Novel Name: My Lovely Wife
Author: Samantha Downing
Year of publication: 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Fiction
“A serial killer is on the loose and no one knows who’s the next victim.”
I haven’t been very fond of thriller novels and definitely not psychological thrillers. When I picked up this book, I didn’t have the slightest idea about the genre or the author. It was a sheer blind purchase and turns out it was the best blind purchase. “My Lovely Wife” is a page-turner debut novel of Samantha Downing that is going to blow your mind and make you think about it for days.
The story is narrated from the point of view of the husband who lives with his wife and two children. The husband is a tennis coach and Millicent, his wife works in real estate. This is what you would call a “perfect picture” of a simple American family that would easily blend in with the mass without the slightest hint of odds. But here it is, the twist, every couple has secrets and so does Millicent and her unnamed husband. They share their secrets and dark sides and find a weird and strange obsession that lights up their sex life. An obsession that is eventually going to decide the fate of this “simple family”. An obsession so dire that it will affect their children too. This is an obsession with serial killing. Yes, Millicent and her husband, an epitome of a “Simple Family”, a family we could easily relate to as our neighbors, friends, and colleagues are cold-hearted serial killers. One of their victims has made the news headline and the small sleepy town has slowly awakened to discuss the brutality. No one has the slightest hint that the one they greet and gossip with are the real killers. The suspicious and qualm air terrorizes the town.
“My Lovely Wife” is adroitly written by Ms. Downing. Every page will make you gasp and every word will make you want for more. Even at the end, when you think it’s all settled, Samantha will knock your shoes off. The book is an absolute drag-free and is narrated in a sweet, compelling and yet devilish way. Ms. Downing has proved her stand in the first book itself and is already emerging as a challenging author.
