Another excellent read from C.L. Taylor. I was already a fan of her books and was delighted to be given the chance to advance read. This book does not disappoint but, be warned, it is engrossing and will keep you from doing anything else. Captivates you from the start and keeps you guessing until the very end when the various mysteries are revealed. I had no idea where it was going, who to like or dislike, who to trust or suspect. I won’t give any spoilers but would like point out that those groups of mums you see at school can be an interesting, varied and sometimes dangerous collection of people. although you may that already know that. I thoroughly recommend you read this.
My thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to review and to the author for another wonderful piece of work.

‘It’s Always the Husband is another exciting psychological thriller by C.L. Taylor. A dark, twisty tale of secrets and suspicion together with an intriguing plot make a very good read.

Jude is looking for a new beginning following her divorce and moves to the quiet town of Lowbridge. But it’s not long before she is feels attracted to another man. A widower named Will has had a tragic past, his first wife’s death was a devastating accident and his second wife also died tragically. The two tragic deaths encourage locals to gossip and have suspicions of Will.

Jude has known tragedy herself, and is determined not to let an innocent man be unjustly damned. But as she digs deeper, she realises that in Lowbridge, nothing is as it seems. The town’s secrets run deep, and the more she investigates, the more she risks becoming the next victim.

This is a novel full of tension, interesting characters and a well thought out plot. Twists and turns make the reading more interesting and I found this book difficult to put down.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Avon Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was another fab CL Taylor novel. Being a long time fan, I was thrilled to get a copy of the newest in her collection.

IT'S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND is a psychological thriller set around the school gates, with the stereotypical school run mums and the gossipy bitchiness that comes with it. There are deaths, missing people, murders, and more. Perfectly executed, you can see the hard work that has gone into this one. Taylor creates such memorable characters with depth and nuance. I loved the twists at the end and I loved how Jude and Will's relationship progressed throughout - with the doubt and suspicion.

Great ending, great middle, great beginning. Great book :)

I love C.L. Taylor! All of her thrillers are superbly written, and this one is no accepting! A twisty mystery with an ending I did not see coming!

There's drama at the school gates. A single dad is suspected of double murder. The mums are bitchy and exclude people from their activities. I love CL Taylor but I found there were just too many characters to keep up with. It's a twisty thriller but it gets really confusing from all the different points of view and I couldn't follow it.

I LOVED THIS PHENOMENAL, GRIPPING BOOK. I raced through it, it consumed me in its pages. A shocking conclusion which left me gobsmacked! LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT!

C.L Taylor has done it again I love all her books and this was certainly no different! I devoured this book in a few days! From the beginning to end I was kept in suspense and shock. I really didn't see any of it coming.

There was so many lies, twists, and edge-of-seat moments for me everyone was the suspect, except the real one. My jaw hit the floor and kept me going to the very last page.

A huge 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars from me!

This was a good thriller that develops well as you keep reading. It's Big Little Lies meets Desperate Housewives. There are a lot of characters and it does take a while to figure out who's who and who you should be paying attention to. Not all are rounded out but that works well as showing that school gate clique. The characters who drive the story are really well done. All very believable and different. The plot itself is undeniably convoluted and you do have to suspend disbelief. But if you want escapism, this is it. Some readers will love the ending. I didn't think it added much but overall it kept me reading, probably the characters more so than the story itself.

I love a good CL Taylor novel and completely devoured this one. Told from multiple points of view and set amongst the gauntlet of the school run, where gossip quickly gives rise to rumours of murder. Is there a killer in the midst of sleepy little Lowbridge? Tense, pacy and with a great cast of characters, this kept me guessing to the end. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

This was a story that kept me guessing until the end, however there was a lot of characters to guess from all who had their own back stories and the chapters flitted between them. I’m a fan of this usually as I love Shari Lapena stories who I think does similar but this seemed a little bit more work to keep up with. The storyline lacked a little bit but the very last few pages were great. I’m quite conflicted on the rating for this but will go 3.5-4 stars. Thanks for early access.

This is a masterful blend of suspense, intrigue, and emotional depth. The storys strength lies in its well-crafted characters and the tension that builds with each chapter. Jude's determination to uncover the truth about Will's past is both compelling and relatable, making her a protagonist you cant help but root for.

The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, and with short snappy chapters you cant help but keep reading. The small-town setting adds an extra layer of claustrophobia and tension, as secrets and rumors swirl around the characters. The alternating perspectives between Jude and other school mums provides a well-rounded view of the unfolding mystery whilst not causing confusion about who's thread you're following.

For me It's Always the Husband was a thrilling and emotionally charged read that kept me guessing and after the final pages I felt like I just needed another chapter because I wasnt ready to leave life in Lowbridge.

Great read - really kept me hooked as I rattled through it. Good characterisation and an intriguing plot.

I don't want to give anything away but at one point I kept shouting, 'Pull the plug out!' :D

Recommended.

This book has so much going on, I did get lost a bit along the way especially near the end. However, it was a great thriller and kept me gripped and hooked.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

C L Taylor creates solid thrills with a band of dislike-able characters you can’t help but root for. It’s Always The Husband is a fun, twisty thriller for this summer.

I really enjoyed this book, read it in a day. The politics of the school run mum's clique, plus the mystery of a missing woman as explored via multiple viewpoints including a mum who has recently moved into the area (Jude).

I felt I connected with the characters and really wanted to know what happened next so I couldn't stop reading. A good read.

Excellent. Told from multiple viewpoints, this features the school run mama clique who doubt the innocence of school run Dad Will, whose wife died and then his subsequent girlfriend went missing presumed dead… Jude is a fairly new arrival to the school and her daughter is friends with Will’s daughter. They begin a tentative relationship, but is he innocent? Throw in a little blackmail and divorce and another death, and you have the makings of a fast paced and twisty thriller. And this is a genuinely good read with a nice little “Columbo” finale just when you think you’re done…!

I received a free ARC copy of this book via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

When newly-divorced Jude arrives in the small town of Lowbridge, she is keen to make friends with the parents she meets at the school gate. She is attracted to Will but there appears to be some mystery about the fate of his previous 2 wives.
This is a well-written book which captures the rumours and gossip of a small community. There are a lot of well-drawn characters and the twists and tension make this a thrilling read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Delicious…
What secrets, lies, scandal and betrayal lie within the seemingly content confines of the town of Lowbridge? Whilst the incessant chitter chatter of school mums drown out the underlying rot, rumbles of rumour begin - is it possible that a killer is hiding in plain sight? Pacy, tense and completely compelling this is a one sit rollercoaster of a read with an immersive and nicely crafted plot populated with a wholly credible and well drawn cast and a well imagined backdrop. Perfect storytelling, keenly observed, coupled with often unexpected twists and turns. Delicious.

I adore C L Taylor's writing style and she is brilliant at creating multi-faceted characters who you feel like you know really quickly. This book was no different and I found it very pleasant to read. The characters were excellent and I found the story reasonably engaging.

I don't think that the book had a strong enough concept to fill a full-length novel. There was a lot going on but nothing that I would categorise as thrilling. The book covered quite a few storylines without really going into depth in any of them, which was a shame.

I was all set to rate this a middle of the road 3 stars, but the last chapter bumped it up to 4, I did really enjoy that.

This was good and I did enjoy it a lot, I read through it really quickly. My only downside was there was A LOT going on - the main characters were easy to keep track of but there was so many side characters who I couldn’t always remember who they were or their importance. This was highlighted especially towards the end of the book.

All in all, a pacy, fun thriller which is super easy to read