My wife, the Serial Killer is the first published novel by H.J. Garbett.

Fran (a social worker) and Gareth (a detective) have been married for a few years and recently moved to a new neighborhood. Everything seems to be working out for them until Gareth's detective senses activate and he starts investigating the disappearance of their old neighbor. But what Gareth doesn't know is that Fran is involved in all this mess.

First of all, the writing flows so nicely that reading this book goes by quickly. By the first chapter, I was already interested.

In these kinds of stories, the killer character is unlikable, especially in first person, but not Fran, she is very likable, you don't understand her motives right until the end, but you get the sense that she has a good reason to do it.

With Gareth, it took me more time to warm up to him . Whenever there was a chapter with him as first person, I wanted to get it over with, he was such a holy guy that he felt inauthentic, but by half of the book, I liked him.

The story, even though it has little mystery, it kept me wondering how it was going to resolve, because I wanted Fran to get a happy ending.

Thank you so much Storm publishing for letting me read an advance copy.

I was glued to this book right from the first page! Very funny, very unusual and very entertaining - the quick wait had me chuckling ok nearly every page of the first half. Fran, the protagonist comes across as the friend we all need in our corner, inspite of her unusual proclivities!
A thoroughly entertaining, skillfully written read.

4⭐️

This dark comedy about a serial killer who’s married to a very ‘by-the-book’ detective is an easy, drama filled read.
What would you do if you suspected your spouse of murder?
Fran has some wrongs to right, but this time, her revenge hits a little too close to home.

I had a few issues with the pacing. It didn’t feel as high stakes as it should have, at times and there were lulls where I feel like it could have moved faster, but overall it’s an easy, fun read that I really enjoyed.


Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced copy

I went into My Wife, The Serial Killer expecting a tense, twist-filled thriller, especially given the intriguing premise—a woman kills her next-door neighbor, and her husband, a police officer, ends up investigating the case. It had all the makings of a gripping story, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me.

The book starts strong, with a solid setup that immediately pulled me in. But as the story progressed, the pacing really faltered. It felt like the momentum just… disappeared. I kept waiting for the twists and turns typical of the genre, but they never came, and I found myself increasingly disengaged and hoping it would just wrap up.

One detail that really stood out to me (in a not-so-great way) was the lack of a clear setting. At no point in the book is the location established, which made it hard to visualize scenes or get fully immersed. It might seem small, but for me, setting helps anchor a story—and the absence of one was distracting.

Overall, this just wasn’t the thriller I was hoping for. If you’re a fan of fast-paced, suspenseful stories with big reveals, this might not hit the mark. It didn’t for me.

This book is a serial killer thriller that made me giggle throughout. I loved the banter and relationship between Fran and Gareth. There wasn't a huge reveal or twist- just a pretty straight forward story for the most part, which was fine since the writing was so good. I will say that the book dragged a little in the middle and I didn't particularly care for the ending. I feel it would benefit from being a little shorter in length. Overall, a funny and entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Quick and funny with characters you can absolutely picture, including Mep the cat. This would make a great movie. I loved the writing, and the epilogue was fantastic. I loved Fran right from the start. Gareth took a little longer but he did grow on me around the halfway point, where he kind of turned into a different person. I liked that it wasn't simply a mystery but about how far you'd go to protect your family.

There is nothing more that I love than an unhinged female main character in a novel! This book is witty, funny, shocking, clever and unforgettable! It is full of mystery and adventure. This is the author’s debut novel and I will say that she absolutely nailed it! It is a medium paced read that has lovable characters in it! I really loved the female main character, Fran. The way that she thinks in this book is downright hilarious, in a dark way of course. I really started liking her husband Gareth too, especially towards the end of the book. I really enjoyed the dual points of views and the extra point of view at the ending! The flaws of the female main character is a main focus of the story. This book flows well, is extremely captivating and comes with a killer female character! It also comes with a shocking twist at the end!

Even though this has a lot of humor in it, it still is very dark and tense. Fran ends up murdering someone right at the very beginning of the book. Gareth is a detective and becomes curious of the neighbor’s sudden disappearance. Gareth is deep in his work and really doesn’t pay attention in the world in which he lives in. This book becomes a mystery really quickly and throughout the entire book. Overall, I give this a solid 5 out of 5 stars rating!

I think anyone that enjoyed “The Mindf*ck Series” and the book “How to Kill Your Family” would love reading this book. Content warnings include death and murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, author H. J. Garbett and Storm Publishing for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on June 17, 2025!

4 stars

My Wife, the Serial Killer was my first ARC through NetGalley and I was so excited to read it. The book throws you right into the murder from the very first page, which immediately pulled me in. It starts off strong, but around the 30 percent mark, the pacing slowed down a bit. It really picks up again around 60 percent and from that point on, I honestly could not put it down. It was so fast paced and gripping all the way to the end.

One thing I really enjoyed was how the story reveals information only when it becomes relevant. It kept things tense and unpredictable. I also loved the main character’s voice, especially the moments when she spoke directly to us. It added a fun, cheeky tone that worked really well. And the banter? Absolute gold.

For a debut novel, this was a great read. I rated it 4 stars. I do think it could have been slightly shorter to avoid that slower section in the middle, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Would definitely read another book from this author!!

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early.

This was a witty and engaging read that made me laugh out loud, while also recoiling in shock. It follows the story of Gareth and Fran, he’s a police officer and she’s a social worker. Fran has some significant past trauma, and this follows her challenges to deal with that trauma while navigating married life.

I liked the dual pov as it gave a good insight into both main characters, I also liked the humour throughout the book as this kept it light and interesting. There were some really unlikeable characters, which was done well to really antagonise you within the storyline. The twist at the end was a good one, and one I really did not see coming!

My Wife, The Serial Killer was fast paced, though it felt as if it abruptly stalled and picked the pace back up again a couple of times. During the slower moments, I found it difficult to get through. There were moments where it felt like the storyline was getting distracted, delving too much into details that weren’t relevant to the plot. But there were funny moments, suspenseful moments, emotional moments. Fran and Gareth felt like a realistic depiction of a domestic, married couple with secrets buried beneath the veneer of their expectations of who their spouse was. The ending was a pleasant surprise.

Fran, social worker and wife to Gareth, a detective, has a troubled past. A past that she did not want to share with her husband, Gareth. They move into a new house and the neighbor next door happens to be a man from Fran’s past that she hated with every fiber of her being. The man ends up missing and a man-hunt ensues and a murder was committed. Now, Fran is being questioned for the murder, but did she really kill the man?

Tropes: Serial killer (almost), Blackmail, Revenge, organized crime
Triggers: Death, Murder

I enjoyed the suspense and the plot twist at the end. Their banter early on was comical and witty. The epilogue was hilarious!

Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Storm Publishing for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This was such a fun, fast-paced and unhinged story. I was hooked on the first chapter and couldn’t wait to turn the page. I love the banter and the dynamic between Fran and Gareth. It’s so interesting that I don’t really know how to describe it but I loved it. The suspense was top notch even though the pacing was kind of quick, I actually preferred it this way to keep the story to the point but not rushed at all.

This was an ok read as it follows Fran and her husband two points of view it was ok for me I will recommend as well thank you

Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Storm Publishing for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

A dark comedy with touches of sadness and moral dilemmas, I loved the premise of the story.

Is she driven by anger, a need to address old wrongs, or is she perhaps just a little bit pshyco? These are the questions rolling around in Fran's head.

But that's not the worst part... what would she say if anyone asked her? And what would her husband think? I mean, they want to start a family. They have moved into a lovely new home. He's just had a promotion at work. The timing could be better, but needs must.

Could she really do it, she couldn't, could she? What would you do if you suspected your wife could possibly be a murderer?
That's the dilemma Gareth is faced with... on top of his new job!
How's he going to explain this one?

Gallows humour at its best, with morals, ethics, and possible repercussions thrown in. It's a wonderfully dark comedy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of comical, farcical, humour in their life.

Fran is married to a detective and when a neighbor is killed, she is the last person to see the victim alive. But did she kill him? A crazy tale with dark humor and a gripping narrative you just can't stop reading. Wow!

The things that worked for this book: a woman killer, the dual POV, and the writing was engaging. The things did not work for me were we spent a lot of time on storylines that did not really have a big pay off like the switching of the cellphones or Mep getting sick, also, I did not care for the ending at all. I feel like it was unfair for someone else to take the fall for Fran's crimes especially when they were completely innocent and I also feel that the police would see right through the coverup. Also, so now the husband is a murderer? What happened with all the evidence of corruption? It was an entertaining book but I think it could have been even better. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

My Wife, The Serial Killer, when I saw it I loved the idea. I've read similar books (the Mindfucked series comes to mind) and I was itching for a similar story without the spice.

Warning there are health concerns for the cat in this book and while there is no pet death, it still hit me hard.

While the story did start off with a bang I quickly realized I could not empathize much with Fran. The reveal as to why she was doing all of this came really late in the book and she is so volatile to everyone she meets that I didn't have a lot of connection to her. I ended up feeling the most for Mep since I'm a cat owner. The humor was hit and miss for me, but I'm not a Shittz-Creek fan and I understand they were going for that sort of humor. I found most of the characters to be insufferable and powered through the book so I could give a honest review.

There wasn't as many twists and turns as I would have liked and I do hope they put a prewarning that the couple are dealing with fertility issues so people can avoid the book if it's too much. But generally if you like the humor the author is going for then this should be a fun ride. It was middle of the road for me though.

The book was an okay read. The story follows a detective and his serial killer wife. While it had its share of funny one liners and jokes. The pacing dragged at times which stretches where nothing seemed to happen.

My wife, the serial killer is a well written, enjoyable mystery/thriller

I love the dual POV between Fran (the killer) and her husband Gareth (the police detective) and watching everything unravel.

It addresses big issues like is it ever ok to murder someone even if they are a terrible person who did truly awful things? And how terrible things get covered up as long as the people doing them have enough money and power.

It was dark, witty and very thought provoking. Thankyou for the ARC and congrats on a fantastic debut novel

a funny, fun murder story that i could not figure out how it was going to end. i loved how they seemed like such a normal, functional couple from the start. and the epilogue was the perfect ending. i will definitely be looking into h. j. garnett’s future books!