Psychological thrillers are a dime a dozen these days, and the author needs to have a very distinctive voice in order to stand out from the crowd and make a mark on the genre. This book - for me - failed to do that in every way that matters.

The Serial Killer's Wife is about an upstanding family living in a small village outside of London. Tom, Beth and their daughter Poppy seem very happy. Tom has a good job and Beth runs one of those cafes where you paint vases and drink coffee. When the police knock on the door one evening, Beth is at first worried - has something happened to Tom? But no, it's the opposite.

Tom may have happened to someone else. His ex-girlfriend, who is missing and presumed dead.

From there, the story spools into rather endless chapters of meandering - from Beth's every thought, to Tom's past, to the village gossip and Beth's burgeoning friendship with a local widower, whose wife died the year before from anaphylactic shock. It's all just sort of... there. Nothing really happens until the last few chapters, when the big "twist" is revealed - and yes, it's a big one and it's satisfyingly evil, but at the same time, I felt no glory in that discovery because I hadn't enjoyed the journey.

One of the main problems for me was the flat dialogue (NO ONE talks the way these characters do) and the unwillingness to really let Tom's inner monologue reveal what a horrific person he truly is. There's a sense of fakeness, of blandness and of holding back. Part of me thinks that's because the author didn't want to chance that she'd inadvertently reveal the twist. And that's a problem - as I've ranted before, the notion that all books must have these enormous, Gone-Girl twists, is maddening.

Books can absolutely be thrilling and special without flipping the narrative on its head in the final pages. I promise.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.
Loved the plot of this story. Well written and lots of twists and turns. A must read.

When Tom gets brought in for the long-ago disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, Beth’s world is torn upside down. News travels fast in a tiny town and the question on everyone’s mind is…how could she not know?
I went back and forth on a rating for this book and after sitting for a bit decided that this falls right in the middle of “Ugh” and “Oooh”.

The plot was incredibly intriguing though quite drug out for the duration of the book with fairly predictable plot twists and reveals but all that would have been manageable and still made for quite an enjoyable thriller had there been any depth to a single character. Just one. That’s all I needed.

It seems like the author developed each character just enough for them to serve their role in the story and not one iota more which left a very flat and hollow cast that allowed the story to feel like it was never going to end and nothing was ever going to happen. The most interesting parts of the whole book were the Tom and Katie flashbacks. They might not have been overly exciting but at least we got to see a sliver of personality show through for a brief time. Don’t even get me started on Beth.

The Serial Killer’s Wife had a lot of promise to be something that I would have really enjoyed but the lack of personality and development in the characters puts this right in the “Meh” category for me.

Though this particular book missed the mark with me I do think Alice Hunter is an author that I will be keeping an eye out for in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this early copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book, I found myself completely engaged, invested and unable to put it down. It makes you really asses what you think you know and your preconceived ideas of situations. I would recommend this to anyone

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter Engrossing mystery, multitude of hidden desires, relationships, hidden clues throughout ending with an I didn't see that coming climax. Passages of Beth's POV get irritating at times as she seems so hesitant. Tom is expertly portrayed. Julia and Lucy are two very different kind of friends. DC Cooper is at times hard as nails and then we see a glimpse of a softer side. Then there is Adam.....

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

This was only ok. I was hoping for a tight, fast paced thriller but so much of the story is mundane.

A typically twisted suspense piece as the truth unravels. The author did a fantastic job letting out the story bit by bit, while giving plenty of backstory and perspectives to build up your suspicions and intrigue. By the time a twist or secret was revealed, you had surely guessed it! While the twists were not necessarily shocking, the development of the characters completely MADE the story. Alice Hunter made so many intentional decisions about sequence and character when creating this story that you can't help but love it.

Definitely a story to add to your TBR if you like suspense & mystery.

I first read this book and thought what everyone is probably thinking, she knew her man was a killer. Then really thinking about it, I changed my mind. A killer would be a narcissistic person. He can act better than anything. A wife or husband would want to believe the best of that person.
I was given this book to read and review by the publisher. I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to whomever loves psychological thrillers.

This was a good book and I would read Alice Hunter again. The story of Beth and her her husband Tom's crumbling relationship starts with him being suspected of murder. The tale was told to us from differing points of views. It was pretty suspenseful and definitely flowed well. In addition, there was a few twists.... but I just did not feel any kind of "oomph" at the end of it all. The characters are unlikeable and some of the events that happen at the end did not seem believable to me. I would still recommend it as it was original in how it unfolded and I liked that.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – 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.

This is such an addictive book, you turn page after page consuming the book, it is easy for time to pass and read the book in very little settings. It is the perfect mystery and thriller. The plot keeps you guessing throughout and the character development keeps you hooked and enticed.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Book had good intentions, but was very predictable and a little slow moving. I recommend it for a quick easy read.

Beth has a happy life with her husband and young daughter. But when her husband is late home she worries something has happened to him as he is always back in time to say goodnight to their daughter. But it’s the police at the door wanting to question him. Her whole world is about to be torn apart.
I got really involved with the characters and rushed through the book

I loved all the pov, I find with thrillers this really can make a story feel more full but also be disorienting. The twist was a good one.

The only issue that kept me from loving this book is I had no feelings for any characters. None of the characters were flushed out for me to fully understand them. I wish some of those alternating pov had more back story.

"The Serial Killer"s Wife" by Alice Hunter focuses on Beth & Tom Hardcastle. They have by all accounts an amazing life together-- they both are successful businesspeople, they have a beautiful home, and an amazing daughter, Poppy. They have the type of life many would be envious of.

All that changes one evening when Tom is home late from work. Beth begins to panic- was he in an accident? When the cops knock of her door, her first fear is that something horrible has happened. Only, it turns out to be not what she thought: Tom isn't hurt, but the cops think he might have hurt someone else--his former lover, Katie.

The book follows on Tom being arrested and charged for Katie's murder. Then, along the way, more tidbits are dropped, and more women appear connected to Tom. While Beth is coping with the new madness that is her life, she forms convenient friendships. These friendships were some of the more interesting parts of the book for me.

This book was certainly interesting and I did enjoy going along for the ride; however, I do believe the first half of the book dragged a bit, while the last part was rushed. That is really my only wish for the book was that the pacing was different. It wasn't a page-turner for me, but rather a gradual build up.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of The Serial Killers Wife although I was saddened that the storyline ended up predictable. That said I was still upset to reach the final page, the plot is fast paced and exciting and this was a great book to read!

3.5 /5

Such a great book! I read this in a day. The intrigue and intensity of the story builds with each page as you read. Beth and Tom are a married couple, living the perfect life. Or so it seems.....

I felt this book moved along quickly. I liked the short chapters and the volleying between character's story lines. And the ending was not a disappointment! I see a sequel coming, and if there isn't, there should be!

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and to the publisher, #Avon, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This wasn't what I had expected. I was so excited to read this, but it left me a little underwhelmed. It's not a horrible novel, just, in my opinion, mediocre.

@rossyreads
👍🏼 b o o k r e v i e w 👍🏼

Super excited to get my hands on an #arc of The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter (out 5/27)

Beth and Tom had the perfect marriage, perfect family, perfect life. Or so everybody thought. Beth, a mother and business owner, is surprised when her husband is late coming home from work. A knock at the door turns her life upside down as police are looking for Tom in connection in his ex/girlfriend’s disappearance. Readers follow Beth and her navigation of a new life without Tom, taking care of Poppy, taking care of her business, friendships and dealing with a whole lot of deceit.

This is a captivating story full of twists and turns causing readers to try to figure out what in the heck happened! Some parts were predictable and there are a couple twists that will blow. your. mind. 🤯

TW: abuse, alcoholism, violence, sexual assault/violent sex

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: thriller

#book #books #bookstagram #iowabookstagram #thriller #theserialkillerswife #alicehunter #netgalley #read #reader #booklover #bookreview #bookrecomendation #booknerd

I really enjoyed this book, it keeps you turning the page and guessing the extent of the titular wife's knowledge and involvement in her husbands crimes throughout.

This is a new author for me. The blurb sounded like the book was something a bit different. I’ve read a lot of thrillers and books featuring serial killers, but I don’t think I’ve read a book with the wife of a serial killer before so I was looking to forward to finding out where the story would go. Beth is a great character, she really come to life on the page and I enjoyed the way she developed across the book. I also enjoyed the use of a first person POV. I loved the pacing of the book Like all good thrillers, it’s full of twists, turns and misdirection that left me wondering what the truth was. The truth left me a bit stunned and I wonder if there will be a sequel?