Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Serial Killer's Wife

"But there’s always something more, isn’t there? Something else to strive for. Perfection is a state which is always at least one step ahead of where you already are."

This ended up being a pretty middle-of-the-road thriller for me. The most frustrating thing is that I found it predictable, but I don't know if I would have done (or at least if I would have found it so predictable) if the title and blurb hadn't given so much away. I was still intrigued to find out exactly how everything would play out, but unfortunately I ended up being pretty unsurprised. Additionally, despite the plot being predictable, it manages to be pretty convoluted at the same time. There was, though, one element that was a bit of a shock to me, so at least that's something.

This is mostly well-written, though I did find some of the dialogue a bit unrealistic. I liked the conversations around the pervasiveness of village life and gossip and around the impact of men's crimes on their families. I found Beth an interesting character, and I liked that I was constantly questioning her reliability as a narrator. However, we don't find out enough about her past for some of her actions to really make sense, so I think that element could've been improved upon.

The chapters detailing the murders are incredibly graphic, disturbing, and stomach-churning, so please be aware of that going in. I do appreciate that you can never know quite what to expect with this kind of thriller, but it was personally a bit too much for me. Ultimately, then, this was a decent enough read, but not one I'd rave about or particularly recommend.

Content Warnings

lottiemilne's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

different povs but i actually enjoyed these here. didn’t expect the plot
twist to be what it was but felt
that something was coming

Content Warnings

emmathebookhunter's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I did really enjoy this but it wasn’t quite as twisty turny as I was hoping for. I did like the twist at the end but have to say I saw it coming as there were quite a few hints dropped along the way. It was really full of suspense and I would definitely call it a page turner!!

Content Warnings

cutiepie999's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

rachc25's review

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

More...