This is a very well-written slow-burner that starts on a good note but then fails to maintain the momentum. Moreover, the twist at the end was simply remarkable and I'll definitely be keeping a lookout for future work from this author!

Both the title and start of this book are intriguing and really made me excited to read more. Unfortunately, however, the book didn’t live up to its initial promise, despite some twists towards the end. I found the writing a little prosaic and the story a bit drawn out. I did enjoy it to a certain extent, however, and I’m sure there’ll be loads of readers who love it.

Beth Hardcastle has a seemingly perfect life in a small village in England, where she lives with her husband and young daughter. Having left London behind for the suburbs, she run a pottery shop and cafe and (thinks) she has a wonderful marriage, until her husband Tom is taken in for questioning about the disappearance of a former girlfriend. As her life starts to unravel, Beth questions just how well she really knows her husband and her neighbors.

I did enjoy the story being told from multiple points of view, but I found this book less and less believable and interesting the further on I read. There were a few interesting twists, but they felt predictable and I found the main character very unlikable the more I got to know her.

This was a very interesting and unique read. I enjoyed it from the start and it kept my eyes glued to it until the very end. The story moved along smoothly and though it has a few twists, it was very enjoyable.

Ever wanted to read about the investigation of a serial killer’s crimes from the spouse’s perspective? Look no further!
Beth’s husband is investigated for the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, the police don't immediately have enough to pin it on him but things are not looking good. While he faces the police, Beth has to stand trial in the court of public opinion and try to protect her three year old daughter from their hate and the truth of her daddy’s crimes.

Living in a small village means she has both the benefit of support from some of her neighbours and also the bite of local gossip, trying to keep her small business running while all this is going on proves to be a challenge and only adds more stress to an already stressful time.

The lies between Tom and Beth are gradually unravelled as the investigation progresses and we find out exactly how much Beth knew about her husband’s past misdeeds - the suspense is well drawn out and unpredictable, right up to the very end.

This book is more psychologically interesting than action packed or gory, which is to its credit - it kept me hooked on secrets alone!

Beth Hardcastle’s life is completely upended when the police arrive at her home one evening; of course she thinks the worst. The police are there not to give her bad news but instead to question her husband Tom about the death of one of his former girlfriends. He is taken into police custody and is charged with Katie’s murder. The question that the whole town wants to know is, did Beth know?

This leads to a twisty, complex psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. What does Beth know? And who did her husband kill? Great read!

Beth's husband is late home from work. And then the police appear and take him away for questioning about a missing girl. Her perfect life - husband, child, business - all start to unravel as it seems the man she married is not who she thought he was. But there is more to the tale than first appears. Is Tom guilty as charged, or is he being set up?

This is an entertaining read, and the reader keeps thinking they know what is happening, then the plot takes another twist. Although I wasn't particularly surprised by the final ending.

Some of the characters are a little one-dimensional, and some of the events a little unbelievable - like how Adam so readily inveigles himself into Beth's life, and Beth's reactions when the press hound her and she becomes notorious in the village - but overall it makes for a fun read that keeps you guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Serial Killer's Wife is an addictive domestic thriller, written by Alice Hunter. Beth and Tom Hardcastle live in a gorgeous house with their lovely daughter, Poppy. One day, Beth is reading to Poppy when there is a knock on the Hardcastle's front door. Assuming it's Tom late home from work Poppy answers the door but finds two police officers standing there who introduce themselves as Detective Inspector Manning from the Metropolitan Police and his colleague from Thames Valley, Detective Sergeant Walters. They are looking to speak to Tom and insist on waiting. Tom, an investment banker, eventually arrives home and they inform him that they think he may be able to assist them with a murder inquiry. The following day Tom is arrested for being involved in the disappearance and probable murder of his ex-girlfriend Katie Williams eight years ago.

Largely told from Beth’s perspective, the reader follows along as Beth's life crumbles around her. The police are suspicious of Beth’s naivety and others question why she was not aware of Tom’s murderous behaviour. Beth and Tom’s story is one of toxic love and obsession – it’s sinister, twisted, and terrifyingly plausible. It’s a totally compulsive read right up to the final words. With its spot-on pacing, I couldn't get enough of the mind-boggling twists. Very highly recommended and extremely worthwhile.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Serial Killer’s Wife is a great read. It is fast paced and held my attention throughout. They say behind every successful man, there is a woman – And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two. Well, I’d say that’s just the beginning for Tom.
This storyline is exciting. I found the hold backs to be well paced and kept me guessing. I was swept up in Beth and Poppy – the poor family left to sort themselves out while Tom was held. I underestimated characters at every turn. I especially loved the interactions with DC Imogen Cooper. I wish there was a bit more depth to Adam. He was the only one that seemed to lack an edge of understanding to the undercurrents at play.
The writing is smart and smooth. I will be looking for more to read from Alice Hunter in the future.

I thought this book was well-written and suspenseful, but a bit too cringe-y for me with its subject matter. I shouldn't be shocked due to its title, but the dark descriptions of some of the book's events unsettled me too much. I was interested to see how things turned out, but for some reason it did take me awhile to get through the book. It felt like the story wasn't moving at an engaging enough pace to keep me wanting to come back and finish it sooner.

Beth's life is upended when the police come to her house one night to take her husband in for questioning in connection to a suspected murder. When he is finally arrested and awaiting trial, there are whispers among the people in town that she must have known her husband was a killer. Beth is struggling to cope with caring for their 3 year old daughter Poppy, and running her business. Is he guilty? Is he innocent? No matter the verdict, Beth knows that her life will never be the same.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #TheSerialKiller'sWife by #AliceHunter . This novel has a lot of good twists however, I felt that they were presented in a way that wasn't shocking. Enough had been built up prior to the reveals that I wasn't surprised by anything. The ending was a bit far-fetched, but I like where the author was trying to go with it. The overall story line was interesting and I enjoyed the book. 3 stars

I had mixed feelings about this book. It definitely kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. The concept for the plot was what intrigued me the most. Can you imagine learning that your spouse is a serial killer?

The problem was that some of the twists in the plot sort of ruined it for me. I won't say what they are, because I don't want to include any spoilers in my review, but I found some of the motivations of the characters to ring hollow. I have to say that lately there has been a rash of books that have the female protagonist doing everything for the sake of their child (extreme unconscionable things). This just doesn't fit with reality.

The Serial Killer's Wife was certainly interesting and it was a page-turner. If you tend to need your books to be somewhat believable, you may want to give this a pass. But, if you are just looking for an entertaining read and can suspend belief for the sake of it, give the book a shot.

One last thing. I suspect this is the first book in a series due to the way it was ended. Still, it can stand on its own.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Avon Books for allowing me to have a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Captivatingly dark and twisted, exactly how a great crime thriller should be. Really loved this one, and the audiobook production was fantastic. Highly Recommend! 5 stars.
Casey Kelleher

I always dread writing a negative review after reading an ARC.
However, I do feel I need to be honest and to me reading The Serial Killer's Wife was quite a struggle.

One of my main issues with the story was the pacing. The first half of the book was such a slow burn. Tom Hardcastle is arrested for involvement in the disappearance and possible murder of a former girlfriend. leaving his wife in shock and serious distress. Beth has a hard time coping with the situation but instead of supporting her husband she is more occupied with what the villagers might think of the allegations against her husband. I kept waiting for the story to pick up some speed but it seemed ages before any significant plot development took place.
Another thing that annoyed me were the characters in the story. None of them seemed very genuine and I didn't connect with any of them. Main character Beth came across as very self-absorbed right from the start, I didn't like her at all.
The flashbacks that are woven through the story made it more interesting but overall the story just was'nt gripping enough for me and I found it hard to keep my attention.

Nevertheless I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This isn't your usual 'serial killer' story; there isn't the plethora of bodies or frightening scenes of murder and mayhem but what it is is a surprisingly enthralling story that builds in tension and ends in an extremely, but strangely, satisfying way.

Alice Hunter has created a story that focusses on the wife of the suspected killer and I quickly became engrossed in her inner turmoil as to whether her husband was innocent or guilty, how she coped with the press intrusion, the fingers of suspicion pointing at her (surely she should have known or suspected something?) all whilst trying to look after her young daughter, Poppy, and run a business.

The short chapters helped the story to move quickly along and you soon find yourself passing a few hours before you know it. The setting of a small village added to the claustrophobic feel to Beth's situation. There are twists along the way and although I guessed most of them, I enjoyed watching how it played out and developed.

All in all, a pretty good book and an author I will look out for in the future.

Thank you must go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

This book is well written with POV from both characters, which gave the story a strong timeline which was easy to follow. The story was interesting but the character were unlikable. I found it hard to keep going for this reason but did enjoy the plot.

A great thriller with twists and turns and a great ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was reading to the wee small hours.
Thank you Alice Hunter, Netgalley and Avon Books.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- That twist! 🙌🏻

Sometimes I can't think of a lot to say about a book other than I really enjoyed it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It was well written. Well paced. Had plenty of twists and turns. None of the characters were particularly likable, but that worked in the story's context. And that ending! Did not see that coming, so kudos to the author for catching me off guard. 🙌🏻

**ARV Via NetGalley**

I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller. This is a well written story where the characters bring the story to life. It pulled me in from the beginning and it kept me turning pages to the end. This is a great story about a husband and wife who might take til death do us part literally. Beth life is turned upside down in one night when the police show up and her husband is not home yet. Now life and things in her life as she knows it may or maynot be as she thinks. The characters are connectable and made the story entertaining to read. This is a fast paced story that kept me turning pages to the end. I highly recommend this book.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A grippingly chilling debut that had me utterly captivated from start to finish!
Exploring a story that prompts readers to wonder what actually happens behind closed doors, and just how much is shared between a husband and wife... the whole read was scarily believeable and thought-provoking, I was hooked!
The characters are excellently-written, and brilliantly developed as the plot slowly unravelled. The tension builds up at a growing pace as I was kept constantly guessing just how much and if Beth was involved. Certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.
And that twisty reveal?! Shocking! I did not see that coming!
A must-read! Can't wait for this author's future projects!