Seemed good for the first few chapters but it failed to develop enough for me. The character were not at all likeable nor did I feel sympathy for the husband which I think I was supposed to do to a certain extent.
Difficult to learn much about anyone’s thought pattern as all written as if husband telling the story. That’s not in itself a deal breaker as I’ve read other books written like this but it didn’t work in this one.

So many twists kept me enthralled from start to finish. An excellent ending for an excellent book. This author is definitely someone to look out for in the future

Wow what a ride of a book this was. Hands down one of the best reads of the year so far. Fantastic! Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This book tells the story of a couple who have been married for 15 years and have two young children, they are financially well off and have a decent home, he is a tennis coach and she works in real estate. All a very run of the mill, normal relationship to anyone looking from the outside in you might say, but things aren't always what they seem and this couple are far from normal, they have a very unhealthy interest in young women.

This story totally messes with your head and by the end of it I was left questioning who was really telling the truth. It's a book that has more twists than a corkscrew and each chapter leaves you wanting more, I was intrigued and repulsed in equal measures by the antics of this couple. Their 'date nights' consist of meeting in their garage to discuss their next victim!! Completely insane I know, but I was hooked, as you will be when you read it and you HAVE to read it because I'm not going to divulge any more for fear of spoiling it.

I would like to thank Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

This a good debut novel that I really enjoyed.
Particularly liked the style of writing - seen through the eyes of the serial killer which is something rare and really well done in this book.

The book is very intriguing and keeps you hooked from the beginning. What turns out to be your average husband and wife is something you don’t expect.

Fab book!0

What an intriguing mystery! I was hooked from the first chapter and loved the twists and turns of the story. It keeps you hooked and you can’t wait to see how it ends. Thoroughly recommend. #NetGalley #MyLovelyWife

A great book that kept me entranced from start to finish.

Totally chilling I had guessed the end result but not how much more scary and twisted it would be.

Totally epic.

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We're your neighbors, the parents of your kid's friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

Well... if you're looking for a book that will have you second guessing, open-mouthed and astounded at every few pages then this is just the book for you. They really are a normal couple, the parents of your kid's friend...the colleagues you work alongside... that is...until they aren't.

This book is exactly what I look for in a Thriller - Gone Girl meets Mr and Mrs Smith with a sprinkling of Dexter thrown into the mix...

Millicent and... what was his real name? I have scanned reviews and the book but I can't find it. Everyone who has reviewed this book has written Millicent and her husband. He has a fake name, we know that, it's Tobias - but do we actually get given his real name? Do we actually have time to notice until we sit down to write a review? Nope. That's because Samantha Downing has woven an absolute cracker of a debut novel that has had us not even noticing the name thing.

This book will be one that you talk about - one that you question why you're so hooked on something so vile and yet...so clever! This is "the" psychological thriller of 2019.

This is a story about not one, but a married power couple of serial killers.

I think it’s best to go in blind, so, I won’t discuss the plot too much. I really didn’t know what I was in for.

The story unfolds through the husband’s eyes for the entirety of the book. He’s just your everyday family man. He talks us through the ups and downs of modern married life, taking the kids to school, looking after them when they’re sick. We learn about how he met his soul mate, how they built a life together and their typical issues surrounding money. Oh, and there’s odd murder thrown in there too.

With every chapter, we learn more about the characters and begin to navigate our way around the complex web of secrets they’re keeping. Eventually, the action in their secretive lives spills into their personal ones and things get messy. Yes, I guessed a couple of the major twists. However, the narration was so well executed that it was gratifying to watch it all play out and lead towards a satisfying ending.

There’s something about seeing the story from the serial killer’s perspective that alters the whole reading experience. I was stuck at a crossroads between both being repulsed and routing for the husband. Overall, this was a fast, addictive psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for sending me a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A debut thriller which is intriguing.
A normal family, husband and wife turn out to be serial killers. Ok to read but not my usual type of book.Thanks to Netgalley for an Arc.

A really excellent, surprising novel. Thought it would be a nice romance to counter all the serial killer books I read. How wrong was I. Written from the husbands point of view, regarding his wife and family, this was a riveting tale of the mind of the most devious and manipulative couple of serial killers I have read about. Mesmerising. Couldn’t put it down. This will go down as one of my favourite books of the year. Really couldn’t put it down. Excellent.

This is an incredibly assured and well written debut novel. In many ways it is about the ultimate in the secrets that the, oh so seemingly normal, family next door, may have. Millicent, her husband, fourteen year old son, Rory and Jenna, thirteen, are a typical suburban couple. Millicent sells houses, her husband gives tennis lessons. The couple have been married for fifteen years and, gradually, we learn of how they met and their deep love for each other. Oh, and there are also the dysfunctional backgrounds, the secrets, the growing, questioning children, the dissatisfaction with their earning potential, and the matter of murder…

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, then this is definitely one of the best that I have read. It is twisted, clever and will throw you off balance, even if, like me, you are very familiar with the crime genre. This is very cleverly done, with little twists and turns thrown into the storyline, so you are always questioning the characters. It is difficult to write too much about this, without giving plot spoilers, and I have no wish to do so. However, I feel sure that lovers of crime novels, will enjoy this and I look forward to reading more by Samantha Downing. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Well where do I begin. This book is written so well and it was fantastic.. I was hooked from the start to the end. Samantha has made an excellent job keeping the rhythm and thrill of the book all the way to the last page.
The twists and turns throughout was gobsmacking and the last one, wow I never saw that coming.
Well done Samantha, hope there is more to come.

One of my favourite mystery thrillers of 2019!

They are that picture-perfect husband and wife in everybody's neighbourhood. They've got a lovely house, two great kids and socialise with all the right people. Only, there is more to them than that. You could say they have a little taste for danger and bloodlust; breaking numerous laws. My Lovely Wife definitely delivers a palpitating story of a Mr and Mrs Smith like couple, that dabbles with a little Dexter.

This was an insanely good read. I loved everything about it, especially the characters. Millicent and her husband were like Mr and Mrs Smith but on crazy stalker murderous steroids. The story is narrated by the husband, and through him we learn about his wife, his kids, his job etc. He and his wife were portrayed as typical tolerable characters, literally, like some neighbours on everyone’s street. That's what made this read even more intriguing. I really enjoyed the marriage dynamic between the couple; how he was the more submissive of the two, and tended to let her get away with murder (as the expression goes... *clears throat*)

I loved how amused I was (at times) whilst reading this. When the average husband and wife’s marriage ends up dwindling because of time or whatever, they usually decide to spice up their marriage, by say, couples’ classes like salsa lessons, trying out S&M stuff, creative role play. They don't decide to become serial killers for a jolt of excitement to their marriage! As twisted as this was, I was totally hooked. I had to know what inspired this, and where it was going.

The plot was clever and well executed, as I was completely invested in seeing where the story went, and how it would ultimately end. There was a danger of a slowing pace towards the climax of the story, where I felt there was too much focus on the kids. Although this was easily compensated for due to how enjoyable the overall story was. There's a handful of twists, and I'd probably say most of them are predictable. Where this would usually disappoint me, it was actually exciting, because despite guessing what's happened, it was enthralling to read it unfold, and see if the next bit of the plot could be predicted. And where it couldn't, it was really entertaining.

Overall, I read this over 2 days and I'm rating it 5 stars. This is a debut novel, and other than a little, tiny dip in the books thrilling pace, the story was a fantastic read. Give a debut author (and their book) the credit it deserves. A round of applause. This has definitely been one of my favourite mystery/mystery thrillers in a while, and will undoubtedly be in my top reads of 2019. I thoroughly loved it, and recommend it without hesitation. I will be buying a hardback copy :)
Thank you kindly to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-copy, in exchange for this honest review.

My Lovely Wife was a good, entertaining read that provided something a bit different that your typical domestic thriller. Dark, twisty and gripping.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

One of the many attractions of this book is the unusual story line. Murder with a difference ! It is a tale of what should be a happy family but the parents are complicit in serial murders. Who will take the blame? It is a story of manipulation,deceit and love. It is very well written and keeps the reader wondering how it will end. What more could you want?

In 'My Lovely Wife', Millicent has designed her life just how she wants it. Nice house. Good job. Two kids. And a husband, she has been able to manipulate throughout their fifteen years of marriage- even to the point of sharing the same delightful hobby.

Murder.

Now, deaf 'Tobias' as he's known to a few select and unlucky few, (when he is scouting around for their next victim), is beginning to see how what they do is starting to affect their own kids. His daughter is scared of this 'serial killer' in their home town, and his son is learning to be as manipulative as his mother. But this is nowhere near his biggest issue.

Of course, 'Tobias' the husband is no saint, but he's been so well-trained in the art of doing what his wife Millicent tells him, he just gets on with his part of the job of victim selection, and let's her do the rest. This his how they get their kicks. He's never even questioned it.

Until the last woman they drugged, kidnapped and Millicent 'took care of' turns up dead in an abandoned building. She'd kept her alive for over a year and never even told him. What was Millicent doing with her all this time? Why didn't she keep him updated? After all, they were partners in crime, weren't they?

This is a creepy book about a couple with some very strange habits. On the outside they look like the average family, but together, in private they hold secrets that they'll take to the grave. At least hope to. But when murder becomes a dangerous game for life, and not everyone is playing by the rules, things are not always as black and white. And that, dear reader, is the deadly sting in this tale, which will have you reading until the sun comes up the next morning and the truth is revealed.

I couldn't read this fast enough! What a thrilling book this turned out to be!

Oh my goodness - what a book! Dark and twisted, it follows an ordinary married couple. Or so you think. He's a tennis coach, she works in real estate. What they both share is a twisted secret. One that starts to spiral out of control and threatens everything they hold dear, including the wellbeing of their children.

I'm really trying not to give away any spoilers but it's so hard with the biggest shock being delivered in the opening chapters. C.J. Tudor described it as "Dexter meets Gone Girl" and I couldn't agree more. Especially as the book starts to draw to a close and the twists start coming thick and fast! The only drawback of this one was the middle which starts to lose pace but it opens strong and ends even stronger.

If you think thrillers are getting predictable then this is the book for you!!

WOW! Brilliant book, completely different to any other crime/thriller I’ve read before.

Fast paced, believable characters and a fantastic story. I was hooked and couldn’t put this down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

An intriguing debut which gripped from the outset. Narrated by ‘Tobias’, an alias used by the husband of Millicent, makes the events more personal. I had given up on psychological thrillers as they had become rather similar, but this book has reversed my opinion.
My only observation was that the middle section had a slight lack of pace, but the twisted finale made up for this.