What do readers think of The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott? Write your own review.

I loved the general theme of women's independence and ability to take hold of their own agency. I really enjoyed the friendship between these three women who went through tragedies but didn't let it break them. The fact that everyone underestimated them feels realistic with the time, and honestly still today. The concept of this book was interesting to me and I'm glad the delivery was up to par. The writing was good and I really enjoyed the characters. They all brought their own experiences and expertise to the operation which was sometimes surprising. The short chapters made it a quick read and the changing POV's kept me engaged. I genuinely enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars Thanks to BookBrowse and Berkley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. Publishes March 3, 2026

Three women, who were each married to a serial killer, become friends and decide to locate and expose the most recent serial killer in their town. Then, thrown in among the voices of the three wives, is another unknown voice.

It felt like two separate people wrote this book. For the majority of the story it just seemed to wander along. There were some instances of the story not flowing well, kind of jumping in spots, like something was missing. Other parts of the story drug a slight bit. But once chapter 46 started it was like a new light was turned on. You could read the excitement in the authors writing. This was the wrap up of the story and all the drama was placed here. However that didn't end the novel, but it should have! What came afterwards was virtually unnecessary.

Overall not a bad novel, but a 3.5 rating out of 5 is pretty accurate.

What better group to solve serial murders than a disparate trio of ex-wives of convicted serial killers that likely would not have been friends without this commonality? It is an interesting premise for the book which at times was a bit light without diverging into humor and verged on becoming a "cozy" mystery. I could see this developing into a series with Enid joining the group. There were enough twists to keep me interested. However, I was not a fan of the time period in which it took place and how the women were treated even though they prevailed.

I was looking forward to reading The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives with great anticipation. I love a good mystery, and the premise—three wives of convicted killers investigating a string of murders in their city—immediately intrigued me. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to my expectations. I found the main characters more irritating than engaging, and the plot twist, including the identity of the serial killer, was so predictable that I saw it coming from a mile away. I would only give this 2 ½ stars or a lukewarm recommendation.

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Lives
Elizabeth Abnott

Margaret Atwood once wrote, "Men fear women will laugh at them; women fear men will kill them." Set in California, 1966 with mostly accurate details (Princess phone so old hat by then) this clever, but somewhat disjointed novel unites three dissimilar women (with the common factor of having once been married to a serial killer) in a quest to solve a current serial killer's spree. I felt the emerging feminist element was a bit heavy handed, but did enjoy Margot, Bev and Elsie's development. The murders themselves were intriguing with an absurd but clever solution. I have wondered at times about the wife when a killer is brought to justice. I'm glad the author explored that avenue.

Journalist Elizabeth Arnott's "The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives" follows her earlier fiction published under the pseudonym Lizzie Pook. All these works are billed as "historical fiction" yet "Secret Lives" seems "historical" only in its setting in the 1960s, which is contrived through the portrayal of women's roles as circumscribed by powerful men and their habits shaped by an era where smoking was widely accepted and tranquilizers were another popular drug of choice. Beverley, Elsie, and Margot met after their husbands were exposed as California serial killers and work together to solve a new spate of killings threatening their community. Although the plot is interesting, I had too many questions about how these women met and their relationships with each other and other central characters to find the book as engaging as I had hoped. Arnott needed to do more to transport the reader to this era and make her characters more believable.

This book was not what I expected. It was not a tale of living with serial killers but the story of 3 wives of killers who joined together to solve a new series of killings. The shame, humiliation and shock of realizing they were married to killers gave them a shared purpose. Two plot twists saved the book from being ordinary

This book didn't quite capture my attention like I had hoped. It was basically a whodunnit, solved by three ex-wives of murderers. I think I wanted it to be more serious; there was a lot of fluff and mindless chatter for most of the book. The big ending was not a surprise although, the last 10-15 of the book was definitely the best. Characters were difficult to keep up with between the chapters and none particularly likable. So-so at best.