My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry (Spoiler Alert)

My Husband's Wife is a book that kind of jumped out at me. I was in the bookstore one day waiting for my husband, saw it on the shelf and was so intrigued that I began reading it. I only read the first seven pages or so, but it was a book that stayed in my mind. Last week I was at Target and was pleasantly surprised to find it in their book section. I was in need of a new book so I picked it up and proceeded to read it in just two days.

Image from Amazon.com

Jane Corry does an excellent job of writing a thriller that isn't too terrifying. What I mean is that the novel keeps you on the edge of your seat but does not keep you up at night afraid that what is happening in the book will happen to you. In a word, it is my kind of thriller. The novel is told by two characters, Lily and Carla. From a writing perspective I thought it was interesting because Lily's sections are written in first person, but Carla's are written in third person limited (if I am remembering my terms correctly). So as a reader I always felt more connected to Lily and her well-being. This was an interesting clue in hindsight because at the end of the novel I was definitely left hating Carla and seeing her as the villain.

My Husband's Wife is a novel that does not have one main villain though. There is Carla of course, but also the character of Joe Thomas who is in fact a murderer. Lily is the lawyer that helps him make his appeal that ultimately sets him free, only to learn later that Joe was indeed guilty. Joe becomes involved in Lily's life, much against her will, and is a part of the entire novel. There is also the character of Ed, Lily's husband. Ed is someone who starts the novel out telling lies. He is an artist with an alcohol problem and eventually he leaves Lily for Carla. There are so many things that, while they don't make him the biggest villain, do make him guilty. His eventual murder is not a surprise because the book begins by letting the reader know this happens, but the murder(ers) themselves are surprising. And then there is Lily. She, like her husband, is not the biggest villain, however she is a key part of so many events. Not only that, but she does not fulfill her moral obligation to tell the police about Joe and in some ways encourages his behavior. Throughout the novel she does many questionable things and even though she is not necessarily punished in the end, I was left feeling like she was so much more a villain than a victim.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this novel. My Husband's Wife really spoke to the philosopher in me with all of its questions of morality and what it means to be marriedthe best thriller I have read, Gone Girl still has that spot, but it was definitely up there. For those that enjoy mysteries or thrillers, especially ones that make you think, this is a book for you.
. It was also immensely interesting and kept me turning the pages until it was finished. It was not

Update and Review of Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed

 Hi! I'm back! I apologize for the long, unexplained hiatus. It was unplanned but came about because I had not really been reading recently. I know, shocking, but my mind has been so wrapped up in other things that I could hardly focus on anything, let alone reading. I found out back in April that I was pregnant again. While this news was welcome and joyful it was also frightening given my history. I am finally getting past the scary points and have been delving into books again. Until December when my little one arrives, I should be posting regularly once more. The first book I picked back up was Throne of the Crescent Moon.

Image from Amazon

I had heard of Throne of the Crescent Moon quite a few years ago. It was always a book I was interested in but never picked up when I ran to the bookstore. Then my husband and I attended Phoenix Comic Con a couple of weeks ago and the author Scott Lynch mentioned the novel. I felt like fantasy would be a good genre to pull me back into reading and so I went to the bookstore a few days later and finally bought Throne of the Crescent Moon.

This novel moved very quickly, which I enjoyed. There was a lot of action but it was not overly descriptive. The magic systems in the book were not explained in full and I think that helped lend the book it's pace. Sometimes I feel if magic is laid out rule by rule I lose interest. Saladin Ahmed did a perfect job of explaining just enough for me to want to know more but not enough to bore me. His magic systems were unique. There were religious aspects and elemental aspects that gave the magic a very ancient vibe. The book in and of itself had religious undertones but they were not "in your face" so to speak.  Throne of the Crescent Moon is very aware of itself.

I did feel as though the book ended a bit too easily and am curious to see what the sequel will bring. But I loved that there was a happy ending for the main character of Dr. Adoulla. Aside from him, my favorite characters were probably Zamia and Litaz. They are female characters that are strong and also kick some serious butt. I am hoping there is more about them in the upcoming novels, as this is meant to be the beginning of a trilogy.

Overall, this was a book I devoured and enjoyed. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy of any kind. If the other books were out I would already be diving into them. I am sorry again for the hiatus. And also sorry for the brevity of this post, pregnancy brain is a real thing. Happy reading!