My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing will keep you on the edge of your chair turning pages as quickly as you can.

A seemingly "nice, normal" suburban couple decides to spice up their slightly stale marriage. The activity they choose will make your blood run cold and your hair stand on end. Millicent, the wife and mother is cold, efficient, organized, and unlikeable.

The novel is written in the first person from the husband and father's point of view, so we never learn his name. He's very likeable, loves his children, and is totally controlled by his wife.

As their crimes are discovered, and the net begins to close, one will betray another, and the last page will leave you gasping.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#MyLovelyWife#NetGalley

This story is a wickedly twisted, demented look into the perfect marriage from hell. The couple is well-suited. In fact, they were probably made just for each other. Soul mates. The problem is.... well, they kill people. Together. Because they like it.

Yeah. The sort of happily married couple you DON'T want for neighbors. Nope, nope, nope.

Millicent and her hubby live in the 'burbs. They have two teenage kids. Her husband works as a tennis instructor. And he's the perfect husband....he would do anything for his lovely wife, including kidnapping and torturing people.

The entire time I was reading this book I kept thinking "Oh my God, these two people are horrible, vile, scary human beings!'' But I couldn't put the book down. I had to know what they were doing, thinking, planning next. The story is suspenseful, creative and disturbingly different. I was totally caught up in the plot. Murderous couple kills here and there....everything is fine. They keep up their facade as a happy suburban couple. Then things start to go wrong.....perfect couples don't always stay perfect, right? And the ending.....it was perfect. Spot on.

Loved it! Completely and deliciously twisted! I can't wait to read more by this author!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Berkley via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I was in the mood for an unreliable, twisty suspense thriller and grabbed My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. Millicent and her husband are your typical suburban couple. Both work, while raising two children in a coveted neighborhood, but they share a deadly secret. This twisty tale will grab you! Even if you figure things out along the way, the story will trap you! My full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer on March 26th.

"Climatic twists, diabolical discoveries and deceit abound. If you are looking for an addictive thriller, grab My Lovely Wife." - Caffeinated Reviewer

I absolutely love power couple serial killers. There's something about seeing the whole story through the eyes of the killers rather than a detective or victim that just tingles me in a different way. My Lovely Wife was an absolute fun ride.

One of the things I loved was that this was through the husband's eyes the entire time. It's fun to get inside a man's head. Imagine finding your soul mate, finding out that you both have a dark side and then exploring that side with him or her. Execution, checkmate and then... wait, what?! Hello surprises, what do you have for me today.... *eyebrow wiggle*. Honestly, I guessed the two major twists from the onset but dang if I didn't have fun watching it all play out.

I loved the family dynamics and how the actions that happened in the secretive lives bled into their personal ones. Actions upon actions upon actions! There was one tiny twist that I actually didn't see coming. Wasn't entirely surprised but was like all right, all right... got me! Absolutely agree with the Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe in this dark story peppered with levity.

Lovers of the fast paced writing style of B.A. Paris and Claire Macintosh will enjoy this author as well. Fast paced, engaging and deviously delightful, I definitely highly recommend this book and look forward to a lot more from this author.

After fifteen years of marriage and two kids this seemingly perfect couple decide to spice up their marriage with a little murder. Dark and very disturbing, reading about this couple's exploits was like watching a train wreck that is so horrific even when you want to look away you can't. The lengths this couple goes to bring excitement to their humdrum lives with no care or concern for those around them is truly frightening. The thought of a perfect couple always makes me skeptical but I think after reading this book I might just steer clear of them all together!

Let me start by saying I LOVE dark, suspenseful, creepy books. This book definitely fit the bill on all those fronts. I was addicted and could not put it down, reading it whenever I had a spare minute. I must admit, a part of me thought, "What does this say about me, that I am loving this dark, gruesome book?" but I dismissed that thought and kept reading, and I'm so glad I did! So if you have those same thoughts, keep reading- you won't be disappointed!

If you only pick up one book this year, please please make it My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. As a debut thriller, this was just so good, too good for you to pass up! I had to keep reading this, it was impulsive and a huge mind f***!

The book starts out with a man you come to know as Tobias, who's at a bar trying to pick up a lady friend for the night. He tells her he's deaf, and the two strike up a little text conversation. She takes him back to her place, they do their thing, and he realizes she's not the one. 

She's not the one that he and his wife plan on murdering. That's right, Tobias is a fake name, and the man isn't even deaf. He's been sent by his wife to lure women, so that they can recreate the killings of a serial killer in their home town.

Millicent and her husband (to be honest I don't remember the guys name, and I am pretty sure that it was never said in the book), live a seemingly perfect life. They've got two teenaged children, good jobs, she's a real estate agent and he is a tennis instructor, and they live in the wealthy, gated part of town. 

What's not obvious is what the couple does in their spare time, finding women for Millicent to murder. I have to stop there, because if I tell you any more, it'll spoil the whole thing. I absolutely LOVED this book. It's a little mix of Dexter, which is one of my all time favorite shows, and a little bit of psychological thriller mixed in with the sheer crazy story.

This book comes out soon, so please get off your booty and go buy it. It is so good, I can't wait to share the awesomeness with everyone. I hope this gets turned into a movie, because I'll be the first in line. I give this 5 out of 5 stars, plus a million more.

"The whole world turns on sex and violence."

That's certainly true for this long-married couple. Millicent and and her husband --never did find a name for him -- have two children, Rory and Jenna. They live in an upscale subdivision, Hidden Oaks, in Woodview, Florida. They do all the things that a family does: both work (he's a tennis pro at the club giving private lessons and she's a realtor), cook, clean, chauffeur the kids to and from their sporting events and oh yes, they like to abduct and murder women. It's really a tag team sort of thing for them, and they are quite good at it. But, as these things often do, it all goes haywire. NO SPOILERS. You'll just have to read this one for yourself.

Was this an engaging story? Definitely. I promise you'll be so riveted that you won't come up for air until you've reached the epilogue. Is it believable? Well, that's a hard one, but I'm saying not exactly. But definitely a thrill ride from start to finish even if I didn't really like how it ended. The couple is definitely one that you wouldn't want in your close circle of friends. Both are despicable people and I guarantee you will find it hard to have any positive feelings about their behavior. It's not a perfect book but it is one heck of a story so start reading already. I'm sure it's bound for the big screen or a miniseries at some point and it will be hyped a bunch after publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the e-book ARC to read and review. Don't miss it if you like really nasty psychopaths who do things way outside the norm.

Dark, twisted and disturbing, yet an edge of your seat read. The couple next door to a whole other level. This is the type of book that is such a psychological mind bender, I need a break from these types of books by reading something uplifting and light. Great job by the author. If her goal was to shock the reader, she got me a few times.

Millicent and her husband are an average couple, probably just like the people living next door to you. Watch out, things are not always what they seem! Millicent and her husband have become bored and taken up a twisted hobby. I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

This is a first effort for this author and she hits it out of the park. It is a twisted, dark thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Lock your doors turn on the lights, and get ready for a great read. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A man and woman discover the secret for keeping their marriage exciting is .... murdering woman. Definitely an intriguing premise and the book delivers suspense and some unexpected curveballs. Enjoyable read!

Dark. Sick. Twisted. That is is how I describe this story about a couple with very peculiar ways of keeping their marriage exciting. While you may ask yourself (at least I did) about the small details, this book will keep you busy for a couple of days because you won't be able to put it down. If you liked "Behind Her Eyes" or "The Kind Worth Killing," then this one should be on your list!

I struggled with this book. It was very slow and uneventful. I couldn't connect to these characters or the story. For me, there wasn't anything remarkable about it. I am disappointed in that. I thought for sure this was going to be a great book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

They met by chance on a plane—both trying too hard to impress the other. The beginning of a beautiful relationship, or something much more? After all, they’re your neighbors in an upscale community—real estate agent and tennis pro with a teenage son and daughter. What could be more ordinary?

But they have a dark, secret life that no one could even imagine. And you just might be their next target.

Told in the first person, the story unfolds quickly, leading the reader into a maze of mind games and nightmarish acts. You don’t want to know, but you can’t put it down.

Four stars because I did guess a couple of the twists, but that didn’t spoil the book for me.

OMG, finally a dark and twisted thriller! This book kept me on the edge with every page, it was very hard to put down.
When your marriage gets boring, and the spark is gone, what do you do? It doesn't matter what you answer, I guarantee it wasn't what the couple in this book did. The thrill of what if turns into the thrill of making the what if a reality, and the reality gets a little too real. The twists in the story keep coming, and get creepier each time. I couldn't decide if i wanted them to get caught or to get away with........I can't tell you.
What an amazing debut! however, I have read that the author has been writing novels for years, just never submitting them. For the love of all that is creepy, dark and twisted, I am begging you to please write more like this!! Samantha Downing, I think I love you!
Thank you thank you thank you for the advance of this ebook from Netgalley!

A couple that hunts and kills together while raising their kids is very scary. The best part of this thriller is that I didn't figure out the ending so it gets a very high rating from me.

This book was a roller coaster of emotions. I wanted to read it based on the “Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith” description I was seeing everywhere but I have to say that it didn’t feel like either of those to me. While there is murder and a husband and wife dynamic, this book felt like a MUCH, MUCH, darker “Gone Girl.” I am going to recommend this to people with a caveat…you need to be comfortable with reading a book about horrible people who commit murder for no other reason than the thrill of it.


My synopsis of this book is intentionally vague because there are so many twists and turns and “gasp out loud” moments that I fear giving too much away and ruining the surprises. I almost stopped reading this book at about 40% through because while I enjoy thrillers, this one was almost too much in terms of the murder. I loved the show Dexter, not because of the murders, but because he was at least a likable character and you could understand why he was killing people. The characters in this book kill just to kill and the author, Samantha Downing, spends time detailing how they find their victims and how they are chosen. There is nothing too graphic but this part of the book left me a bit sick to my stomach and I didn’t know if I could continue. There was something about them finding joy in taking innocent lives that rubbed me the wrong way (as opposed to other thrillers about murderers where there seems to be a specific reason for the killings). Reading about the husband (he is never named) and Millicent calmly discussing their next victim while also discussing their kid’s weekly activities was unnerving. In the end, I am very glad that I decided to finish the book because the murder aspect almost takes a back seat to the drama between the husband, Millicent, and the community that unfolds about halfway through the book and that is what fascinated me the most. Because the book is written solely from the perspective of the husband, you only see things as he does and there is SO much going on that was surprising to me in the end. I tend to enjoy books with unreliable narrators and this one was no exception. The last few chapters seemed to wrap things up a bit too nicely but the last line is a gut punch and was FANTASTIC.

I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and murder mysteries but would be sure to warn them about the content. There is nothing too graphic about any of the descriptions but the characters are not likeable at all and some may have an issue with their behavior. But, if you are looking for a dark, twisted, macabre, thriller, this is your book.

This was a scary book. The fact that a husband and wife could raise children and go out and kill women. What a family dynamic! I was totally hooked however, and the ending was outstanding. I sure didn't see that one coming.

Creepy, weird, unsettling. Not really my kind of book but I couldn't put it down. I was pretty sure I knew what was going on. Ending was pretty unbelievable. Still an entertaining read.

Ordinary suburban marriage on the surface. Murder for thrills underneath.

It’s creepy and tension-filled, narrated in first person present tense by the husband, who you don’t know whether to sympathize with or despise. Well, actually, I know I should despise him, but author Samantha Downing does a good job of making him at least somewhat sympathetic. He just wants to keep his wife happy, y’all! He’s a considerate husband!

He (I’m pretty sure you never are told his name) adores his wife and kids, even though he’s had a couple of one night stands with women he’s picked up in bars, and even though he’s a little uncomfortable with his wife’s enthusiasm for finding young women to murder, and his conscience bothers him. But at the same time he finds their secret life exciting and sexy, in a kinky kind of way. Until things start to go wrong...

The tension builds slowly for the first 70% of the book. It’s an interesting setup, though it did feel a little slow-paced at times. But then crazy things start to happen and this was IMPOSSIBLE to put down until I was done.

Recommended if you like thrillers with killers!