Absolutely brilliant story which offers you laughter as well as tears! This captured me in from start to finish and I thought it was fabulous!

Book Review:
The Best Way To Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale
Published 14 March 2024, Viking Books UK

Synopsis:
'Maybe if I do enough weird stuff in the run-up, no one will suspect a thing when I move into the body-disposal phase of my life as a secret widow.'

Sometimes, a woman has to take matters into her own hands . . .

Sally never meant to cave her husband's head in with a skillet. Or at least she didn't until suddenly, she did.
But Sally isn't the only woman in town being pushed to breaking point. When coincidence brings four strangers together, a surprising solidarity is formed.

Review:
This darkly comedic, absorbing novel turns domestic violence, a subject the author is well versed in, on its head.
Stuck with their abusive husband in the Covid-19 lockdown, Sally, Janey, Samira and Ruth defend themselves in the ultimate way. Their characters are endearing, their husband are most definitely not. Their story is so gripping, it's a book to read in one sitting!

Whatever your knowledge of domestic violence, I urge you to read the author's notes at the end of this book. As a side note, having worked at a women's refuge and as a domestic violence survivor myself, this work of fiction is superbly written and deserves plaudits.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my unbiased review. Thanks to Alexia Casale, Viking Books & Netgalley
#BookReview #BuryYourHusband #AlexiaCasale #NetGalley

I really don’t know how I feel about this one as it has me torn two ways. First off, I love a good feminist read, full of strong women learning who they are and developing into great characters. But. I couldn’t get on board with the killing side of this, it just doesn’t sit right with me to glorify murdering your husband and trying to cover it up. I get the stories behind the murders were down to each woman finally snapping after years of abuse, but it just felt ridiculous for them all to randomly meet and then start plotting how to get away with it all. I wanted the men to face justice, be shown for what they really were…not simply vanish. It didn’t feel like it was commending domestic abuse survivors in a positive way at all, in fact it took any sympathy and made me dislike them. The only one I really liked was the curtain twitcher!

A strange juxtaposition of an awful time in our recent history and the escalation of domestic violence seen as a result and the humorous way in which the story is told.
The situation is well described (I suspect we all had a curtain twitching, disapproving neighbour, clocking people in and out of their hour of exercise) and the heightened fear of discovery alongside the seeming nonchalance of Sally and her problematic parcel is very well written.
I loved the chance meeting of the women who all find themselves in the same situation and their bonkers efforts to deal with the problem!
A really enjoyable read, despite the dark undertones.

Really enjoyed this. A sharp social commentary on violence against women and girls. It was surprisingly humorous despite the dark subject matter. I particularly liked Sally and her reaction to caving her husband's head in with a skillet after years of abuse. Definitely recommend.

I think this book told such an important message despite its dark comedic undertones!
I absolutely ADORED the little lockdown girls group, I thought each and every female in this book was incredible and so so brave. The topic had clearly been extensively researched by the author and the authors note at the end confirmed that.
Every 3 days in the UK a woman is killed by a man. This book took that fact and flipped it to create a darkly funny story yet still portrayed the real life horrors many people face. It also explored the knock on effect abuse has on loved ones.
Incredible.

3.5 rounded up to 4!
This book tackles a very serious and prevalent issue, in particular looking at domestic abuse during the pandemic lockdown. You would think that, as a result, it would be a heavy read but it really wasn't. It shone a light on the topic in a way that was digestible but in no way making light of domestic violence. At its core, this is really a story of female friendship, perseverance, and second chances. It has its fair share of comical and heartbreaking moments along with some really anxiety-inducing sections.
I felt like the first half dragged a little, it did take me a bit to get into it but then the second half flew. Some parts were predictable but that's okay because it didn't really hinder my enjoyable. I would've liked to feel more connected to the characters. However, overall it was an entertaining read and it draws attention to a very serious issue,. Author's Note at the end is a must read, it's heartbreaking but incredibly important.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 4*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 5*
Humour: 4*

This was picked for me by chosing a prompt out of my TBR jar and selecting 'a book with an intreguing blurb' and this blurb was brilliant!
The story was full of humour, and mayhem, and slapstick style scenarios, but if you take this with a pinch of salt you should see the story for the fun it is. Yes theres mad inconsistencies in the plot, but you can ignore them easily and just enjoy the story.
This all being said, the underlying theme of domestic violence, especially during lockdown is an important topic that should be discussed. The pages at the end of the book are a startling read but I hope if you pick this up you read through the studies and stats.
Overall an excellent quick paced comedic thriller that should be enjoyable for fans of the sweatpea series and Bella Mackie's How To Kill Your Family. OUT MARCH 2024

This was so sad, the stats on women’s abuse don’t tell the stories of the women, the bruises, the burns and breaks and the mental abuse that they go through. The four women are all badly treated and scared and somehow find power and act. The book is heroic, there is silliness, laughter and a bit of hysteria but ultimately there is hope amongst it all. Hope in the flowers that are grown from the putrid end of lives of the dead husbands.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
I’ve seen this marketed as a black comedy, which I don’t really think is quite right - there is humour, yes, but this book is more than that. This isn’t along the same lines as Kill Your Family, or How to Kill Men & Get Away With It - it’s about sisterhood, domestic violence and coming together in times of serious need.
I enjoyed the book, if that’s the right terminology for it, the story bobs along nicely and there’s enough danger to keep the reader wondering (and hoping) about what might happen next.

5 Stars

This is a dark comedy novel about four women coming together after killing their husbands during lockdown. This has become a genre of storytelling that I have really enjoyed and this might be one of the best I have read this year. I highly recommend.

This is not a mystery, but a 'will they get away with it' plot with multiple complex, yet ordinary women who are taking back control of their lives. The story does contain multiple perspectives but we mainly hear from Sally. I loved all the women in this book (my favourite being Edwina - we all know an Edwina) and you can not help but root for them every step of the way and want them to succeed. This book's humour is dark and is done very well especially at making you laugh when you know you shouldn't.

But while this book had me laughing, it would also bring me back to reality within a single chapter.

You as the reader will experience so much more with these characters, the author takes us through their grief, their guilt, their courage and their hope. We hear about the complexities of their relationships, not only with their abusive husbands but with friends and family and gives us an insight to how complicated domestic abuse is and how many in these situations can not "just leave" and on top of this, this is all happening during lockdown. which we now know led to escalated abuse and made it easier for abusers to control and get away with their abuse.

The author states that the main reason she wrote this book was to "attempt to use humour to cut through peoples reluctance to engage" and through fiction highlight what is a reality for many women and girls. As the author says themselves "if the victims were female, this wouldn't be a satirical 'could never happen' black comedy. It would be reality - it is a reality. A woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK, and many thousands more are victims of violence and abuse."

I wholeheartedly think the author achieved this and therefore I cannot rate it anything but 5 stars. I obviously highly recommend this fun, thought-provoking book, but I also recommend reading the authors foreword and authors note to engage fully with this book and its subject matter.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

On the surface this black comedy touches a nerve, but I think it also highlights an incredibly important issue that affects so many people.

A small group of women are struggling even more than usual with their husbands during lockdown and, one by one, they each have a body to dispose of.

They become friends and have to come up with an elaborate plan to make sure their husbands are treated as missing. Their relationship is wholesome and even Edwina, the nosey neighbour and stickler for COVID rules, is likeable.

I predicated the ending, but thoroughly enjoyed the novel and can only give it the full 5 stars. I can honestly see it becoming a film, which is something I would definitely want to see.

Thank you Alexia Casale and Netgalley for the ARC of The best way to bury your husband.

It begins with Sally, who accidentally killed her husband with a skillet after putting up with years of physical and emotional abuse. Sally, after reaching for the long denied cake her now dead husband forbid her to eat, goes about how to dispose of the body. Under the cover of lockdown, social distancing and some unexpected allies. Sally beings to devise a plan.......

.I just loved this book. Even though there is a serious undertone to this book ( Authors notes talks about the rise of Domestic violence, especially in the first few months of Lockdown) This book was a rollercoaster ride which included a little bit of everything. including a nice dose of dark humour. I loved how the characters in the book were diverse, tackling different types of abuse that can be experienced, including forced marriages, My heart literally went out to them all and I felt all the emotions they went through. Sally, who was the main narrative managed to stumble on women in similar situations and banded together. Through anger, fear and hope, old and new friendships were born.

My favourite quotes were; " Ive conceded your point, now stop buttering me up, Im not a crumpet " This made me laugh and Im definitely going to use this on my kids!

" I thought it was so simple from the outside - just to leave him, you stupid women. But it looks different from the inside ; sometimes I could barely keep track of what was real and the lies he'd spun that he hadn't said this, hadn't done that and I was remembering it wrong " This really broke me. To be gaslighted so much, to be denied your own reality that you don't know who you are and doubt yourself so much what is real and what isn't. It really portrays how insidious abuse really is.

Rating 4.5 stars

Dark humorous book set during lockdown in the UK of four women suffering at the hands of their husbands, who all in their own way murder them, but don't report it. They find each other, and come together to dispose of the men alongside laying out a plan to show the men disappeared instead.

I enjoyed this novel with its dark humour; bit of a Shirley Valentine vibe about it with one of the women talking to her plants instead of the wall. Even though its domestic violence and murder it was a good mix and also seen from pov when women do something for them.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

My husband gave me such a strange look when I told him how excited I was to read this book.

It’s the start of the pandemic and life as we know is changing; but that good old skillet pan is still in our life and well it just about helps to change our life as well.

I found this a delight to read and was so wonderfully written.

Have pre-ordered a copy for release day as I have to have a trophy read on my shelf! I loved it!

What's the best way to bury a body? Well, the world's strangest lockdown club bands together to try and figure it out.

The Best Way To Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale is a bitter sweet story about five women who are finally free from years of abuse only to find themselves in the precarious situation of having to dispose of four bodies...

As we can tell from my love of How To Kill Men And Get Away With It and How To Kill Your Family, I love reading from the killers perspective. However unlike these two stories, this one has a much sadder backstory. A reflection of the pysical abuse that a lot of women receive particularly in lockdown when it became inescapable for them, each woman in this story has got their own harrowing motives for killing.

"After all, anyone would be a little brittle when sitting in front of a large plastic crate that's surrounded by mousetraps, topped with vinegar and bicarb of soda and filled with a dead dad."

I love a witty book. Although this particular author is tackling a serious topic, they manage to include moments of comedic relief which is what I think keeps it so engaging. The fact that Sally is pottering around her house talking to plants, eating cake for breakfast, drinking wine while ignoring the husband shaped parcel is an amazing image.

"I can't change the past but I am changing myself and my life for the better, and that'll have to do."

I don't usually write about authors notes and instead focus on the actual story but in this case I wanted to highlight them. If you read this book, please read the authors notes at the end. Alexia talks about such a serious topic that isn't often given the attention it deserves. It is clear that this author is passionate about what she is writing and this book is not only a story but a reflection of some harsh truths.

The Best Way To Bury Your Husband by Alexie Casale
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trigger Warnings: domestic violence

This story follows a woman named Sally who has suffered years of domestic violence at the hands of her husband. One day, during Covid lockdown, she instinctively hits back to protect herself, which ends up with her accidently killing her husband. She has two options: call the police and tell them what happens or hide the body and try and get away with it. You can probably guess which one Sally choses.

On Sally's journey to burying a body and getting away with it. She meets four other women, who are all in the same position she is in. They need to hide their husbands bodies. So the story follows them with how they plan to explain their disappearance and hide their bodies.

I love how the author raises the issue of domestic violence and shows the survivors in finding their independence and happiness. But I found the storyline a bit too ridiculous at times. With how easy the women found each other and how they instantly knew they were trying to hide their husbands bodies.
I also found that their issues were resolved easily and very quickly in the book.

I did enjoy the short chapters which made the book very easy to read and easy to come back to.

I really enjoyed this book. It touches on serious subjects - Covid, domestic violence and more, however still manages humour whilst respecting these subjects.

The writing style was easy and naturally flowing and I couldn’t really put this book down.

I’m really looking forward to hearing more from this author!

I went into this book fully blind and purely requested this because the title sounded pretty different. From the first chapter of this book, I was hooked and really wanted to see what happened with Sally. As the book progressed, I couldn’t get it off my mind and loved the way the author really portrayed the difficulties of lockdown and coping through it. I really loved the dark humour in this book as I feel like in bad situations I also use dark humour as a coping mechanism.

I want to say, I really respect how the author speaks about domestic violence and its effects. Would definitely urge people to read the authors note at the end of the book ☺️

I loved this book! So full of dark humour and wit whilst also covering some very heavy subjects. I did guess all of the twists and turns but it didn't change my reading experience - 100% recommend.