Cally Taylor is certainly one of the mistresses of the psychological thriller. I was so excited to read this ARC as I knew I would be in for mystery, intrigue, and some amazing twists – and I wasn’t disappointed. As well as the thrills, Cally is able to create a very real portrait of the type of people you can meet at the school gates, and the little cliques that exist.

When Jude and her daughter moved to town, and her daughter Millie joins the local school, she meets the school mafia, headed by Victoria and her cronies. She also meets the handsome Will whose daughter becomes Millie’s best friend. However, when Jude finds out that Will’s wife died and his girlfriend disappeared the school mother’s start to cause Jude to wonder – after all one death is careless, but 2 missing partners.... What happened to Will’s previous partner? Is she dead or still alive? When Victoria’s PC ex-husband ends up dead, was it suicide or was it murder?

Cally Taylor crafts a fascinating story full of interesting and believable characters, and more than a few twists and turns. I loved it!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7596672494
https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/06/its-always-husband-by-c.html

Your classic thriller, I ate it up. I really enjoyed the ride this book took me on. I would definitely recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It’s Always The Husband - CL Taylor

Another rip roarer from CL Taylor - and had me second guessing all the way to the end!

So many characters, so many theories and PERFECT for those who love books where the pages just fly by!

It was only a matter of time before someone wrote a belter of a book about parents at the school gate - and this was it.

Here’s to the next book from this well worth reading author.

It's not one of my top picks from C.L. Taylor, sadly. I usually enjoy her books for their dark turns and unpredictable reveals, but this one didn’t quite deliver the same punch. It felt a little too domestic in tone and setting, like a slower episode of Desperate Housewives, with not quite enough menace or momentum to keep me fully engaged.
There was a hint of suspense bubbling under the surface, but it never quite reached boiling point. The plot wandered a bit, and although I kept waiting for that familiar Taylor-style jaw-drop moment, the twist landed with more of a thud than a bang. It felt disconnected, as though it had been inserted for shock value rather than springing naturally from the characters we’d been following. I couldn’t quite buy into it, which left me feeling a bit short-changed.
The pacing dragged in parts, and while it picked up slightly toward the end, the final chapter didn’t leave a lasting impression. It teased drama but didn’t follow through, almost like a final scene that was meant to unsettle but ended up feeling unfinished.
That said, it wasn’t a bad read—just not especially memorable. It worked well enough as a holiday companion, something easy to dip into between poolside naps and cocktails, but had I been reading this during the usual chaos of real life, I think I’d have struggled to stay the course.
It's decent if you’re in the mood for something undemanding, but not the standout I’ve come to expect from this author.

Jude has moved to Lowbridge with her young daughter to be closer to her sister, Emma.
The school Mums are a very close bunch with Victoria at the centre of their group. When Jude gets an invite to attend a gathering, she is bemused by the whole process as it appears to be a fact finding trip from Victoria to find out if she is having an affair with Will, a single dad, who she rescued from getting a beating near the school gates. The group tell her that his wife died in an "accident" and the girlfriend that followed her - too soon afterwards in their opinion - mysteriously disappeared and they believe he also killed her despite there being no evidence.
There are also other things going on in Lowbridge, Sorrell's husband is behaving strangely, she is being blackmailed and Theresa has disappeared.
Another cracking book from this author. Loved it.

C L Taylor is one of my go to authors and I was delighted to receive a copy of her latest novel, It’s Always the Husband, published on 5th June.

The story follows Jude, who has recently moved to Lowbridge, and has reluctantly become part of the ‘mums’ group at the school gates. Headed by the feisty Victoria, Jude isn’t sure she fits in with them. She’s taken a liking to one of the single dads, Will, but it soon becomes clear the other mums have something against him.

There’s a lot going on in this book and a lot of characters to get your head around. It took me a while to remember who was married to who. Each couple has their own drama going on and are inevitably hiding something and I did get a bit confused with it at times.
I think if I’d been able to read the book for longer periods of time I would have been able to follow it a bit better.

The characters are fine but I didn’t particularly warm to any of them or feel a connection with them. It’s maybe because it moves from one character to another so often but they felt a bit flat.

About three quarters of the way through I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on and wondered if the book had lost its way but it does all make sense and link together eventually. It’s a little far fetched and some parts felt a bit drawn out. I wasn’t totally gripped by the story as it felt like there were too many things happening to try and keep track of but I was interested enough to want to find out what was going to happen.

I did like the book overall but I think I’ve read better from this author. 3.5 stars rounded to 3. Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy.

Review to come.
Due to a family emergency and needing to step away from my book commitments.
I will be reviewing at a later date.
My apologies.

I loved this! Love a domestic thriller so this was perfect, short chapters too so flew through, finished in one sitting! You won’t want to put it down once you’ve started! I found the characters really easy to follow and the plot was so well written- gripped until the last page!

C.L. Taylor returns with another gripping and compulsively readable thriller in It’s Always the Husband—a taut, twist-filled tale set in the suffocating, secret-laden town of Lowbridge. This slow-burn psychological mystery expertly toys with our expectations, delivering a story packed with small-town gossip, emotional trauma, and the gnawing paranoia that no one is ever quite who they seem to be.

The novel follows Jude, newly divorced and hoping to start over in the seemingly quiet village of Lowbridge with her young daughter. But peace proves elusive when Jude becomes entangled with Will, a handsome and mysterious widower—and the father of her daughter’s best friend. Will’s past is steeped in tragedy: not one, but two women in his life have died under suspicious circumstances. The town whispers. The questions linger. And when Jude begins to fall for him, her instincts—sharpened by her own father’s unexplained death—tell her she must uncover the truth before it’s too late.

Taylor excels at building tension through atmosphere and character psychology. Lowbridge is drawn with claustrophobic precision: the kind of town where everyone knows everyone’s business, and the line between concern and voyeurism is razor-thin. Jude is a compelling protagonist—wounded but determined, skeptical but drawn to danger. Her growing relationship with Will is charged with ambiguity and dread, as Taylor keeps readers guessing: is he a misunderstood man haunted by coincidence, or a calculating killer hiding in plain sight?

As with many of Taylor’s novels, trust is the central battleground. Who can Jude trust? Her instincts? The town’s whispers? Will himself? And can she even trust her own perception, shaped by grief and past trauma? The novel’s strength lies in these moral and emotional ambiguities, which make the final revelations all the more satisfying—and unsettling.

The pacing is brisk without feeling rushed, and the plot is full of cunning misdirection, right up to a finale that lands with a sharp, well-earned jolt. Taylor cleverly plays with the trope of the dangerous husband figure, only to subvert it with layered storytelling and a dark understanding of how trauma echoes through relationships and communities.

Another great read from C L Taylor. Jude and Will's daughters are best friends. Jude like Will and with whispers about his losses she gets drawn in. Told in multiple viewpoints this is an addictive read that keeps you guessing. Good characters and well plotted a must for physiological thriller fans. Thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for this review copy.

4.5 stars.
I love C. L. Taylor books. This one had a great plot and great characters. It was a page turner and I loved the pace of the story.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Very interesting idea - and great promo I’ve seen from CL Taylor on socials, which really made me want to read this book! I’ve given it 4 stars instead of 5 because I found it a bit difficult to get into with all the different characters and their short chapters; it made it difficult to warm to anyone or care about them! But, unsurprisingly, it’s a well written book then definitely kept me questioning and guessing!

Rating - 3.75⭐️

One dead wife and a missing girlfriend, one very suspicious man…it’s always the husband, isn’t it?

This was great, multiple POVs, well developed characters, fast paced and short chapters. I really enjoyed this, the idea of a “toxic mum” gossip group kept everything very interesting. Had to know a point off as I wasn’t 100% happy with the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

I loves good C.L. Taylor story!
This is the most well-written and engaging book I've read in awhile.
It’s Always the Husband kept me captive from the first page until the end.
I love how the suspense slowly builds and I would never have guessed the ending.
Lots of suspense, great characters that you can get invested in and a really psychologically twisted ending.
C.L. Taylor's writes with tension and revealing shocking facts which keep you desperately fixed to the page. This book is the perfect thriller.
So intriguing and super fast paced straight from the beginning. C.L. knows how to weave a great story and she's done it again in what is hands down her best work yet!
Highly recommend for fans of psychological thrillers.

This is a great thriller centred around a group of Mums who met on the school run.
When Jude’s daughter starts at the school she doesn’t even attempt to penetrate the popular group of Mums and is happy to stay on the periphery.
Her daughter becomes friends with one girl and when Jude meets her father, she’s pleased to see he’s not part of the other group.
When Will is attacked one morning near the school, Jude goes to help him and one of the other Mums, Victoria warns Jude to stay away from him.
When Jude is invited round to Victoria’s with the others it’s clear she wants information out of her, but Jude also wants information from them.
They all think Will killed his ex wife and girlfriend but Jude isn’t so sure.
She’s intrigued to find out what happened to them but soon other incidents happen around this group of people, and it’s clear there’s someone trying to cause trouble for them all.
This is a great thriller that will certainly keep you guessing what really happened.
Thanks to Avon Books for the opportunity to read this book.

C.L Taylor is one of my go to authors and I always look forward to reading her new release.

This book centres around the school run and its associated gossip and pressure.
New in town Jude becomes close to single dad Will when their daughters become friends. The other mums invite her to drinks in order to grill her about the burgeoning relationship and to warn her that Will may not be what he seems.
His first wife died in an accident and his girlfriend has vanished without a trace.
Jude doesn’t know what to believe torn between her love life and her social life.

The book follows Jude and two of the other mums as the story unfolds it seems that everyone is hiding secrets.

The characters are all believable and the school mum vibe has been captured well. I raced to the end to find out what was going on and who was telling the truth!

A fast paced thriller with lots of reveals.

There was a lot going on in this story, all of which was entertaining. I also appreciate books with short chapters and various POVs because I read them relatively quickly. Some of the characters I felt could have used a bit more development, but other than that it was a great read. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this. I loved the multi-narrative and each chapter left me wanting to read more. I got through this in a day while I was supposed to have another few on the go at the same time. I loved the toxicity, lies and drama of the school run. I really enjoyed the characters. I didn’t know which characters to trust and liked and disliked them at the same time. It was definitely a page turner full of twists. I am definitely going to start reading some more from this author. Thoroughly enjoyed!!

Wow this is an excellent thriller.
What a vipers nest the school gate clique of Mum’s are.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of here so you need your wits about you, not to mention the twists and turns.
It feels like a race to the truth towards the end and when you’re finally there a pièce de résistance of a twist leaves you reeling!
A true masterpiece of intrigue.