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A review by gravesjl
My Wife, the Serial Killer by H.J. Garbett
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Dark, Twisty, and Funny
My Wife, The Serial Killer by H.J. Garbett is a deliciously sharp, darkly funny thriller that grabs you by the collar from the first page and doesn’t let go. The premise alone...what if your sweet, loving wife murdered the neighbor across the street and you, a police detective, had to solve the case?...is enough to hook you, but the story goes deeper and darker in ways that are both unsettling and strangely satisfying.
Fran Donoghue is no ordinary wife. She’s a woman shaped by trauma, raised in a corrupt children’s home, and driven by a quiet, calculated sense of justice. Her husband, Gareth, is a well-meaning but increasingly frantic detective caught between doing his job and protecting the woman he loves. Their relationship is the heart of this story, and it pulses with tension, wit, and an almost absurd devotion...yes, even through murder charges.
The book peels back its layers at a perfect pace, revealing Fran’s motivations and tragic backstory while keeping you guessing until the very end. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, the story throws one last twist that makes you rethink everything.
The humor is pitch-black...think How to Kill Your Family or Killing Eve...but it works. Garbett has a knack for mining absurdity out of horror without ever mocking the gravity of Fran’s past. It’s a surprisingly fast read, and one that kept me turning pages late into the night.
My only quibble (and why it’s not a full 5 stars) is that I wished for a little more depth in the supporting cast and maybe a slower build at times...but those are minor notes in an otherwise clever, compelling debut.
If you enjoy your thrillers with a side of gallows humor and a morally murky heroine who’s as dangerous as she is endearing, My Wife, The Serial Killer will not disappoint.
My Wife, The Serial Killer by H.J. Garbett is a deliciously sharp, darkly funny thriller that grabs you by the collar from the first page and doesn’t let go. The premise alone...what if your sweet, loving wife murdered the neighbor across the street and you, a police detective, had to solve the case?...is enough to hook you, but the story goes deeper and darker in ways that are both unsettling and strangely satisfying.
Fran Donoghue is no ordinary wife. She’s a woman shaped by trauma, raised in a corrupt children’s home, and driven by a quiet, calculated sense of justice. Her husband, Gareth, is a well-meaning but increasingly frantic detective caught between doing his job and protecting the woman he loves. Their relationship is the heart of this story, and it pulses with tension, wit, and an almost absurd devotion...yes, even through murder charges.
The book peels back its layers at a perfect pace, revealing Fran’s motivations and tragic backstory while keeping you guessing until the very end. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, the story throws one last twist that makes you rethink everything.
The humor is pitch-black...think How to Kill Your Family or Killing Eve...but it works. Garbett has a knack for mining absurdity out of horror without ever mocking the gravity of Fran’s past. It’s a surprisingly fast read, and one that kept me turning pages late into the night.
My only quibble (and why it’s not a full 5 stars) is that I wished for a little more depth in the supporting cast and maybe a slower build at times...but those are minor notes in an otherwise clever, compelling debut.
If you enjoy your thrillers with a side of gallows humor and a morally murky heroine who’s as dangerous as she is endearing, My Wife, The Serial Killer will not disappoint.