I finished this last night and my mind is still processing what I have just read! It was one of the more surreal books I have read that's for sure, but I think that the author has created a powerful story out of dark humour.
This book starts with a spotlight on the isolation the covid lockdowns bought, particularly to women experiencing domestic violence and the breaking points that are reached in these households. The story plays with a macabre humour however what stands out is that you can pinpoint when each of these women start to relinquish their own control back over their lives, and this probably explains why they seem to be able to deal with the deaths of their partners a lot easier than you may expect. I also appreciated the themes surrounding friendship and how four very different women bonding whilst supporting each other through their darkest hours. I would definitely recommend reading the authors notes first and foremost, as this explains the premise of the book and why it is written the way it is which helps you get your head around the storyline.
Overall, very powerful and important with a dash of dark humour.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, I did not want to put it down! Full of funny bits and sad bits as well, this book covers a number of emotions and I felt them all! The author had clearly done a lot of research and this came across through the story. The story covers 4 women through domestic violence and Covid, who all find themselves in the same situation. Although this book is dark humour, I also found it really though provoking and it had me thinking what I would do in the same situation.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

I started reading and didn’t stop until I reached the end. Brilliant, funny, thought provoking and also desperately sad, this book covers all emotions and sometimes all at the same time. As a teacher and librarian I have always strongly believed in the way good story telling can get a message across quickly and painlessly ( something essential in further education at times!).
Congratulations to Alexia Casale for not only knowing her subject inside out but in being able to write a very readable and entertaining novel. Thank you Netgalley et al for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Dark comedy at its finest. A very good tale of domestic violence and the women who fought back in self defence, banding together in support and with a shovel. I enjoyed the authors note explaining her research into different families and cultures. My only gripe is early on it's slightly jarring when flitting between characters and could have been demarcated a little better but it was quickly figured out and didn't really change my enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc.

This is a brilliant read, as it manages to cover the awfulness of domestic abuse in an accessible way and to add a touch of humour to the situation 4 very different women, with the same problem, find themselves in. I had to take this in small chunks, but thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Firstly I must commend the author on bringing attention to domestic violence and during covid.

This book attempts to bring awareness to the spike in domestic violence during Covid by using dark humour. The victims in this story accidentally kill their husbands in what most people would consider self defence but feel compelled to cover it up as they fear being separated from their children (of various ages) if sent to prison.

Whilst I commend the efforts of the author, this wasn’t a particularly an enjoyable read for me. I understood what they were doing and why but I just didn’t find it funny. I felt like some things just didn’t make sense, and other parts of the book dragged. I felt that there was too much detail on areas where it wasn’t needed e.g. the visit to the cliffs. The story started with each of the women’s perspectives and situations being shown in separate chapters then all of a sudden moved to purely the main character’s perspective only. I would have loved to hear more from Samira for example.

Also, I didn’t find the main character likeable- at all. I felt in areas that she was looking for fellow accomplices and pressuring the women to do what she wanted/felt was best.

However, it was almost laughable how concerned they were about social distancing when they were literally disposing of their husbands’ bodies.

Whilst the idea of the book excited me, sadly it missed the mark for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly really enjoyed this book! From the cover and the title I was expecting it to be more lighthearted and funny - the story was actually pretty dark and dealt with some serious topics like domestic abuse.
I loved the characters and the relationships between these women. They all felt different, individual and representive of the real world.
The plot is interesting - I’m not sure it’s a mystery as we are following these characters and seeing if they can get away with it.
My main issue is it felt quite unrealistic but I still really enjoyed reading it!

When I started to read this book, I hadn’t really expected the title to be quite so literal! Having never experienced domestic violence, I thought it might be difficult to relate to the situations, but every character is so different and defined, with just one thing linking them, that it was difficult not to feel empathy.
I loved the black humour in this novel and Sally, as the central character, was someone you’d love to have as a friend.
This book was a treat and I hope it’s read by men, as well as women.
Thank you to the publishers and to #netgalley. This is a definite recommendation.

Sally never meant to cave her husband's head in with a skillet. Or at least she didn't until suddenly, she did. When coincidence brings four strangers together, a surprising solidarity is formed. So can they find the best way to bury their husbands - and get away with it?

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I was attracted to this book by the title and the cover and was expecting a funny read. It wasn't as funny as expected but was still an interesting read. Four women all live with their abusive husbands when they each reach breaking point and accidentally kill them. They all end up finding one another during lockdown and work together to dispose of the bodies.
This book does a brilliant job of highlighting the increase in domestic abuse during lockdown. I found myself to be getting a bit bored midway but soldiered on and it picked up at the end. Quite enjoyed it, would recommend!

I struggled a bit with this book I just couldn't relate with any of the characters and they didn't feel real to me, they seemed to cope far too well with the situation in which they found themselves. I applaud the author for highlighting this important issue and empowering the women in the story but it was just very unrealistic for me. Saying that I would recommend to other readers and would look out for other books from this author. Thank you for allowing me to review.

Loved this. Although not in the same situation, it touched a nerve, of having to tiptoe around someone, trying to minimise disruption and protecting children. Really enjoyed it and a good book about female empowerment. It keeps you interested right to the end - although I have to say that the ending bit was not a shocker and was a little predictable. But very very enjoyable.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publishers, for approving my request to read this book!

I loved the premise of Best Way to Bury Your Husband and praise the author for raising awareness about domestic abuse, particularly during covid. The foreword and the end notes were particularly hitting.

The dark humour was funny and realistic. Nothing about the humour felt forced, it felt like it would be natural humour given the circumstances and I think that made it more enjoyable for me as there's nothing worse than an author trying to use dark humour purely for the sake of it.

Sadly though, this book just didn't hit the mark for me as I just couldn't connect with the characters. I know the book was trying to highlight different circumstances and situations, but I think I would have preferred less characters. That’s just a personally taste and I know others will enjoy having multiple characters.

While not for me, I will be reccomending this to friends & family.

Deliciously dark, witty and wicked. A must read for your list. The Best Way To Bury is a book you’ll see everywhere

The Best Way to Bury Your Husband is exactly what you would expect from the title but its also more than that. It is satire and a bit ridiculous but I feel like it does a good job of showing domestic violence and how it can differ across families. More than anything however this story is about finding people you care about and can rely on for anything!

This story takes place in lockdown during the Covid pandemic and it highlights how violence escalating during this time for women in abusive relationships. Now while it is an exaggerated and far fetched story it is based on real statistics and situations. Four women kill their husbands in a moment when they feel if they don't they themselves will be the victims. It was interesting to learn about the individual stories and women.

The plot was a bit silly at times and I feel like they coped a bit too well with their horrible tasks and we never really got enough detail on how they actually felt about it all. I also feel everything was a bit too easy and convienient in how they all managed to find and help each other. Its very unrealistic that they would all have lived in the same area, killed their husbands and run into each other doing something suspicious. Not too much really happened to challenge them or make it a bit more exciting.

I feel the author did what she set out to do and managed to create a fun book that heavily focuses on women coming together to help each other in the worst of situations. I did feel like the writing and storytelling wasn't great but I did like the meaning behind it and the characters stories.

Set in lockdown during the Covid Pandemic Sally lives with her abusive husband Jim. He is always controlling her, and it comes to a point when she can’t stand it no more, so she kills her husband with her Granny Skillet. She than meets three other women in the same situation and they all become friends. They all devise a plan to get rid of their husbands’ bodies, in such a clever way, so no one will point a finger at them.
I was attracted by this book from the cover and the title, and I thought this was going to be a hilarious read. I did find the premise of this story enjoyable but not so much funny though and I appreciated the author trying to highlight the abuse and violence behind closed doors during the pandemic. But with so many characters in it, for me personally found it a bit confusing and a bit farfetched in parts. But I did enjoy the twist at the end. 3.5 stars from me.

When I saw the title to this book it grabbed my attention straight away. Four women kill their husbands in self defence during the first covid lockdown after suffering domestic violence they all soon become friends and start a "club". Once you get past the parts where you read what the women have suffered which could be a trigger for some the book becomes a great dark comedy with some laugh out loud moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this!

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

Set in the first Covid lockdown in 2020, the story follows Sally, a wife terrified of her own husband, as she hits Jim over the head with Granny’s skillet. She then attempts to dispose of his body and meets several companions in similar situations along the way.

The quirky story is one of friendship, unintentional bonding and survival. Sally, stay at home mum of two grown up children gets to know her nosy neighbour Edwina, worried at first that Edwina will report her comings and goings, she develops a bond over a new found love of gardening but does Edwina have her own secrets?

Then there’s Ruth, trying to put her husbands body on a bonfire, Samira and Leila with Yafir “self isolating” (read - dead) in the garage and finally Janey, Sally’s oldest friend who after losing contact for many years rings up Sally in a panic after killing her husband, unbeknown to her Sally is currently hiding her own dead husband in cat litter!

Outlandish and unbelievable as the situation may seem, this is a hard-hitting, darkly humorous book following the Lockdown Ladies Burial Club in their new found freedom. Each lady has her own well-executed personality and story, each a different background and blows dealt by their partners. I particularly enjoyed Edwina’s character and the light relief she provided throughout the book and I was pleased to be proved right that she is harbouring her own secret.

I would highly recommend taking the time to read the Author’s Notes, powerful information behind the story, this was so many women’s reality during lockdown. Definitely a recommended read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

This book shows what was hidden during the covid pandemic. With doors shut, domestic violence was more invisible than ever. The book is full of darkness and humour intertwined with a time in our lives that feels so alien when reading it.

Sally finds herself in her kitchen with her dead husband lying face down on the floor and her grandmother's old skillet covered in blood. Of course, Sally never meant to kill her husband but she's also not the only one in town who is being pushed to such measures.

Something that kept me coming back to this book was that it reflects reality in such a way that it doesn't seem completely implausible. The book is set during the lockdown in the UK, which would still be fresh in the minds of readers. The emphasis on social distancing, an hour of exercise and social bubbles was done perfectly; it was mentioned throughout the book but not exaggerated to the point that you would find it unrealistic. The overarching themes of abusive relationships, domestic violence and femicide were touched just enough that you couldn't forget that this story was not complete fantasy but it also wasn't so heavy that you had to keep putting the book down for a breather.

I initially thought that this would be a heavy book to read and that I would have to pace myself but once I started it, I found it difficult to put down. I constantly wanted to know what would happen next. The stakes are so high and I was rooting for the women.

Despite the serious nature of the storyline, there are some comedic elements sprinkled in such as when Sally answers the door with a fork full of cake as a form of rebellion against her recently-dead husband in the beginning of the book. I really enjoyed reading about how the women decided to pull off their plan and the ways that they made sure to cover their tracks.

Read this if you enjoy movies like 'Knives Out' and 'Promising Young Woman'.

Okay I loved this, so different and empowering

A few formatting errors in the text but I’m sure they’ll be caught before publication

One thing I will say is the author realllyyy seemed to have a hyper fixation on the word “desiccation” which I would recommend reducing for sure…

But other than this it was brilliant. Great ending.