Book Review – The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you know them . . .

When Glen and the dog Daisy go fishing one day he never returns. Traces of blood are found but the family dog is located unharmed.

In time Nina Garrity presumes her husband drowned, even though his body is never recovered. When Simon Fitch begins to visit with Nina, they hit it off rather quickly. It feels almost uncanny what he knows about her and the interests they share.

Maggie, Nina’s daughter who is 13 years old doesn’t care for Simon from the getgo, however. She’s suspicious and watchful around him. But her younger brother Charlie takes an immediate liking to Simon and is happy to have the man around. That leaves Maggie to totally bear her concerns alone.

But is Maggie sensing something off about Simon Fitch, or is she just being a bratty teenager?

Simon, who is a widower, also teaches where Maggie goes to school. And that in itself opens some strange situations for the two. Could the close relationship be the problem? Or is it something deeper?

Mother and daughter are definitely at odds about the new man that has entered their lives. But who is closer to the truth?

Details

• Title: The New Husband
  • Author: D.J. Palmer
  • Publisher: St. Martins Press
  • Book Available: April 14, 2020
  • Pages: 384

My Thoughts

While this plot sounds quite interesting, I hate to report that for me the story felt drawn out and some of the characters were disappointing. Nina, for one, was completely naive and couldn’t seem to think outside the box. That’s all I’ll say about her. The other characters were just characters. They didn’t win me over in any way.

What Concerned Me

I think you’ll agree, the plot sounds good, but it just didn’t play out for me. The characters were weak and the events unbelievable. I always hate to feel that way about an author’s hard work. But this just didn’t work for me.

What I Liked Most

In this case, I can easily say that the author knows how to write. The sentences and dialog flowed beautifully.

My thanks to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for providing me an ARC and the ability to post my opinion about this book.

About the Author

DANIEL PALMER is a bestselling author of ten suspense novels. He is also involved with the Red Sox Home Base program. This program raises money for veterans suffering from PTSD. Daniel holds a Master’s degree from Boston University and currently finds his home in New Hampshire. He is married and has two children.