Behind title lurks sinister tale of murder
One of the darkest novels you will ever read has a most gentle title.
“My Lovely Wife,” the debut novel by Samantha Downing, follows the twisted antics of a suburban Florida couple who, in addition to raising their two schoolage children, have become serial killers. The publisher’s publicity materials call the thriller — set for release on Tuesday — “‘Dexter’ meets ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith.’ ”
The tale is narrated by the unnamed 39-year-old husband who recounts how he fell under the spell of copperhaired, contrary Millicent. They marry, move to an upper-class community, have a son and a daughter and pursue their careers; she is a real-estate agent and he works as a country-club tennis pro.
But along the way, they kill a woman who has threatened Millicent. Once the body has been disposed of and authorities have suspected nothing, the couple realizes they find murder exciting. Sex is suddenly more fun and life in the suburbs seems infinitely more interesting.
The narrator scouts out potential victims, pretending to be deaf and handing women in bars his cellphone that announces, “Hello. My name is Tobias. I am deaf.” He reports back to Millicent, omitting the fact that he might have slept with one of the women. They consult, they plan, they capture, she kills.
All the while, the couple carries on with a traditional family life. Every night Millicent cooks a healthy dinner, and cellphones are banned from the table. The family shares a weekly movie night and neither child’s sports events are ever missed.
They aren’t immune from adolescent worries: Rory, the son, has been sneaking out at night to meet his girlfriend; and the younger, Jenna, has become obsessed and terrified by the increasing number of murdered women, attributed (through bogus information leaked to the media by her parents) to a notorious murderer who disappeared years ago but appears to have returned.
So, readers seeking heroic characters will find none in “My Lovely Wife.” Nor will they find a completely plausible plot, especially in the startling ending.
But they will find a disturbing portrait of the dark depths that humans can reach. The novel is difficult to put down because of the action, which is surprising and relentless. Yet the pace seems moderate. There are many details of the crimes to include and the novel may seem even slower because its events are so excruciating.
And not just the murders. As it follows the couple, the crimes and the community, “My Lovely Wife” has much to say about marriage, infidelity, family life and the media — and just about all of it is dark.
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