Hannah Mary McKinnon is now on my list of favourite authors. Each novel is unique and Never Coming Home can be described as dark, comedic suspense.
Lucas has plans to have his wife killed and reap the benefits of her inheritance.
Told in the first person narrative Lucas takes us for quite a ride, and believe it or not, his character is funny and likeable.
A fast-paced and entertaining read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I’m in my Hannah Mary McKinnon era! Not sure what took me so long to get here, but I’m happy to finally be here! I’ve recently gotten into her books and this one was just as amazing as the last one I read! While this book was a bit predictable, I still enjoyed reading it! I loved to hate Lucas, and I love when an author gets me that into the characters! I thought this was a little slow in parts, but overall enjoyed it and very excited to continue on my HMM reading journey!

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

I listened to this on audio, with a British male narrator, which is where I should have stopped myself. I don't love many British narrators, I find it hard to follow (just a personal opinion). Overall, this held my attention through because I was super curious how things would unfold, but I was let down and thinking back a couple months later, this was not memorable for me.

This was a fun and twisted domestic thriller! I enjoyed the character of Miles and the fact that the synopsis came right out and told us he hated his wife- no pretending to be a perfect couple.

5 Stars!!

Told from the villain's point of view, Lucas hires a hitman for his wife Michelle, not because he didn't love her but because he wanted her money so off to the dark web he goes. But how long can Lucas keep up the act of grieving husband to his missing wife.

I received the ARC book but ended up listening to it and let me tell you that the audiobook is hands down the BEST!!! You can't get any better than listening to Alex Wyndham and the dry humor that Hannah gives to Lucas the cherry on top!!

Whew this was a rollercoaster!

Lucas Forester is such an amazing guy! He saves a rescue dog from euthenasia and even brings him home . He cares deeply for his mother-in-law and is sad seeing her in pain with an illness. Hes found the the best for his dad, who is in an assisted living facility. I mean he’s the perfect man! Oh there’s one more thing… He wants his wife dead! He has spent years planning her demise so that he can inherit her millions that’s not a big deal right? Now he just has to act like the grieving husband after taking the hit out on her. Now it seems like someone may know what Lucas has been up to, but Lucas isn’t going down that easy he has had this planned and no one is taking his future fortune. The whole novel takes place from Lucas POV, and I couldn’t help but shake my head at him. There no way that anyone could ever think Lucas has anything to do with his wife’s disappearance I mean he’s perfect! Someone is onto him. And they’re closing in.

Woah boy. What a captivating, and sometimes unsettling read. I thought that the author did a great job of weaving this all together.

Hannah Mary McKinnon's goal was to create a sympathetic bad guy. I’m not sure that's possible, but he’s certainly interesting, and has his “reasons” and justifications. (Blame the pre-nup and COVID quarantine and the fact that she wanted the dog put down — the dog came closest to convincing me).
Mid-book, the tragic buildup mirrored the guilt of Iago and the madness of Lear, fascinating. The police officer reminded me a bit of Columbo’s “just one more question.” Baddies are never as smart as they think they are, and the twists and turns led to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.

You could guess the ending very early in the book. And the ending was not very good. Not your typical psychological thriller story. The story revolves around Lucas putting a hit on his wealthy wife so you already know how that goes down. It could be a pretty good story if not so predictable. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

When I first delved into this book, I held high hopes for an intriguing premise that would captivate me from start to finish. Regrettably, my experience was tedious, primarily due to my dissatisfaction with the main character. Here are a few reasons why I found it hard to appreciate Lucas Forester:
Annoying Narcissism: The protagonist's incessant self-centeredness grated my nerves. Despite his insistence that nobody knew his secret, it became painfully apparent that someone was aware, considering the constant clues and break-ins throughout the story.
Excessive Monologues: The extensive monologues, showcasing the character's self-justification and introspection, grew wearisome. Furthermore, the frequent flashbacks seemed disjointed and out of place within the narrative.
Flawed Reasoning: Even at the story's conclusion, the protagonist stubbornly clung to the notion that Travis was involved. It was abundantly clear that Travis, fueled by alcohol or substances throughout the book, did not know what had transpired, believing the protagonist's love interest to be deceased. The inconsistencies in the protagonist's thinking were frustrating.

Additionally, the introduction of Bobby, who appeared abruptly midway through the book, added a new layer to the story. While it tied into the protagonist's father's predicament, the introduction felt random. If Bobby had succeeded in forging a new life, it seemed unlikely that he would suddenly resurface demanding repayment.

This book was really good and I'm kicking myself for waiting this long to read this book. The pacing was good. I enjoy the dark humor. I LOVED getting the point of view from our villain, Lucas. Even though Lucas was the villain he did have some redeeming qualities and I loved how he took care of Roger (dog) and I felt he really cared for his mother in law as well. I will say the ending of this book had a twist I didn't see coming and I loved the way it all played out in the end. I look forward to reading McKinnon's next book!

Lover everything written by this author, and this is no exception. Hannah Mary McKinnon weaves a tale so intense that you have to stay the course so you don’t miss a thing! It was an interesting take on the novel when you knew what happened from the beginning of the book. And it is fortuitous how it will end, but you still aren’t expecting the final twist! This is definitely a must-read!

Wow! This was incredible! Lucas Forester has a shady past but over the years worked hard to reinvent himself. When he meets beautiful and rich Michelle, he plans to marry her and then devise a plan to take all of her money. He carefully thought out every thing to have her killed. He had an air tight alibi and covered all his tracks, and now he’s cooperating with the police, helping to care for his dying mother in law, and trying to keep his brother in law sober while he waits for confirmation that she’s dead. Soon though, it becomes clear someone knows what he did and they really start messing with him!

Lucas tries to continue playing the part of grieving husband so he can finally get her money, but it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to pretend he’s not getting freaked out by the mail he’s getting that claims someone knows what he did. Will Lucas be able to get his payout from Michelle’s death before the truth comes out or will all his meticulous planning be for nothing?

This really kept me hooked the whole time and the ending was shocking! I didn’t see it playing out that way at all! This is my third book by this author and I look forward to more by her!

Thank you to MIRA books, Netgalley, and the author for my copy.

I had high expectations of this book and the premise was extremely captivating. However, the execution of the story wasn't as good and the characters came across as unlikable and shallow. Thank you to the publishers for the ARC.

Lucas Forester has been planning his wife’s death from the moment he decided that she was the one for him. It’s all about the money for him and he is not ashamed to admit to himself over and over. He acts like he is distraught for his missing wife but inside he is congratulating himself. Then the envelopes start coming and someone is telling him that they know….this can’t be possible of course because Lucas is always one step ahead….isn’t he? A very enjoyable, deviously written thriller.

Hannah Mary McKinnon never ceases to amaze me, and Never Coming Home is another mind bending, yet hilarious, wild ride! I can’t believe how much I sided with the “villains” of the story and really found myself rooting for them… almost as if the evilness that unfolded didn’t happen or matter! Dark and twisty and somehow comedic events were such an unexpected gift in this novel, and made me question my own moral compass a little 😄 I am still reeling from how it all unfolded! I can’t reconcile the slimy feeling that Lucas gives you throughout with rooting for him in the end, and that is the mark of an AMAZING book!

It’s always interesting reading from the perspective of the villain. While the opening was great, the pace slowed down and it lost steam. A very promising read that kind of fell flat.

I love domestic thrillers and this one is just that. A great read that had me hooked to know what was going to happen next. This is one that I will definitely recommend.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

Hannah Mary McKinnon has done it again. “Never Coming Home” is cold, calculated, and completely captivating. She does an amazing job of putting you right into the mind and shoes of a murderer. I liked how she layered his character so that the reader has to put their judgment on hold, if just for a little bit. The novel is full of great twists and I absolutely loved it.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book on NetGalley and have provided an honest review.*