His Double Life by Nicole Trope
Genre: Domestic suspense
Read: 28th February 2024
Published: 28th February 2024
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Loving father. Loyal husband. Liar?
In our large family home on a peaceful, tree-lined street, I clear away the breakfast things whilst my husband ignores me, his eyes on his phone. Leo comes home from conferences with flowers for me and hugs for our twin ten-year-old boys, but each time I smell an unfamiliar perfume on his shirt. I know all about his affairs and it’s tearing my heart in two.
When one of the boys tumbles into the kitchen, full of laughter that he beat his brother in the race home from the park, I smile despite everything. When his brother isn’t right behind him, I start to worry… and then I get a text that makes my blood run cold. If you want your child to come home, your husband needs to tell the truth.
Is my husband hiding even darker secrets than his affairs? As I realise his double life has put my children in terrible danger, I make a promise: I will not let my husband’s lies destroy my life. And I will do anything to get my son back…
A totally addictive page-turner about terrible secrets within a marriage, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Sally Hepworth.
MY THOUGHTS:
Loving father...loyal husband...liar...
The queen of domestic suspense is back with this tale packed full of secrets, lies and deception by the bucketload. I finished this book last night in one sitting, devouring it in a few short hours. I had to think about it before beginning this review. Because so much is packed into this quick read and yet nothing is left to chance.
Leo Palmer thinks he's God's gift to his profession, not to mention women, and it is at a conference in Queensland that he meets the stunning Serena. As soon as he sees her, he wants her. Forget the conference and his boring colleagues. He'd much rather be wrapped in the silky sheets with Serena. Once a year, he attends conferences around the country and each time partakes in a one night stand. But this year he breaks his own rule. He brings what is usually a fling home to his doorstep and continues to see Serena upon his return to Sydney. There's something about her. He just can't give her up.
Diana has been married to Leo for nearly 15 years and they have ten year old twin boys, Rowan and Sawyer. She is a mother and child nurse while he is a real estate agent. They have a beautiful house in the suburbs with a park just a block away so that the boys can race each other to the park and back to kick their soccer ball around.
It was one such Sunday morning when Rowan runs into the house after playing at the park announcing "I win!", expecting his brother to be close on his heels. But when he doesn't materialise, Diana feels a prick of fear. Just as she and Rowan are about to return to the park to find him, she receives a text message:
"If you want Sawyer to come home, your husband needs to tell the truth."
Diana is frozen staring at the screen. What does this mean? What has Leo done?
The questions are flying fast and free as the reader mulls over every possibility but are any of them close to the truth? The story unravels through the multiple narratives of Diana, Leo and Serena and is told in three parts. As each part unfolds it soon becomes clear what is going on. But still, Trope has another twist to deliver before the end. And even I didn't see it coming, so well played.
The characters are few but then that is all you need to make a compelling story. I did wonder at Diana's choices especially as she was well aware of Leo's indiscretions. He was obviously not going to change so why punish them all by sticking around? I understand it's for the boys but really resentments will colour any good intentions she may have had and the boys will be on the receiving end. And as for Leo. Well, he was the epitome of the narcissistic egotistical self indulgent man child who is so completely unlikeable I couldn't not care less what happened to him. I think when all is said and done he got off bloody lightly. He was an appalling character. But then I didn't really warm to Diana either. I think I found more sympathy for Serena.
The cover wasn't as eye-catching as previous titles but then I don't always judge a book by its cover either. However, if I was to do so I wouldn't have picked up this book solely on its cover. But the tightly written plot is well written and compelling from start to finish. It wasn't my favourite by Trope by any means, but it was still a cracker of a read with some good twists throughout.
I first discovered fellow Sydneysider Nicole Trope when I read "The Boy in the Photo" and I loved it! Since then I have read everything she has published with the exception of a couple that came before that one. I can't wait to see what she delivers for us next!
I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HisDoubleLife in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story.
She is now published by Bookouture and is an Amazon top 100 bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
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