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!

As a fan of a good crime book I couldn’t resist this title – but the book that awaited me far exceeded my expectations. From the outset it was clear that The Best Way to Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale would expertly balance humour and darkness.

The book sees four women trapped in abusive relationships, with the added strain of lockdown each one snaps and kills their partner. The topic is treated with such dignity and respect from the beginning. We see four experiences each of which are very different, but it puts the power in the hands of the women and brings them together in a really beautiful way.

Humour is at the core of this book and even though, on paper, that may seem like it would trivialise the topic it actually feels more empowering. In their darkest moments, our protagonists find light and freedom. I loved every second of their journey in discovering themselves and by the end of the book, you truly do love each of the characters.

The criminal parts of this was brilliant. The way they puzzled out how to get away with murder was genius and I was rooting for them the whole way through. The dynamics of the group brought enough tension to keep it entertaining and bring the humorous side to it as well. You’re kept guessing and will find yourself also pondering the best ways to get away with murder.

This was such a surprising read in so many ways, but beautifully empowering. Funny, tense and poignant – I highly recommend giving this one a go. It doesn’t matter if ‘crime’ isn’t usually your thing; this book defies genre. Undoubtedly one of my favourites of the year, this is well worth giving a go.

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking and Alexia Casale for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This was a brilliantly hilarious yet eye-opening novel that I am incredibly glad I read! As the author herself says in the postscript of the novel, the main reason that this book is amusing to read is because it feels like an impossible situation to happen in real life - four women within a five-mile block radius of each other all accidentally murdering their husbands. Yet if it were the other way around, and four men had murdered their wives, then nobody would be laughing since that is such a horrifyingly common occurrence. The characters in the book were well-developed and diverse, coming from multiple different walks of life with different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, etc. Edwina, especially, was my favourite and even though her ending, in particular, was somewhat obvious, it didn't make it any less hilarious when it finally happened on the final few pages. This book is a perfect blend of satire and realism and even though it's a funny, light-hearted read, it will make you think at the end of it about the current domestic violence situation in the world we live in, as well as just how terribly the covid-19 pandemic affected real women everywhere.

The best way to bury your husband by Alexi Casale is a wickedly amusing yet topical read, telling the stories of four women dealing with the repercussions of surviving domestic abuse.
I really enjoyed the found friendships in this novel, and how each character was well rounded and had their own strengths. The plot was strong, and very well written, if slightly predictable at times. However, it is one that I would recommend for women of all ages as the message of surviving abuse is unfortunately not something discussed enough today, although probably best not to kill your husband!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Alexi Casale and Penguin publishing for the fantastic opportunity to read this book- would definitely recommend giving it a read when it comes out!

I loved this book, mainly because of the writing style, but also because it raises issues which are serious and relevant, especially in the COVID lockdown period. Sally is married to JIm and has suffered physical and emotional abuse for the majority of her married life. When she accidently kills him with a skillet when he strats to abuse her because his tea was not the right shade , her reaction is unexpected. She then comes into contact with other women in the same predicament . Together they devise a plan to deal with the situation.
This is mostly a story of female friendship, the women who have been abused by their husbands have reduced social contacts with others and their husbands are controlling most aspects of their lives which in the restraints of lockdown restrictions and working from home means that they are imprisoned.
Sally is able to see humour at times in her situation and as the women get to know each other, they too have dark humorous times as well as hope when dealing with their predicaments and making plans for the future. Although the underlying reasons are fairly horrific, the message that abuse affects people from different walks of life is clear .
Thanks to NEt Galley for a great read in exchange for an honest review

I get what the author was trying to do but it did not work for me at all. The characters were not well developed, it was predictable and was not an enjoyable read for me.

I think the subject matter is pertinent though. I appreciated that the author’s note gave some important context and background to this story.

A good book bring attention to a serious topic. Dark and humorous at the same time . I enjoyed the story which wove the characters together very well . An enjoyable read would recommend.

My first book by the author, and I did get some funny looks from my husband when I was reading it! This is a deliciously dark story where we meet Sally who has just killed her abusive husband with her favourite pan! She struggles to work out what to do with his body until she meets four other women who are in similar situations!

I loved this book! It's set in pandemic times and we get to relive the shopping queues, social distancing and daily walks through the book's characters. The story is told from Sally's perspective mainly, but we do get to hear from the other women as well. It's a very dark story and does feature some trigger points of domestic violence, arranged marriages and of course murder, but it shouldn't be taken too seriously with some great dark comedy throughout! I guiltily chuckled my way through their stories, laughing at the situation the women found themselves in!

I have to admit I did guess where the story was going quite early on, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. The book had me hanging onto it's every word, and I turned the pages quickly to finish it! I loved the ending and thought it rounded off their stories perfectly! Would definitely recommend!

wasn’t sure what I was going to think of this at first but I didn’t want to put it down! There were times I was shouting at my kindle. I really enjoyed this, abit of a reality hits kinda book especially when you get to the end.

A book about 4 women who have been abused most of their lives, finally find an escape and a very successful one at that.

Would recommend this!

This is the story of an unlikely group of friends, brought together by tragedy, panic and fear and kept together with trust, support, understanding and sisterhood.

This is an incredibly important story, one that has needed to be told for a long time in my opinion, and having been a victim of domestic abuse multiple times I feel this was written in such a considerate way. Despite the subject matter being quite heavy, the humour that Casale infuses into the pages of this book makes it easier to stomach.
For survivors of DA this may be a little difficult at certain parts but it is so worth sticking it out. For those who have not been through DA, this book is absolutely for you, and I would beg you to read it to understand why women stay. It must be remembered that the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship, the part where the woman is most likely to become a murder victim at the hands of her partner is when she is leaving or has left the perpetrator.

The characters in this book are written so well and each has a very distinct personality, even down to a couple of potted pansies, and keep an eye out for the nosy neighbour!

My only teeny, tiny criticism is that there were some parts that were added in to build tension that fell slightly flat as it was clear what was coming next, but that did not dampen the reading experience at all! This is a solid 5 star recommendation for me - fantastic and important topic backed with skillful writing and a wealth of knowledge from Alexia Casale. One I'll be recommending for a long time to come.

I absolutely loved this book! Surprisingly an easy read despite the theme of domestic abuse throughout the book, until the hard hitting statistics at the end. I think the author really nailed bringing some humour to some dire subjects. I found the characters so likeable and I was really rooting for them the whole way through. I’ve really looked forward to reading this each evening - thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advanced copy. Definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed this, and found it difficult to put down - always a good sign!

This is an entertaining read about a dark subject, told with a lot of dark humour. I was really rooting for these women, even though the main character grated on me occasionally.

Of course, this is a book about domestic violence and controlling, abusive relationships - so I did find some parts triggering and uncomfortable to read. However, it was dealt with sensitively and I really appreciated the author’s note detailing her research and reasons for why she felt this was an important story to tell.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Although the premise of this book was a dark comedy set during the covid pandemic, the underlying subject is surviving domestic abuse.
The story centres around 4 wives who accidentally kill their husbands after reaching breaking point.
They cross paths quite by chance and as their friendship grows, they find the strength and courage to come up with a plot to bury their husbands and get away with murder.
The topic of domestic abuse was handled with sensitivity and there were lots of funny moments too. The plot was slightly far fetched but I liked the ending.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Premise:
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.

Would recommend for fans of:
• thursday murder club series
• how to kill men and get away with it
• dial a for aunties

Review:
Obviously there is an underlying serious topic to the book, but I thought the dark British humour worked really well.

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!

As the story is from Sally’s POV, I felt we didn’t get to know the other women in the ‘Lockdown Ladies Burial Club’ as well. 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!

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.

The process of Sally understanding she was’t to blame and healing throughout the novel was so moving. The author’s note is so powerful. I thought the novel’s pacing was good; it’s not a heart-racing thriller but still a page-turner.

I found the minor twist at the end of the book immediately predictable but it was still a satisfying conclusion! I’m not sure about the very last line of the book, maybe a bit cheesy and abrupt.

My only other comment would be to consider whether the tagline on the cover / blurb gives too much away early on - we know that four women will kill their husbands from the outset, then form the ‘Lockdown Ladies Burial Club’. However, this last women only joins at 40% through the book, so you’re kind of waiting for a little twist or just waiting for this to happen.

Verdict:
A great book bringing attention to an important subject in a darkly humorous way.

TW: domestic abuse/violence, covid/lockdown, murder (self-defence)

Loved the premise of this, and enjoyed the dark humour element of the story. It deals with an incredibly important topic, domestic abuse set during covid which gives the topic an even more sinister edge due to the isolation many women were feeling around this time.

My issue is I don’t feel it was executed very well, I felt nothing for the characters. There were too many and as such neither of them were well rounded, most of their personalities were glib, so I just found the events unbelievable and couldn’t really connect.

Well written however and anyone who enjoys dark comedy may be more of a fan than I was.

book about domestic violence being read by someone who has been through it? Not normally a good idea. But I laughed, I felt their shame and pain and sometimes I was a bit triggered but the dark humour was so worth it. Believable characters which brought the story to life. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book wasn’t for me sadly. I found it difficult to get into and wasn’t my typical type of read.

I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this so it will definitely appeal to other audiences!

Maybe as a man I shouldn't have liked this book? I didn't like it, I LOVED it. Domestic violence is a subject very close to my heart as there is history of it in my family and working as a mental health therapist its something that often comes into my private practice. The characters were very well written and I love the way the story comes together and the club forms.
Although, a very serious subject, there are parts that are also light hearted and some laugh out loud moments. There is also a good twist to the tale. I'd urge you to read to the very end where the shocking facts about domestic violence are given. So many people must have felt trapped with their aggressor during lockdown.
This book is a true triumph!

A timely, dark, funny and quite riveting read about the effects of domestic violence, the emotions involved, and four women who fight back.