Hidden secrets in a marriage

What would you do if you found out your spouse was a serial killer? Told in alternating points of view, this British suspense thriller tells the tale of Beth, the wife, and Tom, the husband, in an eight year marriage that all of a sudden falls apart one day when Detectives come to the door looking for Tom as a suspect in the disappearance of a girlfriend previous to their marriage.

This was a well told story of secrets and more secrets and secrets piled on top of secrets. I enjoyed the alternating points of view format and thought this was a great debut novel. I recommend it to those looking for a bit of psychological suspense thriller in their next read.

I received this book from St. Martin's Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Read this book if you love a fast-paced, page-turner, can't-put-down thriller! I really enjoyed this one and finished it in one session because I wanted to know what was happening next!

The Serial Killer's Wife is a story about a woman whose husband's mysterious past causes a tumultuous turn in her life. The first chapter was perfect and drew me in almost immediately, raising questions that had me questioning every single decision and constantly reading between the lines for clues. However, I felt as if the pacing of the story dropped off a bit after the first quarter and the narrative dragged slightly which is possibly one of the reasons why it took me so long to finish the book.

In all honestly, I felt really frustrated with Beth throughout the entire story. Her constant questioning and doubting made me feel a little deflated, and felt as if the dialogue was a little inconsistent. It didn't feel as if she even cared that her husband was in prison, and was more concerned about how she appeared to others around her. Contrastingly, I found her husband really entertaining and enjoyed reading his flashback scenes (the irony, right). I think the main thing the story lacked was depth, and felt as if most of the issues seemed superficial and barely skimmed the surface of what could have been an incredibly story.

In saying that though, I did find myself enjoying the book from time to time! It was a sound effort for a rookie author, and I can definitely see the potential in Alice Hunter. Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the ARC!

I picked up The Serial Killer’s Wife on a rainy Sunday with no plans and next thing I knew I was finishing it in one sitting. I’m always intrigued by the question of whether those who are closest to a killer would know.

Beth is home alone one night with her young daughter when the police show up looking for her husband. They want to question him in the suspected murder of his ex-girlfriend. As he is held in custody as a suspect, people begin to question if Beth knew.

This story is told in multiple perspectives and timelines and it was a quick and compulsive read. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

When you're a devoted wife and loving mom in a community that is quiet and stable, finding out your husband is charged with murder can throw your entire world off of its axis. The world becomes a little more hostile, a little more uncertain and you do your best to put the pieces together grasping onto anyone and anything to keep a sense of normalcy.

This book had everything that you'd ever want in a twisted thriller. The multi-POV from characters in the book added to the suspense of the situation leaving my mind desperately trying to outwit the writer. I was gripped from the beginning and at the end wanted there to be just one more chapter!

A great psychological thriller told from multiple perspectives. This kept me hooked as more and more unravels slowly, very twisty, dark in places and gripping - loved!

The Hardcastles, Beth and Tom, happy and successful seem like the perfect family along with their daughter Poppy! But one night as Beth is waiting for Tom’s return from work, all that changes when the police come knocking on the door! She fears the worst, of course. that Tom has been in a terrible accident but those fears are nothing compared to the truth!
Told from different points of view and timelines, the author paints a picture of the lives of this family and also some shadows from the past that have come back to haunt!
Throughly enjoyed! Finished the last 3/4 of book in one sitting! Couldn’t put it down as the mystery kept unfolding! Will definitely be keeping this new author on the radar! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

My Review:
Wow, wow, wow!!!!! What an explosive book this was. That ending will stay me with me for a very long time. I’m totally speechless. This was a book you can read in just one sitting and not feel guilty. Every chapter kept you engrossed and wanting more. I loved this one.

I don’t even know where to begin with this book without giving too much away. The chapters alternate between Beth and Tom and this kept the book moving very fast. It gave the reader insight to both of the main characters which I loved. Let’s talk characters. At first I wasn’t sure about Beth at all. She portrays herself as a doting wife and mother who has no clue what is going on. As you keep reading though you find out this is not at all who she is. As for her husband Tom, I hated him from the very get go but I’m sure that was planned by the author. He was meant not to be liked and the author did a great job at that. The best part of this book though was that ending. OMG!!!!! I did have somewhat of a clue towards the end of book what might happen but when it did it was still a WOW moment that I will never forget. I loved every minute of that ending. It was the perfect ending in my book. I have read so many great reviews for this book and they were all right when they said how wonderful this book was. I can’t say enough good things about it myself. This was a great book that I would recommend to everyone and anyone who will listen. I will shout it to the moon and back. I’m so happy I got a chance to read it.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Beth and Tom are a happily married couple with young children. Tom is successful in his career and Beth has just taken over running a local cafe / craft shop. Sounds perfect right? That's because it pretty much is..... until the police turn up at the door one day and arrest Tom on suspicion of killing his ex-girlfriend! And right from that point we know that Tom is guilty. So you might think that a thriller that starts out be letting the readers know exactly who the killer is seems like it's not got anywhere to go after that. But you'd be wrong!
I was completely fascinated by the chapters from Tom's perspective, getting into the mind of a killer and the way he thought about things. It's really chilling to face the facts that there's people out there just like Tom.
And Beth? Well, I thought she was just so relatable and I felt really sorry for her. They were fairly new to the area so she had been struggling to fit in and make friends anyway and then this bomb is dropped on her life! Somehow she has to try and keep things running with her business, protect her daughter from all what's going on, and try to figure out what is actually happening with her Husband. Then the local community start to doubt her and make accusations that she knew more than she says she did about her Husband's crimes. Talk about needing strength and resilience.
Most of the book is about the story gradually unravelling rather then the usual mystery of who the bad guy is, but there was enough going on to keep my interest up. Especially when the chapters from Tom's ex-girlfriend's perspective were added in to provide some info from the past.
And then comes the big finale.... a twist I never saw coming at all. It was literally a gobsmacked moment. It was just so well done that it made complete sense but I don't think it was predictable, which is a fine balance to get.
I highly recommend The Serial Killer's Wife and look forward to reading more from Alice Hunter in the future.

I have read books from this author before and I would read them again. I love a thriller and a this definately hit the mark for me!

This novel reminds me of a lifetime where the husband is the bad guy and the wife doesn't know. It is similar in this novel and even though I felt like this particular plot line has been done in other books I've read, it was rather well done. It keeps you guessing through the end and it even made me want to read others by the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and author for the arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion on the book. Love the book. Would love to read more from the author

Right from the beginning of this book we can assume that Tom is guilty but as the story continues more hidden secrets appear. A twist at the end makes me think there could be a sequel . Well worth a read

Why did I leave it so long to read The Serial Killer’s Wife? It has everything that I look for in a book: a chilling story, interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns.

I love that we find out that Tom is guilty pretty much immediately. However, it did leave me wondering where could the story go from there. But don’t worry, the author makes sure there is plenty of action to keep you intrigued until the very end. The chapters and short and well paced and the quick chapters from Tom are great at leaving nuggets of information that will have you turning the pages even quicker.

The fact that the author has worked in prisons with men who have been convicted of brutal crimes really added to the depth of this book. There was great care taken in getting into Tom’s mind and helping the reader understand why he did what he did.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is this author’s first book, a good start to a great writing career, with a few tweeks. This book makes you wonder how well you know anyone. Beth’s husband, Tom is late coming home from work, and when she hears someone at the door she assumes it is him, she is surprised to see two detectives and even more surprised that they want to talk with him. The next thing Beth knows, her husband is being questioned as a suspect in the murder of his missing ex-girlfriend, Katie. Beth wants to believe her husband is innocent, but she starts to wonder if he is the person she thinks he is. Her small town seems to rally around her, but she gets whispers that as his wife, she must have known something.

Beth starts to get close to recent widower and leans on him as a friend but is there something between them? We find that Beth may know more than she lets on, and she seems to be concerned for how this all will affect their little girl but then seems to be more concerned with how she is viewed.

This book is told from the viewpoint of Beth, Tom, Katie from the past and a mysterious fourth person who is subject to bdsm sex, this person could be one of the cast of characters in the book or a separate person. The pace of the book slowed down in the middle and would have been better if it had maintained the same pace. All in all, it was a good storyline and an enjoyable read.

Wow, that was a twist I didn't see coming!

A fascinating book following the aftermath of a husband's arrest for murder, as experienced by his wife. As the story develops we start to discover deep, dark secrets. But who knew what, and when? Things are definitely not always as they seem. And when the life you have always wanted is threatened and your future is compromised, what lengths will you go to?

A fabulous read, 5 stars!!

A brilliant plot and well written
Do you really know who you are married to
Had me hooked to the end
Great book
Thanks NetGalley

Beth and Tom seem like a happy couple. However, this facade is shattered when the police show up at their home one day and pick up Tom for questioning in relation to his ex – girlfriend’s murder.

Having read the ‘Stillhouse Lake’ series by Rachel Caine. I had high hopes going into this story. I was curious to see how Beth would react following the revelations about her husband’s true identity. As usual, I was also drawn to the serial killer angle and was curious about Tom’s crimes. However, both Tom and Beth’s stories left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. Maybe my expectations were too high? In addition, I really didn’t like Beth’s character. Her thoughts and actions didn’t make sense to me. Her constant justification of Tom’s crimes was puzzling. All in all, I found her to be quite unlikeable.

The suspense following Tom’s arrest is what kept me turning pages. Was he guilty? Who did he kill? Why? How many bodies were there? I had so many questions. Through Beth’s narration and a few chapters by Tom, the mystery unraveled. The pacing was quite slow at first with no jaw dropping twists but still, some intrigue was maintained.

The final chapters were my favorite due to a twist that I had not anticipated. All in all, this one didn’t meet my expectations but I enjoyed the premise and the ending.

This was a book that I couldn't put down.
I enjoyed the pacing and the characters were good too.
There was a great twist at the end that I wasn't expecting.
And given this ending, I would be really interested in seeing a follow up or sequel to this book.
I'll also be keeping an eye out for what Alice Hunter does next and look forward to reading more from her.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think I expected more twists in a book categorized as domestic thriller. However, fans of the unreliable narrator trope will love this. It did give me some Gone Girl vibes-both with the narrators and the fact that there are very few likable people in the story!

While most of the story is told from Beth's POV, there are plenty of other flashbacks and such that keep you wondering. While you kind of know the killer from the title, you do wonder will he be convicted? Is there more we don't know about? The mystery really comes from those areas.

I think this was a solid book and I would read more from this author for sure! 3.5 stars!