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The Second Husband: A Mystery Novel
A woman's seemingly perfect second marriage is rocked by a discovery about the death of her first husband in this twisty psychological thriller from Kate White, the New York Times bestselling author whom Entertainment Weekly called "impossible to outwit."
Recovering from the unsolved murder of her first husband, Derrick, thirtysomething Emma Hawke has built a new life with Tom, a handsome, successful, and loving widower who finally makes her feel safe again.
Then one day a police detective shows up at their house on the Connecticut shore, asking questions about Derrick's death. Emma was sure she'd been cleared in the days after the tragedy. So why is law enforcement taking another look now--and questioning the timing of her relationship with Tom? She hadn't even met him until after Derrick's death.
Then Emma is shocked to discover that, in fact, she and her second husband attended the same business dinner two months before Derrick's murder. Did Tom, unbeknownst to Emma, spot her there? Could he have set his sights on her and orchestrated a plan to make her his wife, whatever the cost.
With twists and turns all the way to the last page, this fast-paced, expertly plotted novel will have you asking that age-old question: how well do you really know the ones you love?
Recovering from the unsolved murder of her first husband, Derrick, thirtysomething Emma Hawke has built a new life with Tom, a handsome, successful, and loving widower who finally makes her feel safe again.
Then one day a police detective shows up at their house on the Connecticut shore, asking questions about Derrick's death. Emma was sure she'd been cleared in the days after the tragedy. So why is law enforcement taking another look now--and questioning the timing of her relationship with Tom? She hadn't even met him until after Derrick's death.
Then Emma is shocked to discover that, in fact, she and her second husband attended the same business dinner two months before Derrick's murder. Did Tom, unbeknownst to Emma, spot her there? Could he have set his sights on her and orchestrated a plan to make her his wife, whatever the cost.
With twists and turns all the way to the last page, this fast-paced, expertly plotted novel will have you asking that age-old question: how well do you really know the ones you love?
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2022
505 people are currently reading
13361 people want to read
About the author
Kate White
53 books2,821 followersKate White is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen novels of suspense: eleven standalone psychological thrillers, including The Last Time She Saw Him (2024), and eight Bailey Weggins mysteries.
A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business, eventually running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave eleven years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: writing suspense fiction.
Kate’s first mystery, If Looks Could Kill, was a Kelly Ripa Book Club pick, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and an instant New York Times bestseller. She has been nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award in the fiction category, and her books have been published in over 30 countries.
Kate is a frequent speaker at libraries, bookstores, and conferences, and has appeared on many television shows, including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Morning Joe, and CNN’s Quest Means Business.
She is also the author of several bestselling career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This and the ground-breaking Wall Street Journal bestseller, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media business, eventually running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave eleven years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: writing suspense fiction.
Kate’s first mystery, If Looks Could Kill, was a Kelly Ripa Book Club pick, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and an instant New York Times bestseller. She has been nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award in the fiction category, and her books have been published in over 30 countries.
Kate is a frequent speaker at libraries, bookstores, and conferences, and has appeared on many television shows, including The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Morning Joe, and CNN’s Quest Means Business.
She is also the author of several bestselling career books, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This and the ground-breaking Wall Street Journal bestseller, Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do.
Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,219 reviews
June 13, 2022
Oh my. This was a bit of a disappointment. I’m a huge fan of Kate White but this was a rare miss for me and I’ll explain why in a moment. BUT FIRST-
Emma gets a late knock on the door with the worst news imaginable for a wife(or is it?). Derrick was shot in an alley while away at a work conference. I mean, it sucks, but also he was a jerk and she was kind of relieved to move on but that doesn’t mean she wanted him dead!
We then jump to 27 months later. Emma is happily remarried and enjoying a prosperous career as a trend forecaster. Her new husband Tom is also very successful. They have his stepdaughter from another marriage staying with them(yes, you read that right, wtf) and they’re making it work.
Trouble in paradise comes when she gets another dreaded knock on the door while entertaining a new friend. It’s the cops again, they’re looking at Derrick’s case with a fresh set of eyes. She has it on good authority to think they received a tip of some sort.
Things get really messy from there. People are starting to think she knew Tom before Derrick died and they planned it together. Such rubbish! With so many prying eyes on her and threats coming in, it’s hard to keep up her new fairytale life. Emma made a mistake by marrying the wrong man once. She’s not going to let anything interfere with the life she worked so hard for with Tom.
This has a really interesting premise but it was so watered down with dialogue that it ruined it for me. There would be whole pages of introductions, “welcome to my home” and what the charcuterie spread was(okay I made that last part up).
The bottom line is it rambled on and on. They talked to the cops, talked about talking to the cops, talked to a lawyer about talking to the cops, referred to another lawyer. It ended up being more of a long-winded legal drama than a domestic drama/thriller or mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review. I hate that this one didn’t work out for me but her others are really good.
Emma gets a late knock on the door with the worst news imaginable for a wife(or is it?). Derrick was shot in an alley while away at a work conference. I mean, it sucks, but also he was a jerk and she was kind of relieved to move on but that doesn’t mean she wanted him dead!
We then jump to 27 months later. Emma is happily remarried and enjoying a prosperous career as a trend forecaster. Her new husband Tom is also very successful. They have his stepdaughter from another marriage staying with them(yes, you read that right, wtf) and they’re making it work.
Trouble in paradise comes when she gets another dreaded knock on the door while entertaining a new friend. It’s the cops again, they’re looking at Derrick’s case with a fresh set of eyes. She has it on good authority to think they received a tip of some sort.
Things get really messy from there. People are starting to think she knew Tom before Derrick died and they planned it together. Such rubbish! With so many prying eyes on her and threats coming in, it’s hard to keep up her new fairytale life. Emma made a mistake by marrying the wrong man once. She’s not going to let anything interfere with the life she worked so hard for with Tom.
This has a really interesting premise but it was so watered down with dialogue that it ruined it for me. There would be whole pages of introductions, “welcome to my home” and what the charcuterie spread was(okay I made that last part up).
The bottom line is it rambled on and on. They talked to the cops, talked about talking to the cops, talked to a lawyer about talking to the cops, referred to another lawyer. It ended up being more of a long-winded legal drama than a domestic drama/thriller or mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review. I hate that this one didn’t work out for me but her others are really good.
May 29, 2022
As expected, The Second Husband was another fabulously twisty read from the mind of Kate White. She always keeps me guessing and staying up late to finish her books. I read this in under 24 hours, just needing to know what was going to happen.
A clever and well executed psychological thriller. Our main character is Emma. She is happily married to her second husband, Tom, and living the good life. Less than 2 years earlier, her world came crumbling down when her first husband Derrick, was shot and murdered in the city. When she opens the door to find a detective standing there, asking more questions about his death, it all comes back to haunt her. She thought she had been cleared, but this detective is still digging. When she discovers that her first meeting with Tom was not actually her first meeting, things start to spiral and she starts to wonder who she can trust.
This book is full of likely suspects and you may think you have it all figured out. I was led down the garden path many times throughout and did not see the ending coming. It is a fast paced and exciting read from start to finish and I highly recommend this and all her books to thriller lovers.
Thanks to the author, Kate White, and Wunderkind PR for my advanced copy of The Second Husband to read. Published on June 28th.
A clever and well executed psychological thriller. Our main character is Emma. She is happily married to her second husband, Tom, and living the good life. Less than 2 years earlier, her world came crumbling down when her first husband Derrick, was shot and murdered in the city. When she opens the door to find a detective standing there, asking more questions about his death, it all comes back to haunt her. She thought she had been cleared, but this detective is still digging. When she discovers that her first meeting with Tom was not actually her first meeting, things start to spiral and she starts to wonder who she can trust.
This book is full of likely suspects and you may think you have it all figured out. I was led down the garden path many times throughout and did not see the ending coming. It is a fast paced and exciting read from start to finish and I highly recommend this and all her books to thriller lovers.
Thanks to the author, Kate White, and Wunderkind PR for my advanced copy of The Second Husband to read. Published on June 28th.
July 4, 2023
I received an ARC of this book.
I was very confused by my review copy and I will go back and change my rating if the review copy changes before publication, but... ***Edited at the bottom***
I did not enjoy this book. I had multiple issues with it, from the 2-dimensional main character Emma and her constant "off-handed" materialistic mentions of everything from shoes to cars to restaurants to clothes to furniture, to the lack of tension or suspense, to the flimsy issue and “lie” that the whole plot was based on. I actually had notes upon notes of all the things I didn’t like ready for when I wrote this review.
But I will not go into all of that because the last two sentences of the book literally made no sense--to the point where I think there was something wrong with my review copy. The book had no ending at all and the ending that was included sounded like two sentences had been copied from somewhere else in the book and just stuck on. If that actually IS the ending, then I absolutely would NOT recommend it.
As it is, I would not recommend this book, despite the fact that I really enjoyed the author's previous work, The Fiancée.
***Edit***
I happened upon this book in the bookstore last week, and thought I would give the last few pages a glance to see if my opinion might change, or if my review copy was in fact messed up. I discovered that my ARC was NOT the same as the hard copy of the final book, but the actual ending made me like the book even less! I was not impressed at all.
So, that being said, here are the notes I took all those months ago about why I couldn't stand this book:
There are several internal monologues in which Emma worries endlessly as she goes through expensive food, searches for designer clothes, etc. It got way too repetitive.
There are so many details about things that don't matter, like random people's outfits, what people ordered at restaurants, expensive decor, etc. (Who cares if he wore loafers without socks?!)
The author is extremely heavy-handed about "clues."
Emma is always snooping around when she could be easily caught, instead of just waiting a few hours for a time when she definitely wouldn't get caught.
There is not enough backstory on Derrick. The reader is told he was "cruel," but not shown. Since this is such a huge plot point the reader needs to really feel and understand why Emma doesn't like him.
In a moment full of tension, the reader gets taken out of the story by mentions of the outdoor furniture store where they bought patio furniture. What?! Who cares??
Brittany is not a well-drawn character. She is amorphous and not even two dimensional.
In all the moments when Emma is terrified, she does nothing about it. And she's still so preoccupied with organic salads, silk blouses, and linen trousers, all while supposed to be frightened.
Emma jumps to strange conclusions on very little evidence (evidence that is very shaky at best).
There is no sense of tension or suspense. And when Emma is trying to make an escape, she waits 10 minutes for a taxi instead of hurrying down the road to meet it. Seriously?!
When you are reading a book and stop consistently to take notes about all of the flaws (and end up with pages of notes!) something is wrong. I would not recommend this book AT ALL, and will skip anything else by this author.
I was very confused by my review copy and I will go back and change my rating if the review copy changes before publication, but... ***Edited at the bottom***
I did not enjoy this book. I had multiple issues with it, from the 2-dimensional main character Emma and her constant "off-handed" materialistic mentions of everything from shoes to cars to restaurants to clothes to furniture, to the lack of tension or suspense, to the flimsy issue and “lie” that the whole plot was based on. I actually had notes upon notes of all the things I didn’t like ready for when I wrote this review.
But I will not go into all of that because the last two sentences of the book literally made no sense--to the point where I think there was something wrong with my review copy. The book had no ending at all and the ending that was included sounded like two sentences had been copied from somewhere else in the book and just stuck on. If that actually IS the ending, then I absolutely would NOT recommend it.
As it is, I would not recommend this book, despite the fact that I really enjoyed the author's previous work, The Fiancée.
***Edit***
I happened upon this book in the bookstore last week, and thought I would give the last few pages a glance to see if my opinion might change, or if my review copy was in fact messed up. I discovered that my ARC was NOT the same as the hard copy of the final book, but the actual ending made me like the book even less! I was not impressed at all.
So, that being said, here are the notes I took all those months ago about why I couldn't stand this book:
There are several internal monologues in which Emma worries endlessly as she goes through expensive food, searches for designer clothes, etc. It got way too repetitive.
There are so many details about things that don't matter, like random people's outfits, what people ordered at restaurants, expensive decor, etc. (Who cares if he wore loafers without socks?!)
The author is extremely heavy-handed about "clues."
Emma is always snooping around when she could be easily caught, instead of just waiting a few hours for a time when she definitely wouldn't get caught.
There is not enough backstory on Derrick. The reader is told he was "cruel," but not shown. Since this is such a huge plot point the reader needs to really feel and understand why Emma doesn't like him.
In a moment full of tension, the reader gets taken out of the story by mentions of the outdoor furniture store where they bought patio furniture. What?! Who cares??
Brittany is not a well-drawn character. She is amorphous and not even two dimensional.
In all the moments when Emma is terrified, she does nothing about it. And she's still so preoccupied with organic salads, silk blouses, and linen trousers, all while supposed to be frightened.
Emma jumps to strange conclusions on very little evidence (evidence that is very shaky at best).
There is no sense of tension or suspense. And when Emma is trying to make an escape, she waits 10 minutes for a taxi instead of hurrying down the road to meet it. Seriously?!
When you are reading a book and stop consistently to take notes about all of the flaws (and end up with pages of notes!) something is wrong. I would not recommend this book AT ALL, and will skip anything else by this author.
October 17, 2022
Wow! What a ride! This mystery thriller had me reading late into the night. The plot is fast paced, twisty with many cliffhangers along the way. This book asks the question, how well do you really know the person you hold near and dear? Who can you trust? Trusting the wrong person may be deadly. The conclusion was unexpected and did not disappoint. Kate White is a master of a well crafted suspenseful thriller. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for my copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 13, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 28, 2022
Emma’s husband, Derrick, was killed in a seemingly random crime less than two years ago. Now, she has once again found happiness with her loving second husband, Tom. Emma believes she has finally found the perfect man, and is well on her way to living her perfect life when a police officer contacts her, telling Emma that new information has led them to reopen Derrick’s case. Now on edge, Emma begins to question the events of that day. When she realizes Tom has been keeping secrets from her, she soon starts to doubt her new husband, and begins to once again evaluate events form the past, hoping her secrets, too, will stay hidden.
Kate White is old hat now as an author, having published sixteen works of fiction. I loved “The Fiancée” and was very excited to get a chance to read her newest novel, “The Second Husband”.
The beginning of the novel is told in two time periods; then(when Derrick is killed) and now (when Emma is married to Tom), and eventually the timeline shifts to the present and remains that way for the rest of the novel. The story is told well, and the jumps between time lines are clearly marked, contributing to the novel’s good flow.
White has a few suspect characters in her novel, leaving room for speculation and many twists and turns, which is the sign of a good suspense writer. I, along with Emma, questioned everyone in her life, however was still not that surprised when the culprit was revealed. Each character has a pertinent role in the storyline, and isn’t just thrown in to add more suspects, and I always appreciate a well-thought out plot like “The Second Husband” provided.
The premise of this novel is overdone (dead spouse, other spouse is suspected, questions about manner of spouse’s death), and there are too many novels like this to even mention. However, White still manages to make “Husband” interesting and engaging. I enjoyed the buildup and slow release of suspense, culminating in an unsuspecting suspect reveal.
The last few sentences of the novel completely threw me. I read them. I re-read them. I assumed they were a typo. To me, they made absolutely no sense. I have no idea what White was trying to portray with these specific lines, but they missed the mark completely for me.
Overall, “Husband” is an entertaining and suspenseful addition to the genre, with unexpected twists and turns and moderately likable characters. I would like a bit of explanation on the final few sentences, but beyond that, most of the story concluded in a satisfying way.
Expected publication date: June 28, 2022
Emma’s husband, Derrick, was killed in a seemingly random crime less than two years ago. Now, she has once again found happiness with her loving second husband, Tom. Emma believes she has finally found the perfect man, and is well on her way to living her perfect life when a police officer contacts her, telling Emma that new information has led them to reopen Derrick’s case. Now on edge, Emma begins to question the events of that day. When she realizes Tom has been keeping secrets from her, she soon starts to doubt her new husband, and begins to once again evaluate events form the past, hoping her secrets, too, will stay hidden.
Kate White is old hat now as an author, having published sixteen works of fiction. I loved “The Fiancée” and was very excited to get a chance to read her newest novel, “The Second Husband”.
The beginning of the novel is told in two time periods; then(when Derrick is killed) and now (when Emma is married to Tom), and eventually the timeline shifts to the present and remains that way for the rest of the novel. The story is told well, and the jumps between time lines are clearly marked, contributing to the novel’s good flow.
White has a few suspect characters in her novel, leaving room for speculation and many twists and turns, which is the sign of a good suspense writer. I, along with Emma, questioned everyone in her life, however was still not that surprised when the culprit was revealed. Each character has a pertinent role in the storyline, and isn’t just thrown in to add more suspects, and I always appreciate a well-thought out plot like “The Second Husband” provided.
The premise of this novel is overdone (dead spouse, other spouse is suspected, questions about manner of spouse’s death), and there are too many novels like this to even mention. However, White still manages to make “Husband” interesting and engaging. I enjoyed the buildup and slow release of suspense, culminating in an unsuspecting suspect reveal.
The last few sentences of the novel completely threw me. I read them. I re-read them. I assumed they were a typo. To me, they made absolutely no sense. I have no idea what White was trying to portray with these specific lines, but they missed the mark completely for me.
Overall, “Husband” is an entertaining and suspenseful addition to the genre, with unexpected twists and turns and moderately likable characters. I would like a bit of explanation on the final few sentences, but beyond that, most of the story concluded in a satisfying way.
August 21, 2022
This was one of the most average books I’ve ever read. Plot? Average. Characters? Totally boring. Ending? Only the most (well, maybe second most) predictable thing ever. I really wanted to like this book, and while it started off decently, by the end, I just wanted to finish it.
I feel like I’ve read variations of this book hundreds of times. Emma married Tom not long after her first husband, Derrick, was killed. She didn’t love Derrick, she’s happy with Tom and doesn’t dwell on the death … until the police reopen the investigation. Why was Derrick in a weird area when he died? Why did Emma not know she’d run into Tom many times when she was married? Why is Tom’s stepdaughter staying with them? (It had no meaningful relevance to the book, so … why write it?)
You won’t get answers to any of these questions, not good ones at least. You get the same tired tropes that are in any book with this loose plot, and about halfway through, you’ll get annoyed that the book isn’t really going anywhere. It’s a wash - I’m giving it 2.5 stars, rounded up because two stars means I really didn’t like it at all. This was fine, but definitely forgettable.
(Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Kate White, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
I feel like I’ve read variations of this book hundreds of times. Emma married Tom not long after her first husband, Derrick, was killed. She didn’t love Derrick, she’s happy with Tom and doesn’t dwell on the death … until the police reopen the investigation. Why was Derrick in a weird area when he died? Why did Emma not know she’d run into Tom many times when she was married? Why is Tom’s stepdaughter staying with them? (It had no meaningful relevance to the book, so … why write it?)
You won’t get answers to any of these questions, not good ones at least. You get the same tired tropes that are in any book with this loose plot, and about halfway through, you’ll get annoyed that the book isn’t really going anywhere. It’s a wash - I’m giving it 2.5 stars, rounded up because two stars means I really didn’t like it at all. This was fine, but definitely forgettable.
(Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Kate White, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
April 30, 2022
This just felt like a whole mess. I’ve never been so dissatisfied by an ending to a book. Completely abrupt. I’ll be happy to change my review if it turns out this book gets a plot overhaul before pub day.
July 31, 2022
Honestly, this should have been a firm 4* but the last few chapters trying to explain all the loose ends just aggravated me. I felt like the first 3/4 of the book was great with a lot of twists and turns but then it spiraled downhill for me.
June 16, 2022
Senseless talk, senseless angst, senseless guilt mixed with fear and terror of absolutely everything is the way I’d describe this protagonist. I can’t imagine living like that and I sure can’t imagine being married to someone who’s so totally overcome with senseless obsessions. Good Grief! Somebody give that woman a chill-pill!
In my opinion the plot went in too many different directions and with too many different distractions to work. The overwhelming minute descriptions of absolutely everything – clothes, food, décor, cars, etc. – did not serve to advance the plot.
Let’s see. None of the main characters were likeable. The most sympathetic one was the 2nd husband who was the most targeted as the villain.
This is the first book I’ve read by White. I don’t plan to look for others.
I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review.
In my opinion the plot went in too many different directions and with too many different distractions to work. The overwhelming minute descriptions of absolutely everything – clothes, food, décor, cars, etc. – did not serve to advance the plot.
Let’s see. None of the main characters were likeable. The most sympathetic one was the 2nd husband who was the most targeted as the villain.
This is the first book I’ve read by White. I don’t plan to look for others.
I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2022
Ever since I got hooked on her Bailey Weggins series, I have loved Kate White, and her newest domestic suspense is all I could have hoped for. The Second Husband has not only got a beautiful and haunting cover, but it was suspenseful and a little crazy as well. I actually thought it was a little tamer than her books normally are, but there was still plenty of mystery and I was very surprised by the way it ended. I managed to finish the audiobook in just a few hours because once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It was also helpful that the narrator Leslie Howard was very talented, and I loved her as the voice of Emma. The story kept me guessing the entire time which I loved, and I felt very connected to Emma thanks to Howard's narration. Emma felt like a very unreliable narrator to me at times, and I spent a lot of the book wondering if she had something to do with Derrick's death.
White starts The Second Husband off with a bang (not literally) and I felt like the pacing was just right. I don't know if I would call it fast-paced, at least not the entire time, but it was still very pacy and engaging and not slow at all. I was suspicious of so many different characters, and there are plenty of red herrings thrown in, so you never know quite who to trust. I thought the plot itself was very clever, and there were a few things that I wasn't expecting to come up, so they really stunned me. This author clearly knows what she is doing, and I always look forward to reading a new novel by her. In true Kate White fashion, I had no idea what to expect from The Second Husband and I thought it was done so well. White is basically a comfort author for me at this point, and if you have read as many books from her as I have and loved them, I have no doubt you will love this one too.
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
White starts The Second Husband off with a bang (not literally) and I felt like the pacing was just right. I don't know if I would call it fast-paced, at least not the entire time, but it was still very pacy and engaging and not slow at all. I was suspicious of so many different characters, and there are plenty of red herrings thrown in, so you never know quite who to trust. I thought the plot itself was very clever, and there were a few things that I wasn't expecting to come up, so they really stunned me. This author clearly knows what she is doing, and I always look forward to reading a new novel by her. In true Kate White fashion, I had no idea what to expect from The Second Husband and I thought it was done so well. White is basically a comfort author for me at this point, and if you have read as many books from her as I have and loved them, I have no doubt you will love this one too.
Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
April 7, 2023
What could have caused the police to re-open the cold murder case of Emma's husband? She was cleared as a suspect back then.
Did she marry again too soon afterward his passing?
Emma knows she had wished something would happen to her mostly abusive husband, but no one must know that. She did a pretty good job of faking her sorrow when he died.
Now that she was married to a successful man and a success herself, what could possibly have made them re-open the case?
Does Emma know something she doesn’t want the investigators to know? Or does someone else know something that she isn’t aware of?
Who can she trust to know her true feelings?
But is there really anything else to tell?
Who is the person behind the murder? There are many characters it could be.
Those are the questions that make readers of THE SECOND HUSBAND curious and turning the pages.
Ms. White keeps you guessing and wondering who the murderer is in this marvelous, twisty, hard-to-put-down gem. 5/5
This book was given to me as a PDF by Wunderkind-PR for an honest review.
Did she marry again too soon afterward his passing?
Emma knows she had wished something would happen to her mostly abusive husband, but no one must know that. She did a pretty good job of faking her sorrow when he died.
Now that she was married to a successful man and a success herself, what could possibly have made them re-open the case?
Does Emma know something she doesn’t want the investigators to know? Or does someone else know something that she isn’t aware of?
Who can she trust to know her true feelings?
But is there really anything else to tell?
Who is the person behind the murder? There are many characters it could be.
Those are the questions that make readers of THE SECOND HUSBAND curious and turning the pages.
Ms. White keeps you guessing and wondering who the murderer is in this marvelous, twisty, hard-to-put-down gem. 5/5
This book was given to me as a PDF by Wunderkind-PR for an honest review.
September 4, 2022
I hate plots that throw a bunch of crimes and murders and have you believing it is all going to tie into a finely honed plot a la Dame Christie.
But nope. In this book, we find out A is an embezzler and killed B, as she thought B had discovered her felony. But all B is guilty of is an unhealthy obsession with C and influencing the impressionable young step daughter to spook the crap out of C's wife.
All the herrings, red, white and blue point to C for the murder of C's wife's first husband. But no, the first husband's brother kills him for having caught on to his crime of passing off forgeries as multi million dollar genuine art.
So in one hot mess of a book, we have embezzlement, forgery, unhealthy obsession, and 2 completely unrelated murders.
The wife Emma was the most fickle protagonist ever. One moment she's all "I passionately love Tom. He cannot be a murderer " the next moment she's running off in the dark to escape him convinced he's a cold blooded killer.
She keeps waffling this way and that, doing a full 180 degree turn every few pages, I started hoping someone would just bump her off.
And then she has the gall to be mad at husband 2 for hiding the fact he had a huge crush on her before they formally met and not disclosing the fact that he'd attended one of her events unbeknownst to her.
Ok a mid 40s high flying ad exec acting like a love sick adolescent is sort of creepy stalkerish, but nothing for Emma to get bent out of shape. She wonders how she can trust him, but how can he trust HER, with her having been convinced a dozen times in the book that he was a murderer???
But nope. In this book, we find out A is an embezzler and killed B, as she thought B had discovered her felony. But all B is guilty of is an unhealthy obsession with C and influencing the impressionable young step daughter to spook the crap out of C's wife.
All the herrings, red, white and blue point to C for the murder of C's wife's first husband. But no, the first husband's brother kills him for having caught on to his crime of passing off forgeries as multi million dollar genuine art.
So in one hot mess of a book, we have embezzlement, forgery, unhealthy obsession, and 2 completely unrelated murders.
The wife Emma was the most fickle protagonist ever. One moment she's all "I passionately love Tom. He cannot be a murderer " the next moment she's running off in the dark to escape him convinced he's a cold blooded killer.
She keeps waffling this way and that, doing a full 180 degree turn every few pages, I started hoping someone would just bump her off.
And then she has the gall to be mad at husband 2 for hiding the fact he had a huge crush on her before they formally met and not disclosing the fact that he'd attended one of her events unbeknownst to her.
Ok a mid 40s high flying ad exec acting like a love sick adolescent is sort of creepy stalkerish, but nothing for Emma to get bent out of shape. She wonders how she can trust him, but how can he trust HER, with her having been convinced a dozen times in the book that he was a murderer???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2022
Are you a fan of clever plot twists? Kate White's novel The Second Husband is packed with juicy lies and shocking cliffhangers. Throughout his electrifying thriller readers are on the lookout for clues to who the murderer is. Can you figure it out?
Synopsis:
After Emma's first husband Derrick is the victim of a violent murder Emma begins putting her life back together. She meets and marries Tom, a vivacious good-looking businessman. Life for Emma and Tom is happy until a police detective visits Emma to announce the police are reopening Derrick's murder case. Emma thought she had been ruled out of being a suspect in the case until it recently came to light police have many unanswered questions for her. What do police know about Emma and Tom that could turn their world upside down?
The Second Husband by Kate White is available on June 28th. This is my first book written by Kate White. I look forward to enjoying more of her work. Kate has a talent for writing unexpected and stunning turns of events that keep readers guessing to the last page.
(3.75 bumped up to a 4 ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, (Harper Paperbacks), for the opportunity to review this magnificent curvy book. Your kindness is appreciated.
Synopsis:
After Emma's first husband Derrick is the victim of a violent murder Emma begins putting her life back together. She meets and marries Tom, a vivacious good-looking businessman. Life for Emma and Tom is happy until a police detective visits Emma to announce the police are reopening Derrick's murder case. Emma thought she had been ruled out of being a suspect in the case until it recently came to light police have many unanswered questions for her. What do police know about Emma and Tom that could turn their world upside down?
The Second Husband by Kate White is available on June 28th. This is my first book written by Kate White. I look forward to enjoying more of her work. Kate has a talent for writing unexpected and stunning turns of events that keep readers guessing to the last page.
(3.75 bumped up to a 4 ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐)
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, (Harper Paperbacks), for the opportunity to review this magnificent curvy book. Your kindness is appreciated.
August 13, 2022
Emma's husband was shot and killed 27 months ago and many questions remain as his killer was never caught. She has happily remarried to Tom and they temporarily live with his stepdaughter Brittany from a previous marriage. Out of the blue, a detective comes to Emma's house to tell her they are reopening her husband's investigation. Emma begins to feel like the main suspect. So I begin wondering if the author wants readers to believe Emma really had something to do with the murder. Maybe she did. Or maybe someone she is close to wanted him dead. Or maybe several someones. Hmmmm.
I've read several novels by Kate White and I enjoyed them, as I did this one. It was a fast read. The author did a good job of making someone look guilty, then not guilty, then someone else seemed guilty. I thought everybody looked guilty at certain points. So obviously, I didn't know who dun it.
I've read several novels by Kate White and I enjoyed them, as I did this one. It was a fast read. The author did a good job of making someone look guilty, then not guilty, then someone else seemed guilty. I thought everybody looked guilty at certain points. So obviously, I didn't know who dun it.
June 18, 2022
3,5 ⭐️
Kate White writes pretty entertaining domestic suspense stories so, when I was offered the chance to read an early copy of The Second Husband, I jumped at it. Last year, The Fiancée was a pretty solid family drama/whodunnit, so I could not wait to see what Ms White had come out with this year.
Emma’s husband, Derrick, was killed in an alley in NYC while away at a conference. The case was never solved and we learn right from the start their marriage wasn’t as happy as it looked. Now, 27 months later, Emma is married to Tom and living a good and successful life, but when Derrick’s case is reopened her new idyllic situation will be seriously threatened.
Kate White delivers with The Second Husband another story packed with suspense, although a bit more slow burn than I was expecting.
I liked how the twists and turns kept me on my toes, making me constantly wonder whom I should trust (correct answer: no one). I also liked how, on the one hand, I could not help being convinced about Emma’s involvement in Derrick’s murder while at the same time being paranoid about Tom’s real intentions with her.
There was no shortage of suspects, so speculation and theories ran through my mind the whole time. I loved how the author made me doubt until the last pages. The resolution was good although that last chapter felt a bit unresolved (maybe it was an ARC issue).
Although the premise of the story is a bit overdone, the author made it an entertaining and engaging read with a slow build up that not only made Emma paranoid but me as well!
The Second Husband will make a great beach read this summer.
Thanks to Wunderkind PR for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kate White writes pretty entertaining domestic suspense stories so, when I was offered the chance to read an early copy of The Second Husband, I jumped at it. Last year, The Fiancée was a pretty solid family drama/whodunnit, so I could not wait to see what Ms White had come out with this year.
Emma’s husband, Derrick, was killed in an alley in NYC while away at a conference. The case was never solved and we learn right from the start their marriage wasn’t as happy as it looked. Now, 27 months later, Emma is married to Tom and living a good and successful life, but when Derrick’s case is reopened her new idyllic situation will be seriously threatened.
Kate White delivers with The Second Husband another story packed with suspense, although a bit more slow burn than I was expecting.
I liked how the twists and turns kept me on my toes, making me constantly wonder whom I should trust (correct answer: no one). I also liked how, on the one hand, I could not help being convinced about Emma’s involvement in Derrick’s murder while at the same time being paranoid about Tom’s real intentions with her.
There was no shortage of suspects, so speculation and theories ran through my mind the whole time. I loved how the author made me doubt until the last pages. The resolution was good although that last chapter felt a bit unresolved (maybe it was an ARC issue).
Although the premise of the story is a bit overdone, the author made it an entertaining and engaging read with a slow build up that not only made Emma paranoid but me as well!
The Second Husband will make a great beach read this summer.
Thanks to Wunderkind PR for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
May 2, 2025Vapid characters, average writing, an ending that made no sense (in the ARC). Too much minutiae, what they’re wearing, eating. I’m my first Kate White novel and likely to be the last.
November 4, 2022
Emma Hawke has spent a long time recovering from her first husband, Derrick’s, murder. The case was never solved and went cold. Emma has just now finally found some peace in her life and is remarried to a nice man named Tom. Unexpectedly the police show up at Tom and Emma’s house one day and ask her questions about the timing of her relationship with Tom. Apparently, information had surfaced that indicated that Tom had attended a business dinner that Derrick and Emma were also at. This occurred a few months before his death. Coincidence? Or something more?
I was expecting another great story from Kate White, and I was not disappointed with THE SECOND HUSBAND. I am a fan of the author and have read several of her excellent novels. This new book was fast paced and provided plenty of entertainment value! I love a story that keeps you guessing and this one fits that bill perfectly. I did not solve the mystery prior to the big reveal (I always prefer this). Mystery fans will love THE SECOND HUSBAND! Thanks to my friend Natasa @itsallaboutbooksandmacarons for buddy reading with me.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
I was expecting another great story from Kate White, and I was not disappointed with THE SECOND HUSBAND. I am a fan of the author and have read several of her excellent novels. This new book was fast paced and provided plenty of entertainment value! I love a story that keeps you guessing and this one fits that bill perfectly. I did not solve the mystery prior to the big reveal (I always prefer this). Mystery fans will love THE SECOND HUSBAND! Thanks to my friend Natasa @itsallaboutbooksandmacarons for buddy reading with me.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
June 24, 2022
This is my second book by the author and while her previous book was just ok for me, this one worked much better. There were times while I was reading it that I thought for sure the author was gonna take the easy and obvious route as to how to plot was developing and I’m so happy to say I was wrong. I thought the pacing was good, nice and steady and I was never bored, it definitely kept me engaged and wondering what would happen next. Dead spouses in a thriller in obviously nothing new but I thought the author did a pretty good job at putting her own spin on things. I listened to this one and Leslie Howard narrates and she was new for me but she was great. I would describe this as a lighter style suspense/thriller, great for a summer weekend read.
June 3, 2025
There is an interesting mystery here, and the way that everything connects is fun to follow.
Unfortunately, there are so many misdirections and convoluted twists that even the book isn't keeping track of them well.
I am left with too many questions, and I am not satisfied with how things are left in the end.
Not a bad journey, though.
3 Stars
Unfortunately, there are so many misdirections and convoluted twists that even the book isn't keeping track of them well.
I am left with too many questions, and I am not satisfied with how things are left in the end.
Not a bad journey, though.
3 Stars
August 23, 2022
I’m sorry to say, but this was my first 1 star read of the year. I came close to giving it at least a 2.5 stars but couldn’t find any redeeming factors to fill in that gap. A few of my biggest complaints:
>> The narrator read like a complete bore of a human being. I couldn’t get a feel for her personality, AT ALL! It’s giving suppressed housewife. Even if she *SPOILER ALERT* liked her murdered husband 0%, could we please get a least some hint of a reaction to a massive upheaval of her life?
>> The book itself was an extremely slow, dull, boring read with zero exciting twists and turns. The one time we did start to get into something a bit exciting…. Well, I’ll get to that in a bit.
>> The entire book basically centers around a widow who has severe anxiety over the investigation of her dead husband’s murder and yet it felt like she didn’t care to help move the investigation along. Side note: We get one thorough conversation with a detective in the beginning, leading us to believe that dynamic would be touched on throughout the book and its not. At all. Not even a little bit.
>> I can’t even expand on the amount of irrelevant characters in this book. I guess they were all meant to serve a small purpose in the book, but they came off as useless to the story. The men she employed. Her stepdaughter. The lawyers. And OMG! The “gossipy” acquaintance. I still, for the life of me, cannot figure out why that character was in the story. She could have been left out and it would be the EXACT SAME book.
>> Speaking of the step daughter. The narrator seemed to despise her and resent her presence. The author described her [adult] step child as “difficult” a few times. Bitch, where? WHERE? We haven’t a single clue as to how she’s “difficult,” or such a disruption to the couple’s home life. In fact, she’s hardly ever around! Also, for as many times as she’s mentioned and included in dialogue… again, the character did absolutely nothing to drive the story forward.
>> Lastly, the rising action, climax, and falling action were completely underwhelming. Just as I thought “AHHHH! HERE WE GO! We’re finally getting somewhere…” It was THE biggest WHOMP WHOMP of a climax/ending that I have ever read which plays, in big part, to why I rated this a 1 star. I read the whole book for THAT?!?
I never say “don’t bother with this book,” because we’re all into different things. Cool cool. But this? Unless you want your hopes stabbed, drowned, and put through a wood chipper, just don’t bother.
>> The narrator read like a complete bore of a human being. I couldn’t get a feel for her personality, AT ALL! It’s giving suppressed housewife. Even if she *SPOILER ALERT* liked her murdered husband 0%, could we please get a least some hint of a reaction to a massive upheaval of her life?
>> The book itself was an extremely slow, dull, boring read with zero exciting twists and turns. The one time we did start to get into something a bit exciting…. Well, I’ll get to that in a bit.
>> The entire book basically centers around a widow who has severe anxiety over the investigation of her dead husband’s murder and yet it felt like she didn’t care to help move the investigation along. Side note: We get one thorough conversation with a detective in the beginning, leading us to believe that dynamic would be touched on throughout the book and its not. At all. Not even a little bit.
>> I can’t even expand on the amount of irrelevant characters in this book. I guess they were all meant to serve a small purpose in the book, but they came off as useless to the story. The men she employed. Her stepdaughter. The lawyers. And OMG! The “gossipy” acquaintance. I still, for the life of me, cannot figure out why that character was in the story. She could have been left out and it would be the EXACT SAME book.
>> Speaking of the step daughter. The narrator seemed to despise her and resent her presence. The author described her [adult] step child as “difficult” a few times. Bitch, where? WHERE? We haven’t a single clue as to how she’s “difficult,” or such a disruption to the couple’s home life. In fact, she’s hardly ever around! Also, for as many times as she’s mentioned and included in dialogue… again, the character did absolutely nothing to drive the story forward.
>> Lastly, the rising action, climax, and falling action were completely underwhelming. Just as I thought “AHHHH! HERE WE GO! We’re finally getting somewhere…” It was THE biggest WHOMP WHOMP of a climax/ending that I have ever read which plays, in big part, to why I rated this a 1 star. I read the whole book for THAT?!?
I never say “don’t bother with this book,” because we’re all into different things. Cool cool. But this? Unless you want your hopes stabbed, drowned, and put through a wood chipper, just don’t bother.
February 2, 2022
Kate White has written another totally engaging novel. Emma is restarting her life after her husband was mysteriously murdered. She is far from bereft after a disappointing marriage. Now Emma has a second chance, but nothing is that simple. That’s the setting for this engaging mystery. There are lots of twists and and Emma begins to question her marriage with her second husband.
I enjoyed this tremendously, just the right amount of suspense and a lots of possibilities for the murderer of her first husband. It’s clear that the suspects include both Emma and her second husband Tom.! The author pulls it all together and gives the reader satisfying closure.
Be sure to pack this for your vacation, great read.
Thank you Netgalley for this lovely read.
I enjoyed this tremendously, just the right amount of suspense and a lots of possibilities for the murderer of her first husband. It’s clear that the suspects include both Emma and her second husband Tom.! The author pulls it all together and gives the reader satisfying closure.
Be sure to pack this for your vacation, great read.
Thank you Netgalley for this lovely read.
July 23, 2022
This story trodded along without much vigor or engagement until the last quarter of the book. Then, there were so many plot twists near the end that I had mental whiplash…and not in a good way. Needless to say, didn’t find the plot twists clever. They were obvious and annoying. The protagonist was also a bit whiny, wish-washy, and annoying. At least this was a fairly short read. I don’t think I’ll venture into another of White’s books. Meh.
June 28, 2022
Emma Hawke’s husband, Derrick Rand, was shot and killed in what appears to have been a random murder. He was supposed to be at a conference so why was he killed in a parking lot? Derrick’s family was quite wealthy and his parents left some expensive artwork to him, his brother and sister. So, after his death, Derrick's artwork went to his siblings.
Two years later, Emma is now happily married to Tom Halliday who works in advertising. Emma has her own research business which targets hotels and restaurants. One evening, a policewoman stops by to discuss Derrick’s murder. She tells Emma that the case will be reopened as a DNA match has surfaced.
Emma learns that there may be evidence that she and Tom knew one another before Derrick was killed. So, automatically it’s a given that everyone, including the police, will assume that Tom killed Derrick.
This is where this book started to fail for me. Even if they did know one another WHY does that mean Tom killed him? The back and forth of did he or didn’t he really got old. I didn’t really care for Emma. I have to wonder if the author built the character as herself. For me, the story lacked the spark it needed to be called a thriller.
Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Two years later, Emma is now happily married to Tom Halliday who works in advertising. Emma has her own research business which targets hotels and restaurants. One evening, a policewoman stops by to discuss Derrick’s murder. She tells Emma that the case will be reopened as a DNA match has surfaced.
Emma learns that there may be evidence that she and Tom knew one another before Derrick was killed. So, automatically it’s a given that everyone, including the police, will assume that Tom killed Derrick.
This is where this book started to fail for me. Even if they did know one another WHY does that mean Tom killed him? The back and forth of did he or didn’t he really got old. I didn’t really care for Emma. I have to wonder if the author built the character as herself. For me, the story lacked the spark it needed to be called a thriller.
Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 7, 2022
A tangled, twisted mystery with enough clues you can follow and a few that you’ll miss along the way!
I always like to start my reviews for Kate White with some level-setting that her books are much more on the mystery end of the psychological thriller spectrum typically. Readers looking for books full of unreliable narrators and twists that come out of left field may not find that here. I like to think of Kate White’s books as what Nancy Drew lovers will enjoy when they grow up to be women who a glass of wine or a cocktail and an HBO Max series.
One thing I love about Kate White is her attention to detail, both in how she crafts her mysteries and plots and in how she writes. She puts in a level of detail that I can picture every setting, character, and scene in vivid color in my mind. I also like the way the clues tie together at the end. She rarely leaves any major questions unanswered.
Her leading lady Emma Hawke is new to me, while also feeling familiar in the way Kate White heroines do. White writes about women who are career-oriented, successful, appreciate a good meal or glass of wine, and pursue relationships but not at the expense of their own mental health. I’d describe her heroines as pragmatists who tend towards a light touch of healthy anxiety. They are women that feel familiar—like women I’d actually know in real life. And since they feel so close to real life, sometimes that can make the mysteries feel even more tense. They feel like real stories, and that brings its own sort of terror.
Emma Hawke’s first husband was murdered in a random shooting. Within weeks, Emma sold their house and did her best to move on, getting an apartment in Manhattan. It isn’t long before Emma meets the man who becomes her second husband, Tom Halliday in her work as a trend forecaster consultant. Emma and Tom have a beautiful home in Connecticut with Emma’s office in a guest cottage out back. Things should be bliss as Emma finally finds herself in a happy, healthy marriage, but everything isn’t settled just yet. Tom’s stepdaughter Brittany from his previous marriage is staying with them for the summer and she is not a fan of Emma’s.
When a detective shows up on their doorstep saying they are re-opening the investigation into the murder of Emma’s first husband, Emma dreads going back to the headspace she was in during her first marriage. Emma didn’t share this with anyone, but her first marriage wasn’t as happy as others thought. In fact, Emma was relieved when it ended, though of course she didn’t want her first husband to die… did she?
And if not Emma behind it all, then who? Her ex-brother-in-law who always hated Emma? A business associate? A random stranger? Or could it be possible that her own second husband was somehow involved? There are too many suspects to keep straight, and yet all of them seem to tie back to Emma herself. Desperate to clear up the case and close that chapter of her life permanently, Emma does everything she can to do her own investigation into any leads the police might be pursuing. But what happens if she doesn’t like the answers once she finds them?
I loved how this mystery was laid out. I had a lot of different theories and suspects and I liked how clues were resolved, new clues were introduced, and the suspect list shuffled throughout the book. It kept the pace of the mystery moving forward, as some leads got closed out while new information arrived. By the end it was like putting together a puzzle of what I knew, what I thought I knew, and what I had overlooked. I definitely didn’t guess exactly how the mystery would resolve! I enjoyed getting Emma’s thoughts along the way.
Fresh, easy, and light—Kate White’s The Second Husband is the perfect summer mystery!
I always like to start my reviews for Kate White with some level-setting that her books are much more on the mystery end of the psychological thriller spectrum typically. Readers looking for books full of unreliable narrators and twists that come out of left field may not find that here. I like to think of Kate White’s books as what Nancy Drew lovers will enjoy when they grow up to be women who a glass of wine or a cocktail and an HBO Max series.
One thing I love about Kate White is her attention to detail, both in how she crafts her mysteries and plots and in how she writes. She puts in a level of detail that I can picture every setting, character, and scene in vivid color in my mind. I also like the way the clues tie together at the end. She rarely leaves any major questions unanswered.
Her leading lady Emma Hawke is new to me, while also feeling familiar in the way Kate White heroines do. White writes about women who are career-oriented, successful, appreciate a good meal or glass of wine, and pursue relationships but not at the expense of their own mental health. I’d describe her heroines as pragmatists who tend towards a light touch of healthy anxiety. They are women that feel familiar—like women I’d actually know in real life. And since they feel so close to real life, sometimes that can make the mysteries feel even more tense. They feel like real stories, and that brings its own sort of terror.
Emma Hawke’s first husband was murdered in a random shooting. Within weeks, Emma sold their house and did her best to move on, getting an apartment in Manhattan. It isn’t long before Emma meets the man who becomes her second husband, Tom Halliday in her work as a trend forecaster consultant. Emma and Tom have a beautiful home in Connecticut with Emma’s office in a guest cottage out back. Things should be bliss as Emma finally finds herself in a happy, healthy marriage, but everything isn’t settled just yet. Tom’s stepdaughter Brittany from his previous marriage is staying with them for the summer and she is not a fan of Emma’s.
When a detective shows up on their doorstep saying they are re-opening the investigation into the murder of Emma’s first husband, Emma dreads going back to the headspace she was in during her first marriage. Emma didn’t share this with anyone, but her first marriage wasn’t as happy as others thought. In fact, Emma was relieved when it ended, though of course she didn’t want her first husband to die… did she?
And if not Emma behind it all, then who? Her ex-brother-in-law who always hated Emma? A business associate? A random stranger? Or could it be possible that her own second husband was somehow involved? There are too many suspects to keep straight, and yet all of them seem to tie back to Emma herself. Desperate to clear up the case and close that chapter of her life permanently, Emma does everything she can to do her own investigation into any leads the police might be pursuing. But what happens if she doesn’t like the answers once she finds them?
I loved how this mystery was laid out. I had a lot of different theories and suspects and I liked how clues were resolved, new clues were introduced, and the suspect list shuffled throughout the book. It kept the pace of the mystery moving forward, as some leads got closed out while new information arrived. By the end it was like putting together a puzzle of what I knew, what I thought I knew, and what I had overlooked. I definitely didn’t guess exactly how the mystery would resolve! I enjoyed getting Emma’s thoughts along the way.
Fresh, easy, and light—Kate White’s The Second Husband is the perfect summer mystery!
January 1, 2023
✨MINI REVIEW✨
🔸𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 • ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5 rounded to 4)
🔸Out now!
📚 Another murder mystery / psychological thriller, about a widow who, after moving on with her life and finding happiness, learns that her first husband's murder investigation is being reopened. She'll begin questioning everything -- and everyone.
💭This was my book club's November pick, and overall I enjoyed it! There were tons of twists and turns I didn't see coming. It was very fast-paced and kept me engaged throughout. I did find a few inconsistencies, however, that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. I did a combination of audio and print, and the narrator knocked it out of the park. Well done!👏
Thank you Harper Collins for the gifted bookclub copies. 🥰
🔸𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 • ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5 rounded to 4)
🔸Out now!
📚 Another murder mystery / psychological thriller, about a widow who, after moving on with her life and finding happiness, learns that her first husband's murder investigation is being reopened. She'll begin questioning everything -- and everyone.
💭This was my book club's November pick, and overall I enjoyed it! There were tons of twists and turns I didn't see coming. It was very fast-paced and kept me engaged throughout. I did find a few inconsistencies, however, that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. I did a combination of audio and print, and the narrator knocked it out of the park. Well done!👏
Thank you Harper Collins for the gifted bookclub copies. 🥰
November 23, 2022
THE SECOND HUSBAND
Kate White
The wife is in a pickle. Her first husband was murdered and now her second husband is lying to her about when they met and where he was the night her first husband was murdered.
This was fast-paced and had enough side trails to be considered twisty. I enjoyed it completely, although in several places I wanted to yell at the characters to make better decisions. But don't we all?
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Kate White
The wife is in a pickle. Her first husband was murdered and now her second husband is lying to her about when they met and where he was the night her first husband was murdered.
This was fast-paced and had enough side trails to be considered twisty. I enjoyed it completely, although in several places I wanted to yell at the characters to make better decisions. But don't we all?
4 stars
Happy Reading!
July 3, 2022
Kate White weaves another tangled web of a thriller in THE SECOND HUSBAND, which is set on the Connecticut shore in Westport.
Emma Hawke suddenly became a widow when her husband, Derrick Rand, was shot and killed in what appeared to be a random street crime. Within weeks of his death, she sold everything and moved to an apartment in New York City. She was thoroughly investigated by the police, and no charges were filed against her or anyone else. The case went cold for years. As she overcame her grief, she met widower Tom Halliday and married him. His stepdaughter, Brittany, is living with them while interning at his company. She and Emma have a strained relationship, which only adds to the latter’s already elevated stress level.
Emma and Tom have settled into a comfortable life. However, that is interrupted when a detective shows up on their doorstep asking more questions about the murder, which is still unsolved. Emma’s life becomes a nightmare as the investigation probes deeper into her relationships with Derrick, Tom and others. One of the main questions in her mind is how the authorities will interpret the circumstances surrounding her meeting Tom.
Emma hires an attorney to help her through the police inquiry. He advises her to speak to them only if he is present; suggests that Tom get his own lawyer in case he also becomes a suspect; and tells both of them to think about all of their social and business activities that occurred around the time of Derrick’s death. Emma owns a successful business as a forecaster of “generational trends” and has an office in a building on their property. Her employees know nothing of her history or current situation. Tom has his own thriving business, and both are quite busy. But did they ever cross paths before Derrick was killed?
As the narrative unfolds, readers learn that some expensive original art was inherited by Derrick and his siblings, but questions arise about their authenticity. Also, Tom’s chief of staff is murdered, and he discovers that someone has embezzled half a million dollars from his company. This all takes a toll on Emma and her marriage. To make matters worse, she finds three anonymous threatening notes that further shake her up. Who possibly could be responsible for these? Who has such a hatred for her?
The suspense ratchets up as the story moves along. Few clues are solvable here, which keeps readers turning each page at a brisk pace. Kate White has an impeccable talent for straightforward plotting and a writing style that never fails to engage. THE SECOND HUSBAND is a perfect beach read.
Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
Emma Hawke suddenly became a widow when her husband, Derrick Rand, was shot and killed in what appeared to be a random street crime. Within weeks of his death, she sold everything and moved to an apartment in New York City. She was thoroughly investigated by the police, and no charges were filed against her or anyone else. The case went cold for years. As she overcame her grief, she met widower Tom Halliday and married him. His stepdaughter, Brittany, is living with them while interning at his company. She and Emma have a strained relationship, which only adds to the latter’s already elevated stress level.
Emma and Tom have settled into a comfortable life. However, that is interrupted when a detective shows up on their doorstep asking more questions about the murder, which is still unsolved. Emma’s life becomes a nightmare as the investigation probes deeper into her relationships with Derrick, Tom and others. One of the main questions in her mind is how the authorities will interpret the circumstances surrounding her meeting Tom.
Emma hires an attorney to help her through the police inquiry. He advises her to speak to them only if he is present; suggests that Tom get his own lawyer in case he also becomes a suspect; and tells both of them to think about all of their social and business activities that occurred around the time of Derrick’s death. Emma owns a successful business as a forecaster of “generational trends” and has an office in a building on their property. Her employees know nothing of her history or current situation. Tom has his own thriving business, and both are quite busy. But did they ever cross paths before Derrick was killed?
As the narrative unfolds, readers learn that some expensive original art was inherited by Derrick and his siblings, but questions arise about their authenticity. Also, Tom’s chief of staff is murdered, and he discovers that someone has embezzled half a million dollars from his company. This all takes a toll on Emma and her marriage. To make matters worse, she finds three anonymous threatening notes that further shake her up. Who possibly could be responsible for these? Who has such a hatred for her?
The suspense ratchets up as the story moves along. Few clues are solvable here, which keeps readers turning each page at a brisk pace. Kate White has an impeccable talent for straightforward plotting and a writing style that never fails to engage. THE SECOND HUSBAND is a perfect beach read.
Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
July 26, 2022
Talk about a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat...
Not only did I chew my fingernails down to the core while reading The Second Husband, but I might as well have lost my first husband myself as none of my daily chores were accomplished. Dinner went uncooked, dishes piled up and laundry that covered the floor from wall to wall.
Hey, I cant help it! These books just seem to take over my world and nothing else matters.
Back to The Second Husband...
This is an addictive and incredibly suspenseful novel that will keep you begging for more. Each time I flipped the page I feared I was not doing it fast enough. There was no shortage of family drama along the way and the twists just kept on coming.
The Second Husband will leave you with a serious book hangover and there will be no shortage of jaw dropping moments. If you are looking for something that will completely consume your life then this is definitely the book for you.
I devoured this book in one sitting and when I concluded I just wanted more Kate White!!!! So, I instantly ran on over to amazon and purchased The Secrets You Keep and Such a Perfect Wife. Wish me luck, I am currently on a Kate White binge.
Not only did I chew my fingernails down to the core while reading The Second Husband, but I might as well have lost my first husband myself as none of my daily chores were accomplished. Dinner went uncooked, dishes piled up and laundry that covered the floor from wall to wall.
Hey, I cant help it! These books just seem to take over my world and nothing else matters.
Back to The Second Husband...
This is an addictive and incredibly suspenseful novel that will keep you begging for more. Each time I flipped the page I feared I was not doing it fast enough. There was no shortage of family drama along the way and the twists just kept on coming.
The Second Husband will leave you with a serious book hangover and there will be no shortage of jaw dropping moments. If you are looking for something that will completely consume your life then this is definitely the book for you.
I devoured this book in one sitting and when I concluded I just wanted more Kate White!!!! So, I instantly ran on over to amazon and purchased The Secrets You Keep and Such a Perfect Wife. Wish me luck, I am currently on a Kate White binge.
July 4, 2022
Sinister, tense, and engaging!
The Second Husband is a tortuous, simmering tale that introduces us to Emma Hawke, a successful entrepreneur who, after the investigation into the murder of her first husband Derrick is reopened, begins to wonder if anyone is who they really claim to be and whether the introduction to her second husband Tom was as honest and accidental and it originally appeared.
The writing is fluid and tight. The characters are troubled, secretive, and consumed. And the plot is an intricate tale of deception, manipulation, suspicions, revelations, fraud, drama, mayhem, and murder.
Overall, The Second Husband is an ominous, suspenseful, twisty whodunit by White that does a wonderful job of reminding us that things are never quite as they seem.
Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Second Husband is a tortuous, simmering tale that introduces us to Emma Hawke, a successful entrepreneur who, after the investigation into the murder of her first husband Derrick is reopened, begins to wonder if anyone is who they really claim to be and whether the introduction to her second husband Tom was as honest and accidental and it originally appeared.
The writing is fluid and tight. The characters are troubled, secretive, and consumed. And the plot is an intricate tale of deception, manipulation, suspicions, revelations, fraud, drama, mayhem, and murder.
Overall, The Second Husband is an ominous, suspenseful, twisty whodunit by White that does a wonderful job of reminding us that things are never quite as they seem.
Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2023
The Second Husband had me hooked at first, but then it seemed to drone on and on and then just .... ended?
This is the story of Emma, who is happily married to her second husband Tom and running a trend research firm (I'm still confused about what her firm actually does other than survey influencers, which doesn't make a ton of sense), following the murder of her first husband in NYC two years prior. Emma begins to suspect Tom of having something to do with her first husband's murder after thr police re-open the investigation.
This book took me a long time to get through because I have been super busy and also because my attention started to wane after the second half.
The characters all seemed very flat, especially the MC Emma.
The dialogue was very formal, old-fashioned and cringey - especially the conversations between Emma and Tom. They way they spoke to each other made it seem like they were at least in their 60's, if not older, so I was surprised to read a passage about Emma wanting to have a baby and then discovering Tom was only 45?! (That is younger than me!!)
I didn't see any evidence to support Tom's step-daughter Brittany being a burdon or difficult while she was staying with them for a summer internship at Tom's company, although I did suspect she and Tom were sleeping together. The truth was much more boring and her friendship with Taylor just seemed strange.
I don't know why there were so many characters - why was Addison even in the book? What was the point of including Emma's BFF and her baby?
I didn't mind the food or clothing descriptions, as some other reviewers seemed to hate - in fact, I thought they were a lot more interesting than the dialogue.
And the ending was so abrupt. I guess we got answers about all of the murders, but there really wasn't a conclusion to the book. And why did Emma stay with Tom after finding out he had been stalking her? And if the scarf did belong to his wife, why did he dump it at Goodwill in another town? And did Emma ever tell Tom about the art forgery? I guess we will never know and may not be interested enough to care.
Finally, I guess the title of the book was a red herring?
*Thank you to Harper for sending me an ARC of this book
This is the story of Emma, who is happily married to her second husband Tom and running a trend research firm (I'm still confused about what her firm actually does other than survey influencers, which doesn't make a ton of sense), following the murder of her first husband in NYC two years prior. Emma begins to suspect Tom of having something to do with her first husband's murder after thr police re-open the investigation.
This book took me a long time to get through because I have been super busy and also because my attention started to wane after the second half.
The characters all seemed very flat, especially the MC Emma.
The dialogue was very formal, old-fashioned and cringey - especially the conversations between Emma and Tom. They way they spoke to each other made it seem like they were at least in their 60's, if not older, so I was surprised to read a passage about Emma wanting to have a baby and then discovering Tom was only 45?! (That is younger than me!!)
I didn't see any evidence to support Tom's step-daughter Brittany being a burdon or difficult while she was staying with them for a summer internship at Tom's company, although I did suspect she and Tom were sleeping together. The truth was much more boring and her friendship with Taylor just seemed strange.
I don't know why there were so many characters - why was Addison even in the book? What was the point of including Emma's BFF and her baby?
I didn't mind the food or clothing descriptions, as some other reviewers seemed to hate - in fact, I thought they were a lot more interesting than the dialogue.
And the ending was so abrupt. I guess we got answers about all of the murders, but there really wasn't a conclusion to the book. And why did Emma stay with Tom after finding out he had been stalking her? And if the scarf did belong to his wife, why did he dump it at Goodwill in another town? And did Emma ever tell Tom about the art forgery? I guess we will never know and may not be interested enough to care.
Finally, I guess the title of the book was a red herring?
*Thank you to Harper for sending me an ARC of this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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