Review of eBook

Perfect marriage, perfect house, perfect family . . . that’s what everyone says about Beth and Tom Hardcastle.

And then the police come knocking on the door. Tom is late returning to Lower Tew from his work in London and Beth fears he may have been injured [or worse] in an accident. But her worst fear isn’t even close to the trepidation she experiences when she discovers why the police have come.

As Beth navigates the whispers and questions, her primary focus is on protecting their daughter, three-year-old Poppy. When things become more convoluted and it becomes clear that the police will not be releasing Tom any time soon, Beth wonders if she knows Tom at all. Could her husband possibly have done what the police suspect?

This is a creepy tale, filled with lies, deceptions, and betrayals. Given the nature of the story, readers should expect some gruesome scenes as the story unfolds.

Told primarily from the viewpoints of Tom and Beth Hardcastle, the story takes place in the present with a few chapters jumping backward in order to provide some backstory for the telling of this ominous tale. Although the backstory is illuminating, readers are likely to wish for more, especially to provide some insight into Beth’s behavior and to yield some understanding of what made Tom into the person he’s become. Considerable repetition keeps the narrative meandering along, frustrating the reader with the lack of story development.

Unfortunately, unlikable characters populate this contumacious narrative. Tom is the stuff of nightmares and readers are likely to find it difficult to empathize with self-absorbed, whiny Beth. As a result, readers may find it difficult to connect with any of the characters.

While the characters’ motivations aren’t always clear, astute readers may have this one figured out before that last huge twist that changes everything readers thought they knew. The twisty plot offers some surprises along the way, but some revelations strain the limits of plausibility; much remains unexplained and, although the ending hints at a sequel, there are a few surprises here for readers of this quick-read tale.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Avon Books UK / Avon and NetGalley
#TheSerialKillersWife #NetGalley

This was an incredibly interesting look at a wife and mother’s life being turned upside when she finds out the impossible— you have no idea who you married. Lovers of Criminal Minds, this one is for you!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. I literally couldn’t put this book down and finished in one reading. A wife suddenly finds out her husband is a serial killer. Her entire life is upended. But no one believes that she never knew. What is the real truth?? I literally couldn’t put this down until I found out the truth. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter was a fast read. I sat down and read this entire book in one afternoon! This novel features four characters telling their sides of the story- Tom who was arrested for murder, Beth who is Tom’s wife, then there is Katie – Tom’s old girlfriend, and a narrator whose identity we don’t know.

This is a suspenseful read that is at times, dark and troubling.

Here’s the plot:

They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighborhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family.

When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst.

But the worst is beyond imagining.

As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband.

They’re husband and wife – till death do them part…

Whew! This is a good one. Don’t miss it! Coming out on May 27.

Great twist at the end. This book drew me right in. I felt something was going on but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Great characters and storyline.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A big thanks to @netgalley and @avon_books for the ARC!!

This book was exactly what I thought it would be. That’s not a bad thing either - i was expecting to get a look from the wife’s POV, and that’s what the reader was given.

The overall pace of the book I found slow; however, I never once thought about putting it down. I wanted to finish. I wanted to find out what happened.

The trajectory of the story was interesting. Some things felt weird, but most of it came together in the end. I still have some questions about some things.

Overall, this is a good one if you’re looking for another take on serial killers. This one is out in May, so be looking for it! (Swipe to see the description.)

Beth and Tom have the perfect life with their daughter, Poppy, living life in a rural village. After returning home late from work one evening, Tom is arrested for murder...
Will events from the past have a impact on Tom and Beths idyllic lifestyle? And how will their new friends cope with the knowledge there may be a serial killer amongst them?

Beth’s life is almost perfect. She adores her husband Tom and daughter Poppy and their life in a large village. She runs a ceramics café and is thinking of re-starting a book club which used to be run by a resident who sadly died from an allergy attack. She hopes the book club will give her a way of getting in with the group of local mums that she feels excluded from as a newcomer to the village.

It all changes when Tom is uncharacteristically late home from work one evening, and moments after he does arrive the police take him in for questioning about the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend eight years previously. What will the village mums think now?

The title of this book is a huge draw, but it’s also a big problem. I found it really distracting. Tom is arrested really early into the book, and it’s clear that while no body has been discovered the police are convinced he murdered his ex-girlfriend Katie. So, yes we see how being the wife of a suspected murderer impacts on Beth, but one suspected murder does not a serial killer make, and it is not until 60% of the way through the book that there’s even the first hint that there might be another victim in the mix. That’s 60% of the book where I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

If the title had been something different there might have been a sense of tension to this. Are there more victims? How will the discovery of more victims impact on the balance of support vs suspicion with which the locals are treating Beth? Instead it was just a source of frustration and increasingly annoyance as I passed the halfway mark with Tom still protesting his innocence and no mention of anything which might back up the title. After finally establishing a second suspected victim at 60% into the story it takes us until 75% of the book until there’s a third to qualify as the three victims to make a serial killer definition. And, this is all through flashback not clues or reveals. Tom’s in prison from pretty much the start of the book, so there are no new cases, just the discovery of previous ones.

Most of the story is from Beth’s perspective and it’s clear early on that she’s somewhat of an unreliable narrator, focussed more on appearances than the truth. Occasionally we see Tom’s perspective and that of the victims. Tom’s another unreliable narrator, but I don’t think we’re ever expected to believe him. All his sections do is confirm that this isn’t a question of proving innocence, but rather of whether he’ll get away with it. He’s thoroughly unlikeable, not even charismatic enough to be capable of drawing people in.

I think despite the title this isn’t really intended to be a thriller. It’s quite slowly paced and there’s no real sense of threat. It’s more about the impact on Beth’s efforts to live her life and whether she’ll now make friends with the chief local mum or act on the spark between her and the recently widowed young dad who wants to protect her.

I would have preferred this story from the perspective of a detective. Someone who has to discover Beth’s real motivations and who could truly show the different factors which portray Beth as either a lucky survivor who hadn’t yet fatally triggered the ire of the serial killer she married, or someone who knew some, or all, of what her husband was really like and was protecting him to protect the life she and her daughter had. That would have been a more interesting and more tension-filled thriller I think.

The story is told from 3 POV's, Beths, Toms and an unknown woman. A very intriguing thriller!
This book keeps a very fast pace and engages with you so that although you want to find out the surprising conclusion you don’t want the book to end!
This had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Never knowing what was going to happen.
Such an addictive read! One to definitely keep an out for!

Beth's husband is suddenly questioned and held in regard to the presumed death of an ex-girlfriend years previous, and Beth's life begins to unravel. I did not particularly like Beth, and her motives were often somewhat questionable. There was a bit of a surprise at the end that I didn't expect, but overall I didn't really care for this one. 2.5 stars rounded to 2.

I wasn’t thrilled by this book- it was kind of confusing and all over the place. I considered giving up in several parts. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.


2.5/5

What a wild ride! This book kept me guessing - changing those guesses constantly. Beth was an interesting character that I found myself both rooting for and against at her different choices. I had some suspicions on how everything was going to wrap up, and I was pretty wrong! My only issue with this book is that I really wish it had a different title. You go in knowing that Tom's a killer, and I feel like being unsure as the reader about that fact would have been even more fun.

Honestly, I loved this book. If it were possible, I’d have easily devoured it in one sitting, but... kids. Still, I stayed up late and finished it in a day. Typically, my favourite thrillers are written by a multi-POV, like this one; not only were there multiple narrative voices (primarily Beth and Tom), but the timeline also switched between past and present, emphasizing the confusion and suspense. Honestly, I normally call the majority of the twists in these thrillers, but I found the majority of plot twists surprising and the final one really had me shocked.

For me, I think the most important thing to note is that the author herself is a practicing psychologist who worked as an interventions facilitator in prisons, often working with prisoners who have committed seriously heinous crimes. I think the authors past work experience truly brought something extra to the characters she created and I cannot wait to see what else she writes in the future.

This is a good escapism read. I can't decide if it's 3 or 4 stars, but it's quick and great to clear your mind before bed.

What would you do if your husband is seemingly arrested for murder of his ex-girlfriend eight years prior. Well Beth is about to go through the journey, along with managing a toddler and business. Should she help detectives put her husband behind bars, or stick with him? Both Beth and Tom are hiding secrets, so take a quick journey with them to see who comes out the victor.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Poor Beth discovering her husband is serial killer and what she has to put up with as a result. However, so much unravels as the book goes on and it gets darker and darker. I look forward to the next one

The cover design is brilliant. and the plot is interesting. But this was not my cup of tea - maybe because I read too much in this genre, I was able to call all the plot twists. I also wasn't very invested in either the MC or the other character arcs. But I've recommended it to friends who might possibly be interested.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★ ★ ★/5

Beth appears to have the perfect life with a perfect husband, until he is questioned about the disappearance and assumed death of his ex girlfriend, Katie. The book follows both Beth and Tom (her husband) as they navigate the investigation into Katie’s disappearance.

This is your typical mystery/crime novel, full of various twists and turns. None of them were particularly interesting or gave me a shock factor, though. I found myself guessing a lot of them before they were revealed and I was overall a little bored most of the time.

I also didn’t particularly enjoy how the multiple POV and time jumps were set up. I would have preferred for it all to be on one timeline, rather than jumping back and forth.

This wasn’t a bad book, but it also wasn’t spectacular. If you’re looking for a quick, simple mystery novel this could be for you. If you want something more complicated, this isn’t it.

The Serial Killer's Wife is a quick twisted read that the pages just fly by!

Twists and turns, red herrings and all the time you are reading you are shaking your head at Beth.

Beth !! Why did you not run for your life?

Her husband Tom has been arrested and charged with murder.

The ending bumped this book up to 5 stars as I did not see that coming.

A good book to escape from your troubles and the crazy world we are in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books Uk , Avon for a page turning read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Beth and Tom have a perfect marriage. After meeting in London, getting married, and having their little girl, Poppy, they moved to a small town to build their life. Tom commutes to London for work, while Beth runs her own business, "Poppy's Place," a Cafe where guests can enjoy a hot drink and a snack while painting pre-made pottery. However, not everything is as it appears. Tom is late coming home on Monday night, and the police are waiting at his doorstep for his arrival, to question his involvement in the murder of his ex, Katie, eight years ago. While Tom is hauled away, one question lingers in the small town gossip: Did his wife know?

This is a solid thriller. With short chapters and a steady pacing, it's easy to speed right through this book, and that's exactly what I did. The characters are interesting enough, and the author convinces you to dislike the people you're meant to, ie the suspected criminal. The ending was a bit surprising, but it made sense, which is important, because a twist you can't explain is not a good twist.

Oh my gosh this book was absolutely brilliant. I honestly didn’t want to stop reading once I started it.
Brilliant.