The Serial Killer's Wife

By: Robert Swartwood

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Five years ago Elizabeth Piccioni's husband was arrested for being a serial killer. Her life suddenly turned upside down, she did what she thought was best for her newborn baby: she took her son and ran away to start a new life.

Now, living in a quiet part of the Midwest with a new identity, Elizabeth is ready to start over. But one day she receives a phone call from a person calling himself Cain. Cain somehow knows about her past life. He has abducted her son, and if Elizabeth wants to save him she must retrieve her husband's trophies - the fingers he cut off each of his victims.

With a deadline of 100 hours, Elizabeth has no choice but to return to the life she once fled, where she will soon realize that everything she thought she knew is a lie, and what's more shocking than Cain's identity is the truth about her husband.

©2011 Robert Swartwood (P)2014 Robert Swartwood

Critic reviews

"This is a scary, thrilling, page-turning, race-against-the-clock novel if ever there was one, with a true shocker of an ending. Miss this one at your own peril." (Blake Crouch, bestselling author of Pines and Wayward)

"An explosive summer thriller. Robert Swartwood is a sharp writer, his prose lean and mean as a razor blade. He notches up the tension from chapter to chapter like a master storyteller, keeping you reading long into the night." (The Man Eating Bookworm)

Nearly perfect..

This book catches your attention from the very beginning, with teachers sitting around talking about a child molester who just moved into their neighborhood, and one teacher trying to figure out a way to murder him. And then, with a phone call to Elizabeth/Sarah the story really gets going. The bad guy, Cain, sends her to the child molesters house, where the first awful thing happens, (you’ll have to read the book to find out what happened.) Then she goes to the bar she used to work at to see a friend of hers, (the second awful thing happens there.) All the while Cain keeps calling and leaving her texts about her kidnapped son. Her boyfriend, Todd, is with her during all her traveling, to do Cain’s bidding, but I wasn’t too impressed since he told her he was “scared” when she told him what was going on.

Elizabeth and Todd head to Philadelphia and there’s a trail of dead bodies left along the way, while trying to reach her imprisoned husband to find out where his trophies are. It was a sad and exciting trip.

My biggest problem with this book, and I really didn’t see any point to it, was that Elizabeth thought about killing her infant son because her serial killer husband’s blood ran in the child’s veins. Really? And when she couldn’t do that she started cutting herself, leaving 100+ scars on her stomach and chest, as punishment. I really didn’t get that part of the book at all. And later, when she bit down on her tongue until she made it bleed. Seriously? Geez author. Bite down on your own tongue and see how quickly you stop before it bleeds. That’s always the stupidest things I can ever read, and authors write that crap all the time.

And then at the end of the story? OMG, I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. That was the best crazy twist I’d ever read. It made the couple of silly things about the book quickly forgettable. I stayed up until 3:10 in the morning reading the book then laid awake thinking about the end for another hour. I just couldn’t get over that unbelievable ending.

There was no romance or sex in this book but the F-bomb was dropped 44 times.

As to the narrator: Tanya Eby did a great job. As long as she make the men sound like men I’m very happy. There’s nothing worse than a female narrator who has a man sounding girly because she doesn’t even try to sound manly.

The Serial Killer's Wife

Elizabeth has been in hiding for 5 years. Until one day she gets a phone call that takes her back to the tragedy that brought her into hiding to start with. This is a fantastic book that takes you on twists and turns and the ending was a total surprise. I do love an ending that I have not figured out five minutes into a book and this one delivers that! The book is well written and thought out. Tanya Eby does a fantastic job on the narration and really brought this story to life. Be prepared for an edge of your seat book that you don't want to put down.

Really good mystery. Great Narration by Tanya Eby!

This story was really good. I enjoyed the mystery that kept me guessing the whole way through, all the way to the end. I liked Elizabeth for the most part, she did do a couple stupid things but the rest of the story made up for it.

I don't want to say too much to give a way the mystery. But this was a good one. So just know if you want read\listen to something to keep you guessing this is one. Things were constantly happening and there was lots of dialogue throughout the entire book. There is no sex in the story.

As for the narration, it was great. I am a Tanya Eby fan. The men sound like men and everyone gets their own distinct voice.

What a great book!!!

This book was one that will keep your attention, and keep you listening/reading when you should go to bed (I am writing this review at 2 am because I had to see how it ended), it's that good!!! Just when you think you have a handle on what is going on, something else is thrown at you and the story gets better, and you cannot wait to see what happens next!
I will be looking for more from this author for sure!! His work ranks up there with James Patterson.

This Book Tears Out From Page One!

THE SERIAL KILLER’S WIFE is full of more twists and unexpected turns than you can imagine, but Swartwood masterfully wraps everything up in one, sick bow of murder, betrayal, and so much more. The majority is non-stop action, and Tanya Eby does an admirable job with all the characters.

Worth the listen

If you like Patterson you will definitely like this! Plenty of plot twists along with pleasant narration.

Fast paced story that will keep you guessing

Loved this book. I've always had an interest in serial killer stories, but this one was such a different take on. I don't want to say much more about the book because it might spoil some of the twists and turns of the plot. I thought I knew what was happening but I was totally wrong!!

The narrator did a great job capturing Elizabeth's journey throughout.

Good book, off putting narrator

The storyline was pretty good, it was hard to concentrate some when the narrator tried to change her voice for the masculine characters.

Interesting listen

Intriguing story of a serial killer's wife who's been in hiding since his arrest to avoid the scrutiny of the public.

Then her son is abducted and her past comes back to her.

Tanya Eby's narration is so good, she brings the story to you in a way that keeps you glued to it.

I enjoyed this listen very much. Recommended.

Good story!

This started strong from the beginning and was full of twist and turns that had me on the edge of my seat!