Review By Gabrielle

The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives brings together women’s fiction with the mystery genre, showcasing the best that each genre has to offer.

Favourite Quote:
Pressure is building at the backs of her eyes. She is so frustrated at herself, frustrated at the sheer impotence of her anger. It changes nothing. Rage becomes ridiculous when it has nowhere to go. It will not change what Henry has done, what she needs to do now. It cannot continue like this – men taking whatever they want and no one holding them accountable for the harm they cause.

Book Synopsis:

Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands’ brutal crimes. With their exes—some of California’s most infamous serial killers—dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.

Headstrong Beverley compulsively tries to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights day in and day out for the chance to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot refuses to take anything seriously and devotes all her energy to upholding the appearance that everything is fine—anything to quell the shame from her husband’s deceit.

They know people look at them and think only one thing. How could they not have known, when their husbands were right under their noses, committing horrific crimes? How much guilt is theirs to carry? And yet when a string of killings hits the news, the three women—underestimated, overlooked, shrewd—decide to get to work.  After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?

Review:

This is a good one, folks. I thoroughly enjoyed this story about three very different women who become friends because they have something very big in common: they have all been married to convicted serial killers.

The book takes place in California in the 60’s, and although the three women are very different and lead different lives, some key themes recur throughout their stories. The 60s were an interesting time for women. While not as limiting as the 50s, we can see through the experiences of all three women that they haven’t been liberated yet. It’s one of the things I love most about good historical fiction (even though this one isn’t set that long ago); I get to see issues of that time in new and different perspectives through the eyes of the characters and their stories.

There is a distinctly feminist bent to the book that I really appreciated. As each of the women try to rebuild their lives, they wrestle with a variety of complicated issues; some due to the time period and expectations put on women of that era, and some due to their experiences being married to serial killers. One of the biggest issues each of them faces (albeit to varying degrees) is guilt. How could they not have known about their husband’s activities? Could they have done something to stop them sooner?

On top of all that excellent character development and social commentary, there is a well-plotted mystery. Three women have been murdered, and no one seems to be taking the crimes seriously. The group of friends band together to help put a stop to the killings. The mystery unfolds at a slower but steady pace, and despite the title of the book, feels cozier than a thriller. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested.

Overall, The Secret Lives of Murderer’s Wives is a great read.

Thank you, HarperCollins, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.