couldn’t put this down and thoroughly enjoyed it!! after finishing the sweetpea series at the beginning of this year this absolutely filled a bit of that void. I was so drawn to the characters and loved the dual PoV which I haven’t seen before in this type of story. overall this was a really brilliant read that had me laughing and then gasping between every page. thank you to net galley and storm publishing for this e-arc.

H.J. Garbett, do you know how to keep me on my toes! Thrillers or murder mysteries aren't usually my go-to genre but the description for this book genuinely made me laugh out loud and I thought it would get me to read another venture.

It was well worth a read, and a quick one at that - I was itching to find out what happens next so I sped through it!

My overall thoughts, it was fun, and mysterious and also quite frankly ridiculous. Fran was a super likeable serial killer, sorry I mean CHARACTER, and you were obviously rooting for her the whole time. Gareth on the other hand... I liked reading his perspective but I kind of thought he was a total square (though I am glad he get his character development in the end). I know this book is a funny and dark take on a murder mystery, but I also thought it was a pretty compelling take on the flaws of the 'justice' system and corruption in politics and policing; just my kind of read!

I wish some of the backstory had been drawn out slightly more, I think there was so much there that I wanted a lot more of the background of the foster home, Edith and the scandal and cover up, I felt that was all enveloped up in the last few chapters, but on the whole - pretty good pacing and suspense throughout.

Definitely would love to see this one as a TV show. Congrats H.J. Garbett on your debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

H. J. Garbett’s debut novel hits shelves June 17, 2025, and let me tell you—she didn’t come here to play, she came here to unravel you with sentences. Plot-wise, this isn’t groundbreaking. A detective unknowingly engaged to a murderer? That setup is familiar. We’ve seen it—on TV, in paperbacks, probably in a few suspicious marriages. But the magic here isn’t in what happens. It’s in how it’s written.
Garbett’s strength is voice. The killer’s internal monologue is raw, strange, darkly funny, and completely consuming. She jokes with herself. She masks terror with small talk. She spirals inward while keeping a perfectly normal face for her fiancé. It's unsettling—but that’s the point.
You’re not meant to root for her. You’re meant to watch her unravel in real time.
This book doesn’t rely on big plot twists. It relies on psychological tension, sharp emotion, and the unbearable closeness of two people lying to each other and themselves.
It’s bold, immersive, and, honestly, kind of exhausting—in a good way.
Like falling down a staircase made of sharp thoughts
I love unserious way of narrating. It’s not neat, it’s not clear, and it doesn’t beg to be taken seriously—until you realize it absolutely should be. It’s the true color of how we process information, relationships, and decision-making in real time. Whether you're a rational adult or a woman hiding a body in the garden.
Speaking of psychopaths…
Fran, our murderous narrator, spends the entire book trying to convince you—and herself—that she’s not one. But let’s be honest: if she were really a psychopath, she wouldn’t care what you thought.
She knows what she’s doing is wrong. She recognizes the morality of it, she just… does it anyway. She’s been in a long-term, committed relationship with her detective fiancé for seven years. She loves him. She's terrified of losing him. She spirals, hesitates, plans, regrets. That’s not emotional detachment. That’s not apathy. That’s a sociopath. Not a psychopath.
She’s not emotionally empty—she’s emotionally drowning in a glittering cocktail of rage, fear,
attachment issues, and baby fever.
You’re not watching a killer on autopilot. You’re watching a woman plan revenge, smile at brunch, and track ovulation—all in the same breath. That’s not murder mystery. That’s full psychological theatre.
The one thing that did pull me out of the story?
Her vocabulary.
There were moments where it felt like she swallowed a thesaurus and coughed up synonyms for “rage” that no emotionally collapsing human would actually use mid-breakdown.
I’m not anti-big words. I read Shakespeare. I’ve inhaled Stephen King. I’ve been reading in English longer than I’ve held down most relationships. But when you’re inside the mind of a killer having a panic attack, and she suddenly uses a word like "circumlocution" or "pellucid," it feels like we’ve briefly exited the story to audition for a literary prize.
It’s the kind of language that doesn’t serve the character—it serves the writer.
It screams: “Look! I know English!”
And listen, so do I. But I still had to re-read some sentences like I was decoding an SAT essay while someone bled out in the background. Would I say this is the best book I’ve ever read?
No.
Would I say it hooked me with sarcasm and raw emotional instability that felt eerily similar to what I’m experiencing in university—minus the actual murder?
Yes. Violently yes.
This book wasn’t perfect. It made me reach for the dictionary more times than I reached for water. But it did crawl inside my brain, slap me across the face with character tension, and remind me what it feels like to lose control in a beautiful, terrifying way.
I’m rooting for Garbett.
She’s got the voice. She’s got the guts.
Hopefully her next book involves fewer obscure synonyms and more raw chaotic energy that hits dangerously close to a real human being.

Thank you to NetGalley and @StormPublishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Wife the Serial Killer is exactly what it promise, equal parts ridiculous, dark, and weirdly charming. I went in expecting chaos, and wow, it did not disappoint. H.J. Garbett really walks that tightrope between thriller and black comedy, and somehow makes murder feel like a cheeky little rebellion.

Fran is that girl. Brilliant, manipulative, calm under pressure, and somehow still weirdly likable despite… you know, all the murdering. I absolutely loved being inside her head. Every shady thought, every dry observation it was all so sharp and addictive. And the fact that she keeps a cat named Mep? Iconic!!! Genuinely, I cared more about that cat’s well-being than most of the human characters.

Now Gareth... His character arc was a bit of a head scratcher. One minute he’s blind to everything, the next he’s Detective Justice. The whiplash was real. But I’ll give it to him, he does have a solid moment by the end, and it was kind of satisfying to see him finally piece it all together (even if I was rooting for Fran the whole time).

Also, shoutout to the chaotic mess that is the police station subplot. Every single person in that place was a disaster, and I loved watching the implosion unfold. Deliciously messy.

And that epilogue?? Beryl stole the show. Absolute legend. I was grinning the whole time.

This book is definitely not for the overly serious or squeamish, but if you like your thrillers with a dash of dry British humor, a morally grey queen, and a cat you’ll stress over like it’s your own, this one’s a ride you’ll enjoy.
4 Stars!!!

#NetGalley, #StormPublishing, #MyWifetheSerialKiller, #HJGarbett, #DarkHumor

My Wife, the Serial Killer written by H.J. Garbett was very interesting. The first half of this book was very slow and took me forever to get through, but by the halfway mark it started picking up pace and I was flying through the pages. I first requested this book because of that stunning cover, I mean how could you not love it? It's pick and the detail is stunning as ever. But when I read the synopsis, I was sold right away. If you loved the Mindfuck series, you are going to love this one as well, it has the same exact concept. I absolute loved the Mindfuck series, and I did enjoy My Wife, the Serial Killer, but I had to lower my rating due to the pacing issues and how long it took me to get into this book and the ending gave me no answers except for one character, which bummed me out a bit. Don't expect much from this review because I don't want to give away the plot, so you are going to need to read this book to get the gory experience of a killer. If you love unhinged women, you are going to want this book in your hands asap, so please do me a favor and mark your calendars for June 17th, 2025 for the publication of My Wife, the Serial Killer written by H.J. Garbett and make sure it's on your tbr list if you are looking for something creepy. I can't recommend this book enough, like I said before, if you loved the Mindfuck series, and you are a fan of unhinged women like myself, you won't want to miss out on this novel.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND STORM PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

"A bad plan is better than no plan at all".

"Most murderers are stupid, but there had to be a few clever ones who got away with it".

"You can't exactly ask Siri where's the best place to hide a dead body".

Fran Donoghue reminded me of Lana Myers. They are both badass women and so damn unhinged. Fran was dry, funny, and full of dark humor, I loved Fran because my love language is dark humor. Fran killed her neighbor, Gordon O'Neill who was supposed to protect children that were in child protection services, but let's just say he's a scumbag. Fran claimed it was self defense, she wants it to be known that she isn't a serial killer, and she will remind you throughout the book that she isn't a psychopath. Fran is a social worker in child protection, but she mostly works with foster kids because she wants them to be in a loving home. Fran doesn't like to talk about her childhood, but if you read the book you will get the full backstory, but here's just a little information, Fran was at St. Nicholas which is a Children's Home, but one day a fire started from a broken heater, and Fran wasn't protected at all, in fact her life was ruined. Gareth Donoghue is Fran's husband and together they have a dramatic cat named Mep that's on his death bed, but he will definitely capture your attention. Gareth loved that Fran was so spontaneous, he texts like a grandma- he turns everything into an acronym. Gareth is also the detective that is investigating the "disappearance" of Gordon O'Neill, but little does he know his wife Fran killed him, talk about a marriage that's about to crumble to rubble. Gareth is a people pleaser when it comes to his colleagues at work, but damn sometimes I just wanted to knock some common sense into him because at times he was just so oblivious to the things happening around him. Anywho, that will be the end of my review, because I don't want to spoil the plot, so please go get your hands on this book like right now.

Applause for the author's debut novel! Definitely will read others by H.J. The premise of this story was captivating, Fran, the FMC, was "definitely not a psychopath," and impulsive, making for an entertaining journey. I loved the idea of Fran being investigated by her detective husband, however, he fell flat for me, I wanted to punch him most of the time, so if that was the goal of the author, it delivered. This was easy, quick read, and would recommend as it can easily be read in a day.

This was my first read by H.J. Garbett. Gareth is a detective and his wife Fran is also a secret serial killer. This was such a fun murder mystery. Plus there is a fun cat that carries much of the plot!

This book was such a wild, fun read. Fran is completely unhinged in the best way, and somehow… you still root for her? Total chaos from the start, and it only gets messier (in a good way).

Her husband being a detective and not realizing what’s going on? Chef’s kiss. Dark, funny, fast-paced, and super bingeable. If you like your thrillers with a side of twisted humor and morally gray characters, you’ll love this.

Fran has just killed her neighbour and her husband Gareth, is the detective tasked to investigate his disappearance. Gareth’s boss says there isn’t much of a case - old people disappear all the time - but Gareth has a strong feeling that there is more to this, he knows there’s been a murder next door. But he doesn’t know that his wife is guilty, or why she did it.

This was a fun, chaotic, fast paced thriller! I was drawn to Fran from the start with her witty dark humour. I enjoyed the dual POV as it was interesting to see how both stories unfolded - why Fran committed murder and how Gareth discovered Fran’s involvement. It was easy to read and hard to put down.
The ending was quite predictable but it was still a great end to the story, very entertaining!

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

My Wife, the Serial Killer is a gripping, psychologically savvy domestic thriller that keeps the page-turning tension steady. Fans of ethically murky protagonists and marriage-at-the-brink storytelling will be particularly drawn to the emotional complexity and twisted charm of Fran’s character. While the pacing is deliberate, the payoff is uniquely satisfying—and the conclusion leaves the reader questioning how well anyone truly knows their spouse.

Rating: 4 / 5

MY WIFE, THE SERIAL KILLER - Interesting and funny, with good story lines and a variety of characters and kinks. I liked the way the way the officer helped his wife at the end of the book. An easy to read and immersing one sitter. Source: Netgalley. 4*

Immediately I was pulled in by the sense of comedy/humor in this book. While the comedy in this one makes it appear as a lighthearted read, there are lots of deep topics focused on in this read. I would recommend picking this one up!

A very fast pace book, with a very interesting plot.
A string female. I was really impressed with the book and it was really interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC!

Very Dexter- like thriller. The wife of a police man is doing what Dexter does best. Kills people who deserve it. While I enjoyed the storyline, I felt execution lacked a bit. It was a bit slow till about the half way mark. It was good but definitely lacked something exciting.

I had no idea what I was walking into when I picked up this book. But I was intrigued by the title so I figured I'd give it a go! This story was completely unexpected - from starting with an unplanned murder (by a female no less) to a police officer who considers his missing neighbor a mystery that he cannot let go of. Despite the dark nature of the story, it somehow remained light. With unexpected twists and turns, it kept my attention and had me thinking about it long after I'd walked away from the book.

The description had me sprinting to get this book and the first paragraph just proved I was right to do so! The fact it was a female serial killer just reeled me right in.

Instantly thrown in to the dark humour and murder, it sets the tone for the rest of the book. I immediately like the FMC Fran. I didn't even know her reasons for being a killer but I was ready to back her to the end.

Fran's inner dialogue just had me in stitches and the absolute chaos of this book had me in a chokehold. It was impossible to put down!

Although it took me a minute to warm up to Gareth, he eventually won me over. I really enjoyed the whole premise of a serial killer wife and police detective husband. The side characters were also interesting, I loved Beryl and Angus.

When reading this - Do not skip the epilogue! It was the cherry on the cake.

Thank you to Storm publishing for the advanced copy.

ahahahaha. come on. this book is so blooming gorgeous. so funny. so chaotic and messy but in the best kind. i know i know we shouldn't morally find this ok and sometimes that is a worry with this kind of genre type that has become more popular lately. but this one wasnt just jumping on the bandwagon at all and this book is the very reason when done well these books are just too good to miss.
my shock from the very beginning had me tail spinning into this book was urgency to just read and read and read.
going in i was like oh this will be good. Fran and a man Gareth are our characters. haha no Fran and Gareth are husband and wife. why didnt i join those dots going in!
but yeh, we have Fran who has killed someone. Fran has killed her neighbour.
Gareth is worried about his neighbour disappearance. Gareth's wife Fran has actually killed his neighbour!
oh yes ermm Gareth is also a detective investigating said neighbour.
and i know, i know in the real world we never condone murder. but nah, that isnt going to an issue with how much you keep rooting for Fran amongst all this madness.
this book is a delight. and i swept through it. i got to the point where i just had to know where this was going. and couldn't settle until i new the conclusion.

Well this was certainly dark and fun. Fran, a devoted wife to a police detective, has killed her neighbor. Gareth is investigating the murder of his neighbor not realizing that his wife is the prime suspect....and that she's ready to kill again.

The humor was very niche. I think this book will really appeal to a specific crowd. I'm not sure that I am in that particular crowd, but I did enjoy this book just the same.

I devoured this book. The writing is so addictive, I just couldn't put it down!! The characters are really charismatic (and a bit chaotic) and the humor was on point.

Fran is such a badass. I absolutely loved her! Her sarcasm and psychopathy made her a very interesting character. Gareth, however, annoyed me a few times throughout the book. His personality change was a bit rushed in the end but I'm glad he changed and helped Fran get away with it. Overall, I think they make a cute couple. And Mep!! My heart stopped a few times for the poor cat. I loved his grumpy yet affectionate personality.

The words and definitions in German were something I really enjoyed. I think it is these little details that make books different and special. (“‘There’s Sehnsucht, which means like a longing and yearning for something unknown and unsaid.” was my favourite).

Long story short, it's a fast and funny read with interesting characters.

The premise of this book is quite interesting. It’s about a woman who kills and her husband who is a detective. The potential is there, which was what drawn me to it. However, other than the prologue, the pacing of the story seems off to me. I had trouble keeping on going. The humor wasn’t tickling me. And this might be my personal taste but there were also a lot of references that I didn’t understand, so while I knew the author was trying to be funny, it didn't land for me. There were also lot of words spent on the characters’ daily life, which didn’t add a whole lot of depth to me, but dragging the story down.

Overall, it was a great concept and the writing was good as it is descriptive, but the pacing of the story is my main problem, and because of it, I didn’t root for the characters as much as I wanted to considering the quirkiness of the premise.