A macabre tale and a compelling read, but I couldn't really say I enjoyed this book. A seemingly normal family gradually reveals a twisted couple at the heart of it with a controlling wife and a weak husband.

What a brilliant debut novel - I was totally drawn into it from the first page. So many twists and turns throughout the whole book. Quite a dark psychological thriller, but very very good !

This is an absolutely brilliant book. I stayed up late to finish it. I have never read a story like it! I was gripped from start to finish and can't recommend it highly enough. I can't wait to read Samantha Downing's next book.

I finished this book, but unfortunately didn't see it a a psychological thriller just really sick. Sorry but I can't find anything positive to comment on.

A very darkly disturbing story full of twisted characters. The story flowed well and had a few twists along the way. Creepy!

Hmmm. Not sure I was a fan of this personally. Found the concept really quite dark and uncomfortable reading. A story of a married couple, their children and their life in an exclusive American suburb, apparently living the American dream. Except of course they aren’t. Their perfect life gives them the perfect cover for murder and getting away with murder. Whilst not explicitly gruesome this isn’t for the faint hearted. Some twists along the way but ultimately I can’t come away saying I enjoyed this read. Too unsettling for me.

Twisted, Twisted, Twisted and then Turned over and over. Great story and it really makes you wonder who you have married......
10/10

I think for once the comments on the review page for the book are pretty accurate. I liked the phrase 'Dexter meets Gone Girl' the best as it superbly sums up the story.
There are many twists although you could say the actions by Millicent before the story reaches its conclusion are somewhat predictable given the title. Still in no way does that detract from reading and enjoying.
The final 3 years later chapter, I guess, is a surprise and I absolutely loved the last couple of sentences as they make a very clever ending
Definitely should not be missed

I'm astounded that this is a debut novel, it's solidly entertaining with a very original premise. Definitely hard to pull off in this genre! I guessed quite a few of the twists and turns early on but that didn't distract from my enjoyment whatsoever. The story is fast paced, with well rounded characters all the way through. One thing that I did find distracting was that Millicent seemed to only have one response/facial expression- a constantly raising brow. I felt I'd scream if the woman raised her eyebrows a single time more, it was a bit overused. Overall I felt this was a great book and I will be looking forward to the next for certain. Can't wait to see what the author has in store.

I didn't really know what to expect from this book. The premise sounded interesting enough - a husband and wife opting to spice up their marriage with a bit of murder (like you do) - but I definitely didn't expect to find myself tearing through the pages so quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading My Lovely Wife. The POV of the husband was perfect - giving us an interesting, one-sided perspective of his psychotic wife and also giving us insights into his own twisted psyche. I'd definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a thriller that you won't be able to put down.

All my friends rated ‘My Lovely Wife’ by Samantha Dowling between 4-5 stars. I rated it an overly generous 3 stars. GASSSP!

I feel a bit like the kid who turns up to school in full school uniform on dress down day, because my friends when it comes to this book, I am the black sheep.

‘My Lovely Wife’ is about a couple who enjoy taking part in extra curricular activities aka MURDER. My issues are (SPOILERS BELOW) -

•They admit themselves that they aren’t very book smart or up to scratch on the whole forensics side so how do they get away with it for so long? Are the police really that useless because apparently the detective is the best there is. *eye roll*
* The husband (yes I’ve forgot his name and can’t find it) is such a wet blanket but is capable of planning and carrying out murder. Reading about him and his apparently great flirting techniques made me throw up a little.
* Children pick up on more things than anyone so the fact all these private conversations were going on within eat shot of the kids - I don’t buy it.
* Their whole relationship with each other and as a family was just irritating.
* If you decide to become a copy cat and blame the murders on the serial killer maybe make sure he’s not dead first *major eyeroll*

There’s so much more that annoyed me but I’ll leave it there for now.

The reason I still awarded 2.5 stars is - I liked the premise of the book ie Mr & Mrs Smith turn serial killer and I enjoyed 1 of the twists.

I was given a free copy in return for an honest review.

What a thriller! I read this through in just two sittings.

A married couple live in a well-to-do suburb, she sells real estate and he's a tennis coach, and they have two children. Nothing unusual there… until the plot twists… and twists again and again, right up to the end of the book. Can't reveal too much without spoilers, but it's a dark psychological thriller, and well recommended.

This certainly hits the psychological button as the reader is continually made to question whether a married couple would really carry out these crimes. Whether they could isn't so much a question as Downing provides a plot that carefully accounts for the women's disappearances without any suspicion being raised - until everything starts to become more complicated, of course. As a thriller you definitely want to know what they will do next and for some the ending may not be what's expected.

The plot was strong enough to compel me to read on but this first-hand account style of writing is, unfortunately, one that does not engage or appeal to me personally. However, for those who do like this, then this will be a definite recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to reading this. I didn’t find it the easiest of reads to get into though and it lacked the ability to grip me. The story was good though and I’m glad I pushed through. Recommended to fans of the genre.

I have given this one 5 stars as I thought it was amazing from the first page.. a real page turner, got me so hooked. The best I have read in a while. Psychological thriller at its best, a great twist you wouldn’t expect and . I loved the characters the plot. etc.. It is very well written and I would definitely recommend this, and I will be looking out for this author in the future.
Excellent thank you netgalley

Wow! What a debut. Absolutely brilliant, hooked from the first page. Fabulously written with great believable characters. Will be keeping an eye out for future releases by this author.

I was hooked by the first page and terrified by the end of the first chapter! Chilling psychological thriller. This story gave such an insight into the workings of the mind of a serial killer that I felt chilled reading it.
Very well written and as it was all brought to its culmination, I found myself devouring the last pages and on tenterhooks, desperate to know the final outcome.
Such a good read. Would highly recommend this one. Especially with that little twist in the last sentence! I closed the book thinking.......Oh - I wonder?

This book is certainly a page turner, whenever I had to put it down I couldn't wait to pick it up again. That being said, this is a book that makes you afraid of what is going to happen next. I really enjoyed the characters as well as the writing style. I was hooked from page one. The ending was totally unpredictable.
I loved this story, 4.5 stars from me.
I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends!!!

My Lovely Wife is a hugely twisted and utterly riveting read about the ups and downs of married life…

No it really is! It’s just this particular couple’s married life is somewhat unconventional…

My Lovely Wife is so very dark but absolutely delicious, Samantha Downing creates her characters with sharp, edgy insight then sets them loose on the reader to mess with their heads. The mundane everyday mixed with dastardly undertones, a narrative you can’t look away from with a cleverly woven unpredictable story, it is a pure joy to read.

What I absolutely adored about this book was the ebb and flow of the drama unfolding, with every passing chapter more character depth is revealed, events take on a different reality as you head towards the conclusion then the author finishes it off with flair, throwing a final bone to the reader to chew on, whilst recovering from the totality of what they’ve just read.

A genuinely intelligent character driven psychological thriller with immersive, layered writing- this is a book that reminded me why I still love this genre -because occasionally one comes at you from outside the box and when that happens you get that adrenalin reading rush.

Highly Recommended.

A twisted thriller about a couple who are not all they seem.

The set-up for My Lovely Wife is intriguing and it’s hard to avoid giving away too much in the way of spoilers. ‘Tobias’ narrates this story. He’s married to Millicent and they live together in an idyllic gated community in Florida with their two kids Jenna and Rory.

But the book opens up with Tobias claiming to be deaf and trying to pick up a woman in a bar. He’s scouting out a potential victim. And his wife is in on it.

This a dark page-turner, with young married couple who have some seriously unusual tendencies. Tobias is a tennis coach in the local country club. Millicent is a real estate agent who has sold numerous properties in and around their exclusive community.

But murder isn’t straightforward, and although Tobias and Millicent are in it together, they have their own separate roles – not always asking precisely what the other is doing. Things begin to unravel when to cover their tracks, they decide to construct a way to cover their tracks and keep investigators away from what’s really happening. Inevitably, this has unintended consequences.

The obvious comparison here would be the Dexter novels, but unlike those, the victims are mostly blameless. These are clearly twisted people.

The book is a rip-roaring read, and while I suspect that you could poke holes at some elements of the plot, the story is tightly constructed and makes internal sense. You’re certainly never sure how things will resolve themselves by the end, and the final act is tense as a consequence.