The Serial Killer’s Wife

Written by Alice Hunter and Kristin Atherton

Narrated by Sarah Paul and James MacNaughton

*Pre-order Alice Hunter's new novel BAD APPLE now! Coming in May 2024*

*Read it before you watch it – now a major TV series for Paramount+*

‘The final double twist is well worth waiting for’ My Weekly

‘Hooks you in to the drama straight away' The Sun

Every marriage has its secrets…

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family.

When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst.

But the worst is beyond imagining.

As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband.

They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.

___________

READERS ARE GRIPPED BY THE SERIAL KILLER’S WIFE

‘400 pages gone in the blink of an eye!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fast-paced and chilling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘From start to finish this is a page turner – I could barely catch my breath’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book blew me away’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Plenty of suspense, twists and turns – and an ending I did not predict!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This is one hell of a thriller’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What a belting good story’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Such an addictive read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Twists and turns – even on the last page!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Once I picked it up I didn’t put it down. Read in one sitting!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Addictive! A page turner that you cannot put down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I gobbled this up at speed’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: May 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9780008414092

Alice Hunter

After completing a psychology degree, Alice Hunter became an interventions facilitator in a prison. There, she was part of a team offering rehabilitation programmes to men serving sentences for a wide range of offences, often working with prisoners who’d committed serious violent crimes. Previously, Alice had been a nurse, working in the NHS. She now puts her experiences to good use in fiction. THE SERIAL KILLER’S WIFE draws heavily on her knowledge of psychology and the criminal mind.

Reviews for The Serial Killer’s Wife

[Stephanie Pratt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the gone girl-esque chopping between timelines and characters. Found the book really long winded. At some points I was Googling the end.

[Anushka Date · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant, cynical and exhilarating read. Could not get away even for a second!

[john dennis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was a great listen!
Really enjoyed it.
Looking forward to her next book

[sam · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved every second of this book. The story, pace and narration were perfect.

[Cher Armstrong · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good twist in the last hour but that was about the height of excitement. If you are looking for a thriller this isn’t that :(

[Jennifer Cornelius · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wasn’t super surprised by either of the big twists but this was definitely an enjoyable listen.

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is told from the point of view of two main narrators - Beth and her husband Tom - with the occasional insert from another.Neither of them are always truthful. The light of Beth's life is their small daughter Poppy. She will do anything for Poppy and every decision she makes is based on that premise. Tom and Beth have moved from London to the country to give Poppy a better life, even though it means quite a long commute for Tom as he still works in London. Beth has created a cafe where customers can paint ceramics while they sip coffee.Beth is a very determined woman, and as the book progresses we learn that what Beth wants Beth gets.In the end I was blown away by the way the story ends although there were hints of this earlier.

[bonniekernene · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting book. Somewhat predictable, but not in a bad way. It came from several different POV, which I really liked. It is very obviously set in the UK, just from the ways things are said and called. I find it fascinating how each society calls things completely different words or phrases. Usually it is easy to figure out, and in this book, that is the case. I found that the book had a good storyline, but I think that the characters could have been developed a bit more, but I was able to figure things out. I did have a hard time putting it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen. It was written quite well, especially for a debut novel. I would be interested to read more from this author. I do hope she continues!

[nikkicolee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good book although I wish the author would have let the ending play out a little more. It kept my attention though and had me eager to find out all of the details. Would recommend.

[lorikboyd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 Stars for this debut novel. Beth and Tom are THAT couple…perfect! Or so everyone thinks until there is a knock on the their door and everything changes, then the whispers start. Her perfect husband is accused or murder.. and everyone thinks she HAD to know. Storyline follows Beth, in their small village and Tom, in jail…until the unexpected ending. Quick read, most characters are unlikeable, but some are totally relatable until they aren’t! Small village/town life is well described. Starts off with a bang, but slows down soon after. I enjoyed the dual narrators, one male and one female, and the character development. Ending leaves you to believe there could be a sequel, which I would love to read. Recommend as a vacation read! Thanks to Ms. Hunter, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!

[jfe16 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Review of eBookPerfect marriage, perfect house, perfect family . . . that’s what everyone says about Beth and Tom Hardcastle.And then the police come knocking on the door. Tom is late returning to Lower Tew from his work in London and Beth fears he may have been injured [or worse] in an accident. But her worst fear isn’t even close to the trepidation she experiences when she discovers why the police have come. As Beth navigates the whispers and questions, her primary focus is on protecting their daughter, three-year-old Poppy. When things become more convoluted and it becomes clear that the police will not be releasing Tom any time soon, Beth wonders if she knows Tom at all. Could her husband possibly have done what the police suspect?This is a creepy tale, filled with lies, deceptions, and betrayals. Given the nature of the story, readers should expect some gruesome scenes as the story unfolds.Told primarily from the viewpoints of Tom and Beth Hardcastle, the story takes place in the present with a few chapters jumping backward in order to provide some backstory for the telling of this ominous tale. Although the backstory is illuminating, readers are likely to wish for more, especially to provide some insight into Beth’s behavior and to yield some understanding of what made Tom into the person he’s become. Considerable repetition keeps the narrative meandering along, frustrating the reader with the lack of story development. Unfortunately, unlikable characters populate this contumacious narrative. Tom is the stuff of nightmares and readers are likely to find it difficult to empathize with self-absorbed, whiny Beth. As a result, readers may find it difficult to connect with any of the characters. While the characters’ motivations aren’t always clear, astute readers may have this one figured out before that last huge twist that changes everything readers thought they knew. The twisty plot offers some surprises along the way, but some revelations strain the limits of plausibility; much remains unexplained and, although the ending hints at a sequel, there are a few surprises here for readers of this quick-read tale.I received a free copy of this eBook from Avon Books UK / Avon and NetGalley #TheSerialKillersWife #NetGalley