Samantha Downing was born in the Bay Area, and currently lives in New Orleans, where she is furiously typing away on her next psychological thriller. My Lovely Wife is her first novel.
Darkly witty and strangely plausible, it's a read-in-one-sitting firecracker of a thriller, laced with explosive twists * The People * A highly original and dark look at the shifting power structure in a modern marriage. . . A funny, smart book * Daily Mail * Best new books to read this March * Cosmopolitan * Deliciously dark and twisted... It's a remarkable achievement, full stop. * Shelf Awareness * It's no mean feat to find something fresh in the crowded thriller field, but Downing pulls off an indisputable triumph with My Lovely Wife. Exemplary writing and outstanding pacing confirm Downing's talent, but it's her deliciously depraved characters that kept me flying through the pages. Couldn't get enough of this subversive love-gone-sideways tale! -- Sophie Littlefield I couldn't pull myself away from this story - a terrifying and riveting window into the mind of the perfect suburban mother with a taste for murder. Make sure you clear your schedule before you pick it up. Absolutely unputdownable -- Liv Constantine Truly horrifying in the most delicious way. Samantha Downing sucks you in with a great story, pitch-perfect prose and disturbingly dead-on insights into the dark side of human nature. I hope I never meet her in a dark alley.... -- Nick Petrie Totally engrossing and I kept on thinking, one more chapter... an intelligent page-turner that makes you question everything -- Araminta Hall Suspenseful, shocking thriller. Deliciously dark * Best * A dark and clever debut thriller * Prima * This gripping page-turner offers a new take on the psychological thriller genre - the ideal beach read * Evening Standard * Utterly gripping . . . Expect more twists and turns than a bowl of spaghetti and block out a whole day to read this, because you won't want to sleep until you're done * Red Online * Domestic noir has rarely been darker . . . it's a psychological shocker * i * A fantastic foray into what we know-and what we do not-about those closest to us. Intricately plotted, fascinating characters - I loved it! -- Heather Graham One of my favourite thrillers of the year - I couldn't stop reading but didn't want it to end. Dark, chilling and compelling ... My Lovely Wife is a brilliant debut -- TM Logan, bestselling author of Lies My Lovely Wife is dark, twisted-and impossible to put down. Samantha Downing has written a wickedly plotted and suspenseful psychological thriller -- Meg Gardiner An assured and deliciously engrossing debut. You'll surely devour My Lovely Wife, but it will linger long after you've reached the last page -- Sarah Pinborough My Lovely Wife is a knockout. It's an effortless page-turner * Publishers Weekly * I pretty much inhaled this twisty, audacious, Gone Girl-y psychological thriller. This is the book that everyone is going to be talking about this summer. I can't shut up about it! * Red, The best Spring crime novels and thrillers * A dark and irresistible debut * People * A genuinely fresh take on the psychological thriller genre. Expect dark humour and more loop-the-loops than a roller coaster * Good Housekeeping * We're calling it now: Samantha Downing's creepy, sexy debut thriller is going to be the next Gone Girl. * Marie Claire * Dark, shocking and very witty, this wickedly good read will make you run screaming from the suburbs * Heat * Brilliant - I was enthralled by the premise and it totally delivered. Five star entertainment! -- Jill Mansell The twist at the end of the first chapter made me read through the night. Clever. Manipulative. Dark. Disturbing. What more can you ask for? -- Jane Corry Wow! My Lovely Wife is a stunner - full of twists, well-drawn characters, and riveting suspense -- Harlan Coben Dexter meets Gone Girl - I loved this this brilliantly dark and twisted novel. One of the best books I've read this year! -- C.J. Tudor, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalk Man We're calling it: My Lovely Wife is the most gripping psychological thriller of 2019... this book will keep you reading late into the night * Stylist *