Member Reviews

Vince Taylor is the CEO of Kitztech. He's built his company from scratch and now has a gorgeous wife, a luxurious house and a penthouse apartment. The only thing missing in his world is children and after several failed attempts at IVF, his relationship Nicole was drifting. When he begins an affair with intern, Layla, he has no idea what he has let himself in for. When Layla is found dead in central park, Vince is the prime suspect.

I liked the way the author structured the book alternating between before and after the murder and from the perspectives of Vince, Layla and Nicole. Clues were drip fed carefully throughout and the leak to the 'World News' was intriguing.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style which was well paced, engaging and descriptive. My only criticism was that I was waiting for a twist which didn't come, as I easily guessed who was responsible for the murder. That said I will definitely look out for more books by this author.

Thanks indeed to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Was this review helpful?

I was looking for a thriller and spotted this book and I certainly got one. It's a lot different of a thriller than I am typically used to. However, I really liked that about it. All of us have secrets, I think that is just mostly in part to human nature. However, how many of us really stop to think about what kinds of secrets others have? I mean really stop and think about it? Because I know that I don't or at least I didn't until I read this book.

This book keeps you jumping from one moment to the next and it ties you in with all of the characters perfectly. I normally do not like books that have so much back and forth in them because a lot of times it seems so forced. Not this book. Stephanie DeCarolis has done an amazing job of keeping timelines together and still be able to keep up with all of the facts in regular time to.

I knew this would be an interesting book, I mean obviously the title says it all. So right there it gave me some idea of what it was going to be about. I requested the book from Net Galley just off of the title. I know that probably seems strange but every once in awhile I like to do what I call 'book roulette' and randomly pick a book by either the cover or the title without reading the blurb on the back. It has helped me add some really interesting and talented new authors to my reading list.

And you're probably thinking by looking at the title that this is going to be one of those carbon copy 'husband cheats on wife with mistress then marriage is destroyed, divorce is inevitable, now one life together is now split into two kind of scenario. And I will tell you, you have it all wrong. This is not like any other book I have ever read.

It's inciteful, rousing, creative, original, and mind blowing because you do not see the end coming. I had a few guesses on who the real murderer was and I was happy to see that one of my guesses was correct but the reasoning behind it was so not what I had originally thought. I love it when a book surprises me like that.

The characters are written with depth and you can feel the drama, angst, and the desperation flowing out of the pages. You can really relate to the characters even though God knows most of us will never be billionaires in this life time. However, the main characters are still written like real people and it was really easy to sympathize with them or yell at them in your head for being ding dongs lol.

The world in which the characters are written into is very detailed in itself. You feel like you're actually there looking over everyone's shoulder. I like how she wrote the police officers as humans and not just a bunch of chumps in a suit with guns. Because let's face it, a lot of books written these days are written like that.

I want so badly to be able to really write and tell you all about this book but I hate spoilers and I dislike reviewers who just regurgitate the words of the book blurb back up on the screen and call it a 'review.' It's not a review, it's just a summary of what anyone with eyeballs can go and read by themselves for themselves and understand what the book is about.

I loved this book. It's edgy and emotional and heart pounding drama. I really loved Stephanie DeCarolis' writing style and she has gotten herself a new fan. I will be checking out her other books and throwing myself back into the deep end of those pools to. Check out this book. You will not be sorry.

I was given this ARC by NetGalley to read and review. All opinions are my own and completely honest.

Was this review helpful?

A solid four star read. Great premise. Well written. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Was this review helpful?

A great mystery who done. Sex, lies and betrayal. And a revenge of a woman scorned. Thanks to netgalley for this great book to review. I wish the ending was more detailed.

Was this review helpful?

For a first novel, this quick read with a glitzy setting had a plot that did keep me hanging on to the end, even though I felt I knew what was going to happen.

At times the dialogue felt a little sign posted and clunky in explaining the story; maybe I’ve read one too many novels in this genre recently, as I just wasn’t convinced by the characters, and expected the detective to do more detecting!

The story is full of twists and lies, and I would also have liked to see some of the backstories to why people were lying to be developed more.

The structure of using different viewpoints and timelines moves the plot along rapidly, and despite my reservations I was hooked & wanted to find out ‘whodunnit’. There are several red herrings, but all loose ends are neatly tied up by the end.

Was this review helpful?

The Guilty Husband is a cross between a domestic and psychological thriller and I was surprised to learn, the author’s debut novel. There are twists, secrets, lies, deceptions and betrayals that really cascade one after the other as the plot unravels. Marriage can be difficult and you can go through rough patches but you have to draw the line when certain things happen that you simply can't forgive. A compelling and compulsive read.

Was this review helpful?

On reading the acknowledgements was really surprised to find out this is the author’s debut book
It’s a story as old as time and one us psychological thriller lovers will know well, a husband, a secret, a mistress, a wife and a disaster and if you ( like me ) love all that then you will be pleased with this story, it is told in a even paced way and the back and forth chapters clearly shown so you know where you are and who with
There are many questions to be answered throughout and the author takes you one way, then the other and just before 90% ish when you think you are never going to work it out it all becomes clear and the last 10% fizz along with the added thrill of what you have just learnt, it’s good 🤗
The characters were believable and some thoroughly grim, some deceptive and some you couldn’t help but feel for
Not sure the paragraph thrown in seemingly randomly as to why men sit with their legs slightly opened was needed but there you go.....
A really great debut novel, ticking all boxes and giving an entertaining and intriguing yet not anxiety riddled read

9/10
4.5 Stars

Was this review helpful?

This book was intriguing and engrossing. It kept me guessing to the end of the story. The story was told in the first person by its characters. This is the first book I've read by the author, and I look forward to reading more. I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers.

Was this review helpful?

A rich husband with a stunning wife is caught in his lies to her and the police after his affair with an employee becomes a murder enquiry. The evidence all points to him but he's not the only liar. A very clever well plotted story with a twist you won't see coming.

Was this review helpful?

Started reading this morning and finished it tonight! It was "unputdownalbe" Outstanding book! I was hooked from the beginning to the end.

Was this review helpful?

WOW! One of the best suspense books I have read this year. Started to read it and couldn't put it down.
Vince had it all; beautiful wife, successful career, and more money than he could ever need. And yet, even the most perfect of lives can fall apart. His one big mistake, the affair he had with his intern, Layla. When she is found murdered in Central Park, his world starts to spiral out of control. Suddenly his affair, his past, and all his skeletons are being splashed on the front page of a trashy magazine, he is losing his company, and his wife can't even stand to look at him. Worse still, Vince is suspect number one in Layla's death. His real problem, how to figure out who he can trust, and who would want to Frame him. Because apparently Vince has more than one person in his life that would benefit from him going to jail.
Lots of twists and turns, kept me guessing at every turn. Even when I finally figured things out, I was still shocked.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

What a book this turned out to be. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel for Stephanie DeCarolis.

I absolutely adored the writing style. Easy to follow, detailed, flowing. The storyline, narrated at first by two characters before including a third and fourth narrator towards the end, and the alternating timelines were detailed and peppered with clues but also easy to navigate. The twists, lies and secrets all tied creatively together.

The pages flew by and I'd reached the final chapters before I knew it. I was so absorbed,  what with a fantastic plot and perfect pacing.

A huge recommendation from me. I will absolutely be looking out for more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Miscategorized, which is a terrible disservice to the author. She writes well and I was instantly intrigued, but psychological thrillers shouldn’t be told from the detectives POV. In fact, I prefer mine not to have a detective at all. Sorry, but this was a DNF for me for that reason alone.

Was this review helpful?

Thrillers are a favorite even if they’re predictable at times. I found this one easy to read, fast paced and yes, predictable but enjoyable. Vince Taylor was the typical rages to riches CEO who had an affair. His beautiful wife has fertility issues, causing marital strife. The loyal best friend isn’t as loyal as he seems. It plays out as you’d guess. Of course the over zealous detective under pressure (due to the press, high profile nature of the case) made mistakes and missed obvious, important parts of the preliminaries. In reality no ADA, DA would have allowed the arrest with these slip ups. They aside overall, it was well done. I’d like read more about this couple, by this author.

Was this review helpful?

Vince Taylor has everything he could dream of. He's the CEO of a tech firm in New York City, owns a beautiful home and he's married to Nicole - the woman who stole his heart. Together they have built the perfect life. But when Layla, a stunning young intern at Vince's company is found dead, all eyes are suddenly on him. Vince has a secret thet threatens to tear their perfect world apart......

This is another really good debut novel that's gripping from the first page. The descriptive writing makes you feel that you are there. It's narrrated by Vince, Nicole and Layla's perspectives and flips back to before the event and the present day. the pace is steady with lots of twists to keep you on your toes. A story of secrets, lies and betrayals. I will be looking out for the next book from the author.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HQ and the author #StephanieDeCarolis for my ARC of #TheGuiltyHusband in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Vince Taylor is CEO of the multi-million dollar software development company KitzTech located in Manhattan. He is married to the lovely Nicole and they live in a huge, Mediterranean style mansion outside town

Today, Detectives Allison Barnes and her partner, Detective Jake Lanner, have stopped to talk to Vince because one of his interns, Layla Bosch, was found murdered the night before in Central Park. Vince claims to know the name of the intern but doesn’t know her personally. Detective Barnes seems to think he is lying.

The next day, Vince calls his attorney friend and confesses that he had been having an affair with Layla and they agree to go to the police with this information and the assurance that Vince had nothing to do with her murder. When Vince confesses to his wife, Nicole, she is devastated but appears to want to try and stay together. But as more information comes out about their relationship, things get really sticky.

As this story built, I wasn’t certain who really killed Layla, but I admit that I was glad she was gone. Evil! The author knows how to build tension and makes the reader scratch their head, playing sleuth, and trying to figure out which character may have killed her or was it truly Vince? I really loved this book and found it very clever and compelling. In addition, the descriptions were exceptional. One of those books you feel deserves SIX stars! Great read!

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

Was this review helpful?

A transfixing story of lies, secrets, and betrayal, THE GUILTY HUSBAND by Stephanie DeCarolis is an excellent debut that is sure to keep you hooked from beginning to end.

Vince Taylor has got it all - an illustrious and profitable company that he has built from the ground up, a beautiful and loving wife whom he adores, and a wealthy lifestyle that most people could only dream of. But looks can be deceiving. When one of the interns at Vince's tech company is found murdered in Central Park, the cracks of Vince's life slowly start to open up and lies begin to bubble to the surface - because Vince's life is not such a fairytale after all. When the police discover that Vince was having an affair with Layla, they are determined to uncover the truth and they believe that Vince is at the heart of that, but Vince swears that he didn't kill her. Who would you believe?

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller and didn't put it down until I discovered the truth. The characters aren't that likeable, especially Vince, but that didn't stop me from becoming gripped with the plotline and determined to understand what had happened to Layla that night. The pace of the novel is excellent and I loved the layout of the story, with short and snappy chapters from different character's points of view. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way which worked well and the author has a gift for building the tension and keeping readers on tenterhooks. All in all, I really enjoyed THE GUILTY HUSBAND by Stephanie DeCarolis and I look forward to the next book release!

Was this review helpful?

The Guilty Husband by Stephaine DeCarolis

Set in New York, Vince, as the CEO of his own tech company KitzTech, lives in a beautiful house in Loch Harbour with his equally gorgeous wife living the life of dreams until, Allison appears at his office door with the news that will initiate the stuff of nightmares, Layla his young intern has been found dead. Despite his lawyer advising against it, Vince obviously wants to keep his affair with Layla quiet but the papers have other ideas, and his lies just keep catching up with him.

Told from the perspectives of both Vince and Allison this fast moving domestic thriller was a real page turner. There was always a sub plot being chased down, who is trespassing? Who is feeding info to the papers? On top of did Vince kill Layla or not? And will Allison ever prove it? The characters were well described, the rich aloof wife with fertility problems, the bachelor best friend whom is eager to help, the police staff are cleverly written too, and would carry to screen well. The main two characters are likable; Allison gives herself a hard time however, is a good colleague and hard worker; Vince has a charisma, and lacks arrogance, he does feel guilty for what he’s done.

I enjoyed the fast pace and multiple threads, but was a little disappointed that the police were only looking at people at Layla’s work for suspects with motive, there was never any talk of DNA evidence or what the witnesses around the scene saw or heard despite half the book written from the detectives POV. This seemed to allow anyone to be a suspect so didn’t detract from an overall good read.

In summary, a very enjoyable read, I raced through this easily, excited for the next clue. Well plotted with likable characters and an interesting ending. 4*


Thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Vince Taylor has everything he could possibly want in life; a beautiful wife, a beautiful home, and a great career, as the CEO of the start up tech firm he founded.

Some might say his life is perfect.

So why would Vince risk everything for an affair with the seductive young office intern, Layla?

When Layla is found dead, Vince is the obvious suspect.

At first he is reluctant to even admit his affair, scared that his relationship with his wife will be crumble. But when it becomes clear that he has no choice, he confesses, but only to protect his reputation.

He is adamant he did not kill Layla.

But if he didn't, then who did?

As an avid crime reader, it is often inevitable that I will guess the perpetrator from the outset, but that wasn't the case here, and in fact I was kept guessing until the very end, with plenty of twists, turns and red herrings along the way.

This is Stephanie DeCarolis' debut, and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Vince Taylor has it all: he is CEO of KitzTech, which has made him very wealthy, and he is married to the love of his life, Nicole. The only thing missing is a baby that they both desperately want, but have so far been unable to conceive. It has started to drive a silent wedge between the two of them, this grief they share. Then one day, a new intern walks into KitzTech. Her name is Layla.... and she is trouble. Vince isn't able to resist her charms and then when he tries to break it off with her, she winds up dead. Now Vince is the prime suspect.....
This is told in the voices of Vince, Layla, Nicole and the lead detective on the case, and they also do back and forth between present and before the murder. there are lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. If you are in the mood for a mystery that is a good, quick read than this is perfect for you.

Was this review helpful?