The Serial Killer's Wife: The addictive bestselling crime thriller - so shocking it should come with a warning! Now a major TV series (Serial Killer Series) Paperback – 27 May 2021

I read this year's ago at my book club and found it a very interesting read but when the series was on channel five from paramount pictures I just had to read it again I really don't know what the person who adapted it for the series but they definitely had never read the book as if they had of read the book the series would of been so much better.I started reading this on new years eve and had finished it in eight days from the first page this kept me gripped the murder scenes in the book are hard to stomach and it makes you hate Tom even more and warm to he long suffering wife Beth and you feel sorry for the little girl poppy with Beth help in the investigation of Katie disappears years ago and the connection with tom as he was her boyfriend as it turns out she knows more than she letting on about her husband secret self the twist and turns in this book keep with gripped and intrigue from the very start Alice Hunter is a brilliant story teller in the mind of a killer.

I first heard about this book back in May and wanted to read it immediately, for two reasons. Firstly because my friend and fellow blogger Cathryn Northfield (of Life’s a Book) wrote a rave review, and just about any book that she loves is something that I want to read as a matter of course. And secondly, because of the blurb. Beth and Tom Hardcastle seem to be happily married, blessed with a beautiful young daughter and living in a lovely village in the Cotswolds. Right up until the moment when the police come knocking on Beth’s door one evening, wanting to question Tom in connection with a murder enquiry.This reminded me of a real-life incident. I once knew a man who was arrested, seemingly out of the blue for possessing over 100,000 indecent images of child pornography on his computer. His wife, whom I also knew well, knew nothing until the police banged on their door early on a Sunday morning, but – perhaps rightly – it took quite some time before their enquiries exonerated her.Reading the book with this incident in mind meant that I had no difficulty whatsoever in feeling a combination of sympathy and fear for Beth as Tom leaves the house in the back of a police car. And yet for me to say this is probably doing the author a slight injustice. Because I absolutely think that the writing is good enough to reel you in in any case.The story is told from the multiple points of view of Beth and Tom in the present day, Tom’s ex-partner Katie eight years ago and an unknown narrator in an unknown time. If I’ve made this sound confusing, it’s my own fault and in no way reflective of the book. It flows beautifully. The pace is absolutely bang on, and perhaps the highest praise I can give is to say how well the book made me visualise every single scene. I read most of it whilst on a beautiful beach in the Isle of Wight during a heatwave, and the rest later that evening whilst in my caravan, which was parked at the top of the overlying cliff. But the real world, for all of its wonderfulness, might as well not have existed. I had totally been transported to Beth’s home, to the cake shop where she worked and to Tom’s prison cell.And the revelations just keep on coming. How well did Beth really know her husband? Did she really have no idea? Who else of her friends, colleagues and neighbours can she trust? As the truth slowly – ever so slowly – came to light, the way I felt about every single one of the characters, including Beth herself, underwent a dramatic change.But it’s perhaps because the characterisation is so well done, and book so beautifully plotted, that meant I felt just a little bit dissatisfied with the ending. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very well done. But the book finishes before the story is really over. Perhaps this was intentional in order that a sequel can follow – there certainly seems to be scope for one. But my problem is that after connecting so well to the characters and getting so drawn in to the storyline, I wanted to be happy, or at least satisfied with the outcome. As it was, I actually felt a little bit uncomfortable.

From start to finish absolutely loved it,didn't expect the ending would highly recommend this book,all the twists and turns just makes you want to read on.

I had high expectations after reading the reviews, so I was more than a little disappointed. I don’t know about twists and turns, it was far too easy to work out what was going on and how the plot would develop. The character development was pretty sloppy and on the level of a mills & boon (which has its place, sure, but not in a crime thriller). Beth is depicted as so saccharine sweet and perfect and naive you want to vomit. And I didn’t really care about her or indeed about any of the characters. Weak. Sloppy. If you want a fairly superficial, light read interspersed with an afternoon snooze and a swim, then this is perfect as a holiday read. If you are more of a Jackson Brodie fan, or you like Nicci French or Minette Walters or Sophie Hannah, then stay away.

Read this book some time ago, and once I knew it was going to be a TV series I had to re-read! I love this authors style of writing, very easy to get into and you quickly connect to the characters and plot. Felt the story left me wanting more and to keep reading on. Loved how it was written from different perspectives and how it all came together in the end. Sad to learn that the other titles from this author don't relate to this book, as would have loved to read on further about Beth, thought the author was setting it up well to be continued...Overall thought this was a great book and would recommend to psychological thriller fans!