I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Serial Killer’s Wife’ by Alice Hunter in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As Beth and Poppy wait for Tom to return home from work two police officers from the Metropolitan Police arrive at their home asking to speak to Tom. They say it’s regarding the disappearance eight years ago of his ex-girlfriend Katie Williams. Beth tells the police she trusts Tom, he’s been a good husband to her and father to Poppy, but he has been keeping secrets…

‘The Serial Killer’s Wife’ is a well-written thriller with an imaginative plot that becomes darker and more unpredictable as the story evolves, and contains drama, suspense and unexpected events to keep me guessing, although my suspicions were way off the mark. The story tells of how Beth is coping with inquisitive mums at the school gate and running her business ‘Poppy’s Place’ while Tom is being questioned at the police station, with flashbacks to Katie Williams and what happened eight years ago. As the story continues the twists and turns become more frequent until the unbelievable twist in the final few pages which is shocking and not at all what I was expecting. I can recommend this novel, it’s thoroughly enjoyable and well worth spending time reading.

While I enjoyed this book for the most part, it ultimately fell a little flat for me. Beth became grating as the story went on, and I wish that the characters as a whole had been a bit more fleshed out. The pacing was a bit slow through the middle but I enjoyed the twist at the end and the interesting perspective this book was told from.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon Books and the author for an advance copy!

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, the premise was intriguing and the cover is attractive - but it's just not very good. After a start that jumps in at the deep end, everything slows down and drags on at great length and level of boring. The characters seemed flat and one-dimensional, and were with no exceptions unlikeable, the dialogue was stilted and unnatural and the big twist fell flat. The only thing in its favor was that it was a fast read, as I kept hoping things would pick up. Sorry, but cannot recommend.

What an amazing debut novel! If you enjoy psychological thrillers then this is for you. One of my favourites of the year so far.

Tom and Beth seem to have the perfect home life with their young daughter Poppy, when one day Tom is late home from work. This is the beginning of the nightmare for Beth, as before long the police are knocking at the door, taking Tom to help with their enquiries about a missing girlfriend from 8 years ago and Beth is left at home wondering if she will ever see her devoted Husband again.

This is written in chapters mainly from the point of view of Beth and Tom in the past and present which adds to the build up finding out gradually what had happened all those years ago. There are a few chapters from an unknown male regarding “erotic asphyxiation” so you can maybe guess to whom these are referring to. Also, some chapters from Katie, the missing girlfriend.

As the story unfolds, we learn about more deaths. Could these be linked? Does Beth really know her husband? Does she have any idea what he has done in the past or even more recently? The village gossips and journalists certainly want answers and have their own suspicions.

I have to say, the ending is brilliant. I wasn’t expecting that at all so a massive thanks to the author for surprising me.

I am really hoping there is a sequel to this as I think there is definitely more to come in the life of Tom and Beth!

Thank you to netgalley, the publishers and the author for an arc.

Publication day is 27th May so pre-order now! You won’t be disappointed.

Tom Hardcastle is the perfect husband. He loves his wife, Beth, he is good looking, has a successful career, and he's always home early to tuck their 3 year old daughter, Poppy, in bed. They live in an idyllic little village just outside London and life couldn't been more perfect for the Hardcastles.

Until one day Tom was called to help with the investigation of a missing person who vanished 8 years ago. As her husband was held by the police, secrets uncovered, lies unveiled and Beth was left devastated. She thought she knows her husband inside out but apparently he is a whole different person.

A murderer.

And in this small town, people can't help but wonder aloud : did his wife know?

* * *

The Serial Killer's Wife is a solid thriller, a good debut by Alice Hunter. The plot is told in multiple POVs with some flash backs and a mystery narrator that kept me wondering "who is this?" The chapters are kept short and sweet and straightforward..

.. until a huge plot twist at the end that I didn't see coming and made me go 😱😱😱

I was engrossed in this book that I finished it in 48 hours. A perfect book to read in this rainy season in lockdown 😂

The Serial Killer's Wife will be out on 27th May 2021.

BOOM! I never saw that coming! What a great book; it kept me going right up to the very last page. Alice Hunter's debut is a really interesting idea for a book, questioning how well you ever really know your partner and how people hide their true selves behind a mask.

I really wanted to feel sorry for Beth when her husband Tom is arrested for murder, but there was just something about her that I didn't warm to and I felt like one of the school mums as I questioned just how much she actually knew. I considered women's instinct and how we can always seem to sniff out a lie, no matter how cunning our partner thinks they are. Beth had to know something...didn't she?

As the police investigation progresses I simply couldn't read fast enough, gasping out loud as little landmines of shock and surprise exploded in my path. Alice Hunter's writing is exceptional, creating layer upon layer of intrigue and unwrapping the secrets of Beth and Tom's marriage like a game of pass the parcel. With so many twists and turns, my interest was held throughout and my eyes were firmly glued to the page. There is no doubt that Tom is a killer, but just how many bodies has he buried?

Gripping, compelling and twisty, The Serial Killer's Wife is a brilliant debut from Alice Hunter. I will definitely be adding her to my watch list and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

I chose to read a digital ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

An enjoyable read, but I can only rate 3 stars really. I think the concept was brilliant but it just wasn't executed as well as it could've been. It was a big story and the characters didn't see big enough for it. There was no depth or complexity to their emotions considering the kinds of people they were and what they'd lived through. I kept waiting for something more that never came. That said, the final twist was good and redeemed it.

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬..
—————————————————
This book included every single thing I love about a book — short chapters, fast paced, great storyline and gripping! I was hooked right from the very first page. I am gutted it took me a good few days to finish it because I could have easily of sat down and got it read in a couple of days!

I always find with a lot of thrillers that it can get quite slow in the middle of the book, there's a big build up, nothing and then some more at the end. I didn't get this! I was hooked literally the whole way through and it didn't get boring.

The twists and turns in the storyline were my absolute favourite. I had no clue where the story was going to go, what was going to happen! I don't want to say too much about it because I feel like it's better to be surprised when you get to it. 😅

I haven't read a good Thriller in a little while so I am really made up with this read!

**TW: sexual violence, talk of strangulation in detail, murder and domestic abuse.**

DNF

In her debut novel Alice Hunter raises the question, how well do we really know the ones we love?

Tom and Beth have the perfect marriage, life and family. That is how everyone sees them, two people perfectly in love with a beautiful daughter. But all that changes one night when the police knock on their door and take Tom away for questioning in the disappearance of his previous girlfriend Katie. Beth knows Tom and know he would never hurt anyone. But as more comes to light Beth begins to question everything she knows about her husband and the life they have built. They are husband and wife, till death do us part.

I had extremely high hopes for this book, I thought it would be a different perspective, the wife's, that is not featured too often in the mystery/thriller genre. Plus answer the question how well do you know your spouse and how could you not know that they are a killer. I'm sure that is the questions the media and public ask every time a new serial killer is caught, how could the family not know. I’m sad to say I did not fully find out. I made it to 52% in my kindle and I just couldn’t read anymore.

My main issue with this book is that in the first half of the book, nothing happens and each chapter/day seems monotonous especially after Tom is taken in for questioning for the disappearance of his formal girlfriend. I mean Beth is worried about Tom but makes no effort to see him or talk to him and her main concern is Poppy (which I don’t disagree with). Then there is her concerns about what the posh mom’s group is going to say about her and then she heads to her shop to run it. And that is about it for the first half of the book, each day the same. Yes there is one or two chapters from Tom’s POV but his main thought are they cannot know, which was intriguing but not developed further and hoping that Beth and Poppy are okay. Then a bit from Katie, Tom’s missing girlfriend, but once again not enough there to keep the story flowing and interesting.

There is just not enough in this book to keep me going. I wanted so much more from Beth as she is supposed to be the main character in this book. I wanted her to look into the details of Katie’s disappearance. I wanted her to be more involved with Tom’s lawyer (who was not very helpful to Beth) and to have her reflect on her and Tom’s relationship, could he have done it? What did she know about Katie? What had Tom told her, something, anything to pull this book along.

This book just moved too slowly for me and just became repetitive with each day from Beth’s POV. I think that Hunter had a great idea here, especially for a debut, but just lacked in the execution of the story.

Cheers!!!

I was intrigued by the title for this book and requested it without reading the synopsis. This story jumped right into action without much background about Tom before he is arrested for the murder of an ex girlfriend. His wife Beth is left to pick up the pieces of their life together and make sure their daughter Poppy isn’t affected by everything happening around her. I felt like the storyline jumped all over the place between past and present and I felt a little bit scatterbrained reading it. It took way too long to understand that Tom was truly a monster and that his wife knew all along and covered for him (still don’t understand why she did). There was an unexpected twist at the end which I appreciated but this one just didn’t wow me.

Overall, it was a fast read, but not believable at all. Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for this advance reading copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book.
I cannot recommend this book enough. I really hope it does well when it’s released.
The plot is well paced, the characters believable and the turns along the way keep you wanting more.
I devoured this book in just a few days because I needed to know what on earth was going on.
You’re living a normal life and one night your husband comes home late, closely followed by police officers who take him in for questioning. It quickly transpires that he won’t be coming home because he is charged with murder.
Told from multiple points of view the author has clever crafted this so that many of the truths are well and truly hidden.
There are a few obvious parts but they are definitely outweighed by the twists.
I didn’t see the ending coming at all, my guess was completely off!
Get yourself a copy as soon as you can.

With a title like The Serial Killer’s Wife, this is undoubtedly a book that many of us will buy over the coming months. There's nothing we love more than to get into the head of a serial killer, and what better way to do that than through the point of view of his wife?

Of course, the title does take away some of the "Did he? Didn't he?" which could have added more mystery to the story, but there's still plenty to question. With short chapters and a quick pace, it's an easy book to get through which makes it all the more exciting as you can race through it to reveal the answers.

While I did immensely enjoy this twisty and engaging thriller, I did find Alice quite a selfish character and therefore a little annoying at times as she couldn't look past her own situation. But this is one of those books where your irritations are explained in the final chapter, so it depends on whether you feel that the end justifies the means or not.

And I certainly think that it does. Although I did guess one of the twists, there was still a lot that took me by surprise and I was constantly interested in how it was going to progress.

I definitely look forward to seeing what Alice Hunter writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK on the arc of The Serial Killers Wife by Alice Hunter.

5 star read⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- A debut Author- a great book! Follows Beth and her husband Tom, when everything seems normal until inspectors knock on their door asking to talk to her husband about a disappearance of the woman he previously dated 8 years ago before Beth! whom is named Katie!

Head twisting, compelling and twisty book, very well written- recommend to all!

This was a complex and strong debut from this author and I’m looking forward to future books, hopefully even a sequel to this one!
Beth and Tom have been married for 7 years and have an adorable daughter named Poppy. All is well in their lives until one night investigators pound on the door and turn their world upside down. Tom is accused of having something to do with the disappearance of his former fiancée, Katie and is taken into custody. Beth is left to deal with the fallout, including the other mothers at Poppy’s daycare and the customers at the cafe she owns in the neighborhood. The police still haven’t recovered the body, so what new evidence could have been brought the case to light again?
The story is told in chapters from Beths, Tom’s and even Katie’s POV and from the current time and the past which showed what led up to what happened. Although Beth comes across as selfish and kind of unlikeable, I found myself trying to justify her actions and thoughts because of what she was going through, but as the story went on and I put the pieces together and that explained it for me.
I did predict the one final twist, but the way it wrapped up was super satisfying and left me wanting a sequel!
Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

Till death do us part...but no one said one of us had to be the one to die...

When Beth's husband is late coming home from work and two detectives show up at the door, it doesn't take much for Beth to conclude that the two events are related. Fearing that her husband has been in an accident of some kind, Beth is shocked to hear that her husband is wanted for questioning in regards to a possible murder. Could Beth really be married to a killer? And what will this mean for her and her three-year-old daughter's future?
I loved this novel and relished every spare moment I had to pick it up and read. I came up with so many theories throughout the book and though some of my suspicions were right, it wasn't in the way I was expecting! I was hooked from the beginning and loved the tension, the twists and the turns throughout the story. I would gladly recommend this incredible thriller to anyone who is obsessed with serial killers and loves a dark thriller!

When Beth's husband Tom is accused of murdering a former girlfriend, she doesn't know what to believe...or what the police will uncover.

I couldn't put this book down! As more & more secrets were uncovered, I just had to keep reading to find out the ending - & I wasn't disappointed! This was really well written & kept me guessing until the end.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers or domestic dramas.

A spine chilling story with twists and turns right until the last chapter!
I absolutely loved this book! Being a true crime fan I was drawn in by the title of this book. Even though it is a work of fiction, it is still the type of book I would be inclined to pick up off the shelf.
The story was very well written and flowed extremely well. The back stories of the characters and their secrets were interesting and kept me wanting more. There were a lot of twists and turns in this story but not so many that you get confused or lose track of what is going on.
This is the first book I have read by Alice Hunter and I am excited to see what she comes up with next. This book would he an incredible short TV series.
Thank you to Alice Hunter, Net Galley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow , just wow and maybe wow again !
This is about a couple called Tom and Beth who from the outside world look like they have the perfect relationship , the perfect house , and everything is just perfect. Except is isn't.
One day Beth answers the door and in front of her are the police, and they are about to tell her that her husband Tom is a murderer .
How much do you really know about your husband ? Could they really be able to do this ?
As the story unfolds it becomes terrifying and chilling, it's a toxic story of love and obsession .
It's scary and thrilling at the same time. Can't wait to read another by this author.

Wow! What a thriller!

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. The idea of focusing on the wife and the themes of knowing or not knowing, we're really clever and interesting.

I loved the short chapters, it made it a super quick and easy book to read.

I also liked the writing style. It was really tense and had me on the edge of my seat. I never once got confused with the different perspectives.

For me, the ending really made this book. I did not see it coming at all. It definitely made me gasp out loud.

I've read a lot of thrillers in my time so I'm used to reading the same things over and over again.

But this thriller was dark, unique and a really enjoyable read. Highly recommend, if you are looking for a fantastic new psychological thriller to check out.

TW: murder and violence

The serial Killer's Wife follows the story of Beth and Tom after Tom has been brought into police custody regarding questions about an old girlfriend. As the story unravels and new information comes to light, Beth begins to question everything in her life and her idyllic life with Tom. What has Tom done and what can Beth do?

This is a slow paced mystery that alternates between Beth and Tom's POVs and different time periods. There are several twists throughout the story especially in the final few chapters. I want to say this book surprised me but it really didn't and I predicted the several twists throughout the story. I felt it was a tad too long and delved into some details that could have been left out or not dwelled upon too heavily.

It was a decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.