I wish that this book had a different title as it gives away more than is anticipated at the start.

Beth is living her best life: happily married, raising her beautiful daughter and running her ceramic cafe. All is good until her perfect husband Tom is arrested in connection with the disappearance of his previous girlfriend. Being a newcomer in a small village community, this is not what Beth needs....

I love books told through multiple POV’s and this did not disappoint. However the alternating viewpoints did reveal too much too early, and therefore I did work out the twist earlier than I would have liked.

I really liked the plot and will be looking out for future offerings by this clearly knowledgeable author. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This was one of those slowly unfurling thrillers that kept me riveted! Beth married Tom and they have been that 'perfect couple.' But, have they really? One of those "you never know what goes on behind closed doors' stories that somehow keeps throwing down surprise after surprise. Definitely a great read!

Thrillers are my favorite genre, hands down. I love everything about them, but above all the high stakes are what draw me into the story. With The Serial Killer's Wife, I wish those stakes had been higher.

Bethany and Tom Hardcastle are living an idyllic life with their daughter Poppy in a small village. Their life seems perfect, Tom works in finance in London, Beth owns and manages a pottery cafe, and their "Poppy poppet" is their pride and joy. Until Tom is accused of murdering his ex girlfriend.

The story unwinds from there, told in alternating POVs between Beth and Tom, with occasional interludes by Katie and a mysterious fourth narrator. The time period also jumps from present day, to 7 years in the past and further beyond to Tom's university days.

The premise for this novel was intriguing. I enjoyed the idea of seeing a life unravel from the blindsided wife's point of view. However, I was not a fan of this book. The pacing was off, for me. There were times the story dragged, when I felt it could pick up, and times it went too fast when I felt the stakes could be infinitely higher if the pacing was slowed down.

My biggest gripe, however, was the big "reveal". From the jump, I knew something was up with the circumstances around Tom's case as well as things going on in the town. To use a phrase from so many thrillers "someone knows something". Things seemed nefarious from the jump. Unfortunately for me, I predicted the entire ending of the novel which I think severely impacted my enjoyment of the novel.

Regardless, I am very grateful to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me with the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

People are never who they appear to be...Tom and Beth seem to have the perfect life. Good jobs, a nice home and a beautiful daughter. But when Tom’s past comes back to haunt them, their lives are turned upside down. What really happened? Is Tom a killer? You won’t be able to put this one down until you find out!

I liked the outline for this book, and I was intrigued by the story. Sadly, it fell a bit flat. I did not connect with any of the characters. The book should have been a lot shorter. It was a fast and easy read, but I kept on waiting for the twists, and there were a couple of them, but I had figured them out beforehand.

The ending saved the book, because it gave it that little extra something I felt was missing from the rest of the book. I think the characters were behaving strangely, and they did not feel quite real to me.

This book was just a 3 star read for me. The ending actually really pulled it all together and improved the book significantly, but for too much of the book I found the dialogue between characters to be forced and I just didn't really like the main character.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.
4 Stars
Was hard to put down, fast paced and read in 1 day. Lots of twists and turns, kept me guessing and did not predict the ending. It was interesting and suspenseful. Highly recommend reading this one!

The Serial Killers Wife is a twisty, suspenseful, psychological thriller from a debut author Alice Hunter! Tom and Beth have a beautiful daughter Poppy and what seems to be the perfect marriage. Beth is a local business woman respected by the area, until one day Tom is taken into custody for the murder of his ex girlfriend Katie. Does Beth even know her husband after all they've been married for eight years? Everyone thinks that Beth knows what Tom had done but did she? She must protect her daughter. Is it after all the perfect marriage??
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

This was a surprise. I had it in my mind that this was one type of book and instead, I definitely got a different one. Not that that's bad, it just threw me for a loop.

This book has multiple POV which was definitely surprising for me. It has the wife, of course, but it also has the husband, the person presumed dead and a few others. All of these POV threw the story a bit as I didn't really like the POV of the husband, but I can see where all perspectives rounded out the story.

It's a good story but not necessarily filled with a lot of tension. Secrets are revealed in well timed spots and I did like the ending. Love the cover too!

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

If you enjoy a book with twists & turns and a shocking ending, The Serial Killer’s Wife needs to be your next read. I finished the book in two days and am trying to process what happened. It was so good! This is my first book by Alice Hunter and it won’t be my last.

Whoa! What a ride this took me through! And that ending? I'm still processing it! Fast paced and well thought out story line, just when you think you figured it out, out comes another twist or turn! Highly recommend!

I quite enjoyed The Serial Killer's Wife! It is a fairly standard plot and the twists weren't a huge surprise, but it was well written, well paced, entertaining and well thought out! If you enjoy thrillers then this is for you! Also, the killings weren't overly gruesome or gory, so if you aren't a fan of brutal, explicit, descriptions but still want a well paced crime fiction, then this book is a great example. I will keep a lookout for this author in the future!

Told from several points of view, alternating between present and past times, this psychological thriller peels back an unbelievable plot one harrowing scene at a time. The Hardcastle family, living in a quaint English village outside of London, appears to be the envy of many. Beth, the owner of a bakery pottery shop, is happily married to Tom, an investment banker, and, together, they are the proud parents of precocious, three-year-old Poppy, who attends a local prestigious nursery school. One evening Tom is late coming home, and when the police question Beth about his whereabouts, his answers don’t add up. It turns out the detectives are seeking Tom in regards to the disappearance, and possible murder, of his last girlfriend, eight years ago in London, before he settled in with Beth. The plot twists and turns, leaving readers on high alert for the truth. Well written with an extraordinarily dark story that clings long after the cover is closed, this thriller will keep you engaged through the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise for this book was very vague (as it should) and it got me curious. I wished it had a different title though, to me this one gives more than I would like to know going in.

We mainly follow Beth's point of view, and occasionally Tom's and rarely from other people. The ones from other people were particularly instigating.

I felt that the book could be a bit shorter, The beginning was good to introduce the characters and their dynamics, but then it dragged a little until we started getting some answers.

The ending got me by surprise, I definitely did not see that coming and really enjoyed it. The epilogue made me wish for a sequel. It is a book I recommend if you like thrillers.

The title alone was enough to draw me into this thriller. A husband is taken in under suspicion for murder, and his wife is left reeling at home. How could she not have known?

The book changed viewpoints often and left little cliffhangers and hints here and there to keep you interested, so I did find it to be a pretty fast read. I saw the twist coming a mile away, but that didn't ruin it for me. However, since I didn't find any of the characters to be that engaging and as there weren't many surprises it felt thriller-lite for me. Fun, not a lot of substance, but a good first novel!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Beth Hardcastle's life is upended when the police come knocking on her door.

Her husband, Tom, a wonderful father, and loving husband, is taken for questioning over the death of his ex-girlfriend Katie, who disappeared eight years ago.

Beth is shocked. Is her husband guilty?

Beth can only think that her wonderful life is imploding. She has to protect her daughter, Poppy, the best way she can while keeping her store open too. Living in a small town, she knows people can turn on them in the blink of an eye.

Thankfully, there is Adam. He has gone through something awful too and he seems to understand her and wants to help them.

But is Beth hiding something? Does she know more than she should?

~~

As soon as I saw this novel on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to read it. From the cover to its name, it called to me.

For the most part, I will say that I enjoyed it despite seeing the twist a mile away. I found myself still reading along.

Good debut novel.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Avon Books UK via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent tale, with layer upon layer of deceit peeled away, until the stunning denouement at the end. I didn’t see the final twist until very close to the end. Masterfully plotted.

Well this was a darker book than expected! It’s a gripping psychological thriller that kept me on edge, not knowing who to trust and with some fabulous twists that I didn’t see coming. Beth and Tom seemed like any normal married couple at the start, living an idyllic village life with toddler daughter Poppy but when Tom returns late home one night, the police are there to arrest him…for murder.

Told by both Beth and Tom, in the present and in the past, we gradually come to understand Tom and his relationships with those around him. But poor Beth is left reeling with both journalists and the police questioning why she didn’t suspect her husband may not be as squeaky clean as he seemed. But haven’t we all thought the same at times? I know it seems almost incomprehensible that a woman can live with someone but be oblivious to their extracurricular activities (so to speak!) but history proves otherwise!

What I enjoyed about The Serial Killers Wife was feeling that I didn’t really know anyone! And that’s not because Alice Hunters characters aren’t very carefully crafted, they are, but she always seemed to keep something back so I didn’t trust anyone and questioned every decision they made or action they took-and I loved that! I was quite jealous of Alice at times-she had a lovely daughter and successful business but also a quiet determination to keep them unaffected by the arrest of her husband. I did become frustrated with her at times though especially during the middle third of the book but thankfully the last third was a thrilling rollercoaster of emotions that made me forget all my frustrations as the shocking truths we’re revealed.

The Serial Killers Wife is an addictive and darkly twisted read. What a debut from Alice Hunter!

The Serial Killer's Wife by Alice Hunter ticked all of the boxes for me. It is twisty, compulsively readable, and it will virtually propel you through the pages.

Beth and Tom Hardcastle have a happy marriage, and both dote on their only daughter, Poppy. But when the police turn up one night to question Tom about the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, Beth is forced to re-evaluate all that she thinks she knows about the man to whom she has committed her life.

This is a gripping read that I was not inclined to put down until all of the puzzle pieces had been firmly slotted into place, and what a shocking conclusion awaits at the end of the journey. This is my first read from this author, and I hope to read much more in the future. Alice Hunter is one to watch.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC.

Huge thanks to Avon Publishers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Firstly the title hooked me and I was totally invested in it. This book tells the story of married couple Beth and Tom Hardcastle who seem like the perfect got everything together couple whose perfect life is shattered when Tom is accused of murder. I don't want to spill tea as always but the book is told from a different character's perspective. I suggest bit reading the blurb and just going into the book blind