“The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives” by Elizabeth Arnott: Chasing Closure…And A Serial Killer (BOOK REVIEW)

Chasing Closure…And A Serial Killer

Hey, Alex! What have you been reading lately?

I recently finished The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott that was kindly sent to me in advance on NetGalley. As you can imagine, it is the title that grabbed me first.

The world is obsessed with serial killer stories. There are documentaries, Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, true crime podcasts. However, it is rare that we get to hear about those around the criminals: the families, the partners, the ones who shared a bed with such dark minds and didn’t suspect a thing.

With this novel, Arnott does exactly that: she gives voice to those who were cheated on and lied to the most and looks into how they got treated by society afterwards.

Tell me more. What is the book about?

The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives is set in sunlit California in the 1960s. Three women meet at a community pool, doing their best to blend into suburban normalcy, while each carries the same secret: they were married to men convicted of mass murder.

Beverley is ostracised from her small-town community, despite cooperating with the police during her ex-husband’s case. Margot enjoys the company of multiple men to avoid the hollowness her marriage left behind. Elsie lives under a new name and works as an editor’s secretary, hoping no one finds out her true identity.

When local murders hit the papers, the three women realise they might be the only people equipped to recognise the signs and spot the killer. They know the patterns. They’ve lived with the monsters. And they refuse to let history repeat itself.

What are some strong and weak points of the book?

The strongest element of the novel, in my opinion, is its plot: tense, propulsive, and anchored by three protagonists who are clearly defined yet deeply interconnected and share similar pain.

I was very invested by Bev, Margot, and Elsie’s decision to take on the roles of detectives and solve the new murders. That choice felt powerful, almost like a form of penance for the crimes committed by their husbands. Having been called names for the past couple of years – naive, complicit, dumb – the three characters think they have failed as wives and as women. They want to reclaim themselves and it is through seeking justice that they can reflect and move on. The murderers’ wives are victims, too; although not killed in the traditional sense, they have been subjects to manipulation for years and were left to roam the remnants of their lives once the truth came out.

Arnott has poured tons of hours of research to compile this novel, and it shows. The psychological exploration of serial killers’ minds is another highlight for me. Is it boredom, impulse, the seduction of control, or the thrill of leading a double life that drives people to murder? A question that is unsettling to sit with, but undeniably compelling.

The only weakness for me lies in the occasional bits where the omniscient narrator got replaced with first-person chapters that are told from the perspective of a one of the killer’s victims, who is held hostage and counting down her final hours. These chapters aren’t badly written at all, but they disrupt the otherwise smooth flow of the story without adding much to Beverley, Margot, and Elsie’s emotional or thematic arcs. In the end, they feel more like interruptions than enhancements, and the book might have been even stronger and more cohesive without them.

Any final thoughts? Should I read it too?

100%. The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives is the definition of a page-turner. Every chapter pushes you forward with new clues, new bodies, new suspicions. I was unable to guess who the murderer is, and, although the answer was much easier that I thought, the reveal was still satisfying to read. I got tricked, and, for that, I’ll shake Arnott’s hand with pleasure.

The book is an atmospheric, character-driven thriller that gives space to women society prefers to forget, and it is handled with both tension and empathy. A solid 5-star, and I can’t wait for more mystery stories like this.

Thank you so much!! Are there any similar books that you can recommend?

Here are two perfect follow-ups to this one:

🎀 Shy Girl — a woman spends 7 years as a man's hostage until she picks the courage to bite back.

🧠 The Anatomy of Motive — a deep dive into criminal psychology and what drives people toward violent acts.

📲 limaistyping…

rating: ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
tropes: 🔪 crime fiction | ⚖️ right the wrong | 🤫 trust no one | 🏘️ small town, big problems | ✊ feminist literature
read if you like: serial killers, swimming pools, Mindhunter, 20th century cinema, detective stories
look out for: 💎 missing bracelet | 👱‍♀️ blond wig | 🥣 Lucky Charms messages | 🐷 pork leftovers | 🫟 ink cartridges
"This felt like eavesdropping on family secrets and finding yourself in the middle of it all."