Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Husbands

Honestly, I don’t think I am the right demographic to read this book. Like I am not a wife nor a mother, nor am I in my late 30s so although I generally sympathize with what mothers and wives go through, it is constantly emphasized throughout the book to the point it gets repetitive. Nevertheless, I still appreciate the book for shedding light on a subject like that.

Unfortunately, this fell flat for me, especially the ending. It was anticlimactic; it left me dissatisfied. Not to mention, for a book that is marketed as a thriller novel, its contents touches more on the feminist aspect and how “miserable and trapped” women are because their husbands are incompetent. Although that premise is connected to the thriller plot, I expected the story to focus mainly on the housefire case rather than thoroughly exploring Nora’s (the MC) family and work life. I also don’t know if I should like Nora because as I progressed through the book, she was becoming unbearable 😭 so if that wasn’t the goal, then the author is doing a bad job of making me feel bad for her.

Anyway, take this review with a grain of salt because, like I said, I feel like I am not the target demographic for this.

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ohsnapsabrina93_'s review against another edition

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I didn't like how she ended the story then had an epilogue of 2 years later as if what she had gone through 2 years prior was nothing.

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katiejohns's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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candide_woodard's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Chandler Baker is an incredible author and though this story lacked originality, it was hard to put down.

The Husbands has a slow start but around halfway through, it gets exciting! I was disappointed by the slow burn and predictable ending, it was too abrupt.

Overall it was a great read and maybe just not for me. I’ll have to read Whisper Network and give Baker another chance.

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binreads's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

this book actually made me wanna scream and fling it across the ROOOOOOOM!!!!!! That ending?!?!?

Get Out vibes for SUUUURE. The whole time I was thinking NORA GIRL COME ON YOU ARE SMART GET OUUUUUT OF THIS

the book didn’t really pick up until halfway through and i thought we could’ve gotten to the resolution a bit sooner so we could see the aftermath.

The last line HAUNTED ME.

The amount of red flags Nora ignored from this group of women was ASTOUNDING. Just blissfully ignorant while it’s all right there in front of her! Mama you are a lawyer!!!

I also feel like it dragged on the “accident” situation that happened to Liv. I don’t believe it really added anything to the narrative.

It was crazy to slowly uncover what was happening as a reader. When they were at therapy, and Cornelia kept clicking her pen: Click, Click, Click i was immediately like Didn’t Richard claim he was hearing clicking??? Are they brainwashing them?? AND I WAS RIGHT

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renshow's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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oliviaclaire's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I seem to be on a run of stories with a great or unusual premise that just don't quite deliver. The Husbands confronts the issue of unequal roles in the household by introducing a small utopia outside Austin TX where the male partners in every household are equal if not majority caretakers, cooks and cleaners in their homes and families. Nora Spangler, an overworked attorney up for partner and soon to be mother-of-two, is amazed and relieved when the women of the neighborhood convince her that her family can be just the same but obviously, everything is not what it seems.

I enjoyed some of the web blogs and news articles (including comments) used between chapters to highlight some of the issues plaguing women at work and at home and there were definitely moments when I felt for Nora in her relationship with her husband Hayden. Weaponised incompetence is a term that most definitely springs to mind... but overall this book just didn't stick the landing for me.

Part of the issue with the mystery element of the book is that it's quite obvious early on who is pulling the strings and who our villains are likely to be. Obviously, the wives must be doing something to their husbands to create this forward-thinking paradise and it just so happens that one of them is a psychologist and another a neurosurgeon. Points if you can guess who might be culpable... It's not exactly threading a lot of potential villains or plot twists into the mix.

The other issue is that Nora just isn't a likeable character. I feel for her predicament but she just bottles up all of her issues and then when her husband becomes a paragon of fatherly virtue at home she has no problem taking full advantage of the situation from the off and basically using him as the help. It's not even a slow tipping point from him pulling his weight and her seeing this as a pleasant change of pace before realising he's now gone too far. She's absolutely wrapped up in herself and ready to make the most of her own upgraded spouse.

As I said, strong premise and unique idea but lacked something in the execution that made it hard to feel for the characters or stay absorbed in the mystery.

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jkc's review against another edition

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tense slow-paced

4.0

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