A couple that hunts and kills together while raising their kids is very scary. The best part of this thriller is that I didn't figure out the ending so it gets a very high rating from me.

This book was a roller coaster of emotions. I wanted to read it based on the “Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith” description I was seeing everywhere but I have to say that it didn’t feel like either of those to me. While there is murder and a husband and wife dynamic, this book felt like a MUCH, MUCH, darker “Gone Girl.” I am going to recommend this to people with a caveat…you need to be comfortable with reading a book about horrible people who commit murder for no other reason than the thrill of it.


My synopsis of this book is intentionally vague because there are so many twists and turns and “gasp out loud” moments that I fear giving too much away and ruining the surprises. I almost stopped reading this book at about 40% through because while I enjoy thrillers, this one was almost too much in terms of the murder. I loved the show Dexter, not because of the murders, but because he was at least a likable character and you could understand why he was killing people. The characters in this book kill just to kill and the author, Samantha Downing, spends time detailing how they find their victims and how they are chosen. There is nothing too graphic but this part of the book left me a bit sick to my stomach and I didn’t know if I could continue. There was something about them finding joy in taking innocent lives that rubbed me the wrong way (as opposed to other thrillers about murderers where there seems to be a specific reason for the killings). Reading about the husband (he is never named) and Millicent calmly discussing their next victim while also discussing their kid’s weekly activities was unnerving. In the end, I am very glad that I decided to finish the book because the murder aspect almost takes a back seat to the drama between the husband, Millicent, and the community that unfolds about halfway through the book and that is what fascinated me the most. Because the book is written solely from the perspective of the husband, you only see things as he does and there is SO much going on that was surprising to me in the end. I tend to enjoy books with unreliable narrators and this one was no exception. The last few chapters seemed to wrap things up a bit too nicely but the last line is a gut punch and was FANTASTIC.

I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and murder mysteries but would be sure to warn them about the content. There is nothing too graphic about any of the descriptions but the characters are not likeable at all and some may have an issue with their behavior. But, if you are looking for a dark, twisted, macabre, thriller, this is your book.

This was a scary book. The fact that a husband and wife could raise children and go out and kill women. What a family dynamic! I was totally hooked however, and the ending was outstanding. I sure didn't see that one coming.

Creepy, weird, unsettling. Not really my kind of book but I couldn't put it down. I was pretty sure I knew what was going on. Ending was pretty unbelievable. Still an entertaining read.

Ordinary suburban marriage on the surface. Murder for thrills underneath.

It’s creepy and tension-filled, narrated in first person present tense by the husband, who you don’t know whether to sympathize with or despise. Well, actually, I know I should despise him, but author Samantha Downing does a good job of making him at least somewhat sympathetic. He just wants to keep his wife happy, y’all! He’s a considerate husband!

He (I’m pretty sure you never are told his name) adores his wife and kids, even though he’s had a couple of one night stands with women he’s picked up in bars, and even though he’s a little uncomfortable with his wife’s enthusiasm for finding young women to murder, and his conscience bothers him. But at the same time he finds their secret life exciting and sexy, in a kinky kind of way. Until things start to go wrong...

The tension builds slowly for the first 70% of the book. It’s an interesting setup, though it did feel a little slow-paced at times. But then crazy things start to happen and this was IMPOSSIBLE to put down until I was done.

Recommended if you like thrillers with killers!

When they met, something clicked. They dated, married, and had two children. They work and live contented lives until they get bored. Normally, one wouldn't turn to murder as a new hobby but these two did...

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published March 26th.

This was an unusual read. He picks out the victims. She kills them. They work well together. No one suspects them. But they get a little too self confident. When they tie a serial killer from the past to their crimes, it begins to backfire on them. It seems he had died several years ago, so it can't be him.

Reading about their planning and how they trusted each other but didn't was interesting. The best part of the whole book was how everything went south. There's a twist here that made me stop and think for a bit before I went on reading. There's a monster in this family. I didn't figure it out ahead of time so it was a really chilling ending. Did you guess where it was going?

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. Very intriguing and disturbing. Totally surprised at the ending. Not a couple that I would want to meet. Insane and unbelievably good thriller. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

"My name is not Tobias. I use that name only when I want someone to remember me. In this case, the bartender. I introduced myself and typed out my name when i first walked in and ordered a drink. He will remember me. He will remember that Tobias is the deaf man who left the bar with a woman he just met. The same was for his benefit, not Petra's."..........

A contemporary serial killer story. A seemingly nice husband and wife, 2 children, nice neighborhood. A tennis teacher and a real estate agent, a normal family right?

This couple leads a secret double life, one that includes murder. They stalk, kill, and dispose of their victims. The story takes us on a chilling ride through their everyday life with teens, work, friends. It takes a turn to the dark side as the husband describes his adventures in making contact with their potential victims. I don’t know who scared me more, him or his wife. The ease with which it was done, as if all couple do these kinds of things, or the sheer terror that someone could do these things so calmly and so coldly.

Big secrets aren’t good to share with anyone. There’s always a weak link when more than one person knows. Will they get caught? Will they stop? A recent discovery of a past victims body sets them on edge. Especially when he realizes his “Lovely Wife” may have been keeping secrets from him.

Oh the damage from the secrets we keep. A thrilling ride with more than one shocking surprise. Loved this exciting thriller, and the ending was perfect. Cleverly written, and so hard to put down.


Thank you Samantha Downing, Netgalley, and Berkley Publishing Group.

#mylovelywife #netgalley

I had a legit pit in my stomach as I race-read the last quarter of this book. The blurb for this book straight up tells readers that the couple at the center of this book enjoys murder as a hobby, so one might think that there aren't surprises to be had, but this book is devious. It's definitely one of those stories that proves no one knows what goes on behind closed doors, and the first half or so of the book had me just shaking my head at the things this couple was getting away with.
It really takes something extra special at this point to set a story about in the mystery/thriller/suspense genres, and this book has that "thing" that set it apart from the crowd. It's a really well done debut.

A dark, entertaining take on the domestic thriller with one big message: complacency in a marriage can be dangerous. I was hooked by the opening pages, then even when I knew the other shoe had to drop, I found myself surprised by the twist. My Perfect Wife is told exclusively in first person from the husband’s POV, so it felt odd to never get the wife’s perspective on anything. All you know is the husband isn’t telling the reader everything, including his real name.

My only quibble is that it wraps up quickly and a little too conveniently. Still, an entertaining read.

3.5 stars

A guilty pleasure kind of book. If you like the Americans tv show, this is probably for you. And will make you wonder what hobbies your neighbors have that you don't know about.

Samantha Downing's book My Lovely Wife was a delightful little twist on the thriller/mystery genre. I enjoyed the pacing of the plot but did find the husband's obliviousness to many things slightly unconvincing. I would have liked wife's character to be a little more fleshed out but enjoyed the dynamic between the two. I liked the suspense from the possibility of being caught but found the end a little neatly wound up quickly. Overall probably a 3.5

Millicent and her husband of 15 years are your typical middle-class American family juggling two careers, a family, and marriage. They live in the suburbs with their two teenage children – Rory (14) and Jenna (13). They are well-known in their small community – Millicent, a real estate agent, her husband, a tennis instructor at their local country club. They have their struggles financially just like everyone else but life is good for this couple/family.

What makes them different from your average family is that they share the same hobby – a hobby that gives them great joy. Makes them happy, gets them excited, and helps to keep their marriage alive. Their hobby is MURDER … The way they select and go about approaching their victims will make your head spin. It will make you second-guess the motives of ANY stranger that approaches you, speaks to you, even looks at you .... AND it will make you think twice about the information you were putting out on the Internet about yourself ~ personal information that you THINK is private, secure, and unavailable to the general public ~ it definitely has done that for me!

I really enjoyed MLW. It’s fun, although maybe it shouldn’t be considering the topic (murder). It is easy to follow and has very short chapters (which I love). Loaded with lots of suspense and surprises you will not guess the ending so don’t even try. Committing murder in a small town is pretty risky, pretty brave BUT these two seem to know what they’re doing, seem to be pretty good at it… Or so they think!

The story of a murdering husband and wife duo is captivating and well done in Downing’s new novel. It kept me guessing until the end and blew me away. I look forward to recommending it to library patrons and friends.

I found this book far too similar to others I have read. None of the characters felt genuine to me. I thought the plot was too unbelievable.

Though I didn’t enjoy this book, I am sure there will be readers who embrace it.

My Lovely Wife is a fast paced read. It’s both a disturbing and fascinating look into a psychopath and a marriage. It contains some twists and turns and was (dare I say it) a fun read. I highly recommend this book.

**I received an ARC to provide a fair and unbiased review.

In this terrific thriller, a typical married couple fight the boredom of a long marriage by spicing things up with a little murder and mayhem.
Told from the husband's point of view, the tense plotting, the twists and turns, and the juxtaposition of daily life with kids & everyday troubles with the chilling details of the pairs diabolical machinations makes for a truly page-turning read.
Not to be missed!

A marriage bound together by secrets usually makes good fodder for a domestic thriller, but Downing's novel is so much more than that. It's not only what they have to hide that binds this marriage together, but they're cleverly devious minds and they're ability to see love in even the most heinous actions.
With 'My Lovely Wife,' Downing gives a new meaning to the phrase "'til death do us part."

An excellent debut novel from Samantha Downing! The premise of the book had me intrigued, and My Lovely Wife doesn’t disappoint.
The book is described as Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and that’s a pretty accurate description. Both husband and wife are accomplished psychopaths, while leading a seemingly normal life to outsiders.
With the influx of so many psychological mysteries with a self-described twist, My Lovely Wife does it different and does it well.

Fast read with realistic characters. You never can tell about what people are like by appearance and this twisty tale proves that point.