I feel like we’ve had such a wait since Julia Crouch’s last book – though that may be simply because I gulped down all her books in one go. Julia Crouch specialises in psychological thrillers populated with not especially likeable, yet compulsively readable, characters who hold you to them as they spiral through bad decisions, bad luck, madness, and sometimes, just plain badness. And Her Husband’s Lover is no exception.
Lou Turner is finally free from her abusive husband, who died in a car accident chasing her and her two children Poppy and Leon as they made their escape. But that accident also tragically killed the children. After recovering from her injuries, all Lou wants to do is make a fresh start, moving to London to pick up the design career she had loved so much before she got married. But unfortunately for her, Sophie, the eponymous ‘lover’ of the title, is enraged at the loss of her boyfriend, and at what she sees as the smears against his good character. She’s also determined that her baby daughter should inherit some of Sam’s considerable wealth and sets off on a vendetta to clear his name, secure her daughter’s future, and exact her revenge on Lou.
This is a tricky one to review without spoilers, but let it simply be said that this story is not the one you expect. I was riveted by this addictive and often disturbing story of obsession, delusion, paranoia and the unravelling of a marriage. As Lou starts a new life, and a new relationship with a handsome young activist, Sophie, facing eviction and battling the horrors of her own troubled youth, will go to ever greater lengths for revenge.
I came for the insanely good thriller, I stayed for…well, still the insanely good thriller, but also the heartfelt rage against the social cleansing of London which comes in the form of Adam, Lou’s delightfully earnest new boyfriend. A filmmaker, housing activist, and generally lovely person, who looks out for everyone around him – from the beautiful broken woman who has just come into his life, to the homeless man on the street, to Lou’s single mother neighbour. He sees the best in everyone, and is the shining light in this story of revenge and hatred. Some readers may find him too perfect. I am not one of those readers.
Another white-knuckle thriller from Julia Crouch, with a twist that will floor those who confidently assume that they can see where this is all going.
Her Husband’s Lover by Julia Crouch is out now, published by Headline
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