Fran: serial killer. Gareth: detective. Together: happily married. Until their neighbor ends up very much murdered… by Fran. And guess who's leading the investigation? Yep, Detective Husband. So yeah, home life? Awkward.

Just your typical dark romantic thriller with a dash of homicide and a sprinkle of marital tension. An unhinged read without going into the gruesome details. It never leans too far into gore, just enough to let your imagination do the dirty work.

I really enjoyed the storyline. Chaotic mess with a mix of dark dry humor and sharp wit. It had some secret elements pestering throughout making you want to know the ‘what’ and ‘why’. It was well paced and things moved until they didn’t. That said, I do wish the execution was just a bit tighter. Some threads felt underdeveloped and the ending, while intriguing, left me wanting something more, a stronger gut punch or a more satisfying conclusion.

Gareth started out odd and oblivious. A bit too passive, almost like background noise. But then? Boom. Full personality pivot. Suddenly he’s putting puzzle pieces together like Sherlock Holmes on a caffeine-high. His transformation from detached to dead-serious was wild to watch. Maybe that’s the breaking point, when the person you love is accused of murder and the weight of your own guilt starts to surface. Suddenly, you dig deep, grow a spine, and go full feral: 'If I’m going down, I’m taking everyone with me.'”

And Fran. Do I like her? Do I fear her? Do I understand her? Was justice served? The answer is… I still don’t know. She’s complex, unpredictable, and morally murky. You won’t agree with her choices but once you see beneath the layers, you see the pain, the justification, the twisted rationale. You may find yourself rooting for her even while your moral compass is throwing the most judgmental side-eye you've ever felt like, “Seriously? This is who we are now?”

This is a story about secrets, consequences, love wrapped in lies and the blurred lines between justice and revenge that leaves you wondering how far you'd go for the person you love. It’s wild and it’s messy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I think this is a snappy little novel that’s a good beach read. It’s entertaining, mainly a no substance all vibes, it a funny book that’s great if you are not looking for anything serious.

2.75/5

Looking at the cover and the title I somehow expected a comedy, but this was no way that!!! This book dealt with a seriously, somewhat deranged, revenge plot. I loved Gareth, Fran and Mep.

Overall a surprising but fab read.
#MyWifeTheSerialKiller #NetGalley

Absolutely loved the book. The pacing was great and the wit made me laugh, and almost cried at the emotional bits.
I adored Fran's quick wit and Gareth's no-nonsense straightforwardness. Fran & Gareth feel like someone to be friends with, someone who'll have your backs no matter what. And it was refreshing to see Gareth come to terms with everything rather than just outwardly supporting everything Fran did.
Their love for each other is what made the story stick.
Would love to read more from the author.

A darkly comedic thriller that balances humour with suspense as we follow a man's desperate attempt to cover up his wife's murderous hobby.

H.J. Garbett's My Wife, the Serial Killer throws you into the mind of a suburban wife with a dark secret right from its intriguing prologue. We meet Gareth, a newly promoted homicide detective, who's been married for 5 years to Fran. Their seemingly perfect life is about to teeter on the brink as she confesses (to us, the reader) that she's "done it once before and got away with it."

The story truly kicks off when she kills their next-door neighbour. The internal conflict is palpable as she grapples with the idea of making Gareth choose between his "dutiful police heart" and her. A cryptic threat, "Tell the world what you did 20 years ago or I'm going to kill you," hints at a deeper, long-held secret. The universe, our narrator believes, moved Gordon O’Neill next door to them, almost as if she was destined to extract "justice, revenge."

Garbett masterfully and humorously crafts a narrative that is both chilling and compelling, offering a unique perspective from the killer's point of view. If you're looking for a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing and questioning until the very end, My Wife, the Serial Killer is a must-read.

Sometimes, the premise alone sells the book. A cop married to a serial killer? You have to know how that’s going to play out. I requested this ARC on NetGalley after seeing several buzzed-about posts on Threads—and I’m so glad I did. What followed was a delightful mix of dry wit, domestic mayhem, and deadly secrets.

The Premise
Gareth Donoghue is a police detective. He’s also married to Fran, a sharp-tongued, cool-tempered woman with a very active… extracurricular hobby. Fran is a serial killer—something Gareth remains oblivious to for a good portion of the novel.

Oh, and they live with Mep, a dramatic cat on his supposed deathbed who might just be the best supporting character of the year.

Gareth is loveably clueless, a people-pleasing cop who texts in acronyms and is investigating the very disappearance his wife caused. Fran, meanwhile, is wickedly funny, perfectly deadpan, and brilliantly twisted. Their dynamic is what carries the story—equal parts hilarious, disturbing, and weirdly wholesome in a completely dysfunctional way.

What I Loved
This book absolutely nails the tone. It’s a balancing act between domestic dramedy and suburban horror, and H.J. Garbett pulls it off with style. The writing is witty and engaging, filled with sharp dialogue and enough one-liners to keep you chuckling through the body count.



Favorite quotes:
“A bad plan is better than no plan at all.”

“You can't exactly ask Siri where's the best place to hide a dead body.”

Beyond the laughs and absurdity, the book manages to weave in emotional resonance too. The subplot involving Fran and Gareth’s fertility struggles adds a surprisingly tender layer to the otherwise twisted plot. It’s a reminder that life, even when messy (and murderous), still beats with hope and vulnerability.

Tropes & Themes
☠️ Morally gray characters

💔 Secret pasts

🐈 Cat companion (Mep is a legend)

👫 Ride or die dynamic

🕵️‍♂️ Cop married to a killer

🏡 Suburban gothic

😈 Dark comedy

💉 Fertility, marriage, and emotional realism

😱 Shocking twist at the end

Final Thoughts
If you enjoy twisted tales of domestic life with a high body count and even higher sarcasm, this book is for you. My Wife the Serial Killer is clever, chaotic, emotionally layered, and just the right amount of unhinged.

A perfect palate cleanser when you’re craving something a little murder-y but still heartfelt.

Read if you liked: Verity by Colleen Hoover, You by Caroline Kepnes, How to Kill Your Family, or The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter.

In the prologue to this debut novel, Fran Donoghue has just killed her grumpy, elderly neighbour in his own kitchen. Now she must get rid of his body and cover up the crime, all before her detective husband gets home from work.

With Gareth assigned to look at the elderly man’s disappearance, it becomes harder and harder for Fran to maintain her innocence. Told form both Fran’s and Gareth’s point of view, this is a fun romp of a humorous and smart cosy mystery. Fran is both hilarious and scary as the slightly unhinged killer who sees nothing wrong with killing those who deserve it and Gareth is so adorably clueless. Later in the book, a more serious note is introduced as we come to understand why Fran kills but returns to it’s former lightness with an unexpected twist at the end.

First I would like to thank the Author and NetGalley for the opportunity to experience this book. I truly appreciate it.

At first, I thought this book was kinda boring. A wife commits a heinous crime. The husband is a pushover detective who is trying to solve that heinous crime. But honestly, the book became so much better the second half. I really enjoyed both characters, even the cat. There were times I chuckled at some of the jokes. Then when things were really hitting the fan, I felt sad for both characters. But in the end, I’m glad I pushed through because I truly enjoyed my time reading this book.

My Wife, the Serial Killer was a dark humor kind of read that I found quite entertaining. It reminded me of late seasons of Dexter. The story follows FMC Fran who, as the title states, is a serial killer, no secret to us the readers there, and her husband, MMC Gareth, who is a police detective which makes matters complicated. (And we have to add in the cat Mep who is their sassy fur baby.)
The story starts with the murder of Fran and Gareths neighbor who we find later in the book kind of deserved what he got. The relationship between the couple has many secrets that will eventually come to light. We also see the real life struggles of the couple who are trying to conceive and how that plays a part in their marriage. Overall you do see true love in this odd couple, a serial killer and her detective husband. Admittedly I didn’t care for Gareth in the beginning because his gaze to other females did not sit well with me, but his character grows on you and you see by the end his love for Fran outweighs all.
Aside from the main characters there are quite a few side characters that are fun to read, the neighbor Beryl and her dog Tony is your typical nosy neighbor, Cis and Vivian the strong female personalities that work with Gareth, and Angus the brother who isn’t really a brother but is a brother.
Does she get caught? Do they stay together? You’ll have to read the book to get those answers.
Also thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

Fran is your normal suburbanite - good job, loving husband, serial killer tendancies .....

I loved the dark humour in this book and the revenge story to justify the murders but something about it didn't make me excited to pick it up.
The characters were well rounded and Fran & Gareth had great depth.

3.5 stars as something in this book just didn't click for me.

I really enjoyed the humor and banter of this book. Fran has a hilarious personality and I can look past the fact that she might be a serial killer. The other women in the book all seemed to have the same personality without much distinction or unique qualities.

I thought that the book flowed very well and really enjoyed reading it. I did think that the ending was rushed and lacked the proper execution of the character development. Overall a fun light read that I would recommend.

Fran is a great character and I love the idea that having compulsively murdered your neighbour you then have to watch your husband investigate your drime and second guess him at every stage to preserve your freedom! her story is fast, witty and quite stressful. Gareths story was told at a bit more of a plodding pace, which I guess fits to an extent with his character and the attention to detail he needs in his job.
I thought this was a cleverly plotted and written story!

I really liked this book, but I do think it dragged a bit in the middle. I found the characters strong and compelling, even when I hated them. And while I was on the edge of my seat for the wrap up, I did find myself a little bit disappointed how things shook out.

just a few pages in, I was recommending this book to everybody! it's SO good. I did think the middle picked up the pace and was rushed very suddenly and it's the only reason this rating went from a 5 star to a 4. the humour in this is fantastic, and having the POV of each other as well as from each other really made this read amazing. we got to see how the 2 main characters, a married couple, act around each other, away from each other and in their own heads. and their brains are very much suited to each other.

it's funny when you imagine the background being somewhere familiar to you, it's described perfectly to where I spent ages 7-11, except the murder - of course, and I'll never think of it the same haha! and I find that incredible that someone's writing could do that.

I'll probably think on this review some more and tweak it. but please! go read this book, it's such an easy, funny read!

I really had high hopes for this book and it really fell flat for me. I liked the idea and Fran was fun to read about. Gareth's story dragged out for me. I loved the cat and dog in the story but it felt like something was missing.

I really enjoyed the concept for this book. I loved that while Fran is a killer, her husband Gareth, is a detective. They recently moved to a new neighborhood and shortly after, Fran impulsively murders their neighbor one day. Gareth then has an investigation opened for his disappearance.

While I did enjoy this book, I do think it is not without flaws. The pacing was off. The book started out fast and exciting with Fran committing the murder in the first chapter. The book then dragged before picking back up at the end. I also believe the concept for this book is the exact same as for the MindFuck series by S.T. Abby. Even down to the ending of both, which I loved in both books!

I also just didn’t really connect with either character like I did in the MindFuck series. I cared deeply about what happened and had happened to Lana and Logan while in Garbett’s book, I only became emotionally invested when Mep, the cat, got sick. 🐱

All in all, I would recommend this book, especially if you liked the MindFuck series! It’s a short read with a fun plot that I think is very surface level. For me, the book never gets too deep or serious, even when it comes to the murder and motivate. Perfect for some light summer reading! 🔪

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I was interested by the title and had high hopes for a good read. I enjoyed reading about Fran, but would have liked more about her relationship with Angus and thir early years. Gareth , her husband was a very serious detective & again I felt we were missing something about his background. Each characters story was told from their own perspective & Fran's flowed better. She appeared to be a more interesting person. Gareth's story was a little tedious. I wasn't sure what to expect from the ending, but some how I was left feeling that it was rushed.
An original idea, that I not sure worked well.

Really enjoyed this one—such a good read. The writing flowed so well and the characters totally drew me in. I didn’t want to put it down! One of those books that stays with you after you’ve finished. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this story, but not as much as I had expected from the title and description. We follow two points of view: Fran, the wife, who is indeed a serial killer (though she will remind you she is not a psychopath!), and her husband, Gareth, a homicide detective. Now, I don't think it is extremely smart to unalive your neighbour, especially if you are unsure if your husband is the 'I'll bring the shovel' kind of guy.

Fran's side of the story has some humour, and she is a likeable and interesting character. Gareth... not so much. His parts of the story felt much slower than hers, and I didn't really connect with him. Since we only witness some of the unaliving, I would have liked to see more of the investigation part. What was interesting in Gareth's story is that at the end, did he or didn't he....

Overall, a good story, but missing some drama and tension for me.

The title the little knife earring on the cover I was so ready to read this book!

It did not disappoint as a quick and fun read!

Gareth a detective ends up investigating his own wife’s killing spree and I loved the dual pov and the unhinged was of Fran (the wife)

It stays darkly humorous throughout and you will be dying to get to the end!

Thank you Netgally and Storm Publishing for my ARC copy.