What happens when the wives of serial killers become friends? In this interview, Elizabeth Arnott discusses the inspiration behind The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives, from writing through personal grief to creating a picture-perfect Californian suburb hiding dark secrets. She shares how her journalism career shaped the novel, the friendships at its heart, and why she hopes readers will leave with a renewed appreciation for resilience, empathy and the transformative power of female friendship. It’s a conversation that explores murder, mystery, music and the unexpected comfort of characters who arrive exactly when they’re needed.
You thank Beverley, Elsie and Margot in your acknowledgements at the end of the book. Why?
This book came to me when I was going through a very difficult and sad personal loss. I knew I wanted to escape into writing to help me get through it and, as ‘woo woo’ as it sounds, it was as if I opened my laptop and Beverley, Elsie and Margot were stood there in the room with me, ready to tell me a story. They got me through a horrible period in my life and I emerged with a first draft and a smile on my face. I feel so grateful to them.
You’ve travelled all over the world for your journalism. How did that inspire this novel?
I have been absurdly lucky and have travelled to some remote and fascinating destinations as a journalist, from the High Arctic to sub-Saharan Africa. I love bringing different environments to life with words and believe that even the smallest authentic detail, from the correct bird call to the right sort of trees, can make or break a piece of writing. I adore California and have visited many times. I knew I wanted to do it justice, but I also wanted my setting of Berryview to be an almost ‘identikit’ version of a shiny, well-to-do Californian suburb. As if this could be happening anywhere at all, to you, to me, to our neighbours and friends. I wanted a picture-perfect place with seismic cracks in its foundations. Like Wisteria Lane with serial killers!
“It’s funny because for a novel about murder it was a lot of fun to write.”
This book covers so much ground, from scenes with family to Hollywood parties to quite visceral murders. Which scene was your favourite to write?
It’s funny because for a novel about murder it was a lot of fun to write. Of course, I loved imagining what it would have been like to be a guest at an over-the-top Hollywood party, with rockstars lounging around the pool and Sixties music blaring from the speakers. But my favourite parts to write were actually the moments of shared vulnerability between Beverley, Elsie and Margot. The occasions where they really opened up to one another, revealed their darkest secrets, and provided the type of advice and reassurance that only the fellow wife of a murderer can, felt very authentic to me. It was special, and kind of electric, to write those scenes.
The novel features lots of music references from the 1960s, from the Rolling Stones to Dusty Springfield. Are there any songs, modern or otherwise, that you would add to a The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives playlist?
There’s a very apt song called Psycho Killer by Talking Heads that fits perfectly with this novel. I’ve also had people tell me they listened to a lot of Lana Del Rey while reading. I’d add anything moody by Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Billie Eilish, Elvis and the Beach Boys. A heady mix!
This story is as much about female friendship as it is a mystery. What do you most want readers to take away from it?
I’d love people to come away from this novel having had their minds changed about something. Perhaps they had preconceptions about the type of women who might find themselves married to a killer. Maybe they judged them. I know a small part of me did before I started researching and writing this book. I also hope readers feel empowered and inspired by the resilience of women and the power of friendship. Friends can see us through unimaginably tough times. I want people to close the book and feel like they can achieve anything.
