BOOK REVIEW
The Serial Killer's Wife - Alice Hunter
Another Christmas gift that had been patiently waiting it's turn for 5 months, this book was picked for me from my "reading bucket" by my other half.
As thrillers go, it's pretty good, with dual timelines and perspectives bringing things together nicely towards the end. There were enough twists in the tale to keep you guessing, some more obvious than others (I did yell "I KNEW IT!" towards the very end as one of my suspicions from early on was finally confirmed, much to the dog's surprise!). Clues peppered throughout to allow suspicion to seep in, allowing a little downtime between the reveals and a nice fast pace to keep the pages turning.
Sparse character development, with focus firmly on the twisting, turning, rollercoaster plot, and I found I didn't connect brilliantly with any of the characters. The main character is morally gray and a little sickly sweet, which made connecting with her a challenge. Side characters were similar, quite flat and some of the decisions and behaviours were questionable at best. I sincerely felt some Stepford Wives, Mean Girls vibes throughout the story and started to suspect towards the end that they were flat on purpose, this is how they were being viewed by our main character.
There were some intricacies and visuals that I really loved, that showed the author's attention to detail and thoughtfulness throughout. Small details, like having to duck on the way down the stairs, were remembered and consistent. This is something that I really notice when they're missing as they help keep me immersed.
The plot really is what it says on the tin. It starts with the questioning and arrest of our main character's husband, Tom, and follows her (Beth) as she tries to navigate the whirlwind that follows.
I love books like this, that are easy to read and digest, that delve straight into the meat and this one delivered. It's not ground-breaking, but it's a solid, enjoyable read. No meandering through meaningless details, right for the jugular so to speak.
This is an incredibly popular book and I can see why. I've also recently discovered that there are three more books by the same author which follow a similar trope. My TBR is now three books longer!
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Have you read this, or any of the other Alice Hunter serial killer novels? Let me know what you thought :)
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