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Till Death, or a Little Light Maiming, Do Us Part
One dead husband. Three grieving widows.
When she hears a man has been killed by a Great White shark, Gwen races to the beach only to find that all that remains of her husband is his swimming cap and a piece of torn, blood-stained wetsuit. Her grief is soon interrupted by Tish, screaming for information about the accident. When Gwen reassures her that it's her husband, Jason Riley, who's perished, Tish's response is earth-shattering for them both: Jason was her husband too.
The women's mutual animosity is not assuaged when they learn that Jason recently sent all his – make that their – money to a mysterious 'business partner' in Egypt called Skye. But when they fly to Cairo to confront her, they find another grieving widow whose life-savings have gone missing...
As this double-crossed threesome cross continents in their search for truth and retribution, they start to realise they're embarking on a journey of self-discovery, renewal and friendship too.
When she hears a man has been killed by a Great White shark, Gwen races to the beach only to find that all that remains of her husband is his swimming cap and a piece of torn, blood-stained wetsuit. Her grief is soon interrupted by Tish, screaming for information about the accident. When Gwen reassures her that it's her husband, Jason Riley, who's perished, Tish's response is earth-shattering for them both: Jason was her husband too.
The women's mutual animosity is not assuaged when they learn that Jason recently sent all his – make that their – money to a mysterious 'business partner' in Egypt called Skye. But when they fly to Cairo to confront her, they find another grieving widow whose life-savings have gone missing...
As this double-crossed threesome cross continents in their search for truth and retribution, they start to realise they're embarking on a journey of self-discovery, renewal and friendship too.
368 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2025
14 people want to read
About the author
Kathy Lette
62 books248 followersKathy Lette divides her time between being a full time writer,
demented mother (now there's a tautology) and trying to find a shopping trolley that doesn't have a clubbed wheel.
Kathy first achieved succés de scandale as a teenager with the novel Puberty Blues, now a major motion picture.
After several years as a singer with the Salami Sisters and a newspaper columnist in Sydney and New York (collected in the book "Hit and Ms") and as a television sitcom writer for Columbia Pictures in Los Angeles, her novels, "Puberty Blues" (1979) "Girls Night Out" (1988), "The Llama Parlour" (1991), "Foetal Attraction" (1993), "Mad Cows" (1996),"Altar Ego" (1998) "Nip'N'Tuck" (2001), "Dead Sexy" (2003) and "How To Kill Your Husband (and other handy household hints)" (2006) became international best-sellers. Kathy Lette's plays include "Grommits", "Wet Dreams", "Perfect Mismatch" and "I'm So Happy For You I Really Am".
She lives in London with her husband and two children and has just finished a stint as writer in Residence at London's Savoy Hotel.
Kathy says that the best thing about being a writer is that you get to work in your jammies all day, drink heavily on the job and have affairs and call it research! (Although her husband says he should have the affair as it would give her a better book!)
demented mother (now there's a tautology) and trying to find a shopping trolley that doesn't have a clubbed wheel.
Kathy first achieved succés de scandale as a teenager with the novel Puberty Blues, now a major motion picture.
After several years as a singer with the Salami Sisters and a newspaper columnist in Sydney and New York (collected in the book "Hit and Ms") and as a television sitcom writer for Columbia Pictures in Los Angeles, her novels, "Puberty Blues" (1979) "Girls Night Out" (1988), "The Llama Parlour" (1991), "Foetal Attraction" (1993), "Mad Cows" (1996),"Altar Ego" (1998) "Nip'N'Tuck" (2001), "Dead Sexy" (2003) and "How To Kill Your Husband (and other handy household hints)" (2006) became international best-sellers. Kathy Lette's plays include "Grommits", "Wet Dreams", "Perfect Mismatch" and "I'm So Happy For You I Really Am".
She lives in London with her husband and two children and has just finished a stint as writer in Residence at London's Savoy Hotel.
Kathy says that the best thing about being a writer is that you get to work in your jammies all day, drink heavily on the job and have affairs and call it research! (Although her husband says he should have the affair as it would give her a better book!)
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 13, 2025
4.25 stars
June 16, 2025
This was a completely mad story, that kind of grew on me!
Gwen is married to Jason, and blissfully happy, as far as she's concerned she has no idea why he's with her as she's just a normal widow and he's a God amongst men (according to Gwen anyway)! Then there's a tragedy and it seems as if Jason has been killed by a shark practicing for his Iron Man competition. Whilst at the beach waiting for news about Jason another women, Tish, comes along looking for information about the tragedy and it turns out Jason is also married to her!
Once they get over the shock Gwen and Tish, who couldn't be more different in personalities, join forces when they find out all their money has gone, along with the 'missing' Jason. They then find yet another woman he was married to, and she also joins their group to find the missing money, and Jason, who it turns out had faked his death.
The 'widows' fly all over the world looking for Jason and their missing money, most of the time just missing him, before he flies off somewhere else and they gave chase.
Initially I found this book funny, then annoying, then it kind of grew on me and I found myself really enjoying it again. It is so full of one liners, practically every other sentence, which is the bit I found really annoying, but as the story went on and the mad escapade continued I found myself enjoying it.
If you're looking for a very funny, pun filled, completely mad escape from real life for a while then read this book!
Gwen is married to Jason, and blissfully happy, as far as she's concerned she has no idea why he's with her as she's just a normal widow and he's a God amongst men (according to Gwen anyway)! Then there's a tragedy and it seems as if Jason has been killed by a shark practicing for his Iron Man competition. Whilst at the beach waiting for news about Jason another women, Tish, comes along looking for information about the tragedy and it turns out Jason is also married to her!
Once they get over the shock Gwen and Tish, who couldn't be more different in personalities, join forces when they find out all their money has gone, along with the 'missing' Jason. They then find yet another woman he was married to, and she also joins their group to find the missing money, and Jason, who it turns out had faked his death.
The 'widows' fly all over the world looking for Jason and their missing money, most of the time just missing him, before he flies off somewhere else and they gave chase.
Initially I found this book funny, then annoying, then it kind of grew on me and I found myself really enjoying it again. It is so full of one liners, practically every other sentence, which is the bit I found really annoying, but as the story went on and the mad escapade continued I found myself enjoying it.
If you're looking for a very funny, pun filled, completely mad escape from real life for a while then read this book!
May 30, 2025
Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.
Gwen receives devastating news, her husband Jason is missing assumed dead after a shark attack. Whilst trying to process this at the scene of the accident Gwen's life is then thrown into a tailspin by the sudden arrival of foul mouthed, completely overbearing Tish who informs her that she is also married to Jason.
After meeting Jason's shady solicitor both Gwen and Tish are horrified to learn that Jason has left his money and theirs to a mysterious business partner in Cairo leaving them both penniless.
Together this unlikely duo set off to Cairo to uncover the truth of where their money has gone.
This story of revenge and sisterhood is hugely entertainingly and is also extremely funny- I was laughing out loud throughout.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will most certainly be recommending it, 5 stars from me!
Gwen receives devastating news, her husband Jason is missing assumed dead after a shark attack. Whilst trying to process this at the scene of the accident Gwen's life is then thrown into a tailspin by the sudden arrival of foul mouthed, completely overbearing Tish who informs her that she is also married to Jason.
After meeting Jason's shady solicitor both Gwen and Tish are horrified to learn that Jason has left his money and theirs to a mysterious business partner in Cairo leaving them both penniless.
Together this unlikely duo set off to Cairo to uncover the truth of where their money has gone.
This story of revenge and sisterhood is hugely entertainingly and is also extremely funny- I was laughing out loud throughout.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will most certainly be recommending it, 5 stars from me!
July 13, 2025
***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
Till Death or a Little Light Maiming Do Us Part by Kathy Lette didn’t quite land for me. While the premise promised sharp wit and dark humour, the execution fell flat. The characters felt mostly one-dimensional, making it hard to invest in their stories or care much about what happened to them.
The plot dragged in places and could have done with a tighter structure—it felt stretched far beyond what the story could comfortably sustain. Most notably, the relentless stream of puns quickly wore thin. What started as cheeky wordplay became exhausting, leaving me with a serious case of pun fatigue by the end.
There’s a clear audience for this kind of rapid-fire, pun-laden humour, but unfortunately, I wasn’t it. A few smart observations are buried in the noise, but overall, the novel didn’t live up to its potential.
Till Death or a Little Light Maiming Do Us Part by Kathy Lette didn’t quite land for me. While the premise promised sharp wit and dark humour, the execution fell flat. The characters felt mostly one-dimensional, making it hard to invest in their stories or care much about what happened to them.
The plot dragged in places and could have done with a tighter structure—it felt stretched far beyond what the story could comfortably sustain. Most notably, the relentless stream of puns quickly wore thin. What started as cheeky wordplay became exhausting, leaving me with a serious case of pun fatigue by the end.
There’s a clear audience for this kind of rapid-fire, pun-laden humour, but unfortunately, I wasn’t it. A few smart observations are buried in the noise, but overall, the novel didn’t live up to its potential.
May 22, 2025
Till Death, or a Little Light Maiming, Do Us Part by Kathy Lette is a fast-paced fun read.
Gwen’s husband, Jason, disappears whilst swimming in the ocean and it’s presumed a Great White Shark has killed and devoured him. Gwen is understandably overwrought with grief. And then Tish, a loud and overbearing jazz singer crashes into Gwen’s life announcing that she is also married to Jason.
The women couldn’t be more different, neither could their families. They really are the odd couple. They have to come together to track down their assets on a journey that takes them across Australia and the globe. It’s a story of friendship, sisterhood and women behaving a little badly and having fun.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Aria & Aries, for making this available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Gwen’s husband, Jason, disappears whilst swimming in the ocean and it’s presumed a Great White Shark has killed and devoured him. Gwen is understandably overwrought with grief. And then Tish, a loud and overbearing jazz singer crashes into Gwen’s life announcing that she is also married to Jason.
The women couldn’t be more different, neither could their families. They really are the odd couple. They have to come together to track down their assets on a journey that takes them across Australia and the globe. It’s a story of friendship, sisterhood and women behaving a little badly and having fun.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Aria & Aries, for making this available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 11, 2025
Gwen is driving to work when she hears on the radio that a man training for an Ironman has been killed by a shark. She immediately heads for the scene aware that this could be her husband. When she gets there it is Jason, but she also finds his other wife, Tish. They loathe each other on site, but agree to both go to the solicitors office where they find out that there is no money, even though they had both "invested" their life savings in one of his investment schemes.
Through devious means they find out the money was transferred to someone else and a trip through several countries begins.
A fun romp, if I say more I will give it away.
Through devious means they find out the money was transferred to someone else and a trip through several countries begins.
A fun romp, if I say more I will give it away.
August 5, 2025
I wanted to love this so much, but it fell flat for me, sadly. The premise sounded brilliant; dark and funny, but I disliked the "wives", finding them shallow and cliched, and the puns were just too, too much. A couple of them were really funny, but they were so relentless, I was over them very quickly. The plot was ok, but it was too long, with repetitiveness and filler that made it drag a bit in places. Ok for a light beach read, but didn't live up to expectations for me this time.
2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews