From Goodreads
When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen…

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…

ISBN: 9781101990261
Publisher: NAL
Publication date: February 16th 2016
Pages: 324

Review
Debut novel by Fiona Barton and the first in a series centred around a journalist. This story follows a woman who deludes herself that she’s in a loving, nurturing marriage to a wonderful man. From the description of how he controlled his wife it was very clear that he was an abusive husband. I suppose when I found out about his secret I wasn’t entirely surprised. Initially I found myself feeling sorry for his wife who had to put up with a lot of harrassment from the media and so on. The further on the story went I found myself wondering if her husband did do the crime after all. I was left feeling uncertain as to whether he had done it or she had.

Fiona Barton is a talented writer. In addition to child murder she addresses such things as miscarriage, inability to conceive and the effect that these situations can have on one’s mental wellbeing. Jean had a great deal of trouble coping with the fact that she would never have children but her husband ended up not seeming to not be concerned. Jean was for the most part a very strong woman who had to deal with a lot and did so with great courage.

This book is classed as mystery/thriller however I didn’t find it that mysterious/thriller like. Whilst I enjoyed this book, and being introduced to another new author, I’m not sure I want to, or have any desire to read anymore books in this series. I’m happy with having just read this book.

Recommend for: Adults
Rating: 4 stars