When her husband is arrested for murder, the eyes go to Beth. Did she know about his past?

I had high hopes for this book. I think I had it in my mind how this book was going to go and therefore I was underwhelmed. I felt like there wasn’t enough questions of “if Tom did it or not” and “if Beth knew about it or not”. It was like the author added in a few bits to make us question it at the end of the chapter because they remembered to add something.

I did find myself liking Beth and hoping things worked out for her, however, the ending ruined her and the story for me.

Easy read with quick chapters. Differing perspectives of Beth and Tom tells us the story.

The idea of the plot was very interesting to me so I really wanted to read this one.

unfortunately, I didn't like any of the characters. Beth seemed like a very weak, self centered woman (which is explained a bit at the end) Tom was a controlling, jealous, male chauvinist (but he is the antagonist) and Adam was a complete push-over, the saying weak as a wet dish cloth comes to mind. Not a single one of them felt like real people to me, and that makes the book an easy one to read quickly but doesn't make it resonate with me as a great book.

its a bit of a slow read without much tension and most of the plot twists were quite predictable to me unfortunately.

Quite the interesting domestic thriller! The Serial Killer's Wife opens up with a seemingly normal night, but Tom is late home from work. Then there's a knock at the door that changes everything. Beth opens the door to two detectives who are there to question her husband about a possible murder. I would consider this to be a lighter serial killer thriller (think My Lovely Wife). I really enjoyed the different points of view. Most of it was told from Beth's POV ("the serial killer's wife") but some parts are told from the killer's POV and also a victim's up until her very last breath. Those two POVs were definitely creepy and included a few very disturbing and violent scenes. Overall, this was not a super tense and shocking thriller but it was absolutely engrossing and kept me turning the pages quickly! I found the ending to be satisfying but not mind-blowing. A quick and easy read and definitely worth checking out! CW: domestic/sexual abuse, strangulation.

Well, the title of this only gives part of this thriller away--no small feat for The Serial Killer's Wife! It's a tightly paced read that kept me turning the pages and definitely has a few twists up its sleeve! Will absolutely be enjoyed by thriller fans, domestic suspense fans, as well as those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Definitely recommend!

What a rollercoaster ride that was! Not what I was expecting at all, in a good way, of course. Such brilliant characters, all hiding so much! Proof that you never know what’s lurking underneath the surface. The book is written in such a matter-of-fact, chilling voice, as layers were gradually peeled away to reveal secrets, lies and murder. And what an ending! Brilliant stuff!

Beth, Tom, and their daughter Poppy are living a quiet life in a small town. Things seem to be going well for them, until one night Tom is late coming home from work. Suddenly there is a knock at the door, but instead of Tom, it’s the police. Tom has been arrested in connection with the disappearance and potential murder of his ex-girlfriend from 8 years ago.

Everything about the description of this book pulled me in, which is why I requested it an ARC. I am a sucker for a murder-mystery, and this one seemed to contain all the elements of a great read. I was ready to dive into some psychological drama after reading the title. However, I quickly learned that was not the case.

This book dragged on for me, and seemed at times to focus on the most unimportant things, like what Beth is baking, or what Poppy is up to. It felt so repetitive. The dialogue was choppy and unrealistic, and Beth was a wholly unlikable character. I found myself almost wishing something bad would happen to her just to make things more interesting! There were so many minor characters that were introduced for no apparent reason, and I wish the energy spent on introducing those characters would have gone into making the main characters more interesting.

The most disappointing thing about this book was that it had so much potential! The lack of character development, and the unimportant tangents just made it hard to get through. It seemed like the author set it up for a sequel, and if that’s the case, I hope it is an improvement on this one.

I did like the multiple viewpoints from the characters, and especially liked being able to hear from the victims’ points of view. There were some good moments of suspense that kept me turning the pages, and the twist at the end was a nice surprise too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Serial Killer's Wife. Well the title gives it away - A married couple, Beth and Tom, and their little girl, Poppy, live a good life outside of London. They are established, have a home, money, Everything! That changes the day the police come to their house to speak to Tom about his ex-girlfriend. Tom is a good husband, a good provider, how can he possibly be in trouble for anything let alone his missing ex-girlfriend. Beth tells most of this story - her feelings, thoughts, and an undercurrent of fear. Soon Tom is arrested, and Beth must forge on and be by Tom's side. Beth's narrative goes back and forth in time and each time she speaks the onion starts to peel. And Beth knows things about Tom - after all they are married and don't all married couples share their secrets.....
I liked this book and found i could not put it down. A bit wordy at times and Beth is not a likeable character. The author has carefully pulled a thread with each chapter giving the reader more insight, more tells, and more information.
Another British thriller and I am starting to like them more and more....Good Read.
4 stars.

I found this book a little slow to start with but after the halfway point I couldn’t put it down. Full of intrigue and keeps the plot twisting until the very end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, and in particular Ellie Pilcher for sending me a widget,  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Beth and Tom have a wonderful life.  They live in a small town where Beth opened a pottery café.  Tom is in finance and commutes to London, and their three year old Poppy is the love of their lives.

How could the police possibly think that Tom had anything to do with killing Katie.  Katie was his ex-girlfriend, and they haven't seen each other in eight years!  No body has been found, so what evidence could the police possible have.

Beth doesn't know which way to turn.  She has no close friends to confide in, only Tom, and she's not sure she trusts him any more.  Does she really believe what they are saying?  Is she in denial?  Is this just a nightmare that will see Tom come home soon?

She is afraid to confide in anyone, since she feels that this small town is already judging her.  The only person she really has is her new friend Adam, who lost his wife a year ago, and who sort of understands loss and the strains of being a one-parent household.  Unfortunately, he is a little afraid of being seen with Beth too.


My Opinions:   
Okay, I didn't particularly like any of the characters.  Beth seemed like a very weak, paranoid woman.  Tom was a controlling,  jealous, male chauvinist.  Adam was a push-over. Everyone was hiding something, so you didn't know who to trust.  Normally I would hate a book like this, but somehow it worked.

The story was told in multiple points of view, and in some cases, in the past, but everything was quite straight-forward, although there was one identity that was kept a secret for a bit.  I must say there were a lot of twists in this book, and although most of them were predictable, they were still really well written. I didn't particularly like the end.


Overall, it was a quick and easy read, and I will make sure I check out whatever this author writes next.

This was a very slow paced mystery that contained a lot of unnecessary scenes, such as Beth taking care of her daughter or working at her cafe. These scenes added nothing to the story. I felt the writing was very 'basic' and very tell vs. show. The plot unfolded exclusively through the main character, Beth, deciding to give information to the police that she had known all along. I wish the reveals had been true reveals and that Beth had been discovering things along the way as well. Overall I enjoyed the story but it could have been better in some ways.

Oh my this was a juicy domestic thriller! Beth believes that she has the perfect marriage with Tom, They are the picture perfect family within their community, However their world is soon to be turned upside down when Tom is accused of something horrendous, if that isn't bad enough Beth is soon accused of knowing what her husband was up to. Beths life is understandably turned up side down, and the man she thought she knew is turning out to be a stranger,

A fantastic debut novel which had me gripped from the very beginning, I'm really looking forward to seeing what other books this author comes out with, A big thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I read the blurb for this book, I was excited to read it. So when I got accepted to receive an advanced copy, I was thrilled. This was a new to me author and  I love finding new authors.

I had such high hopes in the first couple chapters. Beth and Tom have the perfect relationship or so we think. They are living their best lives when Tom gets arrested. Unfortunately,  this is when things took a turn for me. Beth's actions frustrated me to no end. I didn't understand why she was acting the way she was. I knew there was more to her actions and later in the book we find out out but for me, the story just didn't flow.

There was a lot of back and forth from different people's perspectives but not much happening. 

I was really hoping it would turn around and give me a huge ending, where it would all make sense with a great AHA moment but it didn't. I will say that there was one little twist I didn't see coming but I was wanting more.

Even though this book wasn't for me, I will read this author again.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy.

The Serial Killer's wife definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I devoured this book, which had the POV from Beth, the wife, and Tom, the husband. Beth was a complex character and reading the book was like peeling back the layers of an onion to learn more about her. I would recommend this to mystery/thriller readers.

Trouble in suburbia, death and scandal, and occasionally cupcakes and playgroups.

Told from two main perspectives (and others as well), this is the story of Tom, a man suspected of murder, and of Beth, his wife, still reeling with the notions of what has been said and done. Cracking read, moves along at a nice clip and there's just enough hints and maybe's throughout the story to keep you guessing about the truth behind everything.

I have to say that while I figured something was more than it seemed, I didn't see the first twist, and I certainly didn't see the second, which leads to the inevitable question of is this a stand alone book? It's certainly self contained, the story is complete as it is, but with the questions raised, there is sufficient in here for a second book, and that would be a book I would definitely read as well.

A fantastic novel packed full of intrigue and twists. Really enjoyable!

The Serial Killer's Wife has pace, interesting characters, and a unique storyline that will pull you through the book.

I finished The Serial Killer’s Wife a couple days ago and have been thinking about it since! I read it in a couple of sittings, it was hard to put down. It gave me Dexter vibes immediately as is it was going to be told from the perspective of his wife and it did not disappoint! Was not expecting the ending

Highly recommend if you’re looking for a fast paced thriller. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

If your husband was arrested for a murder, how would you react? Beth Hardcastle has to face that exact dilemma in this novel. And because she has a small child and a thriving business in the small town they live in, there is nowhere for her to escape to. The burning question on many peoples minds is, how did she not know?

While I was reading this I wondered how I would react. When I found out what she did know, and why she chose to keep it a secret I went back and forth with agreeing with her decision and not. A very good story with a little surprise twist at the end.

This is a great book - well written with twists and turns leaving you believing one thing for certain and then finding everything changed. It was so credible - right from the characters to the pace of the plot. Authors can take a lesson from this in creating tension without being obvious.

Wow!!! What a superb read from this new author. I was drawn in from the very first page, the writing was excellent, keeping me wondering what was on the next page and leading to a totally unexpected ending. It just goes to show that what appears to be perfect is only for show and that you never quite know what happens behind closed doors. Thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book. I will certainly be reading more from this author.

A captivating psychological thriller that drew me in right from the beginning. The story of Beth & Tom & their seemingly perfect fairytale life. Quickly becomes shaky once Tom is suspected in the disappearance of his ex girlfriend. Further complications arise as Tom is held and charged with murder. Complex characters & relationships are revealed with lots of twists & turns along the way. What started out as suspicion is growing exponentially!
Can Beth survive the hounding journalists & protect her daughter? Will there lives ever go back to normal or will she forever be known as “the serial killer’s wife”
A good fast paced read. Somewhat predictable but still enjoyable. Look forward to reading more from this author. A definite recommendation for those that enjoy psychological thrillers.
Thank you NetGalley, Alice Hunter and Avon Books for this free digital ARC. This review is my honest opinion & is strictly voluntary.

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