I liked this one a lot more than I was expecting as I didn’t care much for Dexter. This actually felt a bit lighthearted to me, despite the subject matter, which was probably why I enjoyed it so much. I wasn’t overanalysing the characters and their actions but was just caught up in what was an entertaining read. Highly recommended.

Wow!
A book that was nothing like my expectations. Within the first few pages it’s had me intrigued but within a few more it jumped out of the pages and grabbed me and didn’t let go until the last page!
A totally different take on the classic thriller, it was scary without being too gruesome which is what made it even creepier. Millicent was so bold in character she had me checking over my shoulder, something I haven’t felt with a book before. I’ve had books make me feel scared before but this was on another level, it was calm, controlled and chaotic all at the same time. I read this into the early hours of as I just couldn’t put it down.
I can’t recommend this book enough, you won’t be disappointed!
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this beauty in exchange for a review. The author is one to watch and I can not wait for her next novel.

This was a fabulous thrilling read, full of twists and turns throughout. The author kept me hooked right from the start and if you're into psychological thrillers, this book is definitely for you. A full recommendation from me.

I
When I started reading this book I thought ok another murder story
Oh how wrong could I be written from the husbands side it had me on the edge of my seat and I made many guesses to how they would if ever got caught
After all a couple of missing women doesn't keep the news desk going but it would be much more interesting if an old killer came out of retirement and started writing notes to the news desk, that upped the game
And he thought all was good as his wife was the one in charge of everything she never made a mistake
But what would happen when multiple bodies are found he realises his wife has arranged everything a little too well

I feel like I’ve spent the last three years reading this book.
Poorly written in first person from the husbands perspective it is like the diary of man child, who despite being a murderer is incredibly dull and boring (like this book). I learnt a lot about this fictional families eating habits and when and where mobile phones are allowed but nothing more.
The last 15% of the book picked up the pace, but felt rushed and absurd.
I’m not sure if the epilogue is meant to get me excited for a sequel but if there is one, it most definitely will not be on my to be read list!

This book was just not my cup of tea. Did not get into it at all and skim read around half of it. I found the last quarter unbelievable and did not like the characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Not one for the faint hearted. A serial killer us on the loose, but the reader knows who it is from the start.... So begins an uncomfortable but riveting read as the author allows us your into the warped mind of the murderer. Original and well thought out, it is an outstanding debut. I did guess one of the twists but not toe curling one. The title is somewhat misleading, giving no clue to the contents. It should come with a health warning!

I'd heard quite a lot about this book so was quite looking forward to reading it. However, although it was an intriguing and unusual storyline, I was not keen on any of the characters, the husband and wife were quite vile and their children weren't likeable either. The book dragged a little in places too. Didn't care for the subject matter but it was a reasonably enjoyable read.

In a market flooded by psychological thrillers, I'm always looking for something a bit different and a bit quirky. I'm happy to suspend my disbelief at the twists and turns of a plot if it's something new and exciting. My Lovely Wife certainly was that.

I'm tired of female protagonists as victims, watching over their shoulders,jumping at anything. Well this book was exactly what I needed. The wife and husband in this novel are unlike anything else I've read and though I'm good at guessing twists, this book kept me so engrossed I didn't bother guessing things I was so swept up in the ride.

Loved it!

thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for this eARC

This was a really easy and engulfing read, I sped through and would really really love to see this go to the big screen

Brilliant! A well written and very cleverly plotted thriller, with some great twists and an author who manages to elicit sympathy for characters who don't deserve it while demonstrating in a devastating way how all actions have consequences.
Thank you to netgalley and Penguin for an advance copy of this book.

This is a perfectly dark and twisted psychological thinner. The plot stands out from the crowd and it would be doing a disservice to both author and reader to say too much about it. Our MC's are a perfectly normal suburban family with hobbies that frankly are outside of the usual line. The author has got the pace just right and just as you think you know which way things are going throws in another twist. Definitely an author to watch.

Wow what an amazing debut. A couple meet, fall in love, marry, raise a family. So normal. But they have big secrets. Deathly ones. And each chapter brings a new twist.

Cleverly written and you can’t put it down!!

4.5 stars.Fantastic debut!I thoroughly enjoyed this book.Have not read many decent psychological thrillers of late,but this was a definite page-turner.Definitely an author to watch.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this jaw dropping book..and what a book

at first i have to admit wondering what i was reading...its a nice easy read with characters that you can identify with, but somewhere along the line i was beginning to think hes a bit of a wimp and should i carry on reading it..and then wham....

i was hooked and the more i read the more i wanted to see how it would pan out...i dont want to give any spoilers out but the ending wasnt how i thought it was going to go...the outcome well not quite as i thought really....

so would i recommend this one..hell yes...just for that jaw dropping ending...

this is another author i am putting in my to watchout for list

How far would you go to keep the passion alive in your marriage? Can you ever really get away with murder?
I liked the premise of this book but found the story dragged at times and the end was a little too neat for me.

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