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by Elizabeth Arnott
A remarkable trio whose lives have been 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 murderers—dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.
Headstrong Beverley tries compulsively to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot prefers partying to homemaking 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 what their husbands were doing? How much are they to blame? And yet when a string of local 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.
"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." —Publishers Weekly
"A propulsive, period-set whodunit perfect for anyone who loves early criminal profiling and Mad Men-era aesthetics with bite." —Parade
"The perfect squad to solve the mystery of an emerging serial killer in town!" —Marie Claire
"Mad Men meets Zodiac: The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives is a sultry period thriller with a big, hopeful heart. Elizabeth Arnott combines the sweltering glamour of 1960s California with a page-tearing serial killer mystery. But this is also a beautiful, warm book, which captures the nuances of female friendship, the exhaustion of day-to-day misogyny, and the shame of betrayal." —New York Times bestselling author Abigail Dean
"The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives transported me to 1960s California and introduced me to three incredible female characters. Bev, Margo and Elsie felt as complex and flawed as living, breathing women. Beautifully written, with twists that had me compulsively turning the pages. As if Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote a crime novel." —New York Times bestselling author Emilia Hart
This information about The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Elizabeth Arnott is an award-winning writer and journalist and has written critically acclaimed historical fiction as Lizzie Pook. Her work—covering everything from true crime to Arctic exploration—has featured in publications including The Sunday Times, National Geographic, The New York Times Book Review, and The Guardian. She lives with her husband and their young daughter in London, where she spends far too much time drinking iced coffee and watching serial killer shows.
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