The Secret Lives Of Murderer's Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
Publisher: Berkley Publishing
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
Format: Hardcover - 320 pages
Paperback - 416 pages
Audiobook - 9 Hours 10 Minutes
Kindle - 316 pages / 6 MB
Nook - 320 pages / 3 MB
ISBN (Hardcover): 978-0593952993
ISBN (Paperback): 979-8217294695
ASIN (Audiobook): B0FGK25FXN
ASIN (Kindle): B0FBW7Q6YW
BNID (Nook): 978-0593953006
Buy The Book:
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book via NetGalley. I also purchased a hardcover copy from my monthly Book Of The Month (BOTM) subscription. This book review is from my personal honest opinion.
Book Description:
A remarkable trio whose lives were cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.
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?
At once a riveting portrayal of shattered trust and a story of gripping suspense, The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives is a testament to the intricacies of women’s lives and how the deep bonds of female friendship can empower, uplift, and lead us to endure.
My Book Review:
In The Secret Lives Of Murderer's Wives, author Elizabeth Arnott weaves a riveting thriller that easily draws the reader into a storyline that follows a trio of housewives who are determined to catch a serial killer and bring him to justice.
Housewives Beverley Lightfoot, Elsie Moss, and Margot Green have one thing in common; all of their husbands were convicted serial murderers. Their friendship came from all being in the same situation where the public can't believe that they didn't know what their husbands were doing. While Elsie and Margot try to move on with their lives, Beverley has been keeping track of local crimes from newspaper articles in a scrapbook, and she wants to keep bad people from doing bad things. When the news reports a string of murders involving young women, Beverley convinces Elsie and Margot that they can track down the serial killer better than the police can. Can this trio of housewives track down the serial killer and bring him to justice before he kills more young women?
The Secret Lives Of Murderer's Wives is a riveting multi-layered tale that is rich in detail and vivid descriptions. Set in 1966 California, the storyline has intriguing and suspenseful twists and turns as the feisty trio of housewives investigate the murders of young women by a serial killer tagged the Central Valley Slaughterer by the police. As the story unfolds, the author keeps the reader guessing, with no other option than to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.
The author does a phenomenal job of interweaving the housewives' pasts and how their murderer husbands' horrific crimes affected their lives after their convictions, along with how the housewives use their traumatic pasts to investigate the current string of murders of young women, determined to track him down and bring him to justice.
I absolutely loved the author's richly authentic description of the 1960s time period, and how she kept me guessing the identity of the serial killer until the very surprising and thrilling conclusion. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how fascinating it was that the author described serial killers as master manipulators and experts at hiding in plain sight.
The Secret Lives Of Murderer's Wives is a must read for diehard thriller fans!
Rating: 4 Stars 
About The Author
Elizabeth Arnott has written historical fiction under Lizzie Pook, published to critical acclaim by Pan Macmillan / Picador. Her work has featured in publications including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph and Stylist.
Elizabeth began her career in women’s magazines, covering everything from feminist motorcycle gangs to conspiracy theorists, before moving into travel writing, contributing to publications including Condé Nast Traveller, Lonely Planet and the Sunday Times. Her assignments have taken her to some of the most remote parts of the world, from the uninhabited east coast of Greenland in search of polar bears, to the trans-Himalayas to track snow leopards.
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