3.75 🌟

A by-the-book police detective married to a serial killer - what could go wrong?

I'll admit I liked the second half of this book a lot more than the first half, as it took a bit for both Fran and Gareth to grow on me. But this book was also unexpectedly heartwarming.

Fran is funny in a crass way, but I was rooting for her by the end. Gareth was driving me a little up the wall. He was such a stickler and kind of dumb for a detective. But really, they both seem to have big hearts and are there for each other in a positive way. Mep was definitely one of the best characters - Fran and Gareth's old, slightly aloof cat.

I liked how the back story slowly unfolded. I did want more of a conclusive ending. Sometimes, I find ambiguity so unsettling. (OK - most of the time.)

Recommended for fans of revenge stories with sweet spousal relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

My Wife, the Serial Killer is a gripping, psychologically savvy domestic thriller that keeps the page-turning tension steady. Fans of ethically murky protagonists and marriage-at-the-brink storytelling will be particularly drawn to the emotional complexity and twisted charm of Fran’s character. While the pacing is deliberate, the payoff is uniquely satisfying—and the conclusion leaves the reader questioning how well anyone truly knows their spouse.

Rating: 4 / 5

MY WIFE, THE SERIAL KILLER - Interesting and funny, with good story lines and a variety of characters and kinks. I liked the way the way the officer helped his wife at the end of the book. An easy to read and immersing one sitter. Source: Netgalley. 4*

Immediately I was pulled in by the sense of comedy/humor in this book. While the comedy in this one makes it appear as a lighthearted read, there are lots of deep topics focused on in this read. I would recommend picking this one up!

A very fast pace book, with a very interesting plot.
A string female. I was really impressed with the book and it was really interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC!

Very Dexter- like thriller. The wife of a police man is doing what Dexter does best. Kills people who deserve it. While I enjoyed the storyline, I felt execution lacked a bit. It was a bit slow till about the half way mark. It was good but definitely lacked something exciting.

I had no idea what I was walking into when I picked up this book. But I was intrigued by the title so I figured I'd give it a go! This story was completely unexpected - from starting with an unplanned murder (by a female no less) to a police officer who considers his missing neighbor a mystery that he cannot let go of. Despite the dark nature of the story, it somehow remained light. With unexpected twists and turns, it kept my attention and had me thinking about it long after I'd walked away from the book.

The description had me sprinting to get this book and the first paragraph just proved I was right to do so! The fact it was a female serial killer just reeled me right in.

Instantly thrown in to the dark humour and murder, it sets the tone for the rest of the book. I immediately like the FMC Fran. I didn't even know her reasons for being a killer but I was ready to back her to the end.

Fran's inner dialogue just had me in stitches and the absolute chaos of this book had me in a chokehold. It was impossible to put down!

Although it took me a minute to warm up to Gareth, he eventually won me over. I really enjoyed the whole premise of a serial killer wife and police detective husband. The side characters were also interesting, I loved Beryl and Angus.

When reading this - Do not skip the epilogue! It was the cherry on the cake.

Thank you to Storm publishing for the advanced copy.

ahahahaha. come on. this book is so blooming gorgeous. so funny. so chaotic and messy but in the best kind. i know i know we shouldn't morally find this ok and sometimes that is a worry with this kind of genre type that has become more popular lately. but this one wasnt just jumping on the bandwagon at all and this book is the very reason when done well these books are just too good to miss.
my shock from the very beginning had me tail spinning into this book was urgency to just read and read and read.
going in i was like oh this will be good. Fran and a man Gareth are our characters. haha no Fran and Gareth are husband and wife. why didnt i join those dots going in!
but yeh, we have Fran who has killed someone. Fran has killed her neighbour.
Gareth is worried about his neighbour disappearance. Gareth's wife Fran has actually killed his neighbour!
oh yes ermm Gareth is also a detective investigating said neighbour.
and i know, i know in the real world we never condone murder. but nah, that isnt going to an issue with how much you keep rooting for Fran amongst all this madness.
this book is a delight. and i swept through it. i got to the point where i just had to know where this was going. and couldn't settle until i new the conclusion.

Well this was certainly dark and fun. Fran, a devoted wife to a police detective, has killed her neighbor. Gareth is investigating the murder of his neighbor not realizing that his wife is the prime suspect....and that she's ready to kill again.

The humor was very niche. I think this book will really appeal to a specific crowd. I'm not sure that I am in that particular crowd, but I did enjoy this book just the same.

I devoured this book. The writing is so addictive, I just couldn't put it down!! The characters are really charismatic (and a bit chaotic) and the humor was on point.

Fran is such a badass. I absolutely loved her! Her sarcasm and psychopathy made her a very interesting character. Gareth, however, annoyed me a few times throughout the book. His personality change was a bit rushed in the end but I'm glad he changed and helped Fran get away with it. Overall, I think they make a cute couple. And Mep!! My heart stopped a few times for the poor cat. I loved his grumpy yet affectionate personality.

The words and definitions in German were something I really enjoyed. I think it is these little details that make books different and special. (“‘There’s Sehnsucht, which means like a longing and yearning for something unknown and unsaid.” was my favourite).

Long story short, it's a fast and funny read with interesting characters.

The premise of this book is quite interesting. It’s about a woman who kills and her husband who is a detective. The potential is there, which was what drawn me to it. However, other than the prologue, the pacing of the story seems off to me. I had trouble keeping on going. The humor wasn’t tickling me. And this might be my personal taste but there were also a lot of references that I didn’t understand, so while I knew the author was trying to be funny, it didn't land for me. There were also lot of words spent on the characters’ daily life, which didn’t add a whole lot of depth to me, but dragging the story down.

Overall, it was a great concept and the writing was good as it is descriptive, but the pacing of the story is my main problem, and because of it, I didn’t root for the characters as much as I wanted to considering the quirkiness of the premise.

This is fun in a macabre sort of way. It has been pitched as Dexter meets Schitt's Creek and I don't think I could come up with a better comp.

Fran has just killed her neighbour. Aside from the obvious complications involved in sorting that out, her husband is a police detective, and not too shabby at his job. Endeavoring to get away with the crime without her husband noticing anything amiss results in a not-quite-slapstick dark comedy. Also there's a creaky old cat, subsisting on pure spite.

This is the kind of book that I'll probably forget I read in a couple of weeks, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading nonetheless. I could quibble with some of the character development (I agree with the reviews saying the husband did a not entirely believable 180 on his personality) but it's not a story intended to be anything but silly fluff. I won't hold any inconsistencies against the book when I had such a fun time with it.

Definitely one for fans of the Finlay Donovan books and the Molly the maid series.

3.5/5

When you are a detective investigating murders, and your wife turns out to be a killer, it can lead to more than a few complications arising. This is certainly the case for Gareth as he investigates the death of a neighbour, not realising that every bit of evidence he finds is making it harder for his wife to avoid being found guilty of murder.

When you are a killer and have a detective for a husband, it also presents multiple challenges. Fran may fanaticise about how to kill her next victim but she hasn’t quite worked out what category of killer she fits. In between murders, Fran will do anything to look after her husband and make sure he stays well fed and the work bullies stay away. She also has a brother who is not really her brother to look after, and who plays an important role throughout the book.

This is dark, twisty and funny as well as having multiple layers of complexity. Between fertility issues, foster homes, lies, neglect, death and bullying a lot is going on. There are also some truly nasty people in this book and I don’t mean Fran. There are a few parts in the book where the story was a bit confusing and didn’t hold together as well as I hoped, but this was still enjoyable and I look forward to reading more books by H. J. Garbett.

With thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

My wife, The serial killer by H. J Garbett Is a physiological thriller, it was a great novel with mind-blowing themes that I enjoyed; I always love a serial killer themed novels and I guess this novel delivered all I was looking for.

A woman, she seems like the nicest woman on the outside, but she is a killer, she has a dark secret, and she will do anything to make sure no one finds out about it, but there is only one problem, her husband is a detective, when she makes the mistake of murdering her neighbor, her husband would do anything to find the killer, he is unaware of what his wife is capable of.

She has killed, and she will kill again, but will she stop her husband from uncovering the truth, will she stop him from ruining the perfect life she has planned for herself?

I could go on and on, but I would like not to spoil the novel for many readers, I would rate the book an 8/10 because I enjoyed it so much, and I thought it was great.

3.5 Stars.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t really know what I was expecting going in, but I enjoyed it. I found Gareth and Fran to be such an interesting couple. While I laughed at some parts, there were some heavy themes that also tied well with the story. I will say that there were times where Gareth and Fran’s chemistry wasn’t immediately apparent, but I feel that the author developed their relationship in a way that I ended up appreciating.

Story started off strong. There was a bit of a dip in the middle of the story, I often struggled at some parts to see where things were going, but it picked up again toward the end. Often a little predictable, but I didn’t mind that at all.

An overall solid read, and I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this title!

I loved this book so so so much! Definitely a must read if you like dark humor! The comps were on point, and I’d even say the humor was in the vein of Santa Clarita Diet, but without the zombies. Truly an excellent story. I loved the characters, and the comparison of Fran to Dexter was 100% on point. I rooted for both of them with my whole soul! This book kept me hooked from the very beginning, and when THE THING happened around 60% in, I was actually depressed! I mean how could THAT character let THE THING happen?! But then other things happen and if I say anything it’ll give it all away, but then NEW THINGS HAPPEN and I was on the edge of my seat! Am I being vague enough? I have to be because this book is so good I don’t want to give anything away. Just believe me when I say the characters were absolutely awesome, the pacing is on point, the humor is dark enough it’ll stain your soul, and you’ll leave this book with a new outlook on life. I would love to see this made into a series, or at the very least getting optioned for tv. It’s that good!

Huge thanks to Storm Publishing Group and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

This book was shocking, creative, clever, mysterious and unforgettable. The female lead is a killer and her partner is a detective which resulted in unhinged chaos in the best possible way. Definitely recommend this book for people that enjoy dark humor in their books.

This was my first e-ARC read from NetGalley. Thank you to H.J. Garbett and Storm Publishing for giving me the approval for this one in exchange for an honest review.

Gareth, a detective, and his wife Fran are living their married life together, hoping to have a family. However, their attempts have been unsuccessful, and it seems to be taking a toll on both of them. Gareth is always caught up with work, while Fran is starting to adjust to their new home after their move.

But this move has taken an unexpected turn. Fran has become a neighbour to someone she knows, and not only that, she wants to kill him. Fran’s upbringing was disrupted, and she only has her brother Angus remaining close to her after their loss of her little sister. Fran cannot let the anger go and despite this, she feels compelled to eliminate all three of the ringleaders from St Nicholas Children’s Home.

The situation escalates when the next-door neighbour disappears, and Gareth suspects something sinister is afoot. This leads to an investigation that may even shock Gareth himself.

Overall, this was quite a fast-paced read and a good little crime thriller.

Unhinged, but in a good way. I felt so sorry for Angus, but what he did was heroic. I hope our heroine doesn't kill any more people after that last chapter. Also so glad to see the cops or some of them standing up even if it wasn't exactly in a moral way.

Really enjoyed this book