The male protagonist has the misfortune to lose not only his wife but a partner leaving him with parental responsibilities. The congregation at the school gates, bored and curious raise the question of whether this is just an unfair coincidence or something more sinister. A new arrival to the group is drawn into the conspiracies theory. Multiple points of view distort the known facts through lies and gossip and events escalate out of all proportion. An unpredictable is satisfying conclusion.

3.75 stars
This was intended to be an ARC review, but time definitely got the better of me! 😳 I have honestly struggled to rate this and have thought about this overnight! This follows several neighbours as they try to discover the truth around the murder of two woman, both married to the same man (at some point)! It was a relatively quick read, and I did enjoy this for the most part, however, I do believe that the reason this is rated at 3.75 is because the ending did leave me feeling extremely underwhelmed! That being said, it is a decent thriller, and I do believe that this is a good book for anyone that is new to thrillers! 🥰

Jude is new to Lowbridge and has already that there is a School Gate Mafia firmly in place, with wannabe yummy mummy Victoria taking the roe as their Don. Jude isn't too fussed, though. She just wants to do her own thing and keep her daughter Betsy happy. So if she has to play the game sometimes, she's OK with that. But truth be told, she would rather play with Will, the widowed father of Betsy's new best friend. And things certainly look promising until she hears the rumours. Will's first wife died suddenly, and it wasn't long after he had a new girlfriend, Robyn....who vanished without a trace. Is Will behind their demise, or is he just very unlucky?

Another great story from C.L. Taylor. Lots of twists and turns. I found it hard to keep up with who was who in the group of school mums, but that may just be me, as I could never keep up in real life either! My main and only real issue with this book was Will. I just couldn't see the savvy Jude falling for his shtick. Whether he was a murderer or not (you'll have to read it to find out) he just came across as a spoilt drip.

But Will hating aside, I'd highly recommend this as a great read.

Another fabulous read from Cally. Her characterisation is always spot on, and unlike many books I read, I find they stick in my mind long after I've finished. It's pacy and very suspenseful with an ending I didn't see coming. Excellent!

This book caught my eye because of the title and i absolutely could not wait to dive into. This was such a good read, kept my attnetion the entire time and i couldn't stop reading!

I really enjoyed this. I've always been a fan of C.L Taylors and this was no exception. This had me gripped from the first page it was fast paced thrilling and twisty and I had no idea where it was going. This had such a good band of characters all harboring their own secrets that slowly get revealed as the story goes on. If you're looking for a fast paced suspense novel I highly recommend.

Newly divorced Jude, has just moved to a small town, with her daughter Betsy. Betsy soon makes friends with Millie, who is also in her class at school. As Jude and Millie’s widowed dad Will become close the school mums begin to gossip.

When Will is attacked by a passing E-scooter rider, outside the school one day, Jude is surprised to hear the other mums saying he deserved it. She then hears the rumours. His 1st wife died in a tragic accident, his 2nd is missing but Will told her she was dead too! The gossips believe Will is responsible for both women’s deaths, why else would he say Robyn was dead if she’s only missing?

Jude,who’s father was accused of a crime he was innocent off, when she was a young girl,is determined to prove Wills innocence and sets about trying to discover as much as she can about the circumstances into Robyn disappearance.

She becomes close to 2 other mums and after an incident in which one of the mum’s husband is found dead they find themselves closer. The 3 women then set about trying to find out exactly why Robyn vanished and who is responsible.


This was an interesting story with several suspects and a few twists and turns.

While initially not liking one of the characters as the story unfolds you can’t help but change your mind. I wasn’t overly Su with the person responsible as I had already guessed this by the time it became clear to the main characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title

This book had me hooked from the start! I love @clytaylorauthor writing and how she just pulls you in from the get go. She has the ‘just one more page’ perfected and so many twists throughout this one. You think you have it sussed and then something completely changes your thinking!
Love that it was told from multiple points of view and really added to the gossipy school mums theme. And that ending!! Did not see that coming and absolutely loved it!

this book has nothing on a typical C.L. Taylor - unfortunately it is not one of my favourites.

There didnt seem to be a very good flow when it came to the change in characters / storylines, which could lead to a bit of confusion in parts.

I dont think I will reach for this again

Well what can I say but the biggest thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to have this as an ARC but within reading the first few chapters I went and bought it ….this book will have you intrigued yes it centres on Jude & Will who according to the mum's at the school gates had something to do with his first wife Ali death and some mystery surrounding the disappearance of Robyn his second ..but this story is so much more we have all seen the mum clique at the school gates but this book tears them apart and their lives are not what it seems, with Victoria thinking she is the top bitch of the clique but really she and her hubby are well ...you will find out...the stories of the cliques and those involved is brilliant and is like being a nosy neighbour through the twitching curtains.. C L Taylor pulls it all together with a twist at the end which will make you feel uncomfortable as if you know a secret that you didn't want to know
..CL Taylor is one of my favourite autobuy authors and this really for me did not disappoint@NetGalley @CL Taylor

A new book by CL Taylor is always something to look forward to and this was one amazing read.
It’s mostly about the reality behind the facades of the mummies on the school run. There’s the face they present to all and the hidden one, secrets laid bare that they mostly hide away apart from with their ‘inner circle’ who they trust but, should they?
The story is told to us by multiple narrators, both mums and dads from the school run, each dealing with their own problems and some also forming alliances within their group to flush out the blackmailer and maybe even find the truth behind a death and a disappearance!
The characters themselves were well written, some likeable, some really not but all interesting in their own ways and essential to moving the story along. The story was interesting and fairly fast paced with all the side acts going along with the main themes that they were dealing with. It had a very interesting arc from the start and that last chapter was just the cherry on top of an ending that gave so much satisfaction.
This was a great read and I’m now already looking forward to and hoping for another by this author sometime soon.

This book is one that most mystery books fans will really enjoy.
The plot had so many twists and turns I couldn’t put the book down
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery or thriller.

A group of women meet on the school run every day. They’re joined by one father whose first wife died and the second went missing. The women think he killed them both but newcomer Jude is prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The story hinges around affairs, secrets, blackmail and a diary. Having read to the end, I have absolutely no idea what was going on. I got the main bits of the plot, but how it all linked together is a complete mystery.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic domestic thriller from CL Taylor, told from multiple POV, complex and engrossing.
Expect to see this being read on sun loungers this summer!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was a great thriller read. Loved the writing style.

This book is a domestic thriller with a side of gossip—or maybe it's the other way around—but either way, it was a blast to read. Jude and her daughter move to a small town after her divorce, where she starts dating her daughter's new friend's dad, Will. But when the town's gossip reveals details about Will's past, things take a dark turn. One wife dying is a tragedy, but another going missing seems like a pattern. I loved how this book was told through multiple POVs, although at times it was a bit tricky to keep track of them. This domestic thriller was both fun and scandalous, and I couldn't put it down. If you enjoy a juicy thriller with plenty of gossip, this one is for you!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When Jude moves to Lowbridge for a fresh start, she doesn’t expect the school run to come with murder rumors. But the local mums are buzzing about Will—the handsome single dad with one dead wife and a missing girlfriend.

Naturally, Jude’s drawn in (because of course ), but is Will just unlucky… or hiding something darker?

This was a fun, twisty thriller full of secrets, gossip, and school-gate drama. C.L. Taylor delivers again with short chapters, multiple POVs, and a satisfying ending. Not all the characters are likeable—but that just makes it juicier.

Dark, addictive, and impossible to put down.

After really enjoying another of C.L.Taylor's books recently, I couldn't wait to pick this one up. This was a story of secrets, lies and plenty of drama and it kept my attention throughout, particularly the second half of the book.
There were plenty of twists within the story and I found this really good, as it constantly made me question different characters. I found myself so sure of someone's guilt, to only find that they were innocent!
The characters in the story were so varied and each were going through something behind closed doors. The scenes at the school gates were so true to life and you can imagine the gossiping of Will that was occurring.
This was a gripping thriller that kept my attention throughout and left me turning the pages, wanting to find out who was guilty.

**Listened to the audio book as well as reading electronic version**

I always enjoy a C.L Taylor book, and look forward to a new one each summer. This was another corker! (although not one of my fav books of hers)

As with any great thriller, there were so many twists and turns! The first half of the book went at a million miles an hour and gets the reader super intrigued and straight into a whirlwind plot. Short chapters to keep you reading - love that!
The second half however did get a little bit confusing at times, and it was the second half that stopped me from giving the full 5*. It just went a bit too wild for me!

Overall though a really enjoyable and super fast paced read!

It’s Always The Husband had me hooked from the very beginning with its clever twists and emotionally charged storyline. I was drawn into the complex relationships between the characters—particularly the dynamics between the three women and how their pasts continued to shape their present.

The way Ms. Taylor builds suspense is masterful; just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer unraveled. It’s dark, gripping, and full of tension, with just enough psychological insight to keep you second-guessing everyone.

This was a fast-paced, binge-worthy read that I couldn’t put down.