My reading mojo for the last 2 years has been seriously AWOL. So based on a recommendation, I picked up this book as my first read of 2022 and was so glad I did!!! (Missing mojo well and truly back)!

Beth and Tom have the perfect life, or at least that is how it seems to outsiders, that is until the police come calling and arrest Tom for suspected murder, and everything comes crashing down.... see for yourself how it all pans out, but I certainly couldn't put the book down once I started it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this title

I really wanted to love this book but it fell short for me unfortunately, I hope others have better luck with this

The Serial Killer’s Wife was easy to follow but it was also very easy to know what was going to happen next. There didn’t seem to be much suspense.
I was interested in the story line but feel there was so much more that could of been done.

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are living their dream life in a cute cottage with her little daughter, Poppy. Beth has just opened a coffee shop nearby and life is going wonderfully. That is until the police come looking for Tom. What seems to be a one time visit turns into an arrest. In an instant, their lives fall apart. Tom is arrested for murdering his girlfriend years ago. Beth becomes distraught and finds solace in a widow living in the neighborhood as well. Tom's case is not getting any better and Beth must make a decision for her and her daughter. But the problem is, Beth knows more than she is letting on.

I love the setting here, it was so picturesque and lovely. Characterization was on point and I fell in love with their family life before things took a turn for the worse. Beth is a psychopath. That's just the way to describe her. She a manipulator and conniving lady. I can't believe I fell for her sad wife act all along. It was fast paced, on point with a carefully thought out plot. Tom and Beth are just perfect for each other, I believe. And I love that ending. I think Beth might be getting what she deserves at last.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc copy of this book.

This was a great read. I really liked Beth and felt for her and the situation she found herself in! I thought I had figured it all out but I was surprised!

Beth and Tom seem to have it all: the perfect marriage, the perfect kid, and the perfect house. Late one night, Beth is becoming increasingly irate that Tom hasn't come home from work even though his day ended hours ago. Suddenly there's a knock at the front door which is weird considering Tom has a key, but nevertheless Beth assumes it's Tom. Ready to reprimand him for not being there for their young daughter's bedtime, Beth opens the door to find police officers who demand to know where her husband is. Beth is stunned and asks why the police need to see her husband right this instant. They inform her that they have new evidence connecting Tom to the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, Katie. As soon as Tom pulls up to the house, he is taken in, questioned, and subsequently arrested. Now, Beth is juggling being a parent, her small business, small-town gossip, and the onslaught of police inquiry into her and her husband. Everyone thinks Beth knows more about her husband and his involvement in the disappearance of Katie. But Beth is determined to show everyone that it's her husband who should be on trial - not her.


Beth and Tom's marriage is certainly on thin ice once he's arrested for the suspected murder of Katie, and Beth will do anything to ensure their young daughter, Poppy, is not affected by Tom's actions. Told primarily through Beth's point of view, The Serial Killer's Wife is a complex story about the lengths one may (or may not go) to keep their family safe. At the beginning, Beth is not the most reliable or interesting character - she is bland, overly concerned with outsider perspectives, and a bit aloof. However, about 2/3rds into the book, the plot starts to pick up and Beth transforms into a character you want to root for but are also afraid to root for. That being said, The Serial Killer's Wife takes a pretty standard approach to domestic thrillers: unreliable narrator; bad characters living good lives; adulatory; and lots of secrets. While the book is a standard domestic thriller, I found myself pretty invested in the story even though the twists and ending were fairly predictable. I really enjoyed Alice Hunter's writing (she's actually an intervention facilitator in prisons), so I had a hard time putting this book down because she truly makes it an exciting read. With that, I would recommend this book if you enjoy domestic thrillers and good writing - just don't expect to be blown away by it.


3.5/5


Thank you, Avon Books UK, for an advanced copy of The Serial Killer's Wife in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. Kept me hooked till the very end. This is the usual genre I read and love this. Right up my street. Would recommend to others too.

The Serial Killers Wife is a Crime Thriller Debut that manipulates the reader more and more each time the narrator switches.

This book draws you in pretty quickly and basically spits you out at the end with a “what the f**k” moment!

The tag line of “How well do you know the person you love the most?” Is absolutely perfect for this book!

This is definitely a must read thriller, so If you like a book that will well and truly deceive you, then this is the one for you!

I already cannot wait for The Serial Killers Daughter!

This book doesn't waste time in getting to the nitty gritty of the story. There's no preamble until the police come knocking on the door.
I'm not sure what I expected of this book but it wasn't quite this. I thought it might be more tense, maybe more claustrophobic. Although I enjoyed it, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I found that I really didn't like any of the characters and so didn't feel for them. I would have preferred it if Beth had been more likeable and not so measured, everything that she did was considered and done for effect. Which makes perfect sense at the end of the book but doesn't make for a loveable character who you feel for and want to protect from her husbands actions.
I was suspicious of everyone at some point during the novel and felt that the author kind of pushed us that way, which meant that there weren't any great surprises in it.

I enjoyed this book about Beth and Tom Hardcastle, who have been married for seven years and have a three-year-old daughter. Tom is questioned by the police about a murder and this causes Beth to question him and their life. But how much does she really already know? This is a great book which has plenty of twists and turns and I was always eager to read on to find out who I could really trust and who really knew what. I enjoyed the big reveal at the end.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a different type of crime thriller from the point of view of the wife. The plot line was interesting and the twists and turns kept you guessing. I would certainly recommend this to lovers of crime and psychological thrillers.

Not as good as I wanted it to be but entertaining nonetheless.

This story was fine, even clever at times. It starts great and then moves very slowly for a bit too long. The characters are extremely unlikable. The dialogue was generally inorganic, very odd. Those ticks aside, the premise is good. The twists were fun, even after waiting for them. A promising debut. I would look at more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Avon Books UK for a copy in exchange for a review.

I was interested in seeing a thriller done from the perspective of the wife, but was definitely let down by The Serial Killers Wife. Given the title we can safely assume the husband is guilty of murdering at least a few women, yet we spend a good half of the book focused on women and wondering if the husband really did it. Then we have a perspective from an unknown character, lots of tunnels to go down trying to uncover the truth but everything is basically just as it seems leaving this book reading like the world's longest news article of a man being charged for murder via the wife's perspective. What a let down.

Thank you as always NetGalley, the publisher and the author Alice Hunter. This is one of the thrillers that I normally do not love to grab as they start off staying they are gripping..but everyone. can say that..right? I do have to say this one was very gripping and I love how the perspective was on. the wife. It was well written with the short chapters that I love. As well, that ENDING!

One of my favourite types of read is a thriller. This one did not disappoint me. It really did keep me guessing the whole way through and this is what made it a real page Turner

A very slow paced book but still a good suspenseful book and a very surprising twist at the end!

Although most the story is told from Beth we get to hear from 2 other people as-well which made a nice difference to the book.

Easy to read and I did so in one sitting.

This book just wasn’t for me, I found that it didn’t hold my attention and it was hard work to finish it. Sorry

Many thanks to netgalley and Alice Hunter for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this title. I liked the twists and turns and the writing style is nice and smooth. The story flows well and kept my attention. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. I will be recommending this one to friends.

Unfortunely, this book just didn't capture my attention. It was a DNF for me (did not finish). I might try again at a later date.

i didn't really like this one. very slow, with very average writing, i was waiting for some amazing plot twist to happen - and it never did. there was a good twist near the end, but it still didn't have the impact that i was expecting.

not mysterious/whodunnit-y enough for a mystery, not tense and character-driven enough for a psychological thriller, the serial killer's wife falls flat. read Stillhouse Lake instead.