loved this book it was funny in parts even there was a murder and a man is dead
there is also Mep the cat
and there is Fran the policeman wife
great read

We jump right into the murder of the next door neighbor and meet Fran, the murderer. Who's husband, Gareth, is a detective of course. The book changes between Fran's point of view and Gareth's. I love books with multiple points of views! It is always interesting to flip back and forth to different people. I loved the sarcastic humor of Fran and Gareth, it added a comedic element to the suspense of whether Fran would get caught and by who. Mep, the cat, was an added character that I never knew I was missing in a thriller book!
I thought the growth and change in Gareth's character was believable, but felt slightly rushed. I enjoyed the book and would recommend. This releases June 17th 2025.
Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a perfect murder mystery with a great touch of comedy. I loved the unique perspective of fran—the murderer, along with her ever so loyal husband. I loved mep he was just the perfect comedy relief, and I honestly wondered how he’s alive. There is absolutely nothing I can critique about this book.

An interesting premise...a killer married to a detective. She murders their next door neighbor and the husband is investigating.
There is a lot of backstory to the "why" that would've been helpful to know at the beginning to have a better sense of some of the characters.
An entertaining read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

This is the kind of book where you find yourself rooting for the protagonist, even though she’s done something undeniably wrong. Fran Donoghue has killed her neighbour, deliberately and without remorse. And yet, as the story unfolds, you don’t want her to get caught. You understand her. You sympathise with her. And that’s what makes this book so compelling.

It’s not just a murder story, it’s about the pressure of holding secrets in a marriage, and the strange ways people justify their actions.

Fran is a fascinating character: composed, intelligent, emotionally complex. Her choices may be criminal but it’s clear that she’s been pushed to a breaking point long before the book begins.

Her husband, Gareth, is a detective. Ironic, of course, since he has no idea what his wife is capable of. As he investigates the neighbour’s disappearance, in which he doesn’t know his wife’s involvement, the tension builds.

Whilst I enjoyed the concept of the book, some parts were lacking. The pacing drags in the middle and there were times I was waiting for something more, especially with the ending. It wraps up in a way that’s clever, but also a bit unsatisfying.

And then there’s Gareth. His character does a full 180 near the end that felt abrupt. While I understand the reasoning, it didn’t feel fully realistic based on how he’d been portrayed earlier.

Overall, this is a sharp, unsettling domestic drama with a thriller edge. It doesn’t rely on big twists or fast pacing, but rather the slow, uncomfortable realisation that sometimes the person you know best is the one you understand the least.

We dive straight into a murder and meet Fran who has murdered her next door neighbour, her husband is also a police officer 🤣.
I loved the dual POV too. Ii really enjoyed this cosy funny crime. It was so easy to read and I sped through it.

The story of a cop who’s wife is a killer, told from both of their perspectives, this starts off great and is really funny and sharp in what is essentially a farce and a very entertaining one at that.

The problem I had with this one is the second half of the book where it becomes much less humorous and tries to fully explain the wife’s childhood problems while in care and it loses all its wit and charm of the first half and becomes a little boring as the tone of the book changes completely.

Throw in a pretty ludicrous ending and it takes the shine off what for 50% at least was lol and fun romp with great narration and humour. I think if the tone had remained consistent throughout, the book would have been all the better for it. A real book of two halves. 5 stars for the first half. 2 stars for the second.

Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

My Wife, The Serial Killer is darkly funny and an easy read, if not a bit predictable in its plot. Still had a fantastic time though!

3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. “My Wife the Serial Killer” is the debut dark comedy thriller from H.J. Garbett. The dual POV between the murderous wife and detective husband had moments where I laughed out loud as well cringed.

This story opens with Fran having just murdered her neighbor and immediately begins to go off the rails. At certain points you find yourself siding with the Fran and her reasonings for doing what she did. This book is a wild ride in some of the best ways. Add in the senile grumpy car Mep and you’re in for one heck of a journey

I do think this book would benefit from content warnings that don’t contain spoilers. Examples include infertility, which could be a trigger for some readers. I do look forward to reading more from this author in the future

This impressive debut novel delivers a sharp blend of dark humour, mystery, and emotional depth. Centred on Fran, an unhinged and hilariously twisted female protagonist, and her detective husband Gareth, the story captivates from the opening murder to its shocking final twist. The dual perspectives—along with a surprise third—offer insight into the complex dynamics between characters, while the witty and engaging prose keeps the pace brisk. Supporting characters, including a surly cat named Mep, add charm without overshadowing the central narrative.
The only thing that let this down slightly for me was the motivation for the killings. Whilst I appreciate the reasoning, I was expecting a darker reveal.
Overall, a really enjoyable read for fans of dark humour and unhinged female main characters,


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. #MyWifeTheSerialKiller #NetGalley

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

My Wife, The Serial Killer- H. J. Garnett
Fran has killed her neighbour. And you know what? He deserved it. This isn't Fran's first rodeo either. She knows what she's doing, how to cover it up. She's picked up a thing or 2 being married to a detective.
Being that close to the police would certainly determine most people from committing even petty crimes, let alone murder. Not Fran. She is on a mission. One she fully intends to complete.
Gareth, her detective husband, is newly promoted and they have just moved to the area when their elderly neighbour goes missing. He doesn't feel like it's as simple as a missing person's case and that there's more to it. He won't leave it alone and pursues it. Will he wish he hadn't?
This was a good read. Dark humour. Very wittily written, which seems an odd thing to write about a book who's central plot is murder. Good plot. I was keen to learn more about Fran's past and discover what might be driving her blood lust. There weren't too many plot twists. The plot was quite predictable but it was a pleasant, easy read. I wasn't sure about the ending. It didn't correlate with what we know throughout the book about one of the characters. Was left a bit disappointed.

Was it entertaining? Absolutely. Was I invested? Also absolutely. The issue for me was more of the execution sort. Parts of the book were stronger than others. The writing revolved around certain characters seemed more flushed out than it did the rest.

I’d never heard of this author, but the cover and title intrigued me. This was a fun book that I enjoyed the whole way through.

Shes a serial killer (well one murder away from being one)
He's a detective
Oh and they are husband and wife and he has no idea....


One of my favourite books I have read this year. I love a thriller and a good murder but I also like it when a bit of humour is spliced into the story and this book definitely had it. I found myself laughing out loud more than once particularly the line
"Mep experienced cat Botox"
There is a rich black comedy that runs throughout the book and even though one of the characters is a killer- I found myself rooting for her as she is fabulous. The humour is sharp and witty but it's also lovingly surrounded by a strong romance which is conflicted due to the events happening. Fran and her husband Gareth are extremely likeable characters and I've found myself wanting more stories about them.
This is HJ Garbetts first book and honestly I am coming back for more. I would urge anyone to pick this book up, sit back, relax and enjoy.

Thank you to Net Gallery & Storm publishing for the ARC.
Absolutely loved this fast paced, dark humour psychological thriller. Loved the authors style of writing and the story of Gareth and Fran and against all odds what we do for the people who we love.
Loved the twist at the end and looking forward to reading more from this author in the future

Fran isn’t your average suburban wife—she’s a murderer. She murdered her neighbor, and she coolly insisted he deserved it, dropping cryptic hints about her dark past while keeping the full truth just out of reach, including a previous murder. Her husband, Gareth, is the detective assigned to investigate his missing neighbor.

Told through alternating perspectives—Fran’s confessions and Gareth’s investigation—this fast-paced thriller keeps you guessing. Why did Fran kill the neighbor? What other secrets is she hiding? The tension builds with each chapter, and I had a hard time putting it down.

Though not overly complex, this book is pure entertainment—it's a fun, easy read, and I really enjoyed it.

This was definitely an unhinged story & I LOVED it… a mix of dark humor, chaos & secrets. I was hooked from page one and literally could not put it down. I loved the wife! She was definitely a character that would be a desperate housewife fan favorite!!!

ARC Review: My Wife, The Serial Killer by H. J. Garbett
Rating: ★★★☆☆

This darkly comic thriller kicks off with a bang literally as Fran, a seemingly ordinary wife, plunges a knife into her neighbour's eye. The real twist? Her husband Graham is a detective.

Fran is easily the star of the show. With her sharp, dry humour and unpredictable energy, she gave me serious Sweetpea vibes my favourite kind of chaotic female lead. Her chapters had me laughing and grimacing in equal measure.

The story unfolds in a dual POV format, which I usually love, but unfortunately, Graham’s perspective dragged for me. He felt flat and his choices both as a husband and a detective were baffling and lacked depth, which took away some of the tension and believability.

While the book was a fast-paced page-turner and enjoyable in the moment, it didn’t leave a lasting impression. A fun read if you’re in the mood for something twisty and offbeat, but not one that’ll stick with me long-term.

To be a policeman with a wife who is potential serial killer is at the very least deeply inconvenient. Not that Gareth is aware of his wife's predilections. After all, they are trying for a baby, and what could be more wholesome?

But when they move house, her private reaction to their new neighbour - an elderly man - has some unfortunate consequences. As a result of which, Gareth finds himself investigating what he considers a suspicious disappearance (even if his superiors believe it to be a fairly standard suicide) without having any idea how closely it is linked to his own domestic life...

This story follows in the footsteps of some very successful, darkly humorous recent stories about female serial killers but doesn't quite match up to its predecessors. Nevertheless, the humour is appealing and the characters are quite mad. so this is an entertaining enough story.

My Wife, The Serial Killer is the story of Fran and her husband Gareth, a police officer. The story starts almost immediately with Fran killing her neighbour and the book follows the problems she encounters afterwards as well as Gareth working on the case.
This is a dark comedy and while there was lots of sarcasm, jokes and humour throughout this book also touches on some harder themes: murder (obviously), infertiility, police-corruption, childhood trauma.
I found the pacing in this book to perhaps be a bit slow but this was overall an enjoyable read and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bingeable thriller book with some dark comedy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC copy