The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives
The must-read new crime mystery and GMA Book Club pick – the perfect holiday thriller
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4.3 • 3 Ratings
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- £0.99
Publisher Description
Escape to 1960s California with the gripping and glamorous new crime mystery that sees an unlikely trio team up to solve a string of murders - the perfect page-turning holiday read for fans of Big Little Lies and The List of Suspicious Things.
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
A MARIE CLAIRE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026
'As If Taylor Jenkins-Reid wrote a crime novel' Emilia Hart, bestselling author of Sirens
'Lessons in Chemistry with Californian serial killers. Wickedly clever - I loved it!' Ellery Lloyd, bestselling author of Reece Witherspoon Book Club pick, The Club
You’ve heard of the men who kill, but what about the women who loved them?
It’s a baking hot summer in 1960s California and three women have formed an unlikely friendship. They may look like they lead idyllic lives but behind the false smiles and glittering pools lies the truth: their husbands are some of the country’s most notorious serial killers.
Amidst neighbourhood gossip and pointed fingers, Beverley, Elsie and Margot are fighting to forge new paths for themselves. But when a string of local killings hits the news, the women – underestimated and overlooked – are hurled into an investigation of their own.
After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives with one?
Readers LOVE The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives:
'A highly intelligent, feminist whodunnit' Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things
'Mad Men meets Zodiac: a sultry period thriller with a big, hopeful heart' Abigail Dean, bestselling author of Girl A
'Gripping, unsettling, and totally binge-worthy. If you love true crime with a psychological twist, this one is a must-read.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Keeps you hooked from the very first page to the last, with twists and tension that never let up.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A stylish and engrossing thriller, this terrific murder mystery hits all the right notes' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Felt like the love child of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Richard Osman…. Brilliantly plotted, full of surprises and driven by complex female characters, this was such an enjoyable read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Moving, enraging, and deeply empowering' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'So addictive I couldn't put it down.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The ex-wives of three different serial killers band together to stop a new one in this riveting crime novel from Arnott (Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge, written as Lizzie Pook). Set in Berryview, Calif., during the sweltering summer of 1966, the action centers on Beverley, a harried mother of two; Elsie, a shrewd office assistant at the town newspaper; and Margot, a beautiful party girl. The women are united in uneasy friendship by the fact that each was once married to a now convicted serial killer, earning them scorn and skepticism from their neighbors, who—like the women themselves—wonder how they could have missed what their husbands were up to. Though each woman has come to Berryview to escape the violence committed by their husbands, the bodies of attractive young women start turning up, all within an hour's distance from Berryview, and police announce that a serial killer might be operating in the area. In response, Beverly, Elsie, and Margot set out to find the perpetrator, hoping in part to atone for the sins of their husbands. Arnott plays scrupulously fair with readers, seeding the narrative with well-disguised clues, but the novel's real appeal lies in its convincing evocation of the '60s and its tender depiction of the bond between its leads. It's a winner.
