Beth’s husband Tom has been arrested. They are saying he is a monster who has killed a women. Beth can’t believe it, they have a perfect life a perfect family but Beth knows more than she lets on.

This was a a good read. It started off with a bang but sort of lost it’s way in the middle.. Beths continued bury your head in the sand attitude drove me insane and some of her choices only become clear at the end. The twist at the end I did not see coming and definitely made up for the lack of suspense throughout the book.

I would definitely read this Author again.

This incredible thriller kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. The characters draw you in and the plot is fast paced. I really enjoyed it and looking forward to recommending to friends.

This was a fantastic book that I did not want to put down! A great story told from multiple points of view and across a variety of timelines. The tension and suspense kept building right to the end, fabulous!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alice Hunter and Avon Books UK for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this novel as it is easy to read and quite intriguing to try to figure out what the big reveal or twist was going to be. I didn't like either of the main characters because I knew they both were equally guilty of some crime, but trying to figure which of them was the serial killer was quite amusing. I enjoyed reading the wife's perspective and trying to find out what she was up too. It was a quick read but there isn't a whole lot of action. It's more of a slow burn novel, but no less interesting.

This was an interesting take on murder and the results of it, so many secrets, surely if you were married to a killer, you'd know it right? Maybe not, how much do we really know about our partners, everything, or just what they want us to know.
This book takes some brilliant turns within it and I would definitely recommend it if you like thrillers.

What a rush this book was!! From the first page to last, secrets were hidden, keeping me enthralled and invested in the storyline.

A wicked ride from beginning to end, author Alice Hunter, in her debut, rocked this thriller, making me sit at the edge of my seat many a time.

A loving couple, a routine life with a 2 year old daughter, and a knock at the door. It was the cops at the door wanting to take in the husband for enquiry into the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. Then the story started rolling through stormy waves.

I loved how the author brought out the nuances of the wife’s character. I was often left wondering if she knew more than she revealed. All the love she had for her daughter came through in her actions and thoughts. Yet that niggling doubt never left me.

The deft hand of the author was seen as she out the story in 4 different POVs giving me all the angles to their past and present lives.

An intriguing story that kept me completely hooked both in its audio and written versions. Well worth spending time with this beauty.

What a way to mess with my head. The Serial Killers Wife had me doubting and questioning my mind throughout.

The story revolves around Beth and Tom Hardcastle, the dream couple. Everything about them is perfect. Or is it? Do we really know what goes on behind closed doors?

I love a story with short chapters, it's much easier to do the whole "one more chapter" and before you know it you're finished. I needed this format because I had to find out who was saying the truth.

Now it might seem simple with a title like "The Serial Killers Wife" that has to mean that Tom is a serial killer. Right? Well when I was reading I was flip flopping trying to decide if he was the perfect sweet and innocent man, or could he really be this psychopath?

And, what about Beth? Well her character really flummoxed me. This was psychological thriller at it's best. It was more character driven but that is what is needed in the storyline. We need to delve into the psyche of the characters. We need to get into their thoughts to see who's saying the truth or who's lying.

Thanks to NetGalley, Alice Hunter and Avon Books for the ARC of The Serial Killer's Wife.

This book starts with a bang. When Her husband Tom is home late from work, Beth is a little worried - he always loves to read a bedtime story to their daughter Poppy. Then the police knock at her door and ask to wait for his return. When he finally walks through the door two hours later than usual, the police reveal that they want to question him for the disappearance and suspected murder of his ex girlfriend Katie.

How well does Beth really know her husband? Could he be a killer?

This was a book of two halves for me - the first is very slow burn, with lots of character building, tension build up and background development so you understand the history of Beth and Tom's relationship and Tom's relationship with his ex. The latter part of the books turns up a considerable notch or two, with some great twists, reveals and revelations galore. I did not see the ending coming.

The biggest issue with this book for me is the title. We know from the very outset before we've even read a word that Tom is a serial killer and as such, there are big parts of the plot that aren't a shock or twist at all - we know they're coming - in fact we're almost waiting for it. I think because of this, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I could have, as actually some of the 'new information' released as the first half progressive would have had far more impact if it hadn't have been expected.

For me the end half of this book saved it for me.

The writing itself was fine, for the most part. Pretty simplistic. My issues were with the plot itself. I was irritated that I had to read about this woman's husband being in love/obsessed with another woman (Katie, in those flashbacks). That's never enjoyable as a reader. And then throughout the novel, I was waiting for the serial killer part to be disclosed. I think the title of this book gives way too much away. We don't know until the last thirty percent of the story that Tom has actually killed multiple women, but because of the title, nothing about that "revelation" is shocking or even very interesting. Instead it just feels long overdue.

The ending was very abrupt, and I didn't like the epilogue with Tom and Julia. The author should've ended the story with Beth's surprise. The whole time I was rooting for her to end up in a good place, and in the end she got what she wanted, so there's a sense of satisfaction and vindication. But then the epilogue takes that away and hints that Beth's life won't be very nice for long, which isn't very satisfying for the reader.

Thank you Avon Books UK & Netgalley for an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the title and cover of the story and that is why i had to get my hands on it. But it didn't do it for me. I wished the book moved a little faster. I felt the book starts off with a bang and then we are just following the main character do her daily errands. I was waiting for this book to suck me in but instead, I would sit down read a chapter or two get bored, and put it back down. The twist at the end I did not see coming and it didn't add up in my opinion it came out of left field and doesn't add up.

Beth and Tom were both unlikeable characters. Adam was the only character I liked! This just kinda fell in the Meh category and is not very memorable.

A psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked.

Beth and Tom Hardcastle have the perfect marriage, a gorgeous house and a beautiful daughter Poppy. But one evening everything changes !!

Tom is late home from work when there is a knock on the door. Beth answers the door to find two police officers. Beth fears the worst .... has Tom been involved in an accident ? But the truth is even worse that she thought. The police want to ask Tom some questions about a murder !!

The book is told in the present as well as the past, so we gradually start to learn the truth about the murder. We also see how Tom’s interaction with the police affects both Beth and Poppy in their day to day lives. Could Tom really have murdered someone ? Will their lives ever be the same again ?

A great psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I found the premise promising...but I had a really hard time getting into this one. I really didn't connect with any of the characters and they all felt a bit flat for me. Even when a surprise was revealed, it didn't garner much emotion on my end :( Perhaps I was seeking something that just wasn't what this book set out to be. It is a quick, plot-driven read...not unenjoyable. just lacking depth (in my opinion). Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

Tense, twisting, and deliciously intense, The Serial Killer's Wife is bound to keep you up all night!

This book is a domestic, psychological thriller of the highest regard; a real masterpiece of the genre. It's well-plotted, carefully constructed, and executed to perfection.

The main character is Beth, a woman who - on the surface - seems to have a perfect life. With a dream marriage, a beautiful daughter, her own successful business, and a gorgeous cottage in the countryside, it seems as though Beth and her husband Tom could want for nothing. Of course, though, there is always more than first meets the eye and it soon transpires that there are plenty of skeletons hiding in the Hardcastle's closet.

The Serial Killer's Wife is very much a character-driven narrative, told from multiple perspectives. Both Tom and Beth's viewpoints come together to share insights which gradually lead to more and more pieces of the puzzle being pieced together. It's a slow, creeping kind of tension - the sort that knows exactly how to get under your skin.

By contrast, the chapters are short and punchy. This is the type of book that will suck you in and keep you wanting more. Just one more chapter! The story will be coming towards its spectacular conclusion before you even realise it.

If it's suspense you're after, The Serial Killer's Wife is exactly what you need. It's mysterious, dramatic, and addictive. But the real question remains... did she know?

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Alice Hunter for the chance to read this in return for an honest review.

In all honesty, I couldn’t put this down. I was back to it every spare moment I had!

From the outside it looks like Beth and Tom have the perfect marriage. Great jobs, a lovely house, and a gorgeous little girl, Poppy. But when Tom is late home from work one evening, the last thing Beth is expecting is for the police to come knocking.

How well does Beth really know Tom? And, how well does Tom know his wife?

This was incredibly gripping and so addictive - I read it in just a couple of days! I loved trying to piece it all together.

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

Anything with serial killer in the title is for me! Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

Overall I enjoyed this one and it did have some surprised at the end. I really disliked Beth the main character here and “the wife” in the book. She’s just a selfish bad person which I assume was done on purpose here.

If you enjoy the Stillwater Lake series this could be for you. Although this is a much tamer version it is fun and enjoyable. I would read a second book if there is one for sure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 stars from me!

Well I wasn't expecting that!! What a great read. Twisted, unexpected and interesting plot. Who would have guessed - no I am not going to give anything away.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who wanted to read something a bit different for a change.
Alice is a new authority for me and I not wait expectantly for her next book.

I think it’s inevitable that any book featuring the wife of a serial killer will get compared to the Stillhouse Lake series by (the sadly departed) Rachel Caine. The premise of this one seems very much the same: Beth’s husband Tom is arrested and accused of murdering Katie, his girlfriend before he met and married Beth. Katie has supposedly been away travelling for years, but new evidence has come to light and the police are looking at her disappearance as a murder. Tom proclaims his innocence, but Beth has her doubts… and slowly, throughout the book, small hints are revealed that maybe Beth has known more than she was saying all along, but has kept quiet out of fear, for herself and her daughter Poppy’s sake.

Honestly, Tom barely qualifies as a serial killer. Three victims over the space of fourteen years, one of them accidental? We get enough insight into his psyche from the sections in his point of view to tell us he’s a sociopath with no care for the feelings of anyone but himself, and a particular disregard for women. Good-looking and charming, he’s an expert at drawing women into his web, whereupon he sets about controlling them by cutting them off from their support network and making them entirely dependent on him.

The first half of the book is very, very slow. It does speed up in the second half, and there are a couple of intriguing twists towards the end - they’re telegraphed well enough I guessed it was coming, but the how and why of it was interesting.

What was missing here, and done so brilliantly in the Stillhouse Lake series, was the realities faced by families of serial killers in the modern age. Almost everything Beth experienced is something that could have happened fifty years ago. There were no harassing phone calls, emails, no evisceration by social media. The reality is that other parents would have been pulling their kids out of the kindergarten, demanding ‘the killer’s kid’ was excluded before they would return. People would have been boycotting Beth’s cafe, or graffitiing the walls in the night with crude insults. I also really didn’t buy Adam’s reaction after Beth admitted she wasn’t totally ignorant of Tom’s past. No way would he have just accepted that; nobody would.

Overall it’s well written, if slow in the first half, but there’s just too much I didn’t quite buy into. I’ll give it three stars.

This compelling narrative had me engrossed from the beginning. It’s certainly a fast-paced thriller, aided by the very short chapters. Making it ideal for your bag and commuting, this book concluded with me experiencing goose bumps of anticipation.

Largely told from Beth’s perspective, we follow her life crumbling down when her husband is arrested on suspicion of a murder that took place several years ago. Police are suspicious of Beth’s naivety and this is something she experiences in her village as people question why she was not aware of Tom’s murderous behaviour. After all, she is his wife, surely she suspected something? As the novel progresses, we learn about Tom’s past in very brief snapshots. So brief, in fact, that I was desperate for Hunter to develop this part of the plot further – I found it so very interesting. However, the focus primarily stays on Beth as she grows to cope with the media frenzy during the police investigations, turning to acquaintances in the village for support for both her and her daughter, Poppy.

Self-preservation is a theme that runs throughout this novel and I found it interesting to consider the different elements. Primarily, of course, it can be applied to Tom and his efforts to ensure his behaviours remain secret. However, as the novel develops, Hunter explores the psychology behind Tom’s actions; his movements are an attempt to preserve the Tom that Beth and Poppy knows as a loving husband and devoted father. In other words, Tom behaves as he does in order to protect the ones he loves. (Although how much he loves them and in what way, is another debate entirely.) Similarly, Beth also tries to keep the family unit together as much as possible. Initially, she does not believe the accusations and intends to protect her daughter from police developments. Yet, Beth also wants to break free from Tom and it is gradually revealed that she is more complicit than we realised. Beth’s behaviours over the course of the story show that she intends to keep her and Poppy as secure as possible, without being a sacrifice to the police investigation.

As a debut novel, this is a fantastic piece of writing. I read that the author was inspired by not only her employment background, but also her interest in True Crime documentaries. A fan myself, I can see how this has been worked into the novel and I loved the exploration into Tom and Beth’s personalities, beyond the murderous accusations. At times, the writing reminded me of Helen Fields – not based on the violent actions, but the study of character motivations. Therefore, if you are a Fields fan (like me – I’ve reviewed most of her books!), then this will certainly appeal.

I enjoyed this book the more that I read it and found I could not put it down. The closing was completely unexpected and I liked the open-ending – will there be a follow-up to this story? Whipping through the novel, I loved the twists and turns in Hunter’s narrative. There were many surprises along the way and with the unforeseen conclusion, I think it will definitely be in my top reads for this year.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book really wowed me. i’m grateful that my prediction of the end of the book was wrong bc that would have really upset me. The ending did shock me and thought that it was really well executed.
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Liked: Beth’s character, Detective Imogen Cooper, the friendships that were both made and stayed intact. I also enjoyed the cliff hangers are some of the chapter ends that made you want to stay up reading!
Dislikes: there was a slightly lesphobic comment made at the beginning of the book. I was really worried that this would continue to be brought up throughout the book. Luckily it was not, so i think it was just part of Tom’s character who was misogynistic & manipulative. There were random chapters that were told from perspectives but basically repeated the exact things already said, i felt like they were just there to fill it. I also thought the nickname they used for their daughter Polly was SO ANNOYING. Every single time they addressed her they used the nickname and it drove me crazy.
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Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I did really like this based on the thriller perspective. There was also a bit of romance thrown in which i also really loved!! I really recommend this one!!
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⚠️TW⚠️: slight BDSM, strangulation, toxic men, abuse.