Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.
We look like a normal couple. We're your neighbors, the parents of your kid's friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.
We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.
Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.
Hardcover, 390 pages
Published March 26, 2019
by Berkley Books
4.5/5 stars
Samantha Downing is an auto-read author for me, and somehow I managed to save her debut for last. After finishing My Lovely Wife I can officially say I’m current on all her books and it’s been such a ride seeing where she started. This one proves she came out of the gate strong.
At its core, this is a twisted domestic thriller about a seemingly ordinary suburban couple trying to keep their marriage…interesting. Told from the husband’s perspective, we follow Millicent and her husband as they balance family life with something far more sinister. The tension builds in that slow, deliberate way Downing does so well. You know something is off from the very beginning, but watching the layers peel back is what makes it so compelling.
The husband’s voice is unsettling in a calm, almost rational way, which makes everything that unfolds feel even more disturbing. Downing layered in red herrings and kept me questioning what I thought I knew. The characters are unreliable, the storyline is dark and twisty and the writing addicting. The chapters aren't long, perfect for just another one. Before I knew it I was done.
Can't wait to see what Samantha Downing comes up with next.
This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge #6
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