Never Trust the Husband

By: Jessica Payne

Narrated by: Sarah Borges

You look so happy in your wedding photo, gazing at your perfect new husband, glass of champagne held high in a toast. You chose to ignore the warning signs, but he hid more than one secret from you. And now he’s gotten away with your murder…

Every night I watch Benjamin and Gwyn in their gorgeous, glass-fronted Seattle home. Your ex-husband. Your best friend. Newly engaged, they’re busy dreaming of their future.

The official story is that you disappeared, but I know the truth. They killed you.

I know Benjamin’s new business is in trouble, that he desperately needs your money. I saw the way Gwyn looked at him at your wedding reception, finding any excuse to be close, to laugh too loudly at his jokes. After all, she always wanted your perfect life.

But don’t worry, Madeline. I won’t let it end like this. I can see everything from my place in the shadows between the trees. With their house lit up, they are on display. I’ll bide my time and worm my way into their home, their lives. They will never know the truth about who I am.

You didn’t get your happily ever after, and neither will they…

Never Trust the Husband is a totally twisty psychological thriller! Fans of The Perfect Marriage, The Housemaid and Shari Lapena will be hooked.

©2024 Jessica Payne (P)2024 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

A Mixed Bag of Thrills and Narration Woes

Alright, let's dive into "Never Trust the Husband" by Jessica Payne. Right off the bat, I gotta say, this book packs a plot that grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. It's like going on a roller coaster in the dark – you really don't see the twists coming until they've already smacked you in the face. And let me tell you, there were at least two moments where I was genuinely caught off guard, which is a refreshing change of pace from the usual predictability fest.

But, and this is a big but, there's a fly in the ointment, and it's a pretty significant one if you're diving into the Audible version. The main character's POV? Spot on. However, the moment we step into the territory of other characters, things go south FAST. The narrator, bless their soul, seems to have missed the memo on voice acting. Every character outside the protagonist comes off sounding like a variation of a mentally slow man - and not in a good way. It's like everyone's been dipped in the same monotonous, fake-deep, slow-voiced vat, regardless of whether they're male or female. It's distracting, to say the least, and really does a disservice to what's otherwise a gripping tale.

In short, "Never Trust the Husband" is a mixed bag. On the one hand, you've got this brilliantly plotted story that keeps you guessing, eager to turn the page (or, in this case, hit the "next" button). On the other hand, the auditory experience feels like you're stuck in a room where everyone's been hit with the slow-mo stick except the protagonist. If you can get past the narration hurdle, or perhaps stick to the Kindle version for a more uniform experience, you're in for a treat. Otherwise, brace yourself for a ride that's slightly less smooth than anticipated.

loved the story but narrator can't handle many voices

The story is great! kept me guessing and even though I did suspect the big plot twist it still was an entertaining read.

however the narrator was awful. the MC voice was fine but any other characters male or female had this same deep goofy voice. it's really distracting! she would be fine if she was just narrating the main character. however this book had way too many other characters. it really needed a second narrator or someone who can handle many voices.

Starts slow, ends great

This started slow and I almost gave up, but I am so glad I stuck with it. Had some great plot twists. I really enjoyed it.

Propulsive Thriller

This was a fantastically woven thriller, with second person perspective that was so intriguing. Definitely worth the read.

Predictable

I never leave bad reviews, but this was so predictable. I wish a had opted not to finish.

Terrible audio and terrible story

Voices of narrator were bad. Book was poorly written, juvenile and characters were boring and unrealistic.