HER HUSBAND'S LIES

3.5 stars out of 5

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed two other books by this talented author, so I was looking forward to this one - but alas, it was a little disappointing. While the plot itself is well-written and drew me in, I just couldn't get excited about the characters - especially Callie Sanderson, whose husband Abel is in a coma as a result of an auto accident she's convinced wasn't an accident as the police investigation concluded. The main reason she's convinced is that she was told by a "psychic" named Althea that he drove into a tree while trying to get away from someone.

Honestly, I'm not opposed to the notion that there are folks who "see" things others don't, but Callie's determination to go off on her own despite good advice from people to whom she should listen - i.e., the police - was a turnoff (the main objection I have to the female leads in cozy mysteries, BTW). But not only did she - a grown-up with a college-age son - not listen to reason, her on-my-own sleuthing never once, as far as I could tell, turned up any facts the police didn't already know. Finally, there's that title thing; all the way through, I kept waiting to find out what "lies" her husband told. And for the life of me, while he didn't always spell out in detail what he did and where he was every minute of every day - who does? - I couldn't find a single time in which he told an actual untruth.

All that said, the story itself held my interest throughout (I just sort of ignored Callie's relentless questioning of her own thoughts and actions and those of everybody else) and focused on what was actually happening. It seems that two young girls recently went missing and haven't been found - and little by little, connections between the girls and Abel come to light. Is it possible her beloved husband had something to do with their disappearances? After all, he did go out a few times without telling her specifically where he'd been. Still, Callie can't believe he's involved, but the plot thickens as she digs deeper, egged on by Althea's newfound but incomplete remembrances. Neighbors in the rather remote area of the Adirondacks become suspects just because of something they said (or didn't say); even Abel's estranged brother Garr, who suddenly turns up, isn't immune from her suspicions. Meantime, the police, led by detective Footman, continue to work the case despite Callie's constant harping about issues they've already investigated.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book I think most readers of this genre will enjoy. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for offering me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Her Husband's Lies by T.J. Brearton (Joffee Books, December 2022); 316 pp.