This book is definitely a keeper, as someone who actually quite enjoyed the COVID lockdowns the topic made me stop and think.

It made me laugh, made me cry, the relationships that were forged through adversity were well thought out and described. Especially between Sally and Edwina, have to say I did have an inkling of how that whole plot point turned out. Didn't make the book any less enjoyable though.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

4* A British tale that works because it's somehow plausible, and without the convoluted wackyness of a suburbian American version that's almost imaginable on the small screen, with all the Housewives Of... series that abound.


This book is hard to describe and almost surreal, but it's also not, when you consider what the females had to contend with with the spouses that they had, especially during 2020 lockdown. I pretty much empathised with them all, but as an Asian born and brought up here, I didn't understand why the Muslim females didn't speak up for themselves more. I mean, one of the daughters balked at talk of an arranged marriage, but the emancipated-in-some-ways-compared-to-some mother was just too lacking in action until she did what she did, which kind of didn't gel as much as the other deaths did. I'd have loved to see this book as a miniseries, because it is LOL in some parts, and tragic in others, and then you have the absolute KICKER of an ending that I hadn't seen coming. In hindsight, yes, I missed stuff because of the differing POVS and the back-and-forth and at times, eye rolling that was required, but it was a decent tale and at the end, it had me wishing that my immigrant mum, a victim of DA for many, many years, had had these females around her. Perhaps her life, and mine, would've been less...damaged.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin UK, for my reading pleasure.

I couldn’t give this book any less than five stars! I tore through it in 24hrs and the premise will be one I think about often for a long time to come.

While the plot is decidedly grim (a group of woman brought together after they kill their husbands) it is also absolutely hilarious. The dialogue and quips between the women were so funny and the bond that grows between them was heartwarming.

As someone who experienced the Covid Lockdown in relative peace (I’m aware of what a privilege that is) it was quite shocking to read through the statistics of domestic violence and homicide at the end of the novel. So while this book will stay with me for the characters and witty banter, it’s given me a lot to think about on a much deeper level too.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Penguin for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

A well written book with some great characters. Didn't find it remotely funny, darkly or otherwise. Quite a harrowing read at times but an important topic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I feel like I need a bit more time to digest this one.
Some parts were slow, but on the whole, a different, enjoyable read.
I can't deny it's made me think more about domestic violence and homicide, but then my opinions have been up and down like a yo-yo.

Likeable characters, the female ones, a few laughs along the way but also a few confusing bits. The bit in the cave just seemed to creep up on me.

Loved the relationship between Sally and Edwina - saw the last bit coming,.
but it was welcome.

The concept of this book is brilliant, and the intent behind it is incredibly impactful, because it’s highlighting a really important issue, however, the execution wasn’t without its faults.

Sally has been suffering domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, something which has been even more isolating due to the constrictions placed on the world because of Covid. It’s not as if she meant to cave his head in with the skillet, she just sort of snapped and suddenly it was done. What else do you expect from a woman at breaking point? But what happens now? Surely, she is in this situation completely alone? Or might she find some help in the unlikeliest of places.

What I found the most irritating is that the novel initially is written from different points of view. This meant we were getting the thoughts and feelings of the four main women in the story. However, later it switched to just Sally’s point of view, and that’s when it became a little more stagnant and formulaic. I think if it continued being a split narrative, it would have been stronger as some of the other characters had more to say.

Although humorous at times, it also fell flat on occasions and I felt that it dragged somewhat. There was also a section of the book which seemed very out of place and went on for way too long without making much sense. Plot holes became bigger and the situation became unbelievable to the point where it ruined what was such a solid start.

I was left saddened that this wasn’t better.

This is a book of 4 victims of domestic abuse who fight back, either accidentally or planned. When they find themselves coming together, they have to come up with a plan to bury their husbands and literally get away with murder.
I found a lot of this book repetitive and slow moving. The actual scheme was very fast paced but I did enjoy the pace and storyline of the ending, despite predicting it.

This is a tough one and not for everyone. Darkly funny and highly readable, Alexia Casale touches on the dark and common issue of domestic violence, set during lockdown, this novel is dark and real just what I like.

Absolutely brilliant story which offers you laughter as well as tears! This captured me in from start to finish and I thought it was fabulous!

Book Review:
The Best Way To Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale
Published 14 March 2024, Viking Books UK

Synopsis:
'Maybe if I do enough weird stuff in the run-up, no one will suspect a thing when I move into the body-disposal phase of my life as a secret widow.'

Sometimes, a woman has to take matters into her own hands . . .

Sally never meant to cave her husband's head in with a skillet. Or at least she didn't until suddenly, she did.
But Sally isn't the only woman in town being pushed to breaking point. When coincidence brings four strangers together, a surprising solidarity is formed.

Review:
This darkly comedic, absorbing novel turns domestic violence, a subject the author is well versed in, on its head.
Stuck with their abusive husband in the Covid-19 lockdown, Sally, Janey, Samira and Ruth defend themselves in the ultimate way. Their characters are endearing, their husband are most definitely not. Their story is so gripping, it's a book to read in one sitting!

Whatever your knowledge of domestic violence, I urge you to read the author's notes at the end of this book. As a side note, having worked at a women's refuge and as a domestic violence survivor myself, this work of fiction is superbly written and deserves plaudits.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my unbiased review. Thanks to Alexia Casale, Viking Books & Netgalley
#BookReview #BuryYourHusband #AlexiaCasale #NetGalley

I really don’t know how I feel about this one as it has me torn two ways. First off, I love a good feminist read, full of strong women learning who they are and developing into great characters. But. I couldn’t get on board with the killing side of this, it just doesn’t sit right with me to glorify murdering your husband and trying to cover it up. I get the stories behind the murders were down to each woman finally snapping after years of abuse, but it just felt ridiculous for them all to randomly meet and then start plotting how to get away with it all. I wanted the men to face justice, be shown for what they really were…not simply vanish. It didn’t feel like it was commending domestic abuse survivors in a positive way at all, in fact it took any sympathy and made me dislike them. The only one I really liked was the curtain twitcher!

A strange juxtaposition of an awful time in our recent history and the escalation of domestic violence seen as a result and the humorous way in which the story is told.
The situation is well described (I suspect we all had a curtain twitching, disapproving neighbour, clocking people in and out of their hour of exercise) and the heightened fear of discovery alongside the seeming nonchalance of Sally and her problematic parcel is very well written.
I loved the chance meeting of the women who all find themselves in the same situation and their bonkers efforts to deal with the problem!
A really enjoyable read, despite the dark undertones.

Really enjoyed this. A sharp social commentary on violence against women and girls. It was surprisingly humorous despite the dark subject matter. I particularly liked Sally and her reaction to caving her husband's head in with a skillet after years of abuse. Definitely recommend.

I think this book told such an important message despite its dark comedic undertones!
I absolutely ADORED the little lockdown girls group, I thought each and every female in this book was incredible and so so brave. The topic had clearly been extensively researched by the author and the authors note at the end confirmed that.
Every 3 days in the UK a woman is killed by a man. This book took that fact and flipped it to create a darkly funny story yet still portrayed the real life horrors many people face. It also explored the knock on effect abuse has on loved ones.
Incredible.

3.5 rounded up to 4!
This book tackles a very serious and prevalent issue, in particular looking at domestic abuse during the pandemic lockdown. You would think that, as a result, it would be a heavy read but it really wasn't. It shone a light on the topic in a way that was digestible but in no way making light of domestic violence. At its core, this is really a story of female friendship, perseverance, and second chances. It has its fair share of comical and heartbreaking moments along with some really anxiety-inducing sections.
I felt like the first half dragged a little, it did take me a bit to get into it but then the second half flew. Some parts were predictable but that's okay because it didn't really hinder my enjoyable. I would've liked to feel more connected to the characters. However, overall it was an entertaining read and it draws attention to a very serious issue,. Author's Note at the end is a must read, it's heartbreaking but incredibly important.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 4*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 5*
Humour: 4*

This was picked for me by chosing a prompt out of my TBR jar and selecting 'a book with an intreguing blurb' and this blurb was brilliant!
The story was full of humour, and mayhem, and slapstick style scenarios, but if you take this with a pinch of salt you should see the story for the fun it is. Yes theres mad inconsistencies in the plot, but you can ignore them easily and just enjoy the story.
This all being said, the underlying theme of domestic violence, especially during lockdown is an important topic that should be discussed. The pages at the end of the book are a startling read but I hope if you pick this up you read through the studies and stats.
Overall an excellent quick paced comedic thriller that should be enjoyable for fans of the sweatpea series and Bella Mackie's How To Kill Your Family. OUT MARCH 2024

This was so sad, the stats on women’s abuse don’t tell the stories of the women, the bruises, the burns and breaks and the mental abuse that they go through. The four women are all badly treated and scared and somehow find power and act. The book is heroic, there is silliness, laughter and a bit of hysteria but ultimately there is hope amongst it all. Hope in the flowers that are grown from the putrid end of lives of the dead husbands.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
I’ve seen this marketed as a black comedy, which I don’t really think is quite right - there is humour, yes, but this book is more than that. This isn’t along the same lines as Kill Your Family, or How to Kill Men & Get Away With It - it’s about sisterhood, domestic violence and coming together in times of serious need.
I enjoyed the book, if that’s the right terminology for it, the story bobs along nicely and there’s enough danger to keep the reader wondering (and hoping) about what might happen next.

5 Stars

This is a dark comedy novel about four women coming together after killing their husbands during lockdown. This has become a genre of storytelling that I have really enjoyed and this might be one of the best I have read this year. I highly recommend.

This is not a mystery, but a 'will they get away with it' plot with multiple complex, yet ordinary women who are taking back control of their lives. The story does contain multiple perspectives but we mainly hear from Sally. I loved all the women in this book (my favourite being Edwina - we all know an Edwina) and you can not help but root for them every step of the way and want them to succeed. This book's humour is dark and is done very well especially at making you laugh when you know you shouldn't.

But while this book had me laughing, it would also bring me back to reality within a single chapter.

You as the reader will experience so much more with these characters, the author takes us through their grief, their guilt, their courage and their hope. We hear about the complexities of their relationships, not only with their abusive husbands but with friends and family and gives us an insight to how complicated domestic abuse is and how many in these situations can not "just leave" and on top of this, this is all happening during lockdown. which we now know led to escalated abuse and made it easier for abusers to control and get away with their abuse.

The author states that the main reason she wrote this book was to "attempt to use humour to cut through peoples reluctance to engage" and through fiction highlight what is a reality for many women and girls. As the author says themselves "if the victims were female, this wouldn't be a satirical 'could never happen' black comedy. It would be reality - it is a reality. A woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK, and many thousands more are victims of violence and abuse."

I wholeheartedly think the author achieved this and therefore I cannot rate it anything but 5 stars. I obviously highly recommend this fun, thought-provoking book, but I also recommend reading the authors foreword and authors note to engage fully with this book and its subject matter.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

On the surface this black comedy touches a nerve, but I think it also highlights an incredibly important issue that affects so many people.

A small group of women are struggling even more than usual with their husbands during lockdown and, one by one, they each have a body to dispose of.

They become friends and have to come up with an elaborate plan to make sure their husbands are treated as missing. Their relationship is wholesome and even Edwina, the nosey neighbour and stickler for COVID rules, is likeable.

I predicated the ending, but thoroughly enjoyed the novel and can only give it the full 5 stars. I can honestly see it becoming a film, which is something I would definitely want to see.