The cover and title absolutely drew me in.

An easy entertaining read with some great dark comedy thrown in.

Mep was my favourite - the perfect grumpy old cat that we all know.

I enjoyed the style of writing in this book but it took me a really long time to get into it as the characters weren't super likeable, which I think is what I struggled with the most. Also, the ending comes completely out of left field and doesn't really match the vibe of the book.

Fran has just killed her neighbor; detective Donoghue is worried about his missing neighbor. Lots of twists and turns in this story.

Not so much a mystery as you learn the who and the why pretty early on, I'd have said it's more dark comedy.

The premise is highly intriguing, and there are some good moments throughout. However, I felt it could have been executed so much better.

Personally, I think the characters let this book down. Yes, we have a badass FMC, but she was kind of predictable. The husband was bizzare, he had a complete personality transformation in the span of a chapter or two, and I just found this unrealistic.

There also wasn't really a shocking plot twist, which I was kinda hoping for as it was pretty obvious how the ending was going to pan out.

Overall, it was an okay read with good pacing and some humour.

Thanks to Netgalley for the book.

Tbh, I requested this ARC mostly because of the title. I mean, My Wife, the Serial Killer? That alone had me hooked before I even read the blurb. And oh, it delivered.
◇Blurb◇
Fran Donoghue just killed her neighbour.
You will probably agree, he had it coming.
Her husband Gareth, a detective has a nagging feeling about said missing neighbour.
By the end of it all? That missing person will be the least of his worries.

◇THOUGHTS◇
A female serial killer whose husband is a detective, with a cat that absolutely does not care and you can't help but love.
Sign me up please!
◇
From the first page, I loved Fran. She reminded me of Ginny from Ginny & Georgia, with a little more darkness( just a little). She's wild, smart, sarcastic, and somehow still soft around the edges. I sympathized with her more than I expected to, especially when her 《beep: spoiler》...《redacted》. That vulnerability gave her depth beneath the bloodstains and kitchen knives.
And her love for Gareth, her husband is surprisingly wholesome and just sweet.
As for Gareth, as the book progressed, he slowly crept into my heart. He loves his wife, even if she’s a walking red flag and that is just ...awwnn.
While some parts felt a little slower than the rest, the overall pacing worked. There’s a constant hum of tension beneath the jokes and chaos, and it keeps you turning pages.This debut was a delightful surprise, a murder mystery wrapped in domestic comedy, sprinkled with heartbreak, and laced with enough sarcasm to keep me grinning.
◇
My wife, the serial killer comes out on the 17th of June.
◇
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

Fran Donoghue has just killed her neighbour. Her husband, Gareth Donoghue, is the detective assigned to the case. Now, I love a good mystery—but is it really a mystery when most of the "twists" are shown to the reader upfront? The intrigue just wasn’t there for me.

What I did enjoy was Gareth’s POV—watching him wrestle with the idea that the woman he loves, his kind social worker wife, could be a killer.It was such a difficult position to be in.

What I didn’t love was the lack of backstory explaining why Fran felt the need to kill these men—it left her motives feeling thin. And the ending? Confusing. I closed the book feeling unsatisfied.

Overall, this one had potential, but it just didn’t fully deliver for me.
Thank you again for the e-ARC.

I went into this book expecting a mystery thriller—and don’t get me wrong, it delivers on that—but what I didn’t expect was how much humor it has.
Fran Donoghue kills her neighbour. That’s not a spoiler, that’s literally page one. What follows is a story that’s funny, sharp, and at times even oddly moving, as we follow Fran and her husband Gareth (a detective, of all things) as their lives start to unravel in the most unpredictable ways. Despite the light tone, there are more serious parts, like their struggle as a couple with infertility and Fran's childhood traumas.
While Fran is smart and sarcastic, Gareth is the serious type that does everything by the book. Clean as a whistle, dependable and sometimes gullible, he's the exact opposite of his morally grey wife. He is somehow both lovable and clueless, and watching him try to piece things together while his own life slowly spins out is interesting to say at least.
Perfect if you like your crime fiction served with a side of dry humour and a dash of emotional truth.

"This review is for an ARC received through Netgalley!"
__

Imagine being married to a detective while secretly on a mission to annihilate people you believe deserve it. That's the intriguing premise of this story, where Fran, an amateur serial killer, lives with the constant risk of being discovered by her husband, who is deep into investigating the murder of their neighbour—a crime Fran herself committed with their kitchen knife! This thrilling setup leaves readers questioning: Will Garreth uncover the truth about his wife, or will our charming murderer outsmart him and evade capture?

I have to say, Fran's tendency to leave evidence behind while trying to carry out her dark quests really frustrated me at times. It's hard not to root for her despite her morally ambiguous choices! The narrative can feel a bit slow in places, and there are moments that seem unnecessary, stretching the story out longer than it needs to be. However, patience is definitely a virtue with this book; once you hit the halfway mark, things really start to pick up. The tension of the cat-and-mouse dynamic, coupled with some unexpected plot twists, kept me thoroughly engaged throughout.

While I enjoyed the thrilling chase and the clever twists that unfolded, I must admit I was left a bit unsatisfied with the ending. Overall, it's a gripping read.

This book was super lighthearted and funny one moment then super serious the next making it a fun read. The book was witty and fun to read and the author did a great job of adding detail to every scene the MC found herself in.

Gareth is a police detective. Fran is a social worker… who moonlights as a serial killer. When she murders a neighbor, Gareth ends up investigating. It’s a darkly intriguing premise, but unfortunately, the story didn’t quite land for me. I had a hard time connecting with either character, and I struggled to stay invested in the plot. While the concept had promise, the execution just didn’t draw me in the way I’d hoped.

*ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

A great murder mystery with a twist, the plot was unique, and the characters were interesting! Can't say much without spoilers, but definitely a great summer read that keeps you guessing, 4.5 stars!

My Wife, The Serial Killer
by H. J. Garbett
Pub Date: Jun 17 2025

My Wife, The Serial Killer is a very dark and tense read with some humor thrown in! The main character, Fran is an unhinged female, who is the main focus of the story. Let's not forget the couple has a few nice pets you will fall in love with! The story is told in two POV's, Fran's and her husband Gareth's. So if you are in the mood for murder, dark humor and lovable characters I definitely suggest picking up this book!

Synopsis: A dark, sharp and hilarious novel about love, marriage, and murder, with an ending you won’t see coming… Gareth certainly didn’t.

Many Thanks to #MyWifeTheSerialKiller #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me an E-ARC of this book.

I loved it! It was fun and a raw! Well written and coherent story
Good characters and I loved how the story unfolded

Marriage is hard, but sometimes it is harder when the wife is a serial killer in denial and the husband is an upstanding detective. When Gareth is assigned to the case of their missing neighbor, Fran must hope she hid the evidence of her deeds. Can these crazy kids make it?

H.J. Garbett writes a fun debut novel. Yes, there is a murder mystery aspect, but this is a story about how far you will go for the one you love. Fran is an unhinged, burgeoning psychopath, but she loves her inner circle fiercely.

An advanced reading copy provided by Storm Publishing via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a great debut novel, it's a quick read with lots of suspence and humour.

So we know who dunnit but we are kept wondering why for a decent amount of the book. This is the one slight issue I had in the fact that I wanted more backstory into Fran's motives and her past with Angus, maybe a flashback or just a little more detailed explanation.

This was definitely my kind of thriller, not too heavy and an FMC whose inner monologue and haste/inexperience (because as she says 2 murders does not yet make a serial killer) added a lot to my enjoyment of the book.

I loved the dual POV here, it was great to see both of their perspectives but I did feel Garath had a bit of a personality change at the end with his actions but then again it shows how he wants to be committed to his relationship.

This was an entertaining read and is great for those who prefer to dabble with a light thriller.

3.5 stars

I’ve read many books about female serial killers, what that says about me I don’t know, but I find them fascinating, which is why, based on title along, I wanted to read this book.

At first this felt like any other book I’d read about female serial killers, nothing really stood out. As I got further into the book, whoever, I was hooked. Something that has not happened in most of the books that I have read is that the killer gets caught. I must admit I loved that aspect, including the murder trial, although the ending was not my favourite.

Fran was not my favourite FMC but the relationship that her and Gareth had made this book so worth reading, and although Gareth seems like a weak character, especially when compared to his wife, my opinion of him changed throughout the book.

Should you read this book? If you love female serial killers, or just a good murder novel, then yes, you should.

Fran Donoghue loves her husband. She loves her cat, Mep (barely clinging to life like a Victorian orphan). She also loves quietly murdering people who, in her very subjective opinion, really had it coming. Honestly, we stan a woman with hobbies.

"My Wife, the Serial Killer" kicks off with Fran taking out the neighbor via eyeball stabbing, and honestly? You will probably agree with her decision faster than you’re comfortable admitting. The real kicker is that Fran’s husband, Gareth, is a detective. And in a move straight out of the "How To Blow Up Your Marriage in 10 Easy Steps" handbook, Gareth finds himself unknowingly investigating his wife’s crime while she smiles sweetly over breakfast.

At first, this book is an absolute dark comedy blast. Fran’s internal monologue is dry, hilarious, and chaotic in all the best ways. She’s the kind of unreliable narrator you weirdly root for while side-eyeing your own moral compass. Gareth, meanwhile, is painfully oblivious for much of the story, walking around like the human embodiment of a warning label. The man couldn’t spot a red flag if it drop-kicked him in the face.

The pacing flies in the first half — snappy dialogue, genuinely funny banter, and plenty of those "oh no, Fran" moments that make you audibly gasp. The absurdity of a detective slowly closing in on his own wife while the family cat steals every scene is the exact kind of ridiculous I signed up for.

But once we hit the second half, the book stumbles. The tone shifts from sharp dark humor to something heavier and less focused. Fran’s backstory brings in trauma and infertility struggles that absolutely deserve space, but the transition fumbles the balance. At times it feels like the plot can’t decide whether it’s a murder comedy or a domestic drama, and both tones start tripping over each other’s shoelaces.

That said, it’s hard not to be entertained by this level of chaos. Fran remains a compelling little chaos gremlin, Gareth eventually earns some sympathy, and Mep the permanently-dying cat is honestly the MVP of the whole book. The concept? Fantastic. The humor? Surprisingly sharp. The execution? Wobbly, but still enough to keep me turning pages.

Which is why I landed at a solid 3 stars for sheer concept, the surprisingly funny ride, and, of course, Mep being the furry little scene-stealer we all needed.

Whodunity Award: For Making Me Weirdly Cheer for Eyeball Stabbing

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read this delightfully twisted debut.

Well, I kinda loved this! Such a fun quick read. It’s more of a whydunnit than a whodunnit for most of the book. I enjoyed the humour and I absolutely adore Fran (can I say that? lol). Overall very enjoyable and well written, excited to see more from this author.

I received this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review! Thank you to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and H.J. Garbett.

3.5 stars

My Wife, the Serial Killer is about a woman who murders her neighbor and her detective husband having the gut feeling that his elderly neighbor didn't just wander off to end it all, which turns it in to a murder case.

The book had me entertained the whole way through, but had bits and pieces that fell a little flat for me by the end. I loved the dark comedy of the book and the opposites attract relationship between Fran and Gareth.

I received this book as an ARC copy in exchange for a book review.

This book offers a unique view into the opposing minds of police officers and 'serial' killers. From the outside Fran and Gareth's life together seems idyllic. Fran's conversation with the reader over the course of the book is down to Earth and hilarious. The juxtaposition of Gareth's viewpoint chapters is grounding. I highly recommend reading this book to break up the monotony of the books that are currently releasing and being pushed by the algorithms. You'll laugh and shake your head just like I did!