MY WIFE, THE SERIAL KILLER - H.J. Garbett

Lit Bits:

- 5/5 Stars 🌸
- 1/5 *please see note below*🌶️
- Content: Blood, infertility, dr*gs
- Dark humour, unreliable narrator, dual POV
- “I started to realise that maybe, in fact, I was perhaps un poco psychopathic. Hey, at least I was self aware.”

🌸I love murder, *reading* about murder that is, lol! I instantly had a connection with Fran, her struggles, and her internal monologue. I absolutely love dual POV and this was no disappointment. There was such great depth in both Fran and Gareth's characters. The struggles each of them had internally and externally added so much to the story, giving wonderful background to how their marriage worked. It was a good mix of plot driven and character driven with their flaws at the center. So. Good.

🌶️There are references to s*x in a few spots, but no description of the actual act happening between the couple. Mild in my opinion, and definitely does not take away from the story, if anything I would say it adds to the story with the struggle of infertility.

This book has been described as a Dexter-meets-Schitt’s-Creek thriller and I could not describe it any better myself. Anything the H.J. Garbett writes, I’m reading. I absolutely loved 5/5 and I can’t stop thinking about it, so much so that I haven’t been able to pick up a thriller since.

"My Wife, The Serial Killer" by H. J. Garbett is an absolutely wild ride that had me hooked from the very first chapter. Fran Donoghue is a brilliantly unhinged protagonist—witty, dark, and utterly unpredictable. Her inner monologue is both hilarious and chilling, making it impossible not to root for her even as she commits murder right at the outset. The way Garbett balances dark humour with disturbing themes is masterful; I found myself laughing out loud one moment and feeling a shiver down my spine the next.
The dual POV structure works well, giving insight into Fran’s twisted mind and Detective Gareth Donoghue’s perspective, which adds layers of intrigue and suspense. Gareth’s journey from oblivious husband to someone who begins to suspect the truth about his wife is compelling, even if his character doesn’t always carry the same emotional punch as Fran. Mep, their dramatic cat, is a hilarious and memorable supporting character—who knew a feline could steal so many scenes?
The story tackles heavy themes like infertility, grief, and loyalty amid the chaos of murder and deception. While the middle section felt a bit slow with some disjointed transitions, once the momentum picked up, I couldn’t put the book down. The twists kept coming, culminating in an ending that I did not see coming—Gareth’s shock was palpable, and it left me pondering long after I finished.
Overall, this debut is a darkly comedic, razor-sharp exploration of love, marriage, and madness. If you enjoy stories that are equal parts hilarious and disturbing, with compelling characters and unexpected twists, I highly recommend giving "My Wife, The Serial Killer" a read. It’s a wild, memorable ride that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

My wife the serial killer by H. J. Garbett.

Gareth is a detective and Fran is his wife. They have a great relationship, a new home and an icon of a cat called Mep. But Fran started acting a little differently; sad and insular, right up until around the time their mean old neighbour disappeared, and then she was probably the happiest he’d ever seen her. It probably has something to do with her plunging a kitchen knife in to his eye…

This book is a dual POV and we enter the thoughts of the hilariously unhinged Fran, who is keen to remind us that she is definitely definitely NOT a psychopath. We are carried along through her thought process as she kills her neighbour, and attempts to get away with it. While unknowingly her husband takes an interest in their neighbour’s disappearance and inadvertently begins to hunt down his own wife.

The dark humour tickled me in a way that so many books promise, but so few deliver on. I flew through this book in a few days and I loved how it tackled issues of infertility amidst humour and suspense. What a great debut novel!

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing, I really enjoyed this advanced reader copy

this was really good! it reminded me of the mindf*ck series but more lighthearted which i enjoyed!! i got through it very quickly as i didn’t want to put it down! i would 100% recommend to anyone wanting a thriller like this! definitely will be reading more books by this author.

This book is all over the place... in a good way!! It has short but suspenseful chapters and I really enjoyed the witty and often unpredictable characters!!

Thank you Netgalley, Storm Publishing and H J Garbett for the eArc of My Wife, The Serial Killer.

This is my first from H J Garbett and this was such a fun read as it had lots of well balanced elements. We have our MFC, Fran who killed her next door neighbour. Juxtaposed that her Husband, Gareth who works as a Detective. Can only end one way right?
This book captivated me right from the first page and kept me engaged right to the last. We have an mix of dark humour, mystery and some psychological twists. As someone who comes from the UK, it definitely made me laugh out loud at some points.

The characters were well built and I enjoyed the back story that came to light with our main characters. I loved the duo first POVs as we follow both Fran and Gareths inner dialogues to find out what they are really like. The finale was unexpected but heartfelt all the same. Loved it.

I also listened to this on audio in which Imogen Church and Matthew Biddulph narrated and enjoyed both their voices and how they managed to entwine their own narratives.

4.25 stars for Storygraph. 4 stars for other websites

I loved the concept of this with a hint of British humour that kept me intrigued. The idea of a police officer being married to a serial killer was so off the walls for me but in the best way. I did find it a bit flat though and I had a hard time understanding why the character was killing people in the first place. It certainly wasn't the worst thriller I’ve read and I’ll definitely read more from this author!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for a review!

Fran Donoghue has just killed her neighbour. Don’t worry, you’ll agree, he deserved it.
Detective Gareth Donoghue has a terrible feeling about his missing neighbour. By the time this is over, that will be the least of his worries…
~
I think I've read too many thrillers recently. I really wasn't very into this one. Potentially due to the dynamic of the wife being the killer, and the husband being a police officer.
~
I don't understand why that person had to die? Like what did he actually do that led up to his death? I just didn't understand the motives behind any of what happened.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

80/100 or 4.0 stars

This was a fun time!
I enjoyed the writing and the story. Even though there isn't all that much new being done, it was entertaining and a quick read! The ending was fun even though it was predicatble, which is not easy to do! I will be interested in reading future works from Garbett.

This debut novel kicks off with Fran Donoghue killing her neighbor—yes, right in the first chapter—and somehow you end up rooting for her. A social worker with sharp wit, Fran’s dark inner monologue is both hilarious and chilling. Opposite her is her husband Gareth, a detective investigating the case—and entirely oblivious that his new neighbor might be his spouse’s victim.

Initially slow to build, the middle of the book drags a bit as Fran’s motives stay hidden too long, and transitions between chapters can feel disjointed. But once momentum picks up, the story becomes an addictive roller coaster of twists, domestic chaos, and unexpected emotional depth—especially around themes of grief, infertility, and loyalty.

Gareth’s POV felt flatter to some readers, but watching his internal shift was still intriguing, even if his character lacked full emotional punch early on. And let’s not forget Mep, the cat—dysfunctional, dramatic, and absolutely unforgettable as the best supporting character ever.

Reviewed by Paige on behalf of the Plot Thickens Book Club
Title: My Wife, The Serial Killer
Author: H.J Garbett
Rating: 3.5 Stars

My initial thoughts on this book is that its called 'My Wife, The Serial Killer' however the book is heavily from Fran's point of view. I went into it expecting the detective husbands POV to be the main one but its Fran, the wife / serial killer (not really she doesn't kill 3 people) who really narrates this story. I really enjoyed this book, mostly for Fran's internal monologue. Its a murder mystery that has funny 'WTF' moments interweaved into it. I feel like Gareth fell a bit flat, his POV seemed pretty unnecessary for the first half of the book and I struggled to connect with him at first. The investigation into working out that Fran was the killer seemed thin, like the dots were connected off page so it went from .. 'ooh she's going to get away with this' to 'eh! she's being arrested' all off the back of an interview where she gave nothing away. You find yourself absolutely rooting for her to get away with it. I've never read a book before where I've been on the killers side so that in itself is impressive. I loved the concept of this book but the execution missed the mark a little bit, I can't put my finger on why though I was just hoping for more I think to push it into that firm 4 star place. Great debut novel and I absolutely look forward to reading more from H.J Garbett and seeing how her writing develops.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I could not put down this fun cozy thriller and finished it in one day. This book follows Fran a woman who killed her neighbor and is now trying to keep it from her husband Gareth, the cop investigating the missing person report. This book was a lot of fun and had some good dark humor. This reminded me of the Finley Donavan series and was written well as well. For a debut novel I felt this was really well done and I am exited to read more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

My Wife, The Serial Killer was such a wild ride! This book took me on one heck of an adventure. Dark humor with an unhinged female character was an amazing idea! Fast paced.

The title is what first drew me to this and the premise hooked it for me, if your like your comedies dark and twisted this is for you. The use of alternating POVs of Fran and Gareth is good as you get insight Into their thoughts and actions over the course of the story, Fran's killing of her creepy next door neighbour sets of a chain of events which leads her husband who is a police officer to wonder who he married but also what is he is willing to protect her but also if he wants to.

I had so much fun with this read.

I find myself saying this a lot lately...but as an ARC reader shamefully behind on her reviews, one benefit (that does not outweigh the shame of being late on my recent deadlines) is sometimes having the audiobook to go with the e-book. In this case, the audio paired SO WELL with the text. I loved our narrators, Imogen Church and Matthew Biddulph.

I love dark humor, a good mystery, a fast pace, the premise of a serial killer wife married to a detective, dual POVs, and British accents. What's not to love?

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and enjoy this story!

**My Wife, The Serial Killer** by H. J. Garbett is a darkly funny and unexpectedly endearing tale that blends murder with marriage in the most charmingly twisted way. The story follows a man who discovers his wife might be a serial killer—and instead of running, he leans in. The writing is clever, the pacing snappy, and the humor delightfully offbeat. It's the kind of book that keeps you turning pages with a smirk, wondering just how far things will go. Equal parts thriller and love story (in the strangest sense), this one’s a wickedly fun read.

Detective Gareth Donoghue has a horrible feeling that his missing neighbour didn't just wander off.
The problem is that no one other than him seems concerned.

Fran Donoghue has just killer her octogenarian next door neighbour. But don't worry, he deserved it.

Dark but still funny. Fran gives perfectly unhinged main character energy that you want to root for, but also yell at for making stupid decisions. Fran truly tests the boundaries of love and marriage as Gareth learns she is the last known person to see the neighbour alive.

Fast paced and will keep you on your toes!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced e-copy to read and review

My Wife, The Serial Killer
By H.J. Garbett

Fran, a wife and secret serial killer. Her husband Gareth a detective, who doesnt realize he is investigating his wife’s murder case. This book was a wild ride. I was shocked and laughed so many times. I loved that the murderer is the narrator, and I feel wild but like I kept wanting to root for Fran for some reason.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All words are my own.

0.5 ⭐️
I originally got this as an arc and I am appreciative to NetGalley for it. I then saw that it was on KU upon release, so I got it that way. I tried reading this multiple times. I put effort in, but I just can’t get through it .It was a very good start, but then I soft DNF'd it so many times that I would start at the beginning and that lost it for me.

Really enjoyed this book. Was a good storyline, a little bit of humour throughout which I always enjoy. This was the first book from this author I have read and I look forward to reading more!