Darren O’Sullivan’s The Husband plunges readers into a psychological thriller that grips you from the first line and refuses to let go. The story starts with a jarring and deeply unsettling moment: a devoted husband and father returns home late at night to find his infant daughter crying in her crib—completely abandoned. His wife, Em, has vanished without explanation, shattering their seemingly happy marriage and leaving behind only questions.

The suffocating heatwave serves as a perfect metaphor for the protagonist’s growing sense of dread and suffocation as he delves into Em’s disappearance. With each passing moment, the narrative peels back the layers of their relationship, exposing buried secrets, unspoken truths, and the cracks that had been hidden beneath their happy facade.

Told from the husband’s perspective, the book captures his emotional turmoil with raw intensity. The baby’s cries are a haunting backdrop, symbolizing the stakes and the fragility of the life he thought he knew. O’Sullivan masterfully blurs the lines between love, trust, and betrayal, leaving readers questioning how well we truly know the people closest to us.

The pacing is relentless, with twists that will leave your jaw on the floor. Fans of Lisa Jewell and K. L. Slater will appreciate the novel’s intricate plotting and its blend of domestic suspense with psychological depth. The husband’s desperate search for answers builds to a stunning conclusion that will linger long after the final page.

The Husband is a dark, gripping exploration of trust, love, and how quickly life can unravel. A must-read for thriller enthusiasts looking for a story that will keep them guessing until the very end.

The Husband by Darren O’Sullivan was a fast [aced psychological thriller that will have you gripped from the beginning till the very end. The=is book was so good I ended up reading it in one sitting, I loved it, especially as it was a roller coaster ride that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.

It was an excellent book and I highly recommend The Husband. Great holiday read.

I make no secret of the fact that I am a big fan of this author and, where this book might not have ht the heady heights of some of his previous offerings, it was a thoroughly decent read nonetheless. I think some of this might be due to the fact that it was originally published as an Audiobook only and could have lost something in the translation to page. If I ever get hold of a copy to have a listen to, I'll let you know...
We start with a man getting home early from a night shift only to find his baby daughter alone in the house and crying hungry. His wife is nowhere to be seen. After seeing to the baby he calls the police to report her as missing and, during the initial conversation with them, start to remember other weird things he found on returning home that he initially thought nothing of.
And so begins a tale that had me both interested and intrigued, as well as, on occasion, also rolling my eyes. It was a bit of a slow burn initially, occasionally painfully slow and I fear that some readers may fall by the wayside if they weren't already familiar with the author and his skills. The final furlong however goes at such a gallop that I really did have to rein myself in as I finished the book. I was also a wee bit predictable, and unbelievable, but it was also fun, so there's that! Depends on how forgiving you are as a reader I guess.
One thing that did stand out to me as being not as strong as his previous books was the cast. None of whom I really cared enough about. Not sure why this is, can't put my finger on any specific reason. Apart from maybe the audiobook transfer thing already mentioned, which isn't really helpful in a review, but here we are!
All in all, as already mentioned, not his strongest but it's a worthy addition to an already well stacked back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley, but my thoughts and opinions are mine.

This thriller is undeniably entertaining, drawing me in with its captivating plot. Although the outcome didn’t entirely surprise me, I found how the murder was executed to be exceptionally intriguing, weaving a web of curiosity that kept me turning the pages. For most of the book, suspense hung in the air, creating an engaging atmosphere that interested me. However, one notable drawback was the noticeable repetition throughout the narrative, which detracted from an otherwise compelling reading experience.

Such a good thriller/ psychological thriller!! I think it was so suspenseful and tense! It kept me hooked from very early on. I think there were some lulls/slow parts, but it was so entertaining and I loved the outcome!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Rob comes home from work in the middle of the night to find his wife, Emma gone and their baby daughter crying, alone in the house. He can’t find his wife. He soon finds out he didn’t really know her at all. This was a fast paced book and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this

Darren is a fantastic storyteller that keeps you guessing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This was a delight , quick read, checked all the boxes and kept me guessing. Bravo

This is a genuine thriller and made all the more gripping because it reads as if it could happen to anyone. It raises questions about the different ways we present ourselves to others and whether anyone truly knows what lies in the hearts of the minds of even those closest to us. The author sets a fast pace and throws in enough twists and turns to make it absolutely fascinating reading, just loved it.

Rob is returning home late at night from his job. He finds the kitchen uncleaned, as Emma has found it difficult to keep things tidy lately. Rob starts to clean things up when he hears his baby daughter, Sophie, crying upstairs. He assumes that Emma will get up and nurse her. But when the crying continues, he goes upstairs only to find that Emma has vanished. He calls the police, and they find a piece of her bathrobe on the fence behind his house and assume she just walked away in that.

He calls Emma’s parents who live nearby. They are very upset and come over to help make sense of why she would just disappear leaving her daughter behind. Searches are made but nothing turns up. Her mother says that Emma had been feeling depressed lately and maybe she’s having some kind of a breakdown.

Then we see the entries that Emma has made in a diary over the years of her struggle to fit in and not give into her desires. She feels she cannot stay in one spot for very long before she has to leave. Is this what she has done now?

Oh, this was one twisty and scary thriller. It wasn’t until the last hour that I figured out what was really happening and I must say the author did an excellent job of putting this book together. There is only one glitch that I questioned that didn’t make it 100 percent past my eagle eye. However, the story is such a good one so I must give it 5 stars. Do read this and see if you can find that one glitch as well. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe books for this arc. This is my first book to read from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s written as a diary of events from key character perspectives. It kept me gripped from the first chapter and the pacing was spot on. I soon figured one particular character was too good to be true but took a while to figure out the motive! A really good read and I’d look forward to further work from this author

This was a suspenseful read full of twists and turns. It was well written and the compelling storyline kept me turning the pages.

Gripping and addictive from the start, this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout. My jaw was on the ground for quite some time at the conclusion. It certainly wasn't where I expected it to go.

Emma and Rob are a married couple with an infant daughter. Looking for a fresh start, they move from London back to Emma's hometown. Rob returns home from his overnight shift early one morning to find his daughter screaming and Emma nowhere to be found. Rob frantically searches for her to no avail. In the days that follow, he learns of Emma's troubled past and erratic behavior. Did he ever truly know his wife?

This was a fast paced read full of action and suspense. Rob was a likeable character as were Emma's parents. The story was unique and interesting. I enjoyed reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe books for the advanced copy

This was another brilliant read by this author and read it in practically one sitting. Lots of suspense and intrigue that kept me wanting to turn the page. And lots of twists and turns and gasp out loud moments. I was totally hooked from start to finish.

I read "The Husband" by Darren O'Sullivan and I ate this up in one sitting! This was my first book from him and it will not be my last! I was hooked from the beginning as it was suspenseful and twisty. The book was well written and I loved the storyline. All in all,this was an addictive read for me and I definitely did not see the twist coming! Thank you @darrensully and @netgalley for the advanced copy! 🫶🏻✨📖

This book had me hooked a few chapters in. Such a good thriller & a book I couldn’t put down. I read it over two sittings. I will definitely be reading more from this author. Highly recommend.

Rob comes home from work in the in the middle of the night to discover his wife missing and has left their baby alone in the house.

Surely she wouldn't leave the baby ..would she?

This story has a WOW! as in wow I didn't expect that.. Most domestic dramas have the same running theme but this tale was totally unexpected and it was one I could not put down.. it is terrific.

Twisty, filled with suspense and more than enough drama this book kept me on edge right up to the unexpecred ending.. WOW!

As soon as I started this I was hooked immediately and the pace was really well done and kept growing until the end.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book! Rob comes home from work in the in the middle of the night to discover his wife missing and their baby alone in their house. Lots of twists and turns in this book. The first 75% of the book was a slow burn for me- I would consider more of a mystery than a thriller. The last 25% gets absolutely wild and I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Husband was creepy and unsettling and a more unique thriller to read. At first I thought I might be getting into a Gone, Girl situation due to the diary entries by the missing wife, Emma, which didn’t seem to quite jive with the husband, Rob’s, recollections of their relationship and similar circumstances in other ways. But (fortunately as it’s been done before several times) this did not go to that same place but rather threw a big twist of its own to explain why exactly the two didn’t seem to be in the same relationship the other was recalling.

Opening with a bang, Rob comes home to the pair’s five month old crying and Emma not attending to her needs. Quickly realizing that Emma has seemingly vanished in thin air, Rob goes through all the stages of a husband looking for his wife, including the residents of his tight knit village eyeing him in suspicion. While there are many characters I eyed as being intimately close to the mystery, what actually happened could not have been guessed. This story played with suspense and intrigue so well I enjoyed the ending despite it being a bit far fetched.

If you truly want to be stumped throughout, this one is most definitely for you.

I didn't, couldn't like Emma, but this was a well-orchestrated tale.

It's not often that you get a book like this told mostly from a guy's perspective. And, goodness, what a well thought-out one, with a well-orchestrated baddie who remained off my radar until 'they' - not going to Spoiler here - started appearing just a tad too much. Sadly, I suspected them quickly at that point, as they blew an often mentioned, not-on-page character out of the water, no pun intended.

But, Emma. Ugh, what an unlikeable user of a person. A multiple cheater, a liar, a user, selfish, a pleasure seeker. Why marry 'doughy guy' if she couldn't even be faithful for a couple of years? I mean, he really was too sweet, too decent, too good for her.

It's a book worthy of a read, as there's clever storytelling and a decent dad, as well as in-laws who start out as judgey but come to have his back, and at the end, they're a family of 4, forged through Emma's actions. But, cops, 'doughy guy' and the parents should've clocked something suss about the 'evidence' discovered rather late in the tale, rather conveniently, so this where the book loses 1* for me.

ARC courtesy of Joffe Books and NetGalley for my reading pleasure.