Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc of The best way to bury your husband by Alexia Casale.

Superbly written if not a bit difficult to read in parts (content) I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this title.

In lockdown four women are suffering more than their usual share of domestic abuse. All four reach breaking point and kill their husbands, leaving them with the difficult task of getting rid of the bodies.

You have to seriously suspend disbelief in this enjoyable read. The author has worked with victims of domestic abuse and clearly knows her stuff. The book is funny in parts and heartrending in others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The minute I saw this book I thought I would love it and I absolutely did, a superb story, well paced and well plotted.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for this.

This book grapples with a really serious issue- domestic violence during COVID. So firstly, well done to Casale for highlighting this topic that deserves more coverage. I found sections of this really hard to read sometimes, as it hit home for some parts, which goes to show the accuracy in which Casale covers this.

In terms of the story and the elements themselves, there are some things that I didn't necessarily enjoy. Whilst the message of this story is important, I don't believe it was well executed.

The main characters felt somewhat sloppily put together with limited character development. Sally, (understandably as the protagonist), is the most built up character, whilst the others felt remarkably underwhelming and weak, particularly Janey. The history of their friendship is poorly structured and not explored enough to understand Sally and Janeys relationship. Samira, Ruth and Leila aren't particularly interesting or strong characters either. I feel a lot of this falls on the dialogue of all the characters- what they say does not feel believable of a real life conversation at all. There's a mix of British and American slang which isn't fitting for the setting of an English town. The way that Sally pursues the others to join the 'Burial Club' is hardly believable- this is definitely not how this would ever be approached in reality, and yet everything just seems to fall into place somehow. I would say that yes, whilst this isn't the whole point of the story, it is the foundations of all the women coming together and it's not executed well.

The writing plays at themes of dark humour. To me, this felt very reminiscent of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, by way of using British culture as part of the comedy/dark humour. However, I felt that the comedic relief really missed the mark, again, I think this is due to the poor character development and somewhat unusual dialogue.

The most moving part of the book was Sally's conversation with her children about her relationship with her husband/their father.

Overall, this book is fine, but the lack of connection with the characters didn't have me feeling any type of way. The reason why I was rooting for the women, wasn't because I liked their characters or anything, but because I want these women, whose roles in society as dutiful wives, mothers and punching bags, to be free of the patriarchy.

Absolutely amazing book !!!! Gets straight to the point and every character you can actually sympathise with and have the understanding of why they had to do what they did!!

Firstly, a huge thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to review this book in the form of an e-Advanced Reader's Copy. Please note this book covers topics of domestic violence, and my review will most likely feature some spoilers.

This book follows the 'Lockdown Ladies' Burial Club' - comprised of a group of women who have been physically, mentally, and emotionally abused by their husbands. Sally Baldwin, a stay-at-home Mum (not by her choice), is facing COVID lockdown with her husband - Jim - who physically abuses her in horrific ways including pouring boiling kettle water over her skin, among many others. Eventually, in self-defence, she fights back using her Grandmother's cooking implement; facing her now dead husband's body on the floor, Sally begins to plan how to reclaim her freedom, and her life. Sally must navigate hiding the death from her children and her elderly, nosy neighbour, Edwina.

Janey - Sally's childhood best friend - has just given birth to her first child, Ava, at aged 42; she too kills her husband in self-defence. In addition, Samira protects her daughter, Leila, from facing the prospects of an impending forced marriage to a stranger (male) after it is revealed that Leila has been dating a fellow female pupil at school, she poisons her husband. Ruth, an ex-nurse, met her husband as a single Mum, his violence has been escalating over the years until it culminates in an accident on the stairs.

Spanning cultures, religions, and ethnicities, these women are bonded by their shared survivorship, and of course, the murder of their partners. This book is a fantastic read, I flew through the pages and could not wait to see how the women got out of their predicament/covered up the deaths. The decision-making process behind covering up the murders, rather than contacting the police, is explicitly thought out and completely plausible.

I absolutely adored this book, heart-breaking, at times humorous and light-hearted, this truly is a tale of survivorship and bonding between complete strangers over something that should never have been allowed to happen. Set in the context of COVID lockdowns in the UK, I found this story to be extremely well thought-out and thoroughly enjoyable. I will be purchasing this book for the domestic abuse survivors in my life.

This book deals with domestic abuse, specifically domestic abuse during lockdown, and was quite hard to read at times. It goes from serious subjects to dark humour that makes you laugh out loud at times. You have great sympathy and empathy for the main characters.

I did find the fact that they kept saying they couldn't break the lockdown rules quite tedious, I get that they're the rules but you're burying the husbands you killed, I think normal protocol goes out the window! I did also guess the 'surprise' at the end.

Overall a good read but be aware of the trigger warnings. 3.5 rounded up to a 4.

Overall a very fun, darkly humourous thriller set in the dark days of Covid lockdowns. The author's notes really give gravitas to the overall story and add great depth to what could be an enjoyable, if fairly dark, suburban crime melodrama. The characters are well written and, although I spotted it coming, the final twist was good fun and entertaining to watch play-out.
This novel will no doubt have it's controversies - cheering on a group of murderers is certainly an unusual feeling, and the descriptions of domestic violence and abuse can be difficult subjects for many. However, the wry humour and high-camp moments are just-removed-enough from reality for it to be a satisfyingly dark read.

Based on the fact that most DV victims are women, this novel has an underlying message that was profound and really hit home. The scale of abuse that was hidden during the lockdowns of the covid pandemic was really rather frightening - so to have a humorous take on this dark statistic is a great way to bring greater prominence to the topic that is rarely discussed in this way.

The main character Sally finds herself in an unplanned situation. It was highly coincidental that 3 other local women had similar outcomes from their own DV incidents, but it brought home the similarities between their horrendous situations.

Absorbing, well-written and ultimately tinged with sadness that people are being treated so badly by the very people who are supposed to love them. A poignant yet warm and amusing tale of four women who become friends in the most unusual of circumstances.

An excellent thought provoking read, which I would highly recommend. 5*

Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin UK and Alexia Casale for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review- all opinions stated are entirely my own!

Per my 5 star rating, I loved this book! Extremely well-written with just the right kind of dry humour which had me giggling to myself throughout the book. Honestly I don’t have the words to describe just how well Alexia Casale’s writing just FLOWS- the pages flew by and the characters felt so real and inspired a genuine care for them.

Other than the humour and excellent writing, I would honestly say my favourite part of the book was the story of how these women came together and formed such strong beautiful friendships. Girls support girls and we love to see it! The instances of domestic abuse are extremely well handled in the book, though of course due to the subject matter these areas may still be quite difficult for some to read.

Though some may be put off by the Lockdown setting, I really felt this was well-handled by the author. Despite it being such a tough time, we also can’t forget the more bizarre aspects of Lockdown (the pasta, flour and egg shortages for example) which you can look back on in amused disbelief. I often found myself laughing at the mention of these.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and actually see myself purchasing a physical copy once it’s released!

The Lockdown Ladies' Burial Club - the nickname the protagonists in this book give themselves - just surprised me (in the best possible way).
While there is definitely a strong current of despair threaded throughout this novel, hope is beckoning enticingly in every page, even the more grim ones. I did not think I could relate so closely to an experience of Lockdown I have never even remotely lived through, but the narrative style envelopes the reader in the lives of these 5 women even before you get to know them properly, let alone by the time you get to like them.
There's danger lurking in every corner, behind every page. The final chapters were read while I was holding my breath (so so well done with the suspense!), and the end is simply perfect - including the author's note disclaiming just how improbable the events narrated are, yet how close to life and frequent the protagonists' situations were.
The dark humour (the blackest I've probably ever read) landed gracefully, and while I might not have giggled while reading this novel, I have definitely snorted derisively a fair few times.

At times this book is ridiculous, but that's to be expected, what a ridiculous situation.
It's also warm, funny, emotional and incredibly brutal about the realities of domestic abuse.
Using the covid restrictions perfectly yo mask actions, it's a clever story.
Whilst as a whole it entertained me, it definitely gave me pause for thought, for those in a marriage/partnership similar to the ones described.

Sally has been in an abusive relationship for over 20 years, and without realising it has reached her breaking point during lockdown. Not knowing where to turn when the worst (or best) happens, she accidentally finds herself with a new support network of women in the same situation - all needing a way to get free of it...

This is a brilliantly satirical examination of a very serious and real issue. I loved the relationships that developed during the book, and enjoyed the plot even more. A really excellent read!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A mystery about domestic abuse set during lockdown featuring an interesting set of characters. Although the premise was heartbreaking, I would not term this novel as a thriller. Well done to the author for highlighting an important societal issue.

I was hooked on The Best Way To Bury Your Husband right from the start. I loved every moment and finished it in less than a day because I couldn't wait to find out what happened in the end. This book made me both laugh and cry. It might seem unbelievable that four women living close by would all end up killing their husbands at the same time, but that doesn't make the story any less engaging. I was cheering for these women as they came together to find the best way to bury their abusive husbands. It broke my heart to hear their stories and see how the abuse affected their children, self-esteem, and futures.

The Best Way To Bury Your Husband is a mix of humor, darkness, heartbreak, and entertainment. But what's even more important is that it opens up a conversation about violence against women and girls. This book has a lot of truth in it, and Alexia Casale handles it wonderfully. She doesn't claim to have all the answers, but she wants to use humor to get people talking about how we can tackle this problem.

I will definitely recommend this book to all the women I know, and to anyone who will listen. It's not just entertaining—it also has the potential to start discussions about domestic violence, its effects, and how we can support women and prevent more pain and tragedies.

“For too long I let a small man steal my joy and potential.”

I really, really enjoyed this book; it was dark, twisted and very funny. But even in the darkness, there is a huge amount of light - it is the story of women reclaiming their freedoms and strength. One thing was abundantly clear through the whole book: Alexia Casale put so much love and thought into writing.

Will be ranting and raving about this one and making sure everyone I know knows about the publication date!

I don’t want to give anything away other than the basics, what happens when you’ve just had enough? Enough of the abuse , enough of the pain & enough of the constant heartbreak? And what happens when you realise you’re not the only one who’s had enough? What do you all do? Dark humour, themes of domestic abuse (the writer handles these well & doesnt romanticise them unlike a certain CoHo and a book that rhymes with I mends with buzz…. Brilliantly written & incredibly enjoyable.

The Best Way To Bury Your Husband is a very well written mystery novel with heartwarming found family/friendships. The author also delves into more serious topics such as domestic abuse and violence, which being coupled with dark humour makes you feel the emotions of the characters. A very enjoyable, emotional and fast paced read.

“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.

So can they find the best way to bury their husbands - and get away with it?”

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin General UK and Alexia Casale for the opportunity to read this ARC, all opinions are honest and my own.

I was lucky enough to be given the arc to this book from NetGalley and boy am I glad to have been able to read it! Honestly this book is in my top reads of the year so far !
Although the story is a sad heartbreaking one of four women in different stages of life all struggling within a relationship plagued with domestic violence, coming to breaking point during the Covid lockdown and cross paths with each to eventually building deep friendships and truly understanding and supporting one another, with lots and lots of sad dark times I still found myself laughing threw out the story sally the main pov had such funny dark humour sometimes even shocking me with some things she said. It’s definitely a must read and I found the 4th wife shocked me maybe I’m a little slow on the uptake but my heart fluttered when I stubbles on who it was.
Some people my be thinking this books not for them with the mention of lockdowns but please I implore you to read not only will you giggle you will want sisterhood you will think about relationships and the consequences love (violence in a relationship) can sometimes have and how woman can be affected .

A fast=paced, almost satirical novel about four women, all in abusive relationships, all kill their husbands during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

Alexia Casale includes a note to say that she works with domestic abuse charities and that she wrote the book in response to her work and the huge increase in femicide during the lockdown. I can't fault her reasons for wanting to highlight this terrible aspect of our society. Unfortunately the book just didn't work for me. I can absolutely suspend my disbelief if the non plot aspects of the book make up for the somewhat fanciful premises but The Best Way to Bury Your Husband just didn't do that. I found the characterisations lacked depth and there was a lot of 'telling' and not much showing so I was never really gripped.

The plot was pacy and it did clip along with several surprises but, ultimately, it wasn't a great read for me.