Thanks for the ARC NetGalley and The Book Guild.

I found it very hard to connect to this one... The representation of mental health was good but it also wasn't because it made light of so many issues that shouldn't be funny.

Dark humour, hilarious narration, wanted it to keep on forever.

This was brilliant. A wealthy wife - Claudia - tells her feelings to a doll (and by extension us of course) about her philandering husband and her schemes to make him a thing of the past... like a couple of other husband before him.

Gary thinks his wife is absolutely barking, she's talking to a doll, for goodness sake. Threatening to change her will - which would be most unfair before he and his mistress can off her!

And so starts what appears to be a bit of a race to who can get the job done first. Especially as Gary's work wife and mistress can't seem to find a competent hitman.

This just got better and better, you definitely like Claudia. Even if she's mad as a box of frogs and NOT someone you want to be on the wrong side of, she's definitely who you root for. Gary and Alexa are plain unlikeable, nicely written to both be amoral and worthy of a messy end.

A huge cast of minor characters, all bringing their own quirks to the story, with lots of Claudia's backstory drip-fed to us clarifying her history and previous romantic entalgments... and how she got out of them.

Loved the narrative style, which pulls you up short when Gary and Alexa's story is told so very differently and conventionally, more omniscient third person.

I wanted this to keep going, it was one of the most entertaining reads I've found in a while. We had bombs going off in suburban streets, random shootings, work affairs, poisonings... it was a whole series of TV gold in the making.

Please make this for the small screen! A riot of dark humour, much to recommend.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

I think I’m not the audience for this book. It’s not bad, and it’s not problematic. It’s just that the author and I don’t share a sense of humor, so as I’m reading this book I’m only becoming more and more frustrated at the disconnect. I can see where other people might find Claudia funny, but I just found her pitiable.

Sometimes a book is like that. Not every book is for every person and that’s fine. Hard to review … but fine.

The writing is solid, the pace is quick, and the cast of characters are painted in bright, broad strokes. From bombs and bodies in the backyard to surprise children, there is always something happening. The book is solidly plotted, even if some of the reveals are a bit predictable — but that’s the nature of the formula. The author does, however, put their own spin on it. People more interested in small town murder mysteries — if they like Claudia or find the humor in this book — will probably have a good time.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the book.

4 stars
This is about Claudia who is looking for a hitman to kill her husband.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish as the unlikeable and unique protagonist Claudia was constantly making funny jokes most of which made me chuckle in my head even though some were too heavy handed for me. My favourite part was finding out about her mother and especially Claudia's dislike for her due to the yoghurt incident and this book is full of tomfoolery like that. It also feels like whilst Claudia is definitely a caricature she still has human aspects that make you like her and her backstory give reasons for her logic when it comes to the crazy things she has done. Also her habit for going for substantially younger vulnerable men is one of her flaws especially from a control aspect its predatorial behaviour and I wouldn't want to encounter her character type in real life due to her insensitivity. Even her annoying raggedy husband was fun to read from the perspective off as he is even more unlikeable than Claudia.

My only qualm was a personal preference of the humour not landing at times, me wanting a more doomed ending or a confirmation of a sequel as I would love to read more of Claudia's antics.

Thank you NetGalley and D N Potter for this ARC.

Now this is “woman gone mad” done right! I don’t know if I was supposed to agree with all of Claudia’s decisions, but I absolutely did. I love reading about a woman coming completely undone and wreaking havoc on men in a reserve uno style. Claudia’s narration is so well written and hilarious, I was hooked on page one. Sometimes this genre makes women so unlikable it’s hard to read without constant eye rolling. This book does not have that problem. All around the humor is fantastic, the schemes and follies reminded me of the burglars in Home Alone. The grown up Home Alone female revenge fantasy of my dreams.

Claudia is what happens when the ego and superego leave the chat and the id is left as group admin.

This book was quirky, witty, and filled with dark, dry humour. The characters are so unlikeable that you find yourself rooting for a funny, unstable murderer. The book tackles real issues like childhood trauma, mental illness and the uniquely human obsession with the macabre, while also bringing levity and total ridiculousness to the forefront.

I look forward to reading more of D N Potter’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

3.5.

This book is very funny, laugh aloud funny in some parts, mostly in Claudia's sections. It is a little slow at times but the characters are good and new ones are introduced along the way. I did get a little mixed up with the True Crime Club members but they are near the end so it doesn't matter that much.

Claudia is a vengeful character and as we gradually find out about her background, we see why and we cannot help but excuse her and even cheer her on, possibly also because she is eccentric, funny and resilient.

In contrast to the slightly slow bits earlier on, the ending is a little rushed and some storylines have no conclusion (no spoilers) but I think there could be a sequel which I would read. I want to find out more.

This book is unhinged in the best of ways.
Claudia is a hilarious character. She's had enough of her crappy, cheating husband and is looking for a hitman. Do you happen to know one?
The problem is, Claudia's crappy, cheating husband and his girlfriend have the same idea, only they are doing more than talking about it.
You learn about Claudia and her past and her two suspiciously deceased husbands. You get to read along as she reads her diary to her life like baby and as she narrates her life to the reader - and let me tell you, her life is something else!
This book is full of laughs from page one to the very end and I enjoyed it immensely. I can't wait to see what this author does next. I highly recommend this book.

3.5
it goes without saying that i enjoyed claudias chapters, they made me laugh out loud several times. what a fascinating, witty, disgusting character thats impossible to *not* root for. reading her POV basically saved the book for me, writing claudias pov in 1st person was a fascinating choice made by the author!

i kept rolling my eyes when chapters of claudias husband & her mistresses chapters were on my screen.. not a single likeable character! that alone was enough to ruin my experience of reading this book sometimes.

oveall a quick, gripping read!

A great read by an author unknown to me. The FMC is a determined and unstable character who is attempting to have her husband killed. A highly enjoyable story with some hilarious lines. Loved the sarcasm. It's best not to know too much about this story and let the thrill unfold for you. Definitely entertaining. Thank you to Netgalley and the Author/Publisher for this advanced copy.

3/9/2026
3/5

I enjoyed the premise of this book, as well as the multiple POVs. I did think that the writing was a little amateur, it definitely read like a first novel. That being said it was enjoyable! Though if you're not up on your British slang, you might get tripped up in the beginning.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and The Book Guild for the gifted ebook.

This was a difficult book to categorize. I enjoyed it, but felt a bit drawn out. I didn’t really connect with the characters, but I still liked reading the story. Writing style was the best part for me. So many great lines, and I could picture the world very vividly.

Fun popcorn thriller with a very interesting main character in Claudia, in all her irascibility and chatting-to-dolls self. she's trying to kill her husband and at times is unlikeable, but you can definitely root for her at points. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I really enjoyed this debut novel! It's quirky and clever and lots of fun to read, and I highly recommend it to fans of popcorn thrillers who like to give debut authors a chance.

Claudia is a middle-aged woman whose husband is cheating on her with his business partner, so she's looking for a hitman to kill either just him or possibly both of them. Unbeknownst to Claudia, her husband and his mistress are also planning to kill her. The story plays out in chapters alternating between Claudia's hilarious first person narration and the third person POV focused on the perspective of the husband and mistress, and as the story progresses, that of the police who get involved once the attempts begin to get made on some of the characters' lives.

Claudia is a very irascible woman diagnosed with schizophrenia and multiple phobias, and her chapters feature her talking to a lifelike baby doll whom she takes with her in a child's seat in the back of her car. Claudia, with all her personality quirks and secrets, is a profoundly unreliable narrator; she is both weird and unlikable, but spending time with her is quite enjoyable and she is often hilarious in her perceptions and complaints. It's easy to root for her while hoping for the worst possible outcome for the adulterous couple. Claudia might be an angry and unhinged black widow, but she is very entertaining and easy to root for. The book ties all its threads together nicely and in a satisfying manner.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is…insane. I have never read anything with so many unlikeable characters. I seriously did not like one single person in this book. Everyone just complains the entire book. And how are so many people cheating?! It’s…just weird.

"I, Claudia" by D N Potter was quite the rollercoaster. Honestly, Claudia is one of the most hilariously eccentric characters I’ve come across in a long time. Her diary entries, especially her "Today’s mood" segments, had me really like her—her sarcastic wit and no-nonsense attitude make her such a memorable protagonist. I loved how she’s this fiercely determined woman, sick of her cheating husband, Gary and his mistress, and actively looking for a hitman. I mean, who doesn’t root for her when she’s plotting her revenge?
The book is full of laugh-out-loud moments, especially in Claudia’s sections. Her personality shines through every page, and her stories about her past relationships, her two suspiciously deceased husbands, and her chaotic life are utterly entertaining. Listening to her, narrate her life—like talking to her 'baby' or sharing her thoughts—adds a quirky charm that I really enjoyed.
That said, I did find the story a bit slow at times, especially in the later chapters. Some parts felt repetitive, and a few scenes didn’t seem to add much to the overall plot, which made the pacing drag a little for me. The tension builds up, but then it kind of stalls, and I was ready for things to pick up again. The ending was a bit underwhelming, leaving me wanting a bit more payoff after all the buildup.
What really made me feel conflicted was how much I loved Claudia’s parts but disliked Gary’s sections. His storyline felt frustrating at times. In contrast, Claudia’s humour and resilience kept me hooked, even when the plot slowed.
In summary, I couldn’t put this book down, despite its flaws. Claudia is a riot—her sarcasm, her attitude, her unfiltered honesty made the reading experience thoroughly enjoyable. If you love dark humour, quirky characters, and an unpredictable plot, give this a try. Just be prepared for some slow and annoying patches, but man, Claudia is a character that you (if you are like me) definitely want to spend more time!