She Treads Softly: The Second Husband

Saturday, June 25, 2022

The Second Husband

The Second Husband by Kate White
6/28/22; 384 pages
HarperCollins

The Second Husband by Kate White is a recommended domestic thriller.

A little over two years ago Emma Hawke's first husband, Derrick, was shot and killed in NYC. The killer was never found. Now Emma is married to widower Tom Halliday. The two are happy building a new life together in Westport, Connecticut and both of their businesses are doing well. Emma is excited to finally have a new friend over one night but the evening is cut short when a New York City police detective knocks at her door. They have reopened the investigation into Derrick's murder and have some more questions for her. It seems they have some new information and also questions about when she met Tom.

After an attention grabbing start, the pace slows down. At first the narrative alternates between "then" chapters focused on the time period right after Derrick's murder which serve to tell the backstory, and "now" chapters focused on the present day occurrences. Ultimately the plot is all set during the present time period. This plot device works well to tell the history while adding misgiving in the present.

The Second Husband is a well written novel, but the plot does move rather slowly in spite of the numerous twists, turns, and questions thrown into the mix. Emma is a sympathetic character which will help held your attention, but she is not always very decisive and doubts herself way-too-much. The suspense and tension are present but never reach the level where it would be impossible to set the novel aside. The ending was unsatisfying.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.