This is such a darkly humorous thriller with a secret serial killer wife and a detective for a husband. If you've enjoyed Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen or How to Kill men and get away with it by Katy Brent or How to Kill your family by Bella Mackie and find yourself in need of a murderous fun fix, this one is just the ticket.

Thank you J. Garbett and Netgalley for this ALC în exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this so much I binge read it and stayed up late to read it, even though it meant loosing precious sleep. Which is saying a lot as I have two littles with Autism and a small baby. Being born in England but moving to Canada at a young age, I loved the English banter/colloquialisms. Fran & Gareth’s story was fantastic. Fran is sort of a British female Dexter. Whilst I don’t condone murder, I do agree that sometimes the justice system can fail, and that there are some people the world would be far better off without. A great reminder of what trauma and revenge can drive us to, and unconditionally loving a person throughout that all. LOVED IT. 👌🏻🥰🙌🏻

I think this book would be good for people who like cozy mysteries with some dark humor. Also people who can read it for fun and not take it too seriously.

That being said, this book wasn't for me. I thought the synopsis sounded interesting...a detective who's wife is a serial killer. I didn't realize that this would be more of a funny, fluffy mystery that you have to suspend some disbelief for. The mystery wasn't a who-dun-it, but a why-dun-it. The "why" wasn't compelling enough to keep me interested and it took a while to get through the book. I was just bored. I didn't care for any of the characters except for Mep, the cat. Then ending seemed implausible.

The writing was good, so I can see people enjoying this book. If you like cozy mysteries, give it a try.

I think I'm over the "unexpected serial killer" construct. I went into this one expecting a darkly humorous, quick and easy read. I found it to be much slower-going than I anticipated, and the characters and relationships didn't have enough of the quirks or foibles that would have made them resonate. I liked the opening monologue and had high hopes, but they never quite came to fruition. The snarky dark inner monologues started feeling repetitive and the clueless cop/husband is not a trope I've ever been a big fan of... This wasn't a good fit for me.

This was a very interesting read. The beginning was a little slow which made me a little nervous because it can be hard for me to get into slower books. However, I am glad I stuck with it because it ends up making up for it about halfway through. I love a book about an unhinged woman, so I did enjoy this book. I just wish the pacing was a little quicker.

Enjoyed this book and its mix of morally grey characters and warped humour. I found the first 40% or so a little slow, but it definitely picked up as it went on. Fran is crazy and dangerous and I loved it. This was definitely a good debut novel

This book is insane, but in the best possible way.

So from the very beginning, the very title, we know that Fran is the murderer…. she isn’t technically a serial killer though, she gives us a description at one point of what classes a serial killer, and she doesn’t really fit that ‘profile’ But I loved how we knew it was Fran, we know how she done it, and even though the ‘why’ eluded us for a bit…. we still sympathised with her? Ahh, I love a genre where you root for the actual murderer. Isn’t it such a fun twist? It takes a good writer to make us actually empathise with this sort of character. One thing that did annoy me though was the pacing throughout the book – it was very slow and it took me while to become fully immersed in it. Plus the ending was very anti-climactic and has no real answers. Which was disappointing. If you loved the Mindf**k series, then you will be a fan of this.

Characters Fran LIKE. Gareth HATE. Mep ICONIC. Gareth was too much of a wimp and a push over etc, I didn’t like him. Secretly wanted her to murder him. Mep was a vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A very cute read! The main characters in the book were so loveable you couldn’t help but root for them the whole time! I thought the pacing of the murder motivation was nice and the arc of the relationship was very satisfying. I think there was some overcrowding in this book with the fertility plot line but overall well balanced. This book was a comforting little read that had me a bit more emotional and choked up than I anticipated I would be!

Just finished reading an advanced copy of a book that was just released on June 17th called, My Wife, The Serial Killer. When Fran becomes a suspect in the murder of their neighbor, her husband Gareth is one of the detectives on the case. But when he starts to think his wife is guilty, he has to decide what comes first; his duty as a husband or his duty as a cop. This was such an enjoyable read, I was hooked right from the beginning and it kept my attention until the very end! The suspense/thrill, the dark humor, the banter between the characters, and the unhinged chaos throughout this book was so well done. I love stories like this! I also loved that this was dual POV with chapters from both the wife and the husband throughout this story. I can't believe this was the author's debut novel! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future work by this author! 🩷📚

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for this ARC of My Wife, The Serial Killer, in exchange for an honest review.

Garett et Fran sont heureux, mariés, ils veulent un enfant, oui ils sont heureux . Cependant voilà leur voisin est lié au passé de Fran, un passé qu'elle ne peut pas oublier, et dont elle n'a pas parlé à son mari.

Un voisin qui ne mérite pas de vivre, et Fran passa à l'acte. Or son mari est policier, il travaille sur l'enquête. Bien sur pour lui sa femme ne peut pas être la coupable. Et pourtant ....

Malgré l'enquête, malgré son témoignage, Fran aura du souci à se faire. Oui elle peut compter sur le soutien de son faux frère, Angus, qui fut élevé aussi en maison. MAis sur son mari?
C'est plus compliqué, car elle ne peut rien lui dire, et malheureusement ils ne communiquent pas sur grand chose en ce moment, même sur les problèmes de fertilité dont souffrent sa femme. Et la collègue de Garett n'aide pas. ah elle je ne peux pas la voir, comme si elle voulait le mari, et comme si l'enquête était pliée.

Oui en un sens on peut voir que l'enquête est baclée, que des éléments circonstancielles, Fran est là, elle aide le voisin... Pourtant même avec tout ça on se dit ça y est Garett va se réveiller, va être là pour sa femme... Alors ok c'est un policier, mais tout de même il doit soutenir sa femme, il doit connaitre la vérité et après il verra.

Bien sur lorsqu'on connaitra le pourquoi du comment on se demandera alors, est-ce que c'est mérité? Peut-on tu€r pour ce qu'il s'est passé, pour ce que les personnes ont faites?

Dans tous les cas j'ai beaucoup aimé ce polar, oui dans la même lignée que j'ai tu€ tous les membres de ma famille, et Fran est très attachante, malgré tout ce qu'elle a vécu.

This was such a fun read! I loved to dual POV from both the killer and the detective, who just happens to be her husband. Woven throughout the story is the mystery of what happened in Fran's childhood that caused her to begin killing. And beneath it all is a bit of romance as well. Like a rom-com Dexter! Overall this was a fun and quick summer read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the book!

this one didn't really do it for me. one thing i really liked about it though were fran's chapters. the author did a great job of differentiating the two voices of fran and gareth and fran's perspective was really interesting and fascinating to read about. however, i really did not enjoy gareth's chapters; he is just really not engaging or interesting as a character and i think the book suffered because of him.

i also just wish this book was more fun. with a title and premise and especially a cover like this, i expected this nook to be a fun, campy ride sort of in the same vein as the movie "serial mom" but it takes itself way too seriously and i wish it went a bit further and was more over-the-top. i can see why someone would really like this but it was just not for me unfortunately.

This novel starts off with a bang and a great premise, but falters in the second half. It’s still an enjoyable and original read, but it doesn’t have the impact it could have had.

Fran and Gareth Donoghue have just moved into a suburban house and have barely had time to get to know the neighbours. Yet, one day, Fran comes home and stabs their elderly neighbour in the eye, then conceals the body and the crime.

Which is enough for any one woman to deal with, you’d think, but Gareth is a police detective and he’s assigned to investigate the report of a missing man. Gareth doesn’t want to worry Fran, so he avoids telling her about it.

The secrets they’re keeping from each other begin to take a toll on each individual and their marriage, especially as the investigation leads Gareth closer to Fran.

I found the portrait of two people who loved each other but were keeping secrets from each other well done and believable, as was the gradual breakdown in trust. Fran’s motivation for the murder is a little out there, but no more so than in many other novels. Garbett presents it in a way you can believe and follow.

The setting was also quite believable, including the nosy neighbours and the challenges Fran has in concealing the body without being seen.
However, in the second half of the novel the writing starts to fall apart. There are plot holes; for example, the police start talking about the murdered man having been stabbed in the eye. But there is no way for them to know this; the body still hasn’t been found, let alone autopsied for a cause of death.

The way everyone behaves gets less and less credible. I didn’t believe the way the police were behaving, the “evidence” they took to court, or indeed the court scenes. Interestingly, however, the relationship between Fran and Gareth still rang true.

This was a fairly enjoyable read, but I don’t think it lived up to the potential of the idea.

A fun British dark-comedy about a female serial killer and her husband, the detective working her case.

The first 2/3rds of the story were so much fun and well-plotted, but I think the third act definitely fell apart at the seams. I didn’t like some of the narrative choices made, and the characterisation seemed to fly out the window. However, the first 70% was so much fun that I can’t lower my rating too much.

Fran was a great POV to read from, even if I find her motive lacking. She’s witty, dark and definitely fucked up, but so interesting! Her constant assurances that she ISN’T a psychopath (okay maybe she is) were great and I loved the love she has for her husband. Gareth is the ultimate people-pleaser but also a great detective, unfortunately for Fran. His POV wasn’t as fun as Fran’s, but watching his obsession with the case evolve as the story goes was really interesting. Their marriage is absolute goals, which I can’t believe I’m saying about a thriller following a literal murderer.

Overall a fun read with THE BEST fictional cat in the world (Mep has my heart) but I do wish the last 30% had been edited or altered or just … different. :/

My Wife, The Serial Killer is a witty, dark, hilarious book with a devilish immortal cat that will have you asking for more! 💫💫💫💫💫

Fran is a social worker with a heart of gold who unfortunately got rid of her neighbor, but worry not, she is not a serial killer, and she had a very good reason 😅.
Gareth is her very naive, somewhat cooky detective husband who has absolutely no idea who killed the neighbor 😉

Together with Mep, the ever dramatic perhaps somewhat hypochondriac cat, you will have a blast reading this hilariously funny and sometimes emotional novel. Get your copy, you won't want to miss it!

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This book is fast, funny and unhinged in the best way. A psychopath wife with a body count, who loves dark humor and her golden retriever detective husband, chaos in dual POV. Some parts are over the top but that’s part of the charm. Totally bingeable and absurdly entertaining.

Okay, this one was a ride. It’s like if your favorite cozy domestic drama accidentally chugged a double espresso and stabbed someone. The vibe is chaotic in the absolute best way — sharp, weirdly wholesome at moments, and hilariously dark. I mean… it’s not every day you find yourself rooting for a murderer and their dramatic cat.

The pacing? Snappy enough to keep me flipping pages but did wobble a tiny bit toward the end. I wanted the final twist to punch me in the face, and it kind of just tapped me on the shoulder. Still, the character banter, unhinged inner monologues, and morally questionable decisions made up for it.

If you love dark humor, terrible people doing terrible things for reasons you’ll low-key sympathize with, and a cat named Mep who refuses to die out of spite — this one’s worth your time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to H.J Garbett and Storm Publishing for the eARC! 💌✨

Fran Donoghue has just killed her neighbour. Don’t worry, you’ll agree, he deserved it.

Detective Gareth Donoghue has a terrible feeling about his missing neighbour.

By the time this is over, that will be the least of his worries…

I loved the premise of this story - a detective unknowingly hunting down his serial killer wife? Yes please 🔪, but I would have liked to see a bit more of a backstory to the situation because I didn't feel like I was really committed to the deaths of these men. Plus, I know 3 victims technically counts as a serial killer, but I don't believe that Fran's decision to murder these men was because she is a "bit of a psychopath" - she's kind of made out to be a nutter, but really she's just damaged and looking for revenge for some serious childhood trauma. Maybe others will disagree with me and think that any cold blooded murder is psychotic, but to me it felt like Fran only wanted them to get what was deserved.

Reading this book was fun and I laughed out loud at certain parts. Mep the cat was incredible and really could've carried his own character arc. I found Fran to be sarcastic and strong-willed, I flew through her chapters. Gareth's plot twist threw me and I felt like he couldn't get his personality on right. Everything he did felt kind of like a show? And the fact that he somehow figured out all of this with zero input from Fran was disappointing - I was expecting a drama fuelled showdown between the two before anything was resolved, but their chapters felt a bit disconnected. I think a bit more backstory and more explanation about where the pieces all fit together and *some* communication between Gareth & Fran would've bumped this up for me. I also would've really enjoyed seeing the victim's squirm a bit more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and I am looking forward to reading more of H.J Garbett's work! The humour is top-notch and the side drama of the characters was really immersive, I felt like I was watching this book unfold like a movie.

Fran and Gareth are an interesting couple. He’s a detective. No big deal. She’s a serial killer. Bigger deal. And he’s investigating the murder she just committed. Very big deal.

My Wife, the Serial Killer is a cute little story with a of twists and turns, lots of funny bit, and characters can’t help but like – even if they are you-know-whats. Good debut novel, can’t wait to see what’s next. Thanks to Storm Publishing for providing an advance copy. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

My Wife, The Serial Killer by H.J. Garbett pulled me in from the very first page. It opens with a bang—Fran Donoghue kills her neighbor—and somehow, I still found myself rooting for her. Her husband Gareth, a detective wrapped up in his job and his own hang-ups, starts to suspect something isn’t right. What follows is a fast-paced, darkly funny story that straddles the line between satire and sincerity, murder mystery and twisted love story.

Fran is the kind of unhinged narrator I couldn’t stop reading. She’s sharp, morally slippery, and—against all odds—kind of charming. Her inner monologue is both hilarious and unsettling, and it pulled me right into her warped version of reality. Gareth, on the other hand, is quieter, more reserved, and emotionally wound tight. As he digs into the disappearance next door, the tension doesn’t just build around the case—it builds inside their marriage.

The dual POV works really well. Seeing both Fran and Gareth’s perspectives gave me two sides of the same slow-motion disaster. And while the story leans into dark humor and absurdity, it’s grounded by real emotional weight. Their struggles—infertility, loyalty, identity—hit harder than I expected, adding surprising depth to a book that could’ve easily stayed surface-level.

That said, not everything landed for me. Gareth’s shift in personality late in the book felt a bit abrupt, and some of the female side characters came across as flat or just needlessly cruel. But honestly? I was too entertained to care much. The mix of murder, mayhem, and emotional punches kept me hooked—and even the grumpy, sickly cat Mit managed to win me over.

My Wife, The Serial Killer isn’t a straightforward thriller or pure satire. It lives in the morally gray, messy in-between—and that’s exactly where it shines. Bold, chaotic, and unexpectedly moving, it made me laugh, squirm, and feel more than I bargained for. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely unforgettable.