Is your husband so horrible that you’d ask your best friend to kill him?
Penny: I know my husband has cheated on me. But I can’t believe what I just found in the bedside drawer. Are my children safe… ?
Lisa: The first time he did it was on our wedding anniversary. He broke down in tears afterwards. That’s the thing about Simon. He’s always sorry… until the next time.
Holly: My husband is useless. He just loafs around the house all day and spends my money. But now I think he’s done something far worse.
We’ve descended on Penny’s stunning country home for a rare girls’ weekend.
As the cocktails flow, it turns out we’re all keeping secrets. Bloody hell, we sure can pick them.
We clink our glasses. “Here’s to our horrible husbands. May they get what’s coming to them.”
Good friends will die for you. But only best friends will kill for you.
I’ve read several of Jessica Huntley’s books, and as soon as I saw the title/cover of this, I knew it was going to be unhinged! And that’s exactly what this is, following 3 morally gray women whose marriages are hiding dark secrets. Penny, Holly, and Lisa have been best friends since they were kids, but despite their close friendship, they’ve been keeping things from one another. I love how Huntley always weaves important themes into the suspense so they never take over the story—this story explores domestic abuse, sexual assault, trauma, infidelity, gambling, revenge, and more!
The structure of the story kept me engaged and guessing, as it gives you a lot to piece together as you go. The present-day timeline follows Penny, Holly, and Lisa in alternating first-person POV chapters, while flashback chapters are told in the third-person and slowly fill in pieces of their histories. The story has a gripping start fourteen years earlier, as teenage Lisa is walking home and is suddenly attacked. From there, the story toggles between past and present, revealing how that traumatic event shaped Lisa and led her into an abusive marriage. She now lives in Cornwall, married to Simon, who’s become increasingly physically abusive and controlling. Meanwhile, Holly’s lives in Edinburgh, working as a personal trainer while supporting her unemployed husband, Will, who’s spending her money on online gambling. Penny has a successful online business, twin kids, and a wealthy lifestyle, but her marriage to Drake is far from perfect—especially after she discovers something disturbing that makes her question how well she knows him.
The story takes off when Penny invites Lisa and Holly to stay with her for the weekend. Once the women are together, they reveal the evidence they’ve each discovered about their husbands, and what starts out sounding like an outrageous joke about killing them becomes a very real plan—and I began flipping the pages to see just how unhinged they would get!
Without giving anything away, the story becomes increasingly over-the-top, dramatic, and unpredictable as it goes.There are clever detours and red herrings, and while I did figure out some of the direction the story was headed, the big twists later on really surprised me. I also really enjoyed how differently the author wrote Penny, Holly, and Lisa—it made their inner monologues and dialogue very entertaining. I empathized with Lisa the most, not only because of everything she’s experienced with Simon, but also because of the lasting impact that trauma has had on her, which you can feel throughout the story. Her character arc is the most pronounced by the end, and I was rooting for her!
Like all the other books by this author that I’ve read, the chapters are short, and many end on mini cliffhangers. My only very minor complaint was with the resolution. After such a tense buildup and a dramatic climax, I found some of what happens afterward a little implausible, particularly from Lisa and Penny’s POVs. The ending is satisfying enough, but not every guilty person gets what they deserve. Even still, I was fully entertained, and the final scenes add another layer for you to contemplate afterward.
Overall, I have to say that this is one of Jessica Huntley’s stronger thrillers. Once everything gets moving, it’s difficult to put down, and the length and pacing are perfect. And if you’re an audiobook listener, I HIGHLY recommend the audio version! It’s narrated by 3 seasoned narrators—Clare Corbett as Lisa, Anna Cordell as Holly, and Charlie Albers as Penny—who each bring completely distinct voices to their characters and whose performances add SO much drama and suspense.
If you’ve read Jessica Huntley’s thrillers before and enjoyed them, or if you’re a fan of twisty popcorn thrillers with morally gray female leads, revenge, murder, and unpredictable storylines, you’ll want to add this one to your TBR!
Narrator Performance
Horrible Husbands is narrated by seasoned narrators Clare Corbett, Charlie Albers, and Anna Cordell, who each take on one of the three female lead POVs.
Clare Corbett immediately pulled me into the story as Lisa in the opening chapter, which takes place 14 years earlier when Lisa is attacked on her way home from a friend’s house. Corbett conveys fear, confusion, and vulnerability into Lisa’s voice and I could feel how terrified she was. In the present-day timeline, Lisa now lives with her abusive husband, Simon, and Corbett equally conveys how frightened and controlled she feels around him. You can hear the hesitation in Lisa’s voice and how carefully she chooses her words during her exchanges with Simon. Simon goes from sounding seemingly supportive and apologetic one moment to manipulative and threatening the next, and Corbett captures his unsettling shift perfectly.
As the story progresses, Corbett gradually shifts Lisa’s performance to make her sound braver and more proactive. The scene on the train where Lisa removes her makeup and shows Holly the bruises on her face is well narrated, and I became emotional listening. In the recurring flashbacks to Lisa’s attack and its aftermath, Corbett makes Lisa sound younger and vulnerable and makes the manipulation she faces believable. During the climactic reveals, Corbett’s narration of Lisa’s inner dialogue is a highlight, as you can hear Lisa processing everything from different angles. And by the epilogue, it almost sounds like we’re hearing an entirely different Lisa—much more self-assured and determined to help others. The performance made her character arc especially satisfying.
Charlie Albers gives Penny a blunt, direct, and confident voice from the start. You immediately get the sense that she’s someone who isn’t afraid to challenge people, especially her husband, Drake. Albers also layers in insecurity and resentment surrounding Drake’s previous affair. When he makes an unusual sexual comment to her, Penny immediately becomes suspicious, and you can hear how her mind starts connecting it to his past infidelity.
I especially enjoyed the way Albers changes Penny’s delivery once she discovers damning evidence about Drake. You can hear the wheels turning in her head as she starts considering what she should do with what she’s discovered. Then, when Lisa and Holly arrive and Penny suggests that they kill their husbands, it almost sounds like the character has suddenly become manic! In the following scenes, Albers gives a dynamic performance, making Penny sound determined, impulsive, and increasingly unhinged. One of my favorite scenes was when Penny follows Will to the bar and uses her own tactics against him—the performance in these scenes is so much fun to listen to, as you can hear how calculated she’s being.
During the climactic scenes, Albers takes the performance up a notch. You can hear Penny’s anger, shock, and resentment as everything she thought she knew unravels. I found Albers’ performance the most convincing of the three at the end, particularly because of how strongly she makes it sound like Penny’s children are influencing her decisions.
Anna Cordell gives Holly a very different energy. From her opening scenes working as a trainer in the gym, Cordell’s delivery gives the impression that Holly’s strong-willed, feisty, independent, and capable of holding her own. Her interactions with her husband Will are very intriguing, as Cordell’s delivery makes it clear that Holly’s not at all impressed with him. You can hear the frustration and emotional distance in their exchanges, and it made me wonder why she’s still married to him.
When the three women begin plotting against their husbands, you can hear Holly’s enthusiasm building. Cordell does a good job conveying Holly’s curiosity and determination as she starts digging into what Will’s up to, and you can hear her excitement when the pieces come together.
Cordell’s performance really shines in the climactic reveal scenes. She does a fantastic job capturing the wheels turning in Holly’s mind as she tries to control an increasingly chaotic situation. You can hear that she thinks everything’s going according to plan, even when everything is suggesting otherwise. Cordell makes her sound increasingly unhinged and manipulative, and although Holly is a heroine in the story, I found her one of the most morally gray and fascinating characters because of the performance.
Overall, the performances from all three narrators elevated this audiobook to another level and made the story extremely entertaining, engaging, and immersive. If you’ve enjoyed Jessica Huntley’s thrillers before, or you love twisty domestic thrillers with morally gray women, horrible husbands, female friendship, and revenge, this is one to immediately add to your listening list! Definitely one of Jessica Huntley’s strongest thrillers yet!
Narrator Performance
Horrible Husbands is narrated by seasoned narrators Clare Corbett, Charlie Albers, and Anna Cordell, who each take on one of the three female lead POVs.
Clare Corbett immediately pulled me into the story as Lisa in the opening chapter, which takes place 14 years earlier when Lisa is attacked on her way home from a friend’s house. Corbett conveys fear, confusion, and vulnerability into Lisa’s voice and I could feel how terrified she was. In the present-day timeline, Lisa now lives with her abusive husband, Simon, and Corbett equally conveys how frightened and controlled she feels around him. You can hear the hesitation in Lisa’s voice and how carefully she chooses her words during her exchanges with Simon. Simon goes from sounding seemingly supportive and apologetic one moment to manipulative and threatening the next, and Corbett captures his unsettling shift perfectly.
As the story progresses, Corbett gradually shifts Lisa’s performance to make her sound braver and more proactive. The scene on the train where Lisa removes her makeup and shows Holly the bruises on her face is well narrated, and I became emotional listening. In the recurring flashbacks to Lisa’s attack and its aftermath, Corbett makes Lisa sound younger and vulnerable and makes the manipulation she faces believable. During the climactic reveals, Corbett’s narration of Lisa’s inner dialogue is a highlight, as you can hear Lisa processing everything from different angles. And by the epilogue, it almost sounds like we’re hearing an entirely different Lisa—much more self-assured and determined to help others. The performance made her character arc especially satisfying.
Charlie Albers gives Penny a blunt, direct, and confident voice from the start. You immediately get the sense that she’s someone who isn’t afraid to challenge people, especially her husband, Drake. Albers also layers in insecurity and resentment surrounding Drake’s previous affair. When he makes an unusual sexual comment to her, Penny immediately becomes suspicious, and you can hear how her mind starts connecting it to his past infidelity.
I especially enjoyed the way Albers changes Penny’s delivery once she discovers damning evidence about Drake. You can hear the wheels turning in her head as she starts considering what she should do with what she’s discovered. Then, when Lisa and Holly arrive and Penny suggests that they kill their husbands, it almost sounds like the character has suddenly become manic! In the following scenes, Albers gives a dynamic performance, making Penny sound determined, impulsive, and increasingly unhinged. One of my favorite scenes was when Penny follows Will to the bar and uses her own tactics against him—the performance in these scenes is so much fun to listen to, as you can hear how calculated she’s being.
During the climactic scenes, Albers takes the performance up a notch. You can hear Penny’s anger, shock, and resentment as everything she thought she knew unravels. I found Albers’ performance the most convincing of the three at the end, particularly because of how strongly she makes it sound like Penny’s children are influencing her decisions.
Anna Cordell gives Holly a very different energy. From her opening scenes working as a trainer in the gym, Cordell’s delivery gives the impression that Holly’s strong-willed, feisty, independent, and capable of holding her own. Her interactions with her husband Will are very intriguing, as Cordell’s delivery makes it clear that Holly’s not at all impressed with him. You can hear the frustration and emotional distance in their exchanges, and it made me wonder why she’s still married to him.
When the three women begin plotting against their husbands, you can hear Holly’s enthusiasm building. Cordell does a good job conveying Holly’s curiosity and determination as she starts digging into what Will’s up to, and you can hear her excitement when the pieces come together.
Cordell’s performance really shines in the climactic reveal scenes. She does a fantastic job capturing the wheels turning in Holly’s mind as she tries to control an increasingly chaotic situation. You can hear that she thinks everything’s going according to plan, even when everything is suggesting otherwise. Cordell makes her sound increasingly unhinged and manipulative, and although Holly is a heroine in the story, I found her one of the most morally gray and fascinating characters because of the performance.
Overall, the performances from all three narrators elevated this audiobook to another level and made the story extremely entertaining, engaging, and immersive. If you’ve enjoyed Jessica Huntley’s thrillers before, or you love twisty domestic thrillers with morally gray women, horrible husbands, female friendship, and revenge, this is one to immediately add to your listening list! Definitely one of Jessica Huntley’s strongest thrillers yet!
Horrible Husbands is narrated by seasoned narrators Clare Corbett, Charlie Albers, and Anna Cordell, who each take on one of the three female lead POVs.
Clare Corbett immediately pulled me into the story as Lisa in the opening chapter, which takes place 14 years earlier when Lisa is attacked on her way home from a friend’s house. Corbett conveys fear, confusion, and vulnerability into Lisa’s voice and I could feel how terrified she was. In the present-day timeline, Lisa now lives with her abusive husband, Simon, and Corbett equally conveys how frightened and controlled she feels around him. You can hear the hesitation in Lisa’s voice and how carefully she chooses her words during her exchanges with Simon. Simon goes from sounding seemingly supportive and apologetic one moment to manipulative and threatening the next, and Corbett captures his unsettling shift perfectly.
As the story progresses, Corbett gradually shifts Lisa’s performance to make her sound braver and more proactive. The scene on the train where Lisa removes her makeup and shows Holly the bruises on her face is well narrated, and I became emotional listening. In the recurring flashbacks to Lisa’s attack and its aftermath, Corbett makes Lisa sound younger and vulnerable and makes the manipulation she faces believable. During the climactic reveals, Corbett’s narration of Lisa’s inner dialogue is a highlight, as you can hear Lisa processing everything from different angles. And by the epilogue, it almost sounds like we’re hearing an entirely different Lisa—much more self-assured and determined to help others. The performance made her character arc especially satisfying.
Charlie Albers gives Penny a blunt, direct, and confident voice from the start. You immediately get the sense that she’s someone who isn’t afraid to challenge people, especially her husband, Drake. Albers also layers in insecurity and resentment surrounding Drake’s previous affair. When he makes an unusual sexual comment to her, Penny immediately becomes suspicious, and you can hear how her mind starts connecting it to his past infidelity.
I especially enjoyed the way Albers changes Penny’s delivery once she discovers damning evidence about Drake. You can hear the wheels turning in her head as she starts considering what she should do with what she’s discovered. Then, when Lisa and Holly arrive and Penny suggests that they kill their husbands, it almost sounds like the character has suddenly become manic! In the following scenes, Albers gives a dynamic performance, making Penny sound determined, impulsive, and increasingly unhinged. One of my favorite scenes was when Penny follows Will to the bar and uses her own tactics against him—the performance in these scenes is so much fun to listen to, as you can hear how calculated she’s being.
During the climactic scenes, Albers takes the performance up a notch. You can hear Penny’s anger, shock, and resentment as everything she thought she knew unravels. I found Albers’ performance the most convincing of the three at the end, particularly because of how strongly she makes it sound like Penny’s children are influencing her decisions.
Anna Cordell gives Holly a very different energy. From her opening scenes working as a trainer in the gym, Cordell’s delivery gives the impression that Holly’s strong-willed, feisty, independent, and capable of holding her own. Her interactions with her husband Will are very intriguing, as Cordell’s delivery makes it clear that Holly’s not at all impressed with him. You can hear the frustration and emotional distance in their exchanges, and it made me wonder why she’s still married to him.
When the three women begin plotting against their husbands, you can hear Holly’s enthusiasm building. Cordell does a good job conveying Holly’s curiosity and determination as she starts digging into what Will’s up to, and you can hear her excitement when the pieces come together.
Cordell’s performance really shines in the climactic reveal scenes. She does a fantastic job capturing the wheels turning in Holly’s mind as she tries to control an increasingly chaotic situation. You can hear that she thinks everything’s going according to plan, even when everything is suggesting otherwise. Cordell makes her sound increasingly unhinged and manipulative, and although Holly is a heroine in the story, I found her one of the most morally gray and fascinating characters because of the performance.
Overall, the performances from all three narrators elevated this audiobook to another level and made the story extremely entertaining, engaging, and immersive. If you’ve enjoyed Jessica Huntley’s thrillers before, or you love twisty domestic thrillers with morally gray women, horrible husbands, female friendship, and revenge, this is one to immediately add to your listening list! Definitely one of Jessica Huntley’s strongest thrillers yet!
