D.J. Palmer’s second novel, THE NEW HUSBAND, now out in trade paperback from St. Martin’s Press asks the question: can lightning strike twice when it comes to making a terrible choice in man?
Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you know them. Nina Garrity learned this lesson the hard way after discovering that her missing husband, Glen, had been leading a double life with another woman. But Glen's gone—presumably drowned while fishing on his boat—so she can't confront him about the affair or any of his other misdeeds. A year-and-a-half after the accident, Nina considers herself a widow, even though the police never found a body. Following a chance encounter with Simon Fitch, a social studies teacher from her daughter Maggie's middle school, Nina finds love again and has hopes of putting her shattered life back together. Simon, a widower still grieving the suicide of his first wife, has found his dream girl in Nina. His charm and affections help break through to a heart hardened by betrayal. Nina's sixteen-year-old son, Connor, embraces Simon as the father he wishes his dad could have been, but Maggie thinks she sees another side to this new man in their lives—a far darker side. Even Nina’s good friends wonder if Simon is supremely devoted—or dangerously possessive. But Nina is committed, not only to her soon-to-be new husband but also to resuming her former career as a social worker. Before she can move forward, however, Nina must first clear her conscience that she's not making another terrible choice in a man. In doing so, she will uncover the shocking truth: the greatest danger to her, and her children, are the lies people tell themselves.