The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Does the novella work as both a domestic thriller and as a parody, or does it seem to really only work as one or the other?

2. Did the unresolved plot points at the end of the book bother you, or did you find this choice amusing? Why?

3. Which other Freida McFadden books have you read? Have you read The Inmate, The Crash, or Want to Know a Secret? for instance? How would you compare the main characters in these books with the main characters in The Widow’s Husband’s Secret Lie? Based on other McFadden books you have read, to what extent do you think The Widow’s Husband’s Secret Lie is a parody of her own work?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Have you ever discovered something unexpected about a very close friend after years of knowing them? Was your experience more similar to not knowing that they hate tea and casseroles or more similar to not knowing their marriage was miserable?

2. How would you describe the contributions of both Poppy and Alice to their friendship? Have you experienced an imbalance like this in your own friendships? What—if anything—did you choose to do about it?

3. Given Marnie’s belief that Grant Lockwood was her partner and the father of her children, do you think she was right or wrong to approach Alice? Do you agree with her tactics?

4. Alice’s inattention to detail and impulsive thinking lead to several amusing mix-ups in this story. Could you relate to this aspect of her character, or did you find it too exaggerated to be relatable?

5. What criticisms does this parody level against domestic thrillers as a genre? Do you agree with these criticisms? Even if you agree, does this interfere with your enjoyment of the genre?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Had you encountered the blue-and-black or white-and-gold dress controversy before reading this book? Which colors do you see when you look at the image? What does the existence of phenomena like this tell you about the importance of perspective? Which more serious situations in the world today might legitimately be seen as completely different by people with differing perspectives?

2. What signs did Grant give early in his relationship with Alice that he was controlling and manipulative? Do you think most people would have picked up on these signs, or do you think Alice’s initial reaction to Grant is understandable? How do contemporary concerns about victim blaming relate to this question?

3. Alice claims that murdering Grant was her only option. What other options might she have considered and discarded? Given real-world statistics about what happens to women in domestic abuse situations, do you agree or disagree with her choice?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The Prologue’s narrator promises “red herring after red herring […] false identities and unreliable narrators, and fabricated evidence” (1). Is this meant to be taken seriously? How thoroughly do the novella’s plot and characters deliver on this promise?

2. Most of McFadden’s books are narrated in the first-person present tense. In The Widow’s Husband’s Secret Lie, how does this choice help make Alice an engaging character? How does this narrative technique add to the story’s suspense and humor?

3. The story makes use of many allusions to things made famous on the internet—such as the blue-and-black dress, the marshmallow test, criticism of Nickelback, and so on. What contribution to the novella’s tone do these references make? How do these references support the book’s larger meaning?

4. In what sense are most of the story’s characters “caricatures”? How does this help to support the novella’s purpose as parody? How does it impact the novella’s functioning as a domestic thriller?

5. How does the technique of repetition show up in both the novella’s language and plot? How does this repetition function as a metafictional element?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. When Alice discovers the notebook containing the fantasy novel Grant is writing, it reveals a surprising hidden side to his character. If you were McFadden and an editor argued against this particular choice, what is another secret hobby or interest you could write for Grant to accomplish a similar effect? How would you have Alice discover it in a way that adds to both the book’s suspense and humor?

2. In Chapter 23, “Brant” and Alice agree that they hate mysteries that “end on a cliffhanger” forcing the reader to “read the second one just to find out who did it” (94). If you were writing a sequel to The Widow’s Husband’s Secret Lie, what cliffhangers from its ending would your sequel resolve? How would you resolve them?