I appreciated the clever use of dual POVs between Fran and Gareth, and the occasional fourth wall breaks were a standout—adding humor and immersing me further in the story.

The writing was vivid and engaging, especially in bringing scenes to life. I also found the comedic elements well-placed, offering a welcome contrast to heavier topics like infertility.

That said, while Gareth’s character shows growth and evolution, I would have liked to see more development from Fran. Her arc felt a bit static by comparison. A few plot points left me with lingering questions—for example, how the lawyer knew about the eye injury without a body, or how the knife was recovered.

At times, the pacing felt a little slow, and I expected more escalation from Fran’s side—whether more victims or a deeper unraveling. Still, the narrative held my attention through the end, and I’m glad I stuck with it.

I liked the dynamic of Fran being a secret serial killer and her husband being a detective (how is investigating his wife’s case). I love an unhinged FMC, I just think the execution was lacking a bit here for me. It didn’t feel like there was much of a driving force for the plot, and everything felt rather predictable. I loved the cover though!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC!

Gareth, es detective de homicidios. Fran, acaba de asesinar a su vecino. ¿el problema? Están casados.

Por un lado, tenemos el POV más clásico de los thrillers, con Gareth investigando la desaparición de su vecino. Aunque su instinto le dice que no es sólo una desaparición, sino un crimen.
Por el otro, tenemos un POV más novedoso con Fran, quien desde un tono de humor negro, relata cómo asesino a su vecino a sangre frío y juega con el concepto de asesina serial y la psicopatía.

Más que el caso de asesinato en sí, la historia se centra en cómo impacta su matrimonio y en el dilema ético que presenta para Gareth descubrir que su esposa es una asesina. Y es la parte más interesante, ¿hasta donde estás dispuesto a llegar por amor? ¿puede un matrimonio sobrevivir a semejante revelación?

En cuanto al concepto de 'asesino serial' que se usa en todo el libro para describir a Fran, no creo que sea tan así. Creo que la motivación de venganza de Fran y que se haya enfocado en 3 personas muy específicas la saca un poco de este concepto, aunque en el sentido más amplio sí pueda considerarse una asesina serial.

En general, el concepto me pareció interesante y la trama está bien llevada. Es un thriller más descontracturado por su tono de humor negro. Y aunque me gustaron los personajes de Fran y Gareth, no les sentí tanta química como pareja, algo ahí no me terminó de llegar.

Well, this was a pleasant surprise ! It felt like a mix of some John Grisham, a pinch of Dexter and a secret look into your next door neighbor's diary (not that I ever would!!).

I wanted to read something else for once, and I thought some humor might be just the thing to get me out of a slump. I went in without too much expectations as the genre has let me down in the past.
But the book gripped me immediately and the inner voices of both Fran and Gareth were indeed funny and relatable, even though the subject matter is all but comical.

Fran an Gareth have their suburban lives and while mayhem occurs - Fran being a murderer and Gareth being a police detective will of course lead to that - it is their day to day mundane actions that are also adding another great layer to the book. Which detective in the midst of an inquiry also has to rush their cat to the vet? And which accused worries about bio breaks when led into the courtroom? But don't be deceived, the general storyline is quiet dark and very thrilling.

All in all, I found it very enjoyable and I will look out for another book from this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and the author for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to H.J. Garbett, Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. ♡

₊˚⊹⋆ first thoughts: first off the cover art is so cute, instantly caught my eye. i get the vibe this read is gonna be such a funny one with a few twists. fingers crossed!

This book had me hooked from page one. A wife kills her neighbour, the husband’s a detective with no clue, and the tone is dark, sharp, and actually funny. It felt fresh, clever, and like it was setting up for something brilliant.

But around the halfway mark, it just… stalls. The humour fades, the pacing slows down, and suddenly we’re knee-deep in Fran’s childhood trauma. Not that backstory’s a bad thing — but the tone shift is so drastic, it feels like a different book.

What started as a wild, witty murder romp turns into something much more serious — and not in a way that adds tension, just in a way that drags.

The ending tries to go big but doesn’t quite stick the landing — it’s a little too over-the-top to feel earned. And Fran? Hard to connect with. I actually felt more for the cat than any of the people.

So yeah — amazing premise, killer first half, but it loses its edge. If the tone had stayed consistent, this could’ve been a standout. Instead, it’s a book I wanted to love but ended up just finishing.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, a fun and engaging reading that really hooked me up since the beginning. While its general concept recall “How to kill your family” by Bella Mackie, I believe that “My Wife, the Serial Killer” is definitely better executed, both in the construction of the storyline and characters. I appreciated the pace of narration, its gradual crescendo while the suspect grows around Fran and also the inner battle of Gareth in trying to find the balance between his personal and work life.

I don’t feel like giving 4 full stars (although I did in the rating) because of the epilogue, which I found a bit disappointing as it gave me the impression of being a bit anticlimactic if compared to the last 50 pages or so.

Highly recommend for an easy but entertaining read.

He was a detective, she was a serial killer, can they make it any more obvious? My Wife, The Serial Killer is a dark comedy that follows Fran and her husband Detective Gareth as they find themselves in a mystery involving their neighbor. This was a fast-paced, addicting read! I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed reading it from both their POVs, so you can get a glimpse into both of the MCs thought process and intentions.

A dual narrative told from husband’s and wife’s pov this book opens with the killing of their neighbour- by the wife. We don’t know why or what led up to it immediately, but Fran tells us it’s not her first time. She cleans up after herself and attempts to cover her tracks with a plausible reason of the neighbour going missing as a potential suicide. Once the neighbour is reported missing by his carer the local police inspector dismisses it just as Fran had hoped.
All would have been well for Fran if it hadn’t been for the diligence of a newly promoted detective who had a hunch it was something more. The problem is this is Fran’s husband who finds himself investigating a murder and little suspects the killer is close to home and hiding more than this one secret.
The book is intended to be humorous and lighthearted if you consider murder in this way!

2.5 stars!

This was a wild ride. The story follows two characters, a man named Gareth, a police officer, and his wife Fran, who is almost a serial killer. Throughout the book, we get both of their points of view as Fran pretends she didn’t murder a man and Gareth pretends he actually knows his wife.

The pacing was a bit slow at times, and the plot wasn’t quite as thrilling as what I’m usually drawn to. It leaned more into the mystery side than I expected, and while that’s not a bad thing, I do think I would’ve been more engaged if it had gone heavier on the thriller aspects. That being said, I still really enjoyed how everything played out in the end.

What stood out to me most was Gareth and Fran’s relationship. Their marriage was surprisingly sweet, and I liked seeing how they each responded as things got messier. Watching them try to navigate their secrets and trust each other in their own weird way was one of the more interesting parts of the book. Even though it didn’t totally hit the mark in terms of suspense for me, the character dynamics kept me invested all the way through. I wouldn’t be opposed to picking up another one of this author’s books if the premise intrigues me!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

🖤🩸BOOK REVIEW🩸🖤
My Wife, The Serial Killer by H.J. Garbett
📚Pub Date: June 17, 2025

“She only kills people who deserve it… probably.” 😳🔪🐈‍⬛

Welcome to the chaotic life of Gareth, a detective accidentally investigating the very murder his wife committed. Meanwhile, Fran (said wife) is over here murdering sketchy neighbors and narrating her crimes like she’s sharing a cooking recipe. And yes—there’s a cat named Mep who steals the show and might be immortal. 🐾

This one was:
✨Darkly hilarious
✨Weirdly charming
✨Chaotic good (emphasis on chaotic)
✨Full of gasps, laughs, and “No, Fran, NO” moments

If you love books like How to Kill Your Family or Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, this will scratch your morally-grey, satire-loving itch. A little messy in execution but definitely a binge read!

#MyWifeTheSerialKiller #HJGarbett #NetGalleyReads #SatiricalThriller #DarkHumor #MurderMysteryBooks #KillerWifeVibes #MepTheCat #Bookstagram #MysteryBookReview #MorallyGray #BookRecs #SummerReads2025 #BookishHumor #HowToGetAwayWithMurderButMakeItFunny #StormPublishing

My Wife the Serial Killer by H.J. Garbett Interesting premise. A dark domestic thriller with morbidly humorous moments. Being in Fran's head was unsettling. Gareth didn't quite come up to expectations and was rather bland. Mep, by far, was the favorite and most relatable character. An interesting, somewhat disturbing but thoroughly entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and H. J. Garbett for the opportunity to preview the book.

A story that reminded me of "how to kill your family" and "how to kill men and get away with it".
Fran has a big secret, her husband Gareth has no idea and is a bit clueless about her past.
In this dual POV we follow Fran as she tries to cover up her latest crime and Gareth as he tries his best to be a good detective and solve a crime, he has no idea his wife committed.
I especially loved the ending and the way Gareth´s character developed.

thank you Netgalley, the publisher and H.J. Garbett for the digital ARC.

I had to dnf this book. I felt as though there was so much rambling indeed of focusing on the story at hand. It was hard for me to get through the 20% I read. The book was slow moving which I didn’t like.

I think it is better to give some twist at the middle of the story. Because i got bored in between chapter 16/17. This is well written, but i think i had read similiar theme/genre but much more captivating..

I'm not a huge fan of thriler but I wanted to give this a possibility and this book was such a ride. Fast, weird, funny in a dark way, like you’re laughing and then thinking that I shouldn't actually laugh. Fran is totally unhinged but also super smart, and I liked being inside her head way more than I expected. Gareth took a bit longer to grow on me, but he got there. I didn’t love him from the start, but by the end, I respected his struggle.
The pacing was great, super easy to read, and definitely kept me hooked. Would totally read another book from this author. Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. I’m sharing my thoughts voluntarily and with genuine appreciation

The first page grabbed my attention immediately. If you love thriller with a comedic twist you’ll love this one. Fran gave me female Dexter vibes.If I wasn’t so busy with work I could’ve finished this in a day, that’s how good it was.

I read the ARC on Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

This book started off great. Fran is a great character, an unhinged serial killer who has the humour to argue that she is not a serial killer until she has killed three people.

Her husband works for the police. And fran kills their new neighbour. Weirdly the husband is hell bent on making it a prime investigation when the police dept doesn't care.

The first 50-60% of the book was outstanding. The middle section was very long, editing or rewriting would've helped a lot. But that's understandable, the book is from a new author. Would love to read the authors next books which I am sure will be much improved!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

My Wife, The Serial Killer has a pretty catchy idea behind it - a wife who is a serial killer (or en route to being one) and just killed her neighbor, and her doting husband who is a detective looking into said murder. In fact, Gareth kind of blows up Fran’s spot by being so suspicious of her staged suicide of the neighbor that he turns what could have been a quiet disappearance into a murder investigation. For me, the promise of the premise didn’t completely come together, but there were plenty of fun parts to this story.

Fran, the serial killer wife, isn’t just killing for the sake of it but rather has a big secret (and I’d say worthy cause) that has her targeting her victims. Having recently moved to a quiet suburb for Gareth’s promotion in a pretty cruddy police station life could be in boring transitional period for her if not for the neighbor - and the murder. Some of the supporting characters in the book act as light spots and definitely add to the plot but alternating perspectives of Fran and Gareth are the main focus, and while Fran’s perspective was a high point, Gareth’s never came together for me. I will say I loved Fran’s view of covering her steps and Gareth quickly dispelling her calculated moves at almost every step.

The book is entertaining and pulls the reader in, and I see many enjoying it, but I just felt like it had a lot more it could have given.

My Wife, The Serial Killer had such a compelling premise—I was really intrigued by the idea of a wife hiding a deadly secret while her detective husband begins to unravel it. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite work for me.

The biggest issue was that I just couldn’t connect with Gareth. For a central character, he felt oddly distant and flat. I wanted to feel his growing suspicion, his conflict, his unraveling—but instead, I found myself detached from his perspective. His reactions often felt more like plot devices than genuine emotion, which made it hard to invest in his side of the story.

Fran, on the other hand, had a more engaging voice, but even then, the pacing dragged in places, and the tension that should have been simmering just never fully came to a boil. The story had opportunities for deeper psychological insight, but it stayed mostly on the surface.

There were some clever twists, and I appreciate the dark humor the author tried to weave in. But overall, I wanted more depth, more suspense, and a protagonist I could really root for—or at least understand.

A great concept, but unfortunately, not the execution I was hoping for.