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Husband for rent
Viktorija is a psychologist. She is working in the office and helps migrants with asylum applications. Her ex-husband Boris tries to keep their connection after the divorce, but she wishes to get rid of him. During the lunch break, Viktorija meets Jamal, a waiter who is a migrant from Algeria, and befriends him. Jamal lives with his family in a rented flat in Croatia. His wife Meriem has health issues.
She becomes jealous because of Jamal’s affairs. Viktorija gets abusive letters in her mailbox, but she can’t discover the sender. Soon someone from Viktorija’s business circle is murdered, and she will find out stunning facts about her colleagues Nina and Tamara. How does it cost the fight for survival?
She becomes jealous because of Jamal’s affairs. Viktorija gets abusive letters in her mailbox, but she can’t discover the sender. Soon someone from Viktorija’s business circle is murdered, and she will find out stunning facts about her colleagues Nina and Tamara. How does it cost the fight for survival?
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2020
1 person is currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Kristina Gallo
33 books134 followersI am a Croatian multi genre indie author.
Adrenaline stories, mysteries and thrillers are my favorite.
If you are a fan of series, I recommend my mystery drama book The Seller of Sins.
Since 2024 I am collaborating with Red Cape Publishing.
My horor thriller " A dream about White Rabbit" got an audio version.
Adrenaline stories, mysteries and thrillers are my favorite.
If you are a fan of series, I recommend my mystery drama book The Seller of Sins.
Since 2024 I am collaborating with Red Cape Publishing.
My horor thriller " A dream about White Rabbit" got an audio version.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 18, 2021
Husband for Rent is a short novella written by Kristina Gallo. I've previously read and enjoyed two of her other novellas. As a Croatian writer, she's writing and translating between two languages, which makes reading the book even more interesting. In this one, a few characters interact between love, murder, and office politics... when someone dies, which of the characters crossed the line?
Gallo created vibrant characters who have an entirely different life from the one I live. By understanding how things happen in a different country, often a mixture of Croatia and other African, Asian, or Eastern European settings, new understandings capture my attention. Among divorce and affairs, men with vengeances, and women who like to take risks, Gallo offers an opportunity to walk someone else's shoes for an hour... and feel a rush of angst and shock.
Viktorija is divorced, but her husband haunts her doorstep. A new man, an Algerian who cheats on his wife, has a crush on her. Three of her colleagues are sort of involved with these men, and there is a strip club where someone's playing games. When one of the colleagues is killed, evidence points to our main character. But is she being honest with us or is she merely a victim of fraud?
The men are often disturbing creatures in Gallo's books. They have several good qualities, but they also cross a line where they become abusive or intolerant. A mix of anger and passion is potentially good, but Gallo likes to push it just over the edge where we want revenge for our main characters. I like the element of danger, but I also like knowing there is security and safety. Viktorija is in the middle, and she tries to be good, but she cannot help herself. This time, she almost gets herself killed.
When it comes together, another body is found, a false arrest is made, and a major showdown at the climax reveals the true killer. A lovely way to spend an afternoon catching up on another writer's works as well as an opportunity to read international literature.
Gallo created vibrant characters who have an entirely different life from the one I live. By understanding how things happen in a different country, often a mixture of Croatia and other African, Asian, or Eastern European settings, new understandings capture my attention. Among divorce and affairs, men with vengeances, and women who like to take risks, Gallo offers an opportunity to walk someone else's shoes for an hour... and feel a rush of angst and shock.
Viktorija is divorced, but her husband haunts her doorstep. A new man, an Algerian who cheats on his wife, has a crush on her. Three of her colleagues are sort of involved with these men, and there is a strip club where someone's playing games. When one of the colleagues is killed, evidence points to our main character. But is she being honest with us or is she merely a victim of fraud?
The men are often disturbing creatures in Gallo's books. They have several good qualities, but they also cross a line where they become abusive or intolerant. A mix of anger and passion is potentially good, but Gallo likes to push it just over the edge where we want revenge for our main characters. I like the element of danger, but I also like knowing there is security and safety. Viktorija is in the middle, and she tries to be good, but she cannot help herself. This time, she almost gets herself killed.
When it comes together, another body is found, a false arrest is made, and a major showdown at the climax reveals the true killer. A lovely way to spend an afternoon catching up on another writer's works as well as an opportunity to read international literature.
December 7, 2020
My rating 4.6
A short novella, “Husband for rent” by Kristina Gallo is a solid crime story that is read in one breath. As in previous books, Kristina pays a lot of attention to characters who are alive and if we take a closer look around we will surely find the same characters in our surroundings. Each character hides their dark side and hides them like snake legs, which eventually leads to the inevitable end. The story follows Victoria who is a psychologist in the department for migrants. Her life is in disarray, but she hides it at work with her cold professional attitude towards work. Her colleagues do not communicate with her except for work. But when Viktorija meets waiter Jamal she will find herself in a dangerous whirlwind, and her life will turn upside down, especially when it happens murder of her co-worker. All in all, this is a very good crime short novella, and fans of the genre will surely like it.
A short novella, “Husband for rent” by Kristina Gallo is a solid crime story that is read in one breath. As in previous books, Kristina pays a lot of attention to characters who are alive and if we take a closer look around we will surely find the same characters in our surroundings. Each character hides their dark side and hides them like snake legs, which eventually leads to the inevitable end. The story follows Victoria who is a psychologist in the department for migrants. Her life is in disarray, but she hides it at work with her cold professional attitude towards work. Her colleagues do not communicate with her except for work. But when Viktorija meets waiter Jamal she will find herself in a dangerous whirlwind, and her life will turn upside down, especially when it happens murder of her co-worker. All in all, this is a very good crime short novella, and fans of the genre will surely like it.
December 28, 2020
Viktorija is a wonderfully etched character and the story is brilliant.
An immigrant, handling a divorce with a violent man and another married man who has a crush on her, Victorija is trying to weave through the situation. That is when a murder occurs at the place.
The way the story progresses with the various facets of the characters being brought out, made me root for Victorija. Excellent thriller.
An immigrant, handling a divorce with a violent man and another married man who has a crush on her, Victorija is trying to weave through the situation. That is when a murder occurs at the place.
The way the story progresses with the various facets of the characters being brought out, made me root for Victorija. Excellent thriller.
January 24, 2021
Unique
Fast paced thriller with deep characterisations, complex situations and a satisfying resolution. Well written and recommended for fans of crime thrillers.
Fast paced thriller with deep characterisations, complex situations and a satisfying resolution. Well written and recommended for fans of crime thrillers.
December 29, 2020
An Entangling Web of Deceit
Due to the author’s no-nonsense approach to storytelling, she deftly weaves a fast-paced thriller with a cast of psychologically/psychotically marred characters who become entangled in deceit. While each must try to clear themselves of being charged with a murder or two, the unraveling of this whodunit takes the reader by surprise. More than one of these characters has sufficient murder to motive—and, if necessary—frame to divert blame.
I commend the author for her crafty plotting, sequencing of events, and character entanglement. She has the knack for profiling the physical, psychological, and emotional components of each character well enough for the reader to pick them out in a lineup.
Also noteworthy in affecting each character’s choices, the impact cultural cadences and socioeconomic fears migrants from the Mideast to Croatia face on a daily basis.
I highly recommend this short where innocence is hard to come by and the main characters spin webs of deceit from start to finish.
Due to the author’s no-nonsense approach to storytelling, she deftly weaves a fast-paced thriller with a cast of psychologically/psychotically marred characters who become entangled in deceit. While each must try to clear themselves of being charged with a murder or two, the unraveling of this whodunit takes the reader by surprise. More than one of these characters has sufficient murder to motive—and, if necessary—frame to divert blame.
I commend the author for her crafty plotting, sequencing of events, and character entanglement. She has the knack for profiling the physical, psychological, and emotional components of each character well enough for the reader to pick them out in a lineup.
Also noteworthy in affecting each character’s choices, the impact cultural cadences and socioeconomic fears migrants from the Mideast to Croatia face on a daily basis.
I highly recommend this short where innocence is hard to come by and the main characters spin webs of deceit from start to finish.
November 19, 2020
A clever and well executed thriller.
For a quick read, this is quite a complex murder thriller. We have Viktorija, a government psychologist helping migrants with their visas. She is divorced from her cheating husband Boris. Viktorija works with two female colleagues, Nina and Tamara. As part of her job, Viktorija meets Jamal, a very handsome Algerian migrant, married with two children to Meriem. Jamal only married her because her got her pregnant, but he is not satisfied and resorts to sexual affairs.
Throw in a sleazy nightclub owner, a jealous wife, two murders and a hidden identity and you have a good recipe for a murder mystery.
Gallo’s writing style is forthright and she doesn’t get involved with needless side issues. Everything has a point but you’ll never guess the clever ending.
Five murderous ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars for a well executed thriller.
For a quick read, this is quite a complex murder thriller. We have Viktorija, a government psychologist helping migrants with their visas. She is divorced from her cheating husband Boris. Viktorija works with two female colleagues, Nina and Tamara. As part of her job, Viktorija meets Jamal, a very handsome Algerian migrant, married with two children to Meriem. Jamal only married her because her got her pregnant, but he is not satisfied and resorts to sexual affairs.
Throw in a sleazy nightclub owner, a jealous wife, two murders and a hidden identity and you have a good recipe for a murder mystery.
Gallo’s writing style is forthright and she doesn’t get involved with needless side issues. Everything has a point but you’ll never guess the clever ending.
Five murderous ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars for a well executed thriller.
February 25, 2022
I enjoyed Kristina Gall's Husband for Rent, but I'll caution other readers that the title may seem deceptive. This is a murder mystery, not a tale of erotica catering to a married man's fantasies.
Viktorija serves as a government immigration caseworker in Croatia, helping migrants (and occasionally refugees) who have swarmed into the country hoping for a better life. But the job is not all roses and sunshine--she must sometimes deny migrants' bids for citizenship, resulting in threats and hate mail.
VIktorija's ex-husband Boris is a playboy, but he's become a disgusting slob since he lost his wife. It seems he wants her back not so much for love but to soothe hi shattered ego. Meanwhile, handsome Jamal, a barista at the local coffeehouse, draws Viktorija's eyes and stirs lustful desires not felt since the day she caught her husband in bed with another woman.
The author's command of English is not fluent, and a reader can almost her her accent in the writing. But that lends an air of authenticity to the tale. We feel that Ms. Gallo has been exactly where her characters ply out the plot; thus we all feel we are there with her. One finds a few amusing spots that might have been smoothed over by a native-English editor, but this is minor. It's the story that is important here, not the mechanics of putting it on the page.
Viktorija serves as a government immigration caseworker in Croatia, helping migrants (and occasionally refugees) who have swarmed into the country hoping for a better life. But the job is not all roses and sunshine--she must sometimes deny migrants' bids for citizenship, resulting in threats and hate mail.
VIktorija's ex-husband Boris is a playboy, but he's become a disgusting slob since he lost his wife. It seems he wants her back not so much for love but to soothe hi shattered ego. Meanwhile, handsome Jamal, a barista at the local coffeehouse, draws Viktorija's eyes and stirs lustful desires not felt since the day she caught her husband in bed with another woman.
The author's command of English is not fluent, and a reader can almost her her accent in the writing. But that lends an air of authenticity to the tale. We feel that Ms. Gallo has been exactly where her characters ply out the plot; thus we all feel we are there with her. One finds a few amusing spots that might have been smoothed over by a native-English editor, but this is minor. It's the story that is important here, not the mechanics of putting it on the page.
November 29, 2020
As a loyal Kristina Gallo fan, I was very excited to check out her latest release and I can honestly say that this is not only Gallos' best work to date but quite possibly the most enjoyable murder mystery thriller that I've ever read (and I've read quite a few.) The book itself was a very fun and enjoyable read and I found myself submersed in the story line. One thing that makes it stand out from other murder mysteries that I've read is Gallos' unique style that doesn't force the reader to get stuck in unnecessary details. The plot moves along at the perfect pace and all I can say is she totally caught me off guard with that ending that I didn't see coming. This book is easily better than the great majority of blockbuster films in the genre and serves as a perfect example of how a thriller/murder mystery should be written. If you want a book that you aren't going to be able to put down with a story filled with beautifully executed twists that will leave you on the edge of your seat, grab yourself a copy of Husband For Rent by Kristina Gallo and prepare yourself for the ultimate thrill ride! This is a murder mystery masterpiece!
November 29, 2020
The only way I can describe reading Husband For Read is "Bitter Sweet." Reading the book was a bitter experience for me because I didn't care for any of the characters. I found everyone to be selfish and cared only about themselves. Especially the character Viktorija who thought it was okay to start an inappropriate relationship with a married man who is also her client. To add insult to injury, she disrespects Meriem when confronted about her affair with her husband Jamal.
That being said, the book is well written and I have to give the author bonus points for skillfully tackling the very sensitive issue of asylum and migration. Husband For Rent is a page turner and will keep you guessing to the very end. I was surprised at who the murderer was...
That being said, the book is well written and I have to give the author bonus points for skillfully tackling the very sensitive issue of asylum and migration. Husband For Rent is a page turner and will keep you guessing to the very end. I was surprised at who the murderer was...
November 30, 2020
A suspenseful thriller of contemporary situations in Europe. Reading it, you’ll want more.You can tell that English isn’t the writer’s first language, but read through it. Her stories make you think of the human condition and consequences of one’s actions. Written in a different mindset. Take a read and expand your horizons.
June 21, 2021
A good short Story.
A good short story by Kristina Gallo. A devoiced Viktorija workers with some unfriendly people, but at least she has a job but likes her privacy. Jamal who is married to Meriem and has two children and works as a waiter, is also very fond of the ladies. When murder happens it's time to start worring who is doing the killings.
A recommended read.
A good short story by Kristina Gallo. A devoiced Viktorija workers with some unfriendly people, but at least she has a job but likes her privacy. Jamal who is married to Meriem and has two children and works as a waiter, is also very fond of the ladies. When murder happens it's time to start worring who is doing the killings.
A recommended read.
November 24, 2020
Good plot, strong characters, and mystery murders connected to the office of International Organization for Migration, executed without mercy. Kristina Gallo is moving in the right direction!
December 12, 2022
Women of Strength
What I enjoyed most about Husband For Rent is the strength and resilience Ms. Gallo gives her heroines. When is Love a pitfall? When does the truth become burdensome? How do these women overcome manipulations and betrayal? The characters are well-written. Adding to this is the descriptive style and great use of dialogue! A beautiful read of strength and overcoming challenges! Recommended read!
What I enjoyed most about Husband For Rent is the strength and resilience Ms. Gallo gives her heroines. When is Love a pitfall? When does the truth become burdensome? How do these women overcome manipulations and betrayal? The characters are well-written. Adding to this is the descriptive style and great use of dialogue! A beautiful read of strength and overcoming challenges! Recommended read!
November 8, 2020
🐀BOOK REVIEW / “Husband For Rent”/ Kristina Gallo😎
___
🐀Genre: Psychological thriller, novel, crime thriller
Pages: 110
Language: English
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: 2020
🌟Before the review itself, I can’t resist mentioning that I’m giving my highest humble rating (yeap, the second time in a row. What can I say? I’m just lucky to read awesome books) to this book, not only because it’s the 10th book by Kristina Gallo, but because this writer managed to outdo herself. I started reading “Husband For Rent” in the morning and got hooked on it. I took brief breaks to eat, but the whole rainy and windy Sunday, I was glued to an anniversary book by fantastic Croatian writer Kristina Gallo.
🦂Reading this book was like trying to survive in the middle of a desert in quicksands surrounded by dozens of scorpions. Only a miracle can save you. But miracle in a desert is only a fata morgana.
🐀The Plot: In the anniversary book by Kristina Gallo, we follow young woman Viktorija. She is a psychologist in the branch office of the International Organization For Migration. Helping migrants with asylum applications, she can’t even imagine that she will need help herself pretty soon. The troubles start getting into her life so fastly as a scorpion’s poison spreads in the blood. The only way to survive is to suck out the venom from a wound as quickly as possible. Who knows, probably, this time it will be a migrant who will give asylum for normal life to Viktorija.
🦂The Writing Style: I read this book in one sitting. I just couldn’t tear off my eyes from this fast-paced page-turner. This smart, tense, and twisty psychological thriller blew my mind, making me feel nervous about the main character from cover to cover. I love how the writer managed to mix light humor, sarcasm, and horrible events. I’m not even saying about goosebumps that guided me during the whole reading.
🦂The Characters: The number of characters is average. All of them are masterfully and smartly tied into one massive, perfectly structured web of intrigues. All of them, the main characters and sub-characters are well-described, so I did feel emotionally connected to all of them.
🐀Warnings: Death, murders
🦂My Favorite Quote: ‘The problem with the free time happens when you don’t know what to do with it.”
🥰Would I read other books by this author: Undoubtedly!
🌟My humble rating is: 5.5/5
👍🏼P.S. I am sure that Netflix will definitely feature films based on the books by Kristina Gallo. Meanwhile, congratulations, beautiful and talented Kristina!
#writer #writerslife #KristinaGallo #HusbandForRent #bookreview #bookishlovegroup #unitedbookstagram #bookstagram #betterreadschallenge
___
🐀Genre: Psychological thriller, novel, crime thriller
Pages: 110
Language: English
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: 2020
🌟Before the review itself, I can’t resist mentioning that I’m giving my highest humble rating (yeap, the second time in a row. What can I say? I’m just lucky to read awesome books) to this book, not only because it’s the 10th book by Kristina Gallo, but because this writer managed to outdo herself. I started reading “Husband For Rent” in the morning and got hooked on it. I took brief breaks to eat, but the whole rainy and windy Sunday, I was glued to an anniversary book by fantastic Croatian writer Kristina Gallo.
🦂Reading this book was like trying to survive in the middle of a desert in quicksands surrounded by dozens of scorpions. Only a miracle can save you. But miracle in a desert is only a fata morgana.
🐀The Plot: In the anniversary book by Kristina Gallo, we follow young woman Viktorija. She is a psychologist in the branch office of the International Organization For Migration. Helping migrants with asylum applications, she can’t even imagine that she will need help herself pretty soon. The troubles start getting into her life so fastly as a scorpion’s poison spreads in the blood. The only way to survive is to suck out the venom from a wound as quickly as possible. Who knows, probably, this time it will be a migrant who will give asylum for normal life to Viktorija.
🦂The Writing Style: I read this book in one sitting. I just couldn’t tear off my eyes from this fast-paced page-turner. This smart, tense, and twisty psychological thriller blew my mind, making me feel nervous about the main character from cover to cover. I love how the writer managed to mix light humor, sarcasm, and horrible events. I’m not even saying about goosebumps that guided me during the whole reading.
🦂The Characters: The number of characters is average. All of them are masterfully and smartly tied into one massive, perfectly structured web of intrigues. All of them, the main characters and sub-characters are well-described, so I did feel emotionally connected to all of them.
🐀Warnings: Death, murders
🦂My Favorite Quote: ‘The problem with the free time happens when you don’t know what to do with it.”
🥰Would I read other books by this author: Undoubtedly!
🌟My humble rating is: 5.5/5
👍🏼P.S. I am sure that Netflix will definitely feature films based on the books by Kristina Gallo. Meanwhile, congratulations, beautiful and talented Kristina!
#writer #writerslife #KristinaGallo #HusbandForRent #bookreview #bookishlovegroup #unitedbookstagram #bookstagram #betterreadschallenge
January 18, 2021
A tale full of twisting suspense about those on the fringes of society...
Kristina Gallo delivers a thriller full of page turning intrigue with shades of a sinister soap opera. It's gritty and raw and we are introduced to civil servant 'Viktorija' who finds herself linked to some less than desirable characters while being on the receiving end of abusive threats. After all she is the deciding factor on whether or not migrants to her native Zagreb are given asylum, a status many would do anything for. 'Jamal' just happens to be one of those successful candidates and although he is a husband, father and provider, he is also unfaithful but of course like many of Gallo's stories this is the just the tip of the iceberg. An affair between these two characters paves the way for murderous implications while we meet a host of characters all on the fringes of an underworld ruled by deception and crime. We meet the trodden down wife, the determined law woman and even a disgruntled ex lover all of which could be behind a pair of murders.
"The underground world was cruel. One day you could be an attractive woman with expensive clothes and powerful men were around you. The next day, the forensic team could be examining your corpse..."
Just who is carrying out these murders and who is behind the threats? The guessing game will keep your interest until the dramatic end by way of twists and turns that make for an immersive experience. I'll admit it only took a few sessions to finish reading this book as it gripped me about halfway through.
Kristina Gallo delivers a thriller full of page turning intrigue with shades of a sinister soap opera. It's gritty and raw and we are introduced to civil servant 'Viktorija' who finds herself linked to some less than desirable characters while being on the receiving end of abusive threats. After all she is the deciding factor on whether or not migrants to her native Zagreb are given asylum, a status many would do anything for. 'Jamal' just happens to be one of those successful candidates and although he is a husband, father and provider, he is also unfaithful but of course like many of Gallo's stories this is the just the tip of the iceberg. An affair between these two characters paves the way for murderous implications while we meet a host of characters all on the fringes of an underworld ruled by deception and crime. We meet the trodden down wife, the determined law woman and even a disgruntled ex lover all of which could be behind a pair of murders.
"The underground world was cruel. One day you could be an attractive woman with expensive clothes and powerful men were around you. The next day, the forensic team could be examining your corpse..."
Just who is carrying out these murders and who is behind the threats? The guessing game will keep your interest until the dramatic end by way of twists and turns that make for an immersive experience. I'll admit it only took a few sessions to finish reading this book as it gripped me about halfway through.
October 21, 2020
I found the dialogue a little difficult and off putting at times hence only four stars, however the storyline is worth five. The author takes us through the difficulties each character experiences as an immigrant and although some really aren't likeable I felt sympathy for them and dare I say even the killer who I failed to identify. Another good read by the author, Kristina Gallo and I look forward to her future works.
June 10, 2023
great
This I found to be a bitter sweet experience . Kristina Gallo has a nak for the physiological thriller. I was not expecting it to be….. lol no spoilers here . It was well written and enjoyable . Having read more of kristina’s work I am aquatinted with her personal style. She writes with a unique bluntness which is forthright and without flowers . Great read
This I found to be a bitter sweet experience . Kristina Gallo has a nak for the physiological thriller. I was not expecting it to be….. lol no spoilers here . It was well written and enjoyable . Having read more of kristina’s work I am aquatinted with her personal style. She writes with a unique bluntness which is forthright and without flowers . Great read
March 13, 2024
A thrilling and engaging read!
I got goosebumps of excitement reading this one. A great thrilling mystery, I was pulled in deeply from the start.
Fantastic overall storytelling. One of my favourite books from Kristina. I shall be reading this one again very soon.
I got goosebumps of excitement reading this one. A great thrilling mystery, I was pulled in deeply from the start.
Fantastic overall storytelling. One of my favourite books from Kristina. I shall be reading this one again very soon.
March 21, 2021
Decent enough short story. The problem is the language barrier. If you are a grammar freak, don’t read. Obviously author’s English is not the best.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews