I really enjoyed this book.

It was a great holiday read and whilst it covered some very dark and intense topics it was such a funny read too.

The author got a good balance of light heartedness and seriousness.

It was a little obvious, I guessed about the cherry tree! But overall a wonderful read.

I was drawn to the title of this book, and so glad that I read it as I absolutely enjoyed this book.

The subject matter of this book is very important, and it was interesting to focus in on this particular (and horrific) aspect of the pandemic, as well as it being something that some women deal with daily. Due to this, I did find this book to be quite bleak, in all honesty, especially the first half. It took quite a long time to get started, and was a little confusing due to the multiple narratives happening at the same time. It also hinged on quite a significant coincidence which I did feel slightly undermined the horror that the women were experiencing (though this is explained in the excellent notes at the end of the book). I also felt that the solution to their joint issue was incredibly farfetched, though I did enjoy the slight twist at the very end. I think the book was at its strongest when all the women were together, and it was very readable. The black comedy did shine through sometimes, and did well to undercut the awfulness, but the fact that it was so easy to pick holes in the plot was distracting to me.

This was an unexpected heartwarmer! I knew it was a dark comedy- hinting at the dark truths of lockdown. Domestic violence was massively impacted by lockdown and so many more women became victims. This book addresses this and them a way of fighting back. A comical tale about four women who each carry a dark secret.

Thank you for this advanced copy. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to recommend to my friends. Am eager to see what this author releases next!

As the author notes, in the UK a woman is killed by a man every three days and yet DV is still in the shadows.

This darkly funny and yet ultimately hopefully book pulls back the curtain on what is the violent reality for many women. Set in the midst of COVID, Casale captures the isolation and danger of lockdowns for victims of DV..

This is a page-turning, warming tale of female friendship and solidarity. Unusual and brilliant. Loved every word.

When I saw this book I was drawn in by the cover and synopsis. There seems to be a lot books about his subject about I wasn’t sure how this one would sit among them, the covid lockdown angle made me more interested. I was concerned that there may too many books around women taking revenge on violent men so much that the point the authors are making gets lost so I was interested to see how this book played out. Was delighted to be given the chance to read this thank you for the ARC.

This is one powerful book.

First off this is very, very clever way of highlighting an horrific reality by using dark humour. It is lighter read than some of books in the same genre but makes a dark point and makes you think long after reading. I have found of the lighter books in this genre fail to really make the important points and the darker ones are hard read this book found the perfect balance. Considering the subject matter, this was on the whole a pleasure to read. It was very reminiscent of The Thursday Murder Club books, of which I am a big fan.
It is full of dark humour which is employed skillfully to strike a great balance throughout and give some respite from the heavy subject matter. It also raises some really pertinent moral questions which I found interesting to think over while reading.

The story is told from Sally’s POV in main, with flashbacks to her life we see her develop as the story goes on into a the woman she should have been before she got trapped in a marriage with a abuser. The process of Sally understanding she was’t to blame and healing throughout the novel was so moving.

The other members of the Lockdown Ladies are great also and highlight how domestic violence doesn’t affect one type of women but in fact affects any woman there is no discrimination with it. I really appreciated the inclusive representation of characters, effectively showing how violence committed by men is not limited to certain cultures, ages, backgrounds or religions.

I also liked how each woman battled their own thoughts and feelings about killing their husbands and the aftermath. I in particular found Janet’s story interesting as she had the reaction to experiencing DV that many have utter shock she was in that situation. Like many I have always been set in the mindset - why don't they just leave? Surely, you wouldn't stay there. Janey had these feelings too .This book has opened my eyes to the true complexities of domestic violence. This book doesn't try to glorify domestic violence but instead it engages the reader through extremely clever dark comedy and reminds the reader of what is happening out there though the stories of these women.

However as the story is mainly from Sally’s POV, I felt we didn’t get to know the other women in the ‘Lockdown Ladies Burial Club’ as well. I do feel that, other than Sally, the characters lacked a little bit of fleshing out and it would have been great to learn more about their lives and how their experiences shaped them as people. Especially given that there was great cultural diversity, which was explored to some extent, but could definitely have been more.

To me, Sally read a lot older that she was meant to be, like a retiree Thursday Murder Club character - didn’t mind this though! In fact I quite liked it, I loved her talking to her plants. She was great main character.

The themes of found friendship/family are strong here and it was empowering to see the development of the Lockdown Ladies' Burial Club and their relationships strengthening as they plotted to dispose of their respective abusers. This part was a joy to read, the power the gave each other was amazing. I loved the references to the woman’s right historical battles. I adored the use of one of the best sayings “ Courage calls to courage everywhere, and its voice cannot be denied” such a true saying and here it is used perfectly these woman bring each other on and build themselves up by making each other brave and powerful.

There are some great one liners in the book that really make you think, the mediocrity of men being one there is nothing quite like the confidence of a middle mediocre white man it is like they have been taught from a young age they are special just for being male and when the reality hits home they are in fact just average they can’t cope then it’s a woman job to apologise and make up for that. I hope that society has started to take note that this creates a toxic culture that means we will always have male violence against woman. I take hope the fact the recent Barbie movie highlights this and shows girls and boys a different way where we can all try to support each other in more equal footing I would hope that change of mindset would make a real difference in the horrific number of DV cases we see.

Violence against women and girls increased astronomically during the covid pandemic lockdown. The book is inspired by the author’s experience supporting victims of domestic abuse and uses humour to increase awareness of the issue. Using lockdown within this book was really smart and it let the author get away with some questionable moments that otherwise would have seemed unbelievable. I think this is the perfect time for a book set during lockdown - it’s just long enough now to laugh about what a weird time it was. The references cracked me up, particularly the use of a husband’s body to ensure 2m social distancing. Edwina the local lockdown enforcer was hilarious! I loved her! Yeah the plot is a bit mad but it works just put aside any sense of rules and reality with regards to police procedure and the like.

I thought the novel’s pacing was good; it’s not a heart-racing thriller but still a page-turner. There is a tiny twist at the end, which I did see coming I would have liked this to explored a lot more for a deeper emotional impact. Even just a wee chapter with a flashback would have been enough I felt it would have highlighted the fact DV isn’t a new thing but the sad truth it has been going on for years and years.

The author’s end note is so powerful.
I actually think the most important part to this book is not the incredibly quick wit, the strong plot or the deep complex characters is fact this end note. These are so clever and give real context to the darkly sad humorous plot . People refuse to talk about these issues but Casale is so intelligent. She uses this inconceivable idea to bring people's attention to things that just aren't discussed. Casale's background has helped her delve into the thoughts and motives by all the characters involved. She has presented this in such way that it’s accessible for everyone to read and understand the issues she raising. Very smart writing.

This book deserves all the glory it is going to receive in March 2024. It is one of the best NetGalley ARC’s I’ve read. I have thought about long after reading and had lots of conversations about it.

I'm going to leave this review on a quote that is inside the author's note: on average, a woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK. If that doesn’t make you think nothing will. BE THE CHANGE!!!!

Ps- when you read this you will find a very interesting use for cat litter I just want to state to the DPD delivery people who deliver my bulk cat litter order who may read this book there is nothing sinister going on I just buy in bulk for convince and the loyalty rewards plus my cat is a poop machine….we disposed of the toxic men in our life long before any lockdown and cat litter wasn’t needed!!! Just some courage calling courage and deeds not words.

This novel follows Sally, a woman who is in an abusive relationship. From the moment I met Sally, I immediately had sympathy for her situation and was rooting for her to escape it as quickly as possible. The initial line of the novel made it very clear that she had already done just that, and we follow her journey all the way from the very start of the crime, until the very end.

It soon conspires that Sally is not the first woman to have this idea, and the women join together in a female power group like no other.

I really enjoyed every aspect about this book and the comical element to the otherwise quite emotionally-draining context worked superbly. I think it added a new depth to the topic and allowed us as readers to see really the thoughts and emotions behind situations.

A most enjoyable read of dark humour. Very funny although set in a background of domestic violence,
Brilliant.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Gristly and engrossing, this is quite literally a book that kept me up all night. Making murder comical is tough, and at times, I did wonder if the narrative was too flippant for the subject matter, but HOW TO BURY YOUR HUSBAND is a page-turning and hugely enjoyable read. If you’re like me and are avoiding any books that mention COVID like the plague (because who needs to relive that trauma?), persevere with this, it’s 100% worth it for the twist at the end.

This book is unlike anything I would normally read, and yet it has totally opened my eyes to a new type of book.

This novel follows Sally, a woman who is in an abusive relationship. From the moment I met Sally, I immediately had sympathy for her situation and was rooting for her to escape it as quickly as possible. The initial line of the novel made it very clear that she had already done just that, and we follow her journey all the way from the very start of the crime, until the very end.

It soon conspires that Sally is not the first woman to have this idea, and the women join together in a female power group like no other.

I really enjoyed every aspect about this book and the comical element to the otherwise quite emotionally-draining context worked superbly. I think it added a new depth to the topic and allowed us as readers to see really the thoughts and emotions behind situations.

I loved this book. Deals with serious issues in a darkly comic way while extoling the virtues of friendship and kindness. Loved the twist at the end. Definitely a must read!

I feels odd to say that I absolutely loved a book about domestic violence, and yet, I did absolutely love this book about domestic violence. It also pulls off the rare feat of being set in the pandemic without feeling overpowered by the setting, and it manages to be a light read despite all of the above. This is masterful writing! This will appeal to fans of Jesse Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties series, and I loved it.

How to get away with murder with a thursday murder club-esque twist

This is a book about murder, except you will feel absolutely zero sympathy for the four ‘victims’ who are rotting in their lockdowned homes.

We start off Sally who has just clubbed her husband to death with her grandmother’s skillet, oops? well considering Sally’s husband has been escalating his years of emotional abuse into physical extremes like pouring kettle water over her arms and hands im finding it hard to feel sorry for the man now bleeding out on the floor.

All across town other women are being pushed to their limits, under pressure from the limits of the lockdown and the stress of living under threat. Now they have a similar problem, four bodies and nowhere to hide.

This book is such a delight, it’s brutal, strikingly honest and it confronts our unwillingness to talk about the reality of domestic abuse with a dose of humour and humility. Its real pain cast in this dramatic fictional scene where an odd little friendship group forms from a gory new hobby.

I’m buying this book for everyone I know, men and women alike. Although I think my married friends will find particular relish in the details of this female-fuelled fantasy.

The lockdown setting makes the scenes claustrophobic and insular but Casale innovative side steps all obstacles and the cast of characters slowly figure out their master plan.

On average a woman is killed by a man every three days in the uk.

During the lockdown 67% of victims told Women’s aid that the abuse they were suffering escalated and 72% said their abuser was able to exert more control over them during lockdown.

This book is essential, it’s provoking, it’s bloody and brilliant!

***TRIGGER WARNING: Domestic Violence***
If you liked, “How to Kill Your Family: a Novel” by Bella Mackie, you will love this. It’s tough to read at times, but the leading characters are brilliant. I loved the twists and turns of this story. The entire book was a pleasure to read. I saw the final twist coming a mile away, but it didn’t ruin anything for me at all.
Overall, a great book. Well done Alexia Castale.

It is no easy feat for any author to tackle the sensitive topic of domestic abuse. However, I am pleased to report that Casale has executed this task flawlessly, providing her own unique take on the subject matter. With the added element of lockdown, this story feels all the more real, though it may be triggering for some readers.

The author's writing style flows effortlessly, and as Sally's story unfolds, it is fascinating to watch her support network grow. The plot is multi-layered, with unexpected twists that I did not anticipate!

Despite the serious nature of the story, Casale manages to incorporate humour into her writing, making it a truly enjoyable read. I am eager to read more from her in the future.

This book is without a doubt a well-deserved five-star read for 2024!

Set during the pandemic, this book had quite dark humour and some quite serious themes. I was often giggling along with the characters, and I really enjoyed this book as it was out of my comfort zone with genres. I really enjoyed that this book dealt with themes such as domestic abuse, and liked that humour was used to uplift the mood and make it more comfortable. I feel like the ending was quite predictable, but it didn’t take away from the book itself. The pacing was good, and I think I’d enjoy reading other books from this author.

I read this in one sitting on holiday, and thought it was great. I thought it was great! 5 women who are brought together during a lockdown, for a worrying reason. They're all being locked down with their abusers during lockdown and have finally cracked and...well, killed them, but...then what? How do they cover their tracks? A tense book, wondering if or when their murders will be revealed but also, a tale of how much female friendship will withstand and how far they'll go to protect each other. I DID see a twist coming but loved this regardless. Humorous and dark in one!

Casale has hit the sweet spot with this one - it's amusing enough to be popular with the general mystery reader, but serious enough to highlight the everyday torture a large percentage of our population goes through. I hope it's as successful as it deserves.
I'm giving 4 stars because the subject merit deserves it, but the writing is more of a 3 in reality. That's not to say that it's bad, at all, more that it reads like it is: a slightly artificial construct designed to make a point. The relationships between the women don't ring true, and a lot of the details ( sequence of events/reactions) stretch belief, but the author still manages to skirt that very fine line between humour and deadly gravity. I think books that broach these topics with humour are far more likely to reach the necessary wider audience, so well done to Casale, l'll definitely be recommending it to my patrons.
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

super dark comedy that I really enjoyed - I will be now be paying attention to what Alexa Casale does next!