charmed life, and she’s not about to risk losing any part of it. That’s why she tried to convince Richard, her devoted husband and the father to their three children, not to join his old college friends on an expedition to the imposing peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. Little did she know that the beautiful artist climbing alongside him might prove the far greater danger.

Frankie Callahan’s dream of artistic success is within reach, with her career-making exhibition at a celebrated New York gallery. If all goes well, the show will leave her financially independent. To mark this new beginning, she is going to climb Kilimanjaro. But when she learns she’s the sole female accompanying a group of male friends, Frankie realizes that nothing about the trip will be as she expected. By the time they descend—with one fewer in their group than when they began—they have lost more than they ever could have imagined.  

Now, less than two weeks after their return to New York, Frankie’s East Village loft is a blood-soaked crime scene, and Richard has been charged with her murder. There are only two things Gretchen knows for sure: she’s the only woman Richard has ever loved, and he would never hurt anyone. 

Thoughts:

This was a unique and suspenseful thriller with differing timelines and told from multiple POVs. Things got a little dragged out in the middle parts, and I felt like the timelines were a little choppy and hard to follow, but I was invested and anticipating the smoking gun.
This is my second book by McCreight and I love her writing style and how she crafts her books to make them feel like a breath of fresh air.
This one will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.

#netgalley #advancedreadercopy #someoneelseshusband #kimberlymccreight

[Collyn Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

read if you like:
🤷‍♀️ whodunnits
💰 wealthy families
📍 africa

summary:
Kimberly McCreight is an incredible storyteller - if you haven’t read FRIENDS LIKE THESE or A GOOD MARRIAGE, I highly recommend! Her latest, SOMEONE ELSES HUSBAND, is a gripping story of a missing woman, a seemingly guilty man, and a family searching for answers.

It follows Gretchen Falk, a wealthy New York City socialite with a seemingly perfect life, who is married to Richard, an executive at Goldman Sachs. When Richard and his college friends head to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Gretchen thinks nothing of it — until after their return, the police show up at their house. One of their fellow hikers, a young woman named Frankie Callahan, has died under mysterious circumstances, and Richard has become the prime suspect. As she navigates the chaos around her husband’s arrest, Gretchen is forced to ask herself — what does she really know about Richard and his friends, and what truths has she avoided?

The book is told from both Gretchen and Frankie’s perspectives, both before and after the murder, giving an intimate POV of their mindsets and their relationships with Richard. There are several complex character dynamics between the family and their friends that add to the tension between loyalty and suspicion of who you thought you knew. It explores themes of grief, resilience, and betrayal, and how women of different ages and social classes navigate their vulnerabilities. The suspense builds throughout the story in an authentic way, with several red herrings to throw you off course. While the ending wasn’t my favorite, it was satisfying and complete without feeling over the top.

Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the advanced copy, and make sure you preorder this before it releases on June 15!

[Vito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addictive and mysterious, this dual POV and timeline from Kimberly McCreight will keep you (mostly) guessing until the last page.

“Someone Else’s Husband” follows Gretchen and Frankie, connected by their relationship with the titular “husband,” Richard, with the former married to him and the latter in a mysterious relationship with him. Gretchen is there when her husband is taken into custody for the murder of Frankie, who Richard befriended on an all-boys (and one girl) trip to Tanzania to climb Mount. Kilimanjaro. Over the course of the novel, Gretchen spirals trying to figure out what happened between the two. Elsewhere, we are in the past with Frankie, both on the mountain and days before her murder. This dual perspective and timeline works here, the tapestry becoming clearer as Frankie’s timeline inches closer to present day (and Gretchen works backwards as a cos play-detective.) I could feel how desperate these two women were, with Frankie not only struggling with her growing friendship (or something more) with Richard as well as the mysterious texts and stalker over her shoulder. There’s something similar happening with Gretchen but the stakes felt greater for Frankie.

It’s not perfect, though. Besides the lull in the middle, the over-explanation of Mount Kilimanjaro, the author also leaves one key element out of reach until very late in the game that lets the cat out of the bag, all but spoiling how this one ends. I won’t reveal it here but as soon as more details around the crime become more clear (or murky in this case), despite how firm detectives are in the beginning, you kind of know where you’re heading. I’m glad, ultimately, given the circumstances. But damn me and my thriller genre jadedness, though!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for the ARC.

[Heather Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Someone Else's Husband" was a unique and riveting read that kept me guessing throughout. Gretchen and Richard have been seemingly happily married for years. Their three children are now adults, and the married couple live a glamorous life full of wealth and privilege in NYC. Richard embarks on an annual "adventure trip" with a group of his college buddies, a hiking trip to summit Kilimanjaro. An unexpected addition to that group is Frankie, a beautiful and charismatic artist who also lives in the city. Frankie and Richard feel an instant connection on the trip, and when an unexpected tragedy occurs on the mountain, they cling to each other, bonded by the trauma.

Shortly after the group returns to NYC, tragedy strikes yet again. A violent attack occurs at Frankie's home, and Richard is arrested for the crime. Gretchen is struggling to understand what actually occurred, and how her husband could be responsible. She vacillates between wanting to support her husband, while also trying to figure out who else could have wanted to hurt Frankie.

Alternating between both Gretchen and Frankie's point-of-view, we see that Frankie herself has a lot of skeletons hidden in her closet. Skeletons that may have been about to start tumbling out. Eager to control the narrative, could Frankie herself have taken desperate measures in order to conceal her past?

A unique storyline that had me genuinely curious to figure out how it was all interwoven, this was a quick read for me. While some parts were a bit slower, it did not keep me from being surprised, and even a little shocked, when some of the reveals were ultimately made. Twisty, unpredictable, and engaging, McCreight's works always leave me satisfied in the end. Being released in June 2026, this would make a great summer read for you booklovers! Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Boys’ Trip Stars

Richard Falk is going on his annual trip with his old friends, a hike up Mount Kilimanjaro. They are joined by a single woman on the trip, none of them knew before, artist Frankie Callahan. Richard’s wife, Gretchen, lives a charmed life with a Park Avenue address and the wealth to back it up. She tries to talk Richard out of the trip, but she’s unsuccessful.

We get to know the other men on the trip a bit, and we get alternating chapters of the Kilimanjaro trip while we are back in present-day New York. We soon learn that Frankie is dead, and much of the rest of the book is the hunt for the truth of what happened to her.

We get to know Frankie quite well as she recounts her time on the hike, and it's hard to realize that she didn’t have long to live. She’s drawn to Richard, and they develop a bond. There’s a tragedy on the hike to process as well.

Gretchen’s character is also explored, and she struggles with the possibility that something may have happened between Richard and Frankie during the hike. When Richard is shockingly arrested for the crime, the family pulls together and comes to Richard’s defense. Gretchen does her best to find out what happened.

There are also some brief sections by an unnamed character that add a sinister element to the story. I kept wondering who the author of these entries was and how that connected to the story. We also get transcripts from the grand jury trial and police interviews.

This storytelling style kept my interest throughout and kept me guessing! I enjoyed this one, my third read from this author.

Be sure to check out Jayme's review to see if she enjoyed it as well.

My thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. Scheduled to publish on 6.16.2026.

[Cordelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

SYNOPSIS
-Gretchen and Richard seem to have the perfect NYC life. Wealth, stability, long marriage, three kids.
-Richard goes on a guys trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Frankie, a beautiful & talented artist, ends up as the only woman in the group.
-Something happens on that mountain. When they come back, nothing feels the same.
-Days later, Richard gets arrested & charged with murdering Frankie when they all returned to New York.
-Gretchen is left trying to figure out who this woman is… and whether she ever really knew her husband at all.
⸻
MY THOUGHTS
-Kimberly McCreight is officially a favorite. I’ve read Like Mother, Like Daughter (5⭐️), Reconstructing Amelia (5⭐️), and now this. She just doesn’t miss.
-The structure here is so good. Multiple POVs (mainly Gretchen & Frankie), plus shifting timelines, plus grand jury transcripts, plus those anonymous journal entries.
-The Kilimanjaro chapters were great. They felt tense and atmospheric, like something bad was always just around the corner.
-This is a true character-driven thriller. The suspense builds through people and relationships, not just plot twists.
-The pacing is fast. I flew through this.
-I loved getting both Gretchen and Frankie’s perspectives. Neither is perfect. Both feel real. You understand them even when they make questionable choices.
-The character development is strong across the board.
-The mystery was really intriguing & executed well.
-Satisfying ending.
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TL;DR: 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rich people drama + mountain trip + murder. Loved the storytelling and execution.
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THANKS:
Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on June 16, 2026.

[Roslyn Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of Someone Else’s Husband from NetGalley, and as someone who already enjoyed Like Mother, Like Daughter, I was excited to dive into Kimberly McCreight’s newest twisty domestic suspense. She has such a talent for peeling back the shiny layers of seemingly perfect lives, and this book leans all the way into that strength. The story centers on Gretchen Falk, a wealthy Park Avenue wife who believes she has the kind of charmed marriage people envy. When her husband Richard heads off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with old college friends, she worries but not for the reason she should. Enter Frankie Callahan, an artist on the brink of her big break, trying to free herself from a past that still has its claws in her. Their worlds collide on the mountain, and by the time the group descends being one person short everything has shifted. Two weeks later, Frankie is found murdered in her loft, and Richard is charged with the crime. From there, the story becomes a tense unraveling of marriage, loyalty, ambition, and the lies people tell themselves to survive. I loved how this author alternates between Gretchen and Frankie, letting us see how both women are caught in the same storm from very completely different angles. No one is fully innocent in this story, and no one is fully guilty, which makes the tension even sharper. The Kilimanjaro sections were especially gripping as they add a physical danger that mirrors the emotional danger waiting back home. Confession is that I love watching clips of folks climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and it's a goal of mine to do it ! #NETGALLEY #SOMEONEELSE'SHUSBAND

[Rae | The Finer Things Club CA · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘌𝘭𝘴𝘦’𝘴 𝘏𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 is a domestic thriller that begins with socialite Gretchen Falk sitting in a police precinct and waiting for the interview between investigators and her husband Richard to conclude. Their idyllic Upper East Side life—supported by his investment banking job and her old money connections—has been disrupted by a search warrant and suspicions. Five weeks ago, Richard went on a boys’ trip to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and one friend tragically lost his life. Now, another member of their party—young and beautiful artist Frankie Callahan, who was previously unknown to the men—has been brutally killed in her apartment. And Richard is the top suspect for her murder.

I have read and enjoyed other Kimberly McCreight novels before and found this premise intriguing, so I decided to give the book a shot. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. I usually love multiple perspectives in storytelling, but POVs from Gretchen in the present, Frankie on the trip, Frankie in the days leading up to her death, and a mysterious unnamed figure as well as snippets from case files and court transcriptions was overkill for me—the plot just seemed disjointed and unnecessarily convoluted. Further, the characters appeared flat. None of them were all that interesting to me, especially not the group of wealthy males who appeared frequently throughout the novel and spent most of their scenes posturing and bickering with each other. As a result, I felt disconnected from the narrative and uninvested in the characters, so sadly this suspense novel was not particularly suspenseful for me.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone Else’s Husband by Kimberly McCreight is basically what happens when a bougie group trip, questionable decisions, and a whole lot of secrets collide. It’s giving “wellness retreat but make it emotionally catastrophic.”

The premise is already messy in the best way. Love triangle, tragic accident, people lying like it’s cardio. You know from the jump this is not a group of individuals who should be making shared travel plans, let alone life choices. And yet here we are. McCreight leans all the way in, bouncing between timelines and perspectives so you’re constantly rethinking who’s shady. Spoiler alert: kind of everyone.

The relationships are where it really shines, if “shine” is the word for watching people make absolutely chaotic decisions. Marriages are strained, loyalties are flexible, and communication is… not their strength. At multiple points you’ll be like “this could have been solved with one honest conversation,” but then we wouldn’t have a book, so sure, spiral away.

Now, not everything lands perfectly. The timeline hopping can get a little confusing, like trying to follow a story someone’s telling you at a loud brunch in Los Angeles after two mimosas. And there are stretches where it drags just enough that you start side-eyeing the page count.

But overall, it’s a solid, entertaining thriller with enough twists, drama, and bad decisions to keep you hooked. Not a flawless masterpiece, but absolutely worth the read if you enjoy your suspense with a side of “wow, these people are a mess.” Strong 4 stars, and maybe a gentle reminder to trust your instincts… and possibly avoid group trips.

[Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book held so much promise!

Gretchen is awakened in the middle of the night with the cops at her door and her husband accused of murder. The woman "he murdered"? Frankie- a woman he only met a little over a month ago on a climbing expedition. But did he still have contact with her? They were just friends, barely even that, right? Gretchen isn't so sure now that she's finding out her husband's secrets.

Frankie is treating herself to an expensive trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro as a last hurrah before her artwork starts to take off. She isn't expecting to meet Richard, an older, rich, and married man. But meet him she does and she is finding it hard to say goodbye, especially as they experience a disaster on the trip together.

But now Frankie's apartment is covered in blood and Richard is behind bars. He claims he's innocent but he's been caught in a lot of lies recently- is his innocence another lie?

The book changes POVs and has a distorted timeline. Normally I really enjoy those elements, but the chapters were a little wonky in their set up. I would have preferred them to be shorter and less disjointed.

I also found it hard to like any of the characters despite the author's attempt to give them deep backgrounds. (Well, ONE character had a background worth caring about, but I still didn't feel connected to them)

I also thought the twists were... meh? Easy to guess?

All in all, not my favorite from this author who I normally really enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!!

[EmilyAfterDark · Rating 5 out of 5]

When your heart has been blown to pieces, who cares about the precise trajectory of the blast?

Kimberly has just jumped to my list of top authors. This story took me by surprise. The description sounded good, I was looking forward to the read, and the prologue had me HOOKED and each chapter had me craving more. I fell asleep with my kindle in hand for multiple days because I just couldn’t put it down. Every spare minute I had was dedicated to finishing this book!

On its surface, this story seems to be a whodunnit focused on finding the killer of a mistress but it so much more than that. Richard and Gretchen are startled awake in the middle of the night, their house flipped upside down by the police and Richard arrested for the murder of Frankie. Gretchen’s whole world is blown apart as she navigates her own investigation, grasping to understand the depth of her husband’s betrayal and if he is truly capable of murder. We bounce between Gretchen and Frankie’s point of views, sharing their perspectives from pre murder and post murder. There are multiple characters, all who play a critical role and provide sub stories that play in to the overall plot. One of my biggest gripes with a story that has this many layers is when the open ends of the sub plots aren’t closed out but by the end of this read, everything came together BEAUTIFULLY.

KIMMY DID SOOOOO SO SO GOOD. I loved this book & can’t wait to check out more of her work ASAP.

Than you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
— Emily After Dark 🖤

[Carrie Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a thriller that keeps you glued to the page without making your head spin, *Someone Else’s Husband* by Kimberly McCreight might be exactly what you need.

From the very first chapter, McCreight wastes no time. The pacing is fast and the tension is immediate. This is the kind of book you tell yourself you’ll put down after one more chapter, and then suddenly it’s midnight. The suspense is constant but controlled, building naturally rather than feeling manufactured.

What makes it especially effective is that you genuinely can’t get a read on the characters. McCreight does a great job of keeping you guessing about who to trust and who to doubt, which is exactly what a good thriller should do. The cast feels layered enough that their motives stay murky in all the right ways.

The structure is one of the book’s real strengths. The multiple points of view keep things fresh and prevent any single storyline from overstaying its welcome, and the interview segments woven throughout add a clever layer; they create a sense that something has already gone wrong, and you’re piecing together how you got there.

As for the twists, there are enough to satisfy without tipping over into chaos. Some authors pile on so many reveals that you end up disconnected from the story entirely. McCreight shows restraint here, letting each turn land with actual weight rather than just piling on for shock value.

Bottom line: Someone Else’s Husband is a well-crafted, genuinely suspenseful read that delivers on its premise. If you’re a thriller lover, this one belongs on your list.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this one and would probably give it 4.5 stars. Kimberly McCreight is one of my favorite thriller writers, and this one had an interesting premise from the start and the story was more than what I expected it to be.

Gretchen and Richard are a wealthy couple residing in New York City. She grew up with wealth whereas Richard was from the other side of the tracks. From the outside they have an ideal life, three adult children, and a happy marriage. Richard joins several of his friends on a trip to hike Mount Kilimanjaro where their group is joined by Frankie, a solo female traveller. Quickly we see that Frankie and Richard have some chemistry, and we also learn that something terrible happened on this trip. Not long after they return back to New York City, Frankie is murdered and Richard is arrested for her murder.

This is a dual POV novel bouncing between the present timeline of Gretchen navigating the shock of her husband being accused of murder, and a past timeline of Frankie pre- and post trip up until her murder. We don't actually see or hear from Richard except through the eyes of Gretchen and Frankie, which is an interesting way to tell the story. Interspersed with their POV's is some grand jury testimony and another account that isn't fully understood until the end of the novel. While the reader has a pretty good idea of the bad thing that happened on the trip early on in the story, how it relates to the end reveal was a little more surprising to me.

Thank you to Knopf for the opportunity to read and review.

[Cc Readsss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release: June 16, 2026
Author: Kimberly McCreight
Publisher: Knopf

Rating: 4★ 

Thoughts:
Kimberly McCreight delivers a beautifully written, tension-filled thriller with this one. The complex dynamics between Gretchen, Frankie, and Richard kept me on edge as the secrets and motivations of each character slowly unraveled. The emotional rollercoaster of love, betrayal, and the lengths people will go to protect their lives made this a compulsive read. The final twist was shocking and satisfying.

This book suits someone in the mood for something: tense, emotional, reflective
Pace: medium
Plot or Character Driven?: character
Strong Character Development?: yes
Loveable Characters?: it’s complicated
Diverse Cast?: it’s complicated
Are Character Flaws a Main Focus?: yes
Main Themes / Tropes:
love triangle, betrayal, secrets, marriage, revenge, guilt

Synopsis:
Gretchen Falk's perfect life begins to unravel after a tragic expedition on Mount Kilimanjaro, where her husband, Richard, returns without his climbing partner, Frankie. Just weeks later, Frankie’s murder leaves Richard arrested, and Gretchen must confront the terrifying possibility that everything she believed about her marriage—and her life—might be a lie. As secrets and desires surface, Gretchen finds herself on a collision course with Frankie’s past, and a love triangle that may lead to a deadly confrontation.

Favorite Quote:
"you had to rely on the power of love. That he loved you enough not to do the thing that would break your heart."

[Torrie Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

How well can we actually know someone else, even when that person is someone we are married to? And just how far are we willing to go in the name of image, obsession, family, control... any of it? Someone Else's Husband by Kimberly McCreight brings exactly those questions to light, told through the unraveling of two women on opposite sides of a timeline.

A word of caution: if you are someone who needs likeable characters and someone to root for, this isn't your book. The characters here are chaos incarnate, even when they think they have the best of intentions and are doing nothing wrong. That is actually something I loved about this book. Sometimes certain characters feel like they only exist to act as "the likeable one" but McCreight lets her characters just exist as the messy individuals they are.

The story itself is a layered thriller, told in the "before" and the "after" with snips into THE trip- the one that changed everything. This isn't a thriller in the "quick read" sense, as the volume of details and the complexity of the characters dynamics demand focus. Overall, Someone Else's Husband is a competant, entertaining read, and one I think will be most enjoyed by those who like more slow pacing. While not my favorite by this author, it's still one I recommend checking out!

((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchot, & Kimberly McCreight for this complimentary copy.))

[Debbie Viscosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of friends travels to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro. The one addition to the group is an aspiring artist, Frankie Callahan. There is a tragedy on the climb that deeply affects the climbers. Two of the climbers have developed a bond. Frankie and Richard Falk. Richard is captivated by Frankie, but is also a loving husband and father. Weeks after the group's return, Frankie is missing. Her studio is a bloody mess. Richard is a person of interest. Richard's wife, Gretchen, is stunned by the turn her quiet life of privilege has taken. She never thought she would be searching for a lawyer to represent her husband. She believes Richard is innocent and totally incapable of murder.

Twists, turns, more twists, and even more turns. Two women find their lives intertwined. One woman's family is rich but dysfunctional. The other woman was a victim tormented by her past. Each character has a unique part in this mystery/psychological thriller. Kimberly McCreight takes a seemingly straightforward plot and inverts it. Readers will enjoy the revelation of details found as the story progresses. The tension builds to a shocking conclusion. Anyone looking for a book full of surprises will enjoy reading this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced copy!