My Husband's An Author
Emily thought life with bestselling author Stephen Dyer was a fairy tale—until she checked his browser history.
Stephen claims the disturbing searches are just research for his next psychological thriller. Emily wants to believe him, but the "fictional" victim’s routine, fears, and vulnerabilities are identical to her own. As the lines between his twisted plots and their marriage blur, Emily is forced to ask: Is she his beloved wife, or just a character he’s preparing to kill off?
In a house where fiction masks reality, Emily must uncover the truth before she becomes the ending to his greatest story.
- Stephen - Emily’s husband, writer, 35
- Emily - Stephen’s wife
- Amanda - Emily’s friend
- David - Emily’s high school boyfriend
- Tanner - Neighborhood kid who tends Emily and Stephen’s yard, 18
- Clara - Stephen’s girlfriend, lawyer
- Amanda encourages Emily to leave Stephen because he won’t get a real job to support her.
- Emily finds Stephen’s google searches, including ‘how to get a divorce and not lose everything.’
- Emily sees a cafe charge on the bank account and goes there to see what Stephen is doing.
- Emily sees Stephen with a younger woman.
- Emily confronts Stephen about the internet searches and he claims they’re research for his book.
- Stephen admits he went to a coffee shop but insists he was alone.
- Days later, another cafe charge appears, and Emily goes to spy on Stephen.
- Emily sees Stephen and the woman arguing.
- Clara: Stephen confesses he’s married and says Emily threatens him and is the one making the suspicious internet searches. Clara doesn’t believe him and leaves.
- Clara leaves work late and sees a young man exiting the parking garage after hearing noises.
- Emily writes in her journal that during their worst fights, Stephen told her he’d kill her if she left.
- At the grocery store, Clara notices a mullet-wearing young man following her and calls 911, scaring him off.
- Emily tells Stephen they need to talk, but he leaves saying they'll talk later.
- Emily, realizing the marriage is over, asks Amanda to check the cafe, assuming Stephen is meeting his girlfriend.
- Amanda texts that Stephen and his mistress are at the cafe.
- Stephen tells Clara that Emily knows about her and shows her Emily’s journal, claiming the entries are lies meant to ruin him.
- He asks Clara what to do; she says there’s nothing she can do and to never contact her again.
- Emily doesn't hear from Amanda after she leaves the cafe.
- Clara calls Emily to meet and warns her about the journal and expresses concern for Emily's safety.
- A woman’s body is found on a hiking trail - it’s Amanda.
- Stephen texts Clara and says he found a second journal where Emily says she wants to kill him.
- Emily goes home to collect her suitcases and leave.
- Stephen approaches her with a knife.
- Clara, worried about Emily, goes to her house, sees a pool of blood in the kitchen, and calls 911.
- Clara finds Stephen’s body with a knife in his back and Emily is there saying, ‘he tried to kill me.’
- The truth: Emily waited for Stephen to come up from the basement and stabbed him.
- Stephen was holding Emily’s real journal when she killed him and she took it and hid it under the fridge before Clara entered the house.
- After leaving the cafe, Amanda meets Emily on the hiking trail and Emily kills her when she realizes Amanda is a loose end.
- Emily started planning all this when she realized Stephen was going to divorce her and she would end up with almost nothing.
- Police believe Stephen killed Amanda.
- Two years later, Clara sees a Facebook comment from someone who looks like the man who stalked her - Tanner.
- Tanner tells Clara Stephen paid him to follow her because he feared something would happen to her.
- Emily starts seeing David; he proposes.
- Emily loses her journal and soon cops come and arrest her for Stephen and Amanda’s murders.
- Clara snuck into David’s house, stole Emily’s journal, and anonymously sent it to police, leading to Emily’s arrest.
- Epilogue: Emily remains in jail but is hopeful she’ll win her case and be free soon.
James Caine’s My Husband's an Author is a domestic thriller that grabs you immediately with its polished prose. The writing itself is the standout feature here - it’s smooth, engaging, and sets a strong foundation for the story. Caine does a great job of maintaining suspense regarding the characters' honesty; I found myself constantly questioning who was telling the truth, which kept me turning pages.
Unfortunately, for avid thriller readers, the plot is a bit too familiar. While it is well written, the story doesn't qualify as new or unique within the genre. It relies on standard tropes, and while the central mystery is entertaining, the eventual twist wasn't unusual or shocking. It serves the plot well enough, but it doesn't offer that fresh take or mind-blowing reveal that elevates a thriller to the next level.
The biggest drawback for me was the conclusion, it just fell flat. It lacked that fulfilling sense of closure or excitement that usually caps off a great suspense novel. If you are looking for a well-written book and you don't need the shock and awe of a big twist then this one is for you.
- Amanda - Dead - Bludgeoned and strangled by Emily
- Stephen - Dead - Stabbed by Emily
- Emily - Alive - In jail waiting trail for the murders of Stephen and Amanda
- Clara - Alive - Working as a prosecutor and willing to bend the law to get justice if necessary
- Tanner - Alive - Staying of trouble, expecting a baby
- Murder
- Infidelity
- Stalking
- Mention of drug use
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9798276175713
Publication Date: November 25, 2025
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
