The First Husband

The First Husband is McGarvey Black's second novel. It was a fast paced psychological thriller that I was unable to put down. It opens with Trina Holmgren and her best friend Jenn Fairfield arriving in India for a vacation. When they step off a bus in Kashmir they are met with the loud shouts of men trying to rent their boats. When they meet Sam Ayad, who is quiet among this crowd, he offers them his parents' houseboat as a place to rent while they are there. They agree. Sam stays with them all day guarding the boat and provides tours in the Kashmir area. Trina and Sam begin to fall in love with each other and Trina decides not to return to America at the end of her stay. She agrees to remain in Kashmir for another two weeks in order to spend time with Sam. Just before her departure she agrees to marry Sam and gives him her grandmother's silver locket as a promise that she will return to India for him. When Trina returns several months later Sam refuses to return the locket unless she marries him. In order to get it back, she and Sam are married and Trina returns to the U.S., promising him that she will begin the process of getting him entry to America. However, she has no intention of seeing him ever again. Trina returns to her life in New York City and ignores all of Sam's letters. After 18 months of writing to Trina with no response from her, Sam resolves to get revenge. He comes up with a plan that will devastate her and many others.

Wow! This book was fantastic. The suspense began in the first chapter and continued until the last page. The ending was unexpected but brilliant. The characters were compelling and believable, although I felt that Trina was superficial in all of her relationships. She was presented as a sweet woman but deep down I thought she had a cruel side. I don't think that I can find any fault with this book. It was written tight as a psychological thriller should be written and was a satisfying read. I am just blown away with how Sam gets his revenge. Not wanting to be a spoiler, I will leave it at that. The First Husband is a must read!!

5 out of 5 stars.