My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry is a masterclass in the "everyone is lying and everyone is unhappy" genre of domestic thrillers. It’s a compelling, twisty page-turner for adults who enjoy watching a complicated marriage unravel, but it’s firmly aimed at a mature audience that can navigate the messiness of infidelity, legal ethics, and psychological manipulation.
My Husband's Wife is a dark domestic noir that follows a lawyer, her artist husband, and a young neighbor across fifteen years of secrets and betrayals. It’s a great "beach read" for parents, but the heavy focus on marital infidelity and blurred boundaries makes it a better fit for your nightstand than your teen’s. If your kid is looking for a high-stakes mystery, they’ll get more out of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder or One of Us Is Lying.
Jane Corry doesn't do "likable" characters, and that’s exactly why this book works for adults. The story kicks off with Lily, a young lawyer who marries Ed, an artist, while taking on her first big murder case. Then there’s Carla—the nine-year-old neighbor who lives in the flat downstairs. The book spans fifteen years, showing how Carla grows from a neglected child into a woman who becomes a central, disruptive force in Lily and Ed’s marriage.
It hits the same notes as Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. It’s about the secrets people keep behind closed doors and the way small lies eventually snowball into life-altering catastrophes. For an intentional parent, the value here isn't in a "moral lesson"—it's in the sharp, cynical look at how people justify their worst impulses.
The structure is what keeps you reading. Corry alternates between Lily and Carla’s perspectives, jumping forward in time and slowly revealing how a murder trial from Lily’s past connects to the present-day drama.
- The Legal Drama: Lily’s work as a defense attorney for a man accused of murdering his wife adds a layer of procedural grit that balances out the domestic drama.
- The Shifting Timelines: Seeing Carla grow up from a precocious, somewhat creepy child into a calculated adult is fascinating, even if it’s deeply uncomfortable.
- The Unreliable Narrators: You’re never quite sure who to trust, which is the hallmark of a good thriller.
If you’re deciding whether to pass this to a teen, there are a few specific elements that put this in the "Adults Only" category. It’s not that the content is "dangerous," it’s just that the themes are fundamentally adult-oriented.
The Infidelity Loop
The plot is fueled by affairs. Almost every primary character is either cheating, being cheated on, or contemplating it. For adults, this is the engine of a domestic thriller; for younger readers, the relentless focus on marital betrayal can feel repetitive or just plain depressing. The book treats infidelity as a standard part of the human condition rather than a shocking plot point.
Blurred Boundaries with Carla
The most uncomfortable part of the book is the relationship between Ed (the husband) and Carla (the neighbor). When she’s a child, he’s a mentor figure; as she gets older, that relationship shifts into something much more sexualized and manipulative. It’s a "grooming-adjacent" dynamic that is handled with the darkness the genre requires, but it makes for a heavy read.
The Psychological Weight
This isn't a "fun" mystery where a plucky teen solves a crime. It’s a story about the long-term consequences of bad choices, mental health struggles, and the way trauma can be passed down. It’s sophisticated, but it’s bleak.
If your kid is asking for a "twisty book" because they saw a TikTok about domestic noir, you can steer them toward titles that hit those same dopamine buttons without the heavy focus on mid-life marital collapse.
This is the gold standard for teen thrillers right now. It has the investigative grit of a true crime podcast but keeps the stakes and the protagonist’s voice firmly in the YA world. It’s fast, smart, and incredibly popular.
If they like the "who is lying?" aspect of Jane Corry’s writing, this is the move. It’s The Breakfast Club meets a murder mystery. It deals with secrets and reputations in a way that actually resonates with high schoolers.
For kids who like the dual-timeline structure of My Husband's Wife, this series does it brilliantly. It jumps between a 1930s kidnapping and a modern-day cold case at a boarding school for gifted students.
If your teen does end up reading it (maybe they grabbed it off your shelf), the best conversation isn't about "the bad parts." It's about the characters' choices.
Ask them: "Who was the most honest person in that book?" (The answer is likely "no one," which is a great jumping-off point for talking about why people lie to protect themselves vs. why they lie to hurt others).
You can also talk about the legal side: "Do you think Lily was a good lawyer for defending someone she wasn't sure was innocent?" It turns a messy thriller into a conversation about ethics and professional duty.
Q: What age is My Husband's Wife appropriate for? It’s written for adults (18+). While a mature 16 or 17-year-old could certainly read it, the themes of marital infidelity and the specific psychological manipulation between the adult characters usually don't "click" for younger readers.
Q: Is there a lot of spice in My Husband's Wife? There is sexual content, primarily centered around the various affairs in the book. It’s more "descriptive thriller" than "graphic erotica," but the sexual situations are frequent and central to the plot.
Q: Are there any major triggers in the book? Yes, the book deals with domestic abuse, child neglect, infidelity, and the psychological "grooming" of a younger character by an older one. It also involves a murder trial and some descriptions of violence.
My Husband's Wife is a top-tier domestic thriller for parents who want a book they can finish in two sittings. It’s messy, dark, and cynical. Keep it for yourself, and if your teen wants something similar, point them toward the YA thriller section.
- Looking for your next read? Check out our best books for kids list for titles that actually land for their age group.
- If your teen is into the "dark academia" vibe, try our guide to the best mystery books for teens.
- Ask our chatbot for a thriller recommendation
