This novel grips you from the outset. It revolves around a suburban, middle class couple who are hiding a dark secret. It keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout and the twists and turns are executed beautifully. 10/10 would recommend.

I honestly could have read this in one sitting if only life didn't keep getting in the way! But seriously, it was completely gripping from start to finish. I felt on edge the whole way through even though by the end I had a sort of inkling of what was going on, this by no means put me off though! I liked the pace of the book it didn't have any what I call waffly bits it was very well written. The characters were believable. The only thing I can pick on is that I was slightly confused by the ending- was it meant to be a cliffhanger? It sort of felt like one bit i wasn't 100%sure. If I could give this book 4.5 stars then I would. A definite must read for 2019!!

I was excited to read this book as the blurb made it sound like my ideal thriller.

On the surface this book tells the story tells of a happily married couple, Millicent and the narrator, and their two teenage children and the usual domestic ups and downs of their family life. On closer inspection it seems that this couple have a shared hobby, but not the sort of hobby that most couples might share. It’s something dark, twisted and disturbing…

A great debut which breaks the mould of some of the all too similar psychological thriller storylines around. I shall be looking out for Samantha Downing’s next book.

This is a crime novel with some quite distinctive twists on the serial-killer theme. Firstly, this is no lone male, between the ages of twenty-five and fifty, living with his mother with no past meaningful relationships – so beloved of FBI profilers. This is a (supposedly) happily married couple, with teenage children, whom they (supposedly) love – who just happen to get thrills from killing women. The second twist is that the narrator is the serial-killer husband, and the whole story is from his point of view, and not that of the investigating police or a journalist.
You may consider that there are similarities to the Dexter books (or TV series) by Jeff Lindsay. But Dexter is driven to kill, knows this is wrong, and makes a conscious decision to only kill criminals who might otherwise escape justice – always sticking to Harry’s code. The killers in this book, kill because it excites them. Their victims are ‘innocents’, who just happen to be available, and have no family or close friends to get in the way. The first murder, they justify as self-defence, the second as necessary to cover up the first – and then they actively pursue their next victims.
I found the husband (narrator) quite weak-willed and amoral (well, obviously!). He idolises Millicent, and will do ANYTHING to keep her happy – including stalking other women, and then delivering the victims to her. He is terrified of losing Millicent, and never questions her. She is his reason for living: “I wasn’t average then, wasn’t a disappointment to anyone but my parents. I was better than everyone else, right up until I wasn’t. Then I didn’t know how to be average anymore, so I went overseas, away from my parents, in search of a place where I could be better than average, better than a disappointment. With Millicent, I am”. Yet, he sleeps with one of his intended victims – and wisely keeps this from Millicent.
I had Millicent down as a full-blown psychopath from soon after she was introduced. She was controlling, manipulative, and quite terrifying in her outwardly normal appearance. When you get to know Millicent, you have to wonder how many more female psychopaths are actually out there. You would like to put her twisted nature down to the torture she suffered at her sister’s hands as a child – but really, that is no excuse.
The husband (we do not know his name) never shows any remorse for the deaths he has had a part in. Once a victim has been chosen, they lose their humanity and become meat for slaughter. Before the final choice, though, they may have a chance: “I want to know if I like her, dislike her, or feel nothing for her. But I won’t. I cannot take the chance that something will make me want to let her live.”
When Millicent has the ‘brilliant’ idea of resurrecting a serial killer from the past, on whom to blame all their murders, things start to go wrong. “This is what living with Millicent has always been like. Life goes along like it’s supposed to, an occasional bump in the road but otherwise a fairly smooth ride. And then suddenly the ground opens into a chasm wide enough to swallow everything. Sometimes, what’s inside is good, even great; sometimes not.” Before this, there were no adverse consequences (the pain and suffering of the victims and their families does not count), but now the repercussions are directly affecting their children (Rory and Jenna) and friends: “I did not realize how Owen Oliver would affect our kids. **** and **** never had this kind of publicity. Now, they have been talking about Owen for weeks. Jenna may talk about ***** forever.” Even though the children have no idea what their parents are getting up to, their personalities start to change – and we may have new psychopaths in the making: “She looked just like Millicent did when she *********. What I found sexy in my wife was horrifying in my daughter.”
Things come to a head – and there is a major twist in proceedings. I did not exactly guess that twist, but it did not surprise me. Then, hard on its heels, a much bigger, bolder twist leading to a final showdown.
I found the epilogue too neat and tidy, and rather unbelievable. Throughout the book I had been debating whether to award it 4 or 5 stars – and the epilogue nearly crashed it down to 3 stars. Then came the final sentence – and I had to re-evaluate all my previous suppositions. Had I really understood any of the characters at all?
This book is a good read – a bit slow in places – but ultimately satisfying. You may never look at a blind man the same way again.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Talk about twisted couple! There are various ways of keeping things exciting in a marriage. Date nights are one of the most common ones. However, for the ‘lovely’ couple in this book, passion and danger intertwine creating the messy, intriguing, dark twisty read that this turned out to be. Oh they do have date nights too but…can’t say more.

The interesting thing about this book is that it doesn’t really have the kind of twists that make your head spin. Don’t get me wrong, the entire plot-line is shocking so it’s hard to pinpoint every little twist. There are a number of subtle and not so subtle insane things that the characters do and worse, how they normalize their twisted actions.

There is a major twist towards the final chapters when the rug is practically pulled from under our feet. I enjoyed the whole book but I loved this twist the most. It created a sort of claustrophobic suspense. You know the kind of tension that comes from knowing that there is no way out. Like in those John Q type of movies where the police surround a building and the hero/villain can only surrender? That is how this book made me feel. The ending turned to be just as satisfying with a jaw-dropping epilogue.

Yes, I am deliberately being vague. All you need to know is that this is a dark, well-constructed, captivating thriller with characters that make Dexter seem like a Saint. It is an enjoyable read that all fans of thrillers are likely to enjoy. Recommended.

If you want to a read which is different, and a definite page turner then this is for you.
The story is a little peculiar, which is what makes it different,
While your engrossed in the story, your thinking how is this going to end? What is going to be the conclusion?
Then comes the twist - do you see it coming - NO

A cleverly written physiological debut

Thank you netgalley, Samantha Downing and Penguin UK Michael Joseph for allowing me to read and review this book.

4 1/2 stars

A bit of a slow burner, but well worth it as long...as long as you don't take the plot too seriously and just roll with it!

I really enjoyed how this all played out-the timeline worked and things fell into place nicely.

My only criticism is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed. I would have liked to see things play out just as slowly as things were revealed.

Definitely one to make sure is on your TBR-it's wickedly fun!

ARC provided by NetGalley

This book is told entirely from the husband's point of view which really created a multi-layered thrill of a book. There are a couple of twists in the book, which create a great plot. I did see them coming, but this in no way spoiled my enjoyment of the book, because *spoiler* <spoiler> the point is that the husband didn't. I think this is what makes it so delicious. I wavered between being shocked at his duplicity and murderous intentions, and utterly aghast at how enchanted he is by his wife so that he is blind to her deceit and treachery .</spoiler>
Far from being incongruous, the parts of the book where Millicent and her husband worry about the effect that a serial killer in town is having on their daughter, these elements actually made the pair seem even more chilling. The idea that a killer doesn't have to be a Hollywood caricature, but could be someone just like me or you really made the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention.
it's a great debut and I am keen to see into what dark places the author ventures next.
My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This was insanely good, really thrilling and quite twisty.

Millicent and hubby get a little bored in their day to day, so decide to take up a hobby... what hobby would suit a nice conventional looking, middle-class family in the suburbs, with stable careers and a beautiful home? I know - killing people!

This is a book you will devour quickly and ravenously. I couldn't put it down once I started it.

Thoroughly recommended for all fans of psychological thrillers, crazy plots and sinister twists.

Wow, this book!!! Before I say anymore I have to say a huge big thanks to the publishers for sending me an advance copy as a Valentine's day gift. This book wasn't even on my radar and I'm so happy I got the chance to read it.

The blurb goes on and on about how addictive it is and how you'll be hooked from the very first page, something I always take with a pinch of salt but in this case it's completely true. I started it on a Saturday morning and pretty much devoured the whole thing in one go. It was so unlike anything else I've read that I had no idea where it was going and that is something I love.

The writing is wonderful too, with spot on pacing and little reveals and twists scattered throughout to keep you wanting more. What I found particularly impressive however is how likeable the main character was and how invested I became in him when, without giving too much away, I really shouldn't have. Also equally impressive that I didn't realise until I'd finished the whole thing that I'd become so invested in him without knowing his name, or his real one at any rate.

It truly is an impressive debut and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. All views are my own.

This story is about a married couple with two children who keep their marriage exciting by murdering women. I don’t want to say much more than that because I feel that it is better to go into this book blind.

I loved the writing style and at no point in this book was I bored. I deducted one star because I guessed the twist in this story. I would highly recommend it and cannot wait for what this author comes up with next.

Wow loved this book, had me hooked from the first chapter, looking forward to more by Samantha Downing
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I loved the whole idea behind this book and thought it was very unique. My only issue is it felt a bit slow and went into too much detail which made the book drag a bit in my opinion.

This is Samantha Downing’s debut novel and it is amazingly brilliant. ‘I am Tobias and I am deaf.’

There is no way I want to give away the plot as it is exceptionally well constructed and written, with such belief, in the first person by ‘Tobias’ even though we never learn his real name.

Millicent is married to ‘Tobias’ and they have two teenage children, Rory and Jenna living in an exclusive development. They appear to have it all. Both adults are from dysfunctional family backgrounds and this has an impact on thei rown family environment. They seem to live with a strict routine forced on them by Millicent.

There is a serial killer on the loose, killing women who fit a certain criteria but nothing is as it appears. As a reader I felt led down several paths but never quite put my finger on what was happening.

The story is clever, witty, dramatic and so misleading and this author must have a severely warped nasty mind to have devised something so evil. I loved everything about it so what that says about me I don't know.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK, Michael Joseph, and Samantha Downing for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Do not miss this one. Buy it, read it. Highly recommended.

It is not easy to stand out from the crowd in the domestic thriller genre but Samantha Downing manages it with flying colours. My Lovely Wife is incredibly refreshing and also insanely hard to review without giving anything away so this will be relatively short.

Simon and his wife Millicent seem to be living the average suburban life. They both have jobs, two children and while money may be a little tight sometimes, they seem perfectly happy. But as we all know by now, things are never truly what they seem. And then the body of a young woman is found in an abandoned hotel. For one teeny-tiny nanosecond, I thought I knew exactly what was going on but I was proven wrong quickly and not all prepared for the devious plot that was coming my way.

There's quite a lot going on in this story. Not only is there a serial killer on the loose but there's also the impact this has on children, the relentless media and through it all is the the most dysfunctional marriage ever. All these things combined make this an addictive read that I just couldn't put down. I realised early on there was no way I'd figure out where this was heading or how it would end.

Dark, disturbing and hugely compelling The Lovely Wife took me completely by surprise. There are plenty of twists to keep you hooked until the final page. This is one of those books you definitely should not start reading if you're short of time. What a fantastic debut by Samantha Downing and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Mmm, an interesting one this. Yes, it has twists and turns (not the most pleasant of surprises though!) and is very well described, but I kept on having to put it down as I could see what was coming.

I like thrillers, but the suspense can sometimes be a bit much in this one and I just didn't have the spare time to feel that tense!

Once you start reading it, you'll see what I mean!

Creepy, haunting and macabre. Definitely will read again on holiday!

This book is like nothing I have read before ... in a good way of course but I am slightly worried that I may be moving onto the dark side of normal! Why? you may ask - just read this book and you'll understand!

What we have here is an absolute gem of a read that had me hooked from the start. I won't go into the plot as I don't want to give anything away but will describe it as being edgy, dark, twisted, engrossing, disturbingly entertaining and totally unique. The characters are just excellent but more than that, they are frighteningly believable and rarely do I find myself feeling so wrong about liking and rooting for someone so disturbed but scarily normal!

The writing is crisp and effective and easy to read with excellent pacing; great suspense and twists leave you reading way too late into the night in anticipation of what the heck is going to happen next.

I can't believe this is a debut and I am waiting on tenterhooks for Samantha Downing's next book and I only hope it's as disturbingly good as this one. On her website, she says that she wants to "tell stories that make people walk into walls"; I think she did with this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is compulsive reading This book twists and turns to an explosive ending. Don't want to give much away but just read it - you won't be disappointed!
If you like dark thrillers this is for you..

Samantha Downing's psychological thriller has all the hallmarks of an excitingly, twisted book, but may have fallen flat over its predictability.

It's Dexter meets Rose and Fred West as the narrator describes his bizarre, murderous relationship with his wife. Beginning with the discovery of a corpse, the couple's escapades begin to spiral out of control - especially as they attempt to portray themselves as loving parents.

It's a great premise, and as a fan of Chuck Palahniuk's style of writing, it tries to fall in line. However, the plot is predictable, and like most antagonists, you realise at some point they may turn on each other. Either way, it still hooked me almost until the last few pages.

I loved this book, it kept me guessing and I was really cheering for the protagonist to come out on top, even though he was far from innocent. I felt compelled to keep turning the pages although I didn’t want the book to end. I would recommend this book and I look forward to Samantha’s next book.