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.

Gareth is a cop. Fran is a serial killer. Oh—and she’s also his wife.

That premise alone was enough to hook me, and the book delivered on the promise of dark humor, sharp dialogue, and a twisted take on love and loyalty. There’s a satisfying mix of violence, snarky banter, and moments where characters go to extreme lengths to protect the people they care about.

That said, I closed the book feeling like something was missing. I would’ve loved more depth around Fran and Angus’s time in the children’s home—those glimpses into their past were intriguing but underdeveloped. The same goes for Edith. Exploring her backstory more fully could’ve added emotional weight and helped readers better understand her motivations. As it stands, some of those potentially powerful moments felt a bit glossed over.

The ending also felt rushed to me. After such a strong buildup, I was hoping for a more layered or satisfying conclusion.

Still, this was a thoroughly entertaining read. Some sections were so gripping I couldn’t put it down, and I appreciated the bold, unconventional approach. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely memorable.

This really took me a hot minute to get into. I don’t know what it was, but I wasn’t fully invested until about halfway through. Which is crazy, because the premise is so intriguing.

It might have been the characters. First of all, they have horrible names. Absolutely terrible names. Very hard for me to connect with characters that have those names. And they just felt overall a little flat? Not quite sure why.

Overall, the book wasn’t bad. It wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t bad either. I feel like the story could have used an extra little something but I couldn’t tell you what exactly that would be.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was captivated from start to finish. Garbett weaves shocking moments with dark humor, creating an enjoyable reading experience. Fran is a chillingly pragmatic killer who operates within morally gray areas. Her husband, Gareth, a by-the-book detective, creates friction as his investigation leads him closer to his own wife. The dynamic between their clashing worlds is pure gold.

For readers who enjoy dark humor and unconventional thrillers, My Wife, The Serial Killer is an absolute must read. It's a wild ride that will have you laughing even as you gasp.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: June 17, 2025

This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I absolutely loved the prologue — it hooked me right in and set up such an intriguing premise. I went in expecting a twisty, fast-paced ride. And while it had its moments, somewhere along the way it started to feel a little… repetitive. The plot kind of wobbled, like it couldn’t decide which direction to fully commit to. I found myself flipping pages more out of habit than suspense. By the time I reached the final stretch, I wasn’t as invested anymore — which is such a bummer because it had the potential to be something truly gripping. Maybe it’s just me being a picky reader again, but hey, not every book's meant to rock your world, right?

I cannot give real feedback on this book and thus did not post on my social channels. I found the writing very choppy and did not finish this novel. I apologize but I went to page 70 and abandonded this book.