Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body

by Jennifer Holdich

From the author of Julie Tudor is Not a Psychopath ("wickedly funny and darkly compelling") comes a twisted new thriller following one couple who will do anything to get away with murder, even frame each other. 

Daisy Dixon lives in a stately home, but the grandeur on the outside hides a leaking roof, dusty rooms and a failed marriage. But that isn't the only thing she has to worry about now. On the night before she plans to leave her abusive husband, James, Daisy accidentally runs a man over, with James in the passenger seat beside her. But at her husband's behest, instead of calling an ambulance, they take the man home.

When he dies, panic ensues, and the Dixon's do what any sane couple bury him in the family mausoleum, on the grounds of their rickety, tumbledown estate.

And that's where he lies, until a storm washes him out into the nearby village.

Her dreams of freedom postponed indefinitely, with James' help, Daisy covers up the crime and together, they seem to be doing a good job of it, until she learns that James has helped the police with their inquiries, and blamed it all on her.

Two can play games, and Daisy is very good at winning. What was once a cover-up is now a race to prison, and Daisy will do anything to make sure James gets their first.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Crime

336 pages, Paperback

Published July 21, 2026

About the author

Jennifer Holdich obtained an MA in Scriptwriting in 2014, won the Cardiff Writers' Circle Short Story competition in 2021 and has had multiple short stories and pieces of flash fiction published. Julie Tudor Is Not A Psychopath is her debut novel.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Dutchie]

Mrs. Dixon and Mr. Dixon do not get along. Mr. Dixon is extremely controlling and mentally abusive. Mrs. Dixon has to resort to hiding snacks and pilfering money to squirrel away for a rainy day. She spends her days chatting with her housekeeper, watching mindless television, sewing (which is her favorite pastime), and plotting her husband’s death. Unfortunately, one evening on their way back from a party, they accidentally murder someone. Now trying to leave Mr. Dixon will not be as easy because he has something on her.

The plot/theme is really dark, but yet the writing style makes it seem more of a cozy dark comedy. There are a few times Mrs. Dixon’s comments made me chuckle. I had mixed feelings when I started this one as it felt like the themes were being taken too lightly, but I believe that was the intent. I probably would’ve enjoyed it a little bit more had it taken the dark and gritty route, but I will admit I found myself amused at certain points. I also think having a bit more of Mrs. Dixon’s backstory thrown throughout the book as more of a flashback, as opposed to one big reveal, would have worked better. This would’ve allowed for a secondary buildup along with the main plot.

This definitely had its moments of humor, and trying to see the Dixons flail around was a bit comical. Did it go OTT at the end, yeah probably but it worked well with the tone of the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[MagretFume]

I almost did not finish this one. 
I found the first half of the story too slow and I got angry with the main character for the way she let her husband treat her. 

I'm glad I stuck with it though, because it clicked in the second half. 

I found the humour I was looking for, and the main character finally rebelled. 

I think the narrator of the audiobook version was absolutely perfect for the character, and I enjoyed listening to her, especially for the accent. 

[Marcie Reads]

𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 — 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗙𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲.

This was exactly my kind of twisted fun. Dark, wicked humour, a lovely English setting and a main character I could really get behind.

Mrs Dixon completely won me over. I loved her kindness, her sly little acts of rebellion and watching her grow into herself and take control. And that ending! I expected satisfying, but not THAT satisfying.

It gave me shades of Roald Dahl’s darker short stories, and I loved every minute of Fenella Fudge’s narration.

An easy five stars.

Thank you to Jennifer Holdich, Sourcebooks Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All opinions are my own.

[Courtney]

I feel bad giving my honest opinion on this one. I thought the plot sounded very interesting, if not close to very familiar tropes. However, it just wasn’t executed in an enjoyable way for me. Some things were so overdramatized that I just couldn’t get on board. It had the potential to be really great, and I just couldn’t hang on for the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc!

[Ashley Sawyer]

Daisy Dixon is desperate to escape her controlling husband James and their crumbling estate. But the night before she plans to leave, she accidentally hits a man with their car. Rather than call for help, Daisy and James make the catastrophic decision to take the injured man home. When he dies, they hide his body in the family mausoleum and hope their nightmare is over. Spoiler alert... it isn't. When a storm exposes their secret and the police begin asking questions, James decides the best way to save himself is to blame Daisy. Unfortunately for him, Daisy isn't about to take the fall.

The amount of times I said "what the hell is happening?!" throughout this book was wild! Dark humor? Check. Murder? Check. Questionable decisions? Oh so many checks! The story takes a miserable marriage, throws in an accidental murder and then says how can we make this worse?! Watching the chaos unfold was wildly entertaining! Daisy was easily my favorite. She's awkward, quirky, underestimated and hard not to root for. James on the other hand? Red flags galore! I truly wanted to throat punch him out of existence 😡 His controlling and abusive behavior made me so angry and I spent half the book hoping Daisy would follow through on her plan to either leave or do something much worse. The beginning grabbed me right away and the twists kept me guessing. I did feel that the middle slowed down a bit, but once the story picked back up I was fully locked in! A fun and dark twisty mystery with plenty of chaos. Not quite a five star read for me but one that definitely kept me entertained!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Holdich, and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eARC!

[Christina C]

Intriguing storyline that immediately draws you in. The premise is strong and full of potential, with plenty of mystery and tension woven throughout the plot. While the story itself is engaging, the pacing is quite slow, and it takes a long time to really get to the point. At times, I found it difficult to stay fully invested because of how drawn out certain sections felt

[Pav S. (pav_sanborn_bookworm)]

When I found out that an author known for writing a hilarious book had a new release on the way, I knew I had to dive in! If you appreciate dark humor and a woman who spends her days plotting how to off her husband and where to stash his body, then this is for you.

As we meet Daisy Dixon, we get a glimpse into her life with her difficult husband, James, who is emotionally abusive. Daisy has finally reached her breaking point and decides it's time to leave him. But just before she sets her plan in motion, she accidentally hits someone she knows with her car. Instead of calling the police, James manipulates her into bringing the injured man home to assess his condition. Unfortunately, the man dies.

We also encounter Mrs. Billings, the cleaner who knows everyone’s business better than the local gossip column. At one point, she uncovers a few items left behind after the body was disposed of and starts to question everything. Oh, and did I mention Mrs. B has a klepto streak? That definitely adds an extra layer of chaos, especially when you're looking for something crucial.

This story had me in stitches! Daisy's inner dialogue as she concocts plans to escape her situation, or even dispose of her husband, will have you laughing out loud. At one point, she even considers offing Mrs. B, but thankfully she holds back—after all, it would raise too many suspicions. Everything that could go wrong absolutely does, and you can't help but think, "This must be some kind of instant karma!" There were moments when I felt that poor Daisy really needed a break from the mayhem. Things heat up when we learn about James’s schemes and his collaboration with the police. Oh, and just when you think it can't get crazier, there’s a second body involved!

This read is perfect for anyone who enjoys supporting women's rights—or wrongs—and for fans of unhinged protagonists with a motive to kill just to avoid jail. If you appreciate dark, dry humor, tons of twists, and moments that make you shake your head in disbelief, complete with a not-so-happy marriage filled with narcissism, quick-money schemes, and two dead bodies with plans for a potential third, then this book should definitely make it onto your TBR. The message couldn’t be clearer: Stay away from Daisy if you value your life! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to brush up on my knowledge of priest holes. Who knows, I might need one in the future! Ha!

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmarks, for the DRC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Claire Veldman]

Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body is about a husband and wife who don't get along anymore. He is controlling and she is insecure. They don't sleep in the same bed and the love there once was, just isn't there anymore. You could even say they hate each others guts! 🤭 But they have to work on their communication skills once they murder someone by accident. When everything gets heated, they will start to point their finger at each other and one of them will get the blame in the end. But they both don't want to be that person... 👀

I really liked the idea of this book. A married couple who accidentely murder someone and are trying to blame the other person? That is hilarious and so original! 🫶🏼 The execution could have been better in my opinion. The murder happened a little late and the fun part where they are starting to talk to the police was happening at 70%. I would have loved to read more about it and for it to have happened earlier. Now there was a lot of backstory and history that didn't really interest me.The story was well written but it could have been a lot shorter. 😬

I do love Daisy. What a queen! She is such a relatable character and I really like her view on life. 👀 She sees her own flaws and doesn't feel sorry for herself. We love a maincharacter who owns up to their shit. I also really liked the parts where Daisy went online and started blogging with the townspeople to see what they know and maybe influence their opinion 🤭 And OMG how I hate James!!! 🤮 I know where Jennifer Holdich was going going with this character and it was definitely working. What a horrible man!

[Lisa Leone-campbell]

Mr. & Mrs. Dixon Hide A Body is a delightfully dark, funny, wicked story. The plot revolves around a miserable married couple, an accidental murder and the coverup which follows. With a subtle War of the Roses feel, it has mystery, humor and quirky characters who hate deeply, steal openly, and want each other dead. Let the cat and mouse game begin!

Daisy Dixon dreams of her husband, daily. She would like to kill him. Unfortunately, she can't figure out a way which would not implicate her. But she will wait patiently. He makes her live in a dilapidated estate, keeps her on a very short leash both on where she goes and how much she spends...he gives her a paltry allowance, and watches what she eats. Her husband is a financier and is rich, very rich.

One night, they must go to an event neither of them wants to go to and Daisy, who was driving so her husband James could drink the night away are on their way home when she accidentally hits a man walking a dark road. She immediately wants to call the police, but James insists they would get into too much trouble, and he makes them take the body back to their property and store it.

As they watch the news and listen to the gossip both of them are questioned. But it seems James has a plan he never let Daisy in on. He wants her out of the picture. As she relays to the reader how they met, their courtship and marriage, she realizes something is very amiss.

She begins to fight back in her own way.

Can Daisy beat not only the system, but her husband to the finish line without revealing what she did. All in the hopes of getting the freedom she so rightly deserves.

Mr. & Mrs. Dixon Hide A Body is wonderfully satisfying while being evil to the core, funny as heck and extremely clever. Sometimes karma can bite you!

Thank you #NetGalley #SourcebooksLandmark #JenniferHoldich #Mr.&Mrs.DixonHideABody for the advanced copy.

[Ashley Flippin]

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this title. I requested this one because I loved Julie Tudor. This book didn’t live up to my expectations but it was still entertaining. Daisy was a misfit who’s been through a lot. James is a mean guy and treats Daisy terribly.
She has dreamed of killing him but they end up hitting someone else with their car. The way this one played out was predictable but still a good time. Daisy did end up surprising me in the end.

[Olinda Cadena]

I actually really liked this book. I read it and listened to bits of audio when I was painting in my studio and I enjoyed both versions because the audio was fantastic. I thought this book was fun and entertaining from the beginning. It was not so serious or boring and given that I just got back from England, I really enjoyed the setting. I would say it was more of a funny cozy little book for me than anything too serious or groundbreaking.

[Maria]

This was so much fun – in a very twisted way! I love the way Holdich takes a situation and makes it deliciously dark and depraved, with just the right touch of humor. I loved Daisy, who appears to be all sunshine and light, and then you really get to know her. This was my second read by this author, and I can’t wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the review copy.

[Soleil]

4.5
I honestly loved this book. Daisy is such a fun character and so odd. She’s weird, crafty, and deeply relatable in a way that makes it impossible not to root for her. She also has the worst husband, and I truly don’t blame her for wanting to leave James, every time he spoke, my blood boiled.

Throughout the book, Daisy makes some absolutely wild decisions, but honestly… same. It really feels like she lets her intrusive thoughts win sometimes.

Even though she’s partially responsible for some of the chaos in her life, I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs 😆

I’ll definitely be recommending this book!

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

[Marie Reads a Mystery]

This is the second book I’ve read by Jennifer Holdich, and I wasn’t disappointed! She writes characters who make me feel empathy for them, even though I shouldn’t.

Daisy lives in a grand estate with her husband James, a cryptocurrency billionaire. For years, she has endured his financial abuse and belittling of every choice she makes. When Daisy revealed that James would make her eat dinner from a child’s plate so she would eat less to lose weight, I hated the guy immediately.

Over the years, she has dreamed of leaving him to start a new life, but as soon as she decides that now is finally the time, her plans are derailed when she accidentally hits a man while driving home from a party. Instead of calling an ambulance, James convinces her to cover up the accident when the man dies.

It becomes a battle of wills when Daisy and James struggle to stay out of jail when James decides to reveal information that makes Daisy the prime suspect.

Throughout the book, I felt so bad for Daisy. The author portrayed her as someone who just wanted happiness and love, despite her questionable past. I was rooting for her through the whole book. The book was dark, but also hopeful, as Daisy tried to find ways to survive in a marriage that brought her so much unhappiness.

Sometimes I felt that Daisy was far too passive. She knew what James was doing but never spoke up. But I realized that Daisy had no one she could trust. She had no family other than James, and she couldn’t even trust her housekeeper, a woman she had known since she was young. The author wrote about a woman who had to save herself because she had no one else to depend on. Even if that meant getting her hands dirty.

While I felt bad for Daisy and empathized with her situation, she had some qualities that not everyone will like. But that’s the kind of character I like to read about. Imperfect but still compelling, because that’s how people are. I can’t stand characters who are perfect “Mary Sues”. Daisy is someone you will root for, but also question her choices.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Jan Crow]

Daisy & James Dixon live at Langley Hall, the deteriorating ancestral-looking estate that Daisy has inherited through her family connection to the property. From the beginning, Daisy is miserable. James is wealthy and outwardly successful, but he’s controlling, manipulative and abusive. Daisy has essentially become a prisoner in her own marriage.

She’s also fascinated by murder mysteries and spends quite a lot of time fantasizing about killing James. But Daisy isn’t initially a hardened killer. Her thoughts about murdering him are partly escapism—ways of imagining herself free. She has actually reached the point where she intends to leave James.

Then everything goes catastrophically wrong.

On the way home from a party, James has been drinking, so Daisy is driving. They hit a man on a dark road. The obvious thing would be to call an ambulance and the police.

James refuses. He’s terrified of the publicity and consequences, and he persuades Daisy that they need to take the injured man back to Langley Hall.

They put him in the car and take him home. Of course the man dies. Now Daisy and James have a corpse in their house. And instead of going to the police, they make the astonishing decision to bury him in the family mausoleum.

The mausoleum is already in terrible condition, and the surrounding land has serious drainage problems. The river has been rerouted and woodland has been cleared nearby, making the ground increasingly unstable.

Then the rain comes and the body washes away. Now for body number 2…

This was such a funny, dark, mystery about about a couple who is trying to run up each other. Neither want to be involved with their spouse and they only want out so they’re going to make their spouse the responsible party.

I loved the witty banter between the couple and the other neighbors. There’s really not much of a mystery because you know who did it and did it and did it. But how are they going to hide it. This is an absolutely great book that everyone would enjoy reading. It would certainly make a great movie. I give this book 4 1/2 stars.

[Brittany]

Daisy Dixon despises her husband, James, and has been plotting his demise for what seems like forever, when she finally gets the courage to just pack up and leave. Yes, they have an ironclad prenup, and she will be left with nothing, but her husband is so controlling, abusive, and manipulative, Daisy can’t stand it any more.
The night before her plan is put into action, Daisy is forced once again, to attend a fundraiser with her husband, where she, as usual, doesn’t fit it.. While secretly stuffing her face at the party, a thing she must hide from her husband who is always commenting on her weight, Daisy meets a kind man who convinces her to partake in a drink or two. Driving home however, presents itself to be a problem, and Daisy and James find themselves standing in the middle of the road, next to a body, that Daisy hit. What follows is a crazy, often humorous story, where the unhappily married couple try to conceal a body, but when things don’t go as planned, start to point fingers at each other.

This story is half thriller, half comedy and I really enjoyed the wild ride. Daisy is a character you can’t help but love despite her many, many, flaws- and she sure does have a lot of them. Her backstory is DARK, but who doesn’t support a vengeful protagonist trying to find her way back to the honest side of life? Daisy might make terrible life choices but she’s just trying to get what’s due to her!

The best part is the ending- wild, and shocking, but yet somehow perfect.

Read this story now if you love thrillers where revenge and manipulation are the stars of the show, or stories in which the characters make questionable choices, that continue to spin more and more out of control.

Thank you to the author, Jennifer Holdich, and the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Gosia]

The title, cover and blurb had me super interested. I was expecting it to be fun and funny in ridiculous way but it was more of a sad and disturbing (at times) read.

I couldn’t connect with the writing style. It’s not bad by any means, it was a me problem and I’m sure some readers will find this book to be 4-to-5 stars read, but I fear majority might be like me and settle on 3.

It was an okay read for me. I wasn’t super interested but as I had couple hours of driving to do, I went through majority of the audio while driving. It was good enough to use as background noise and for multitasking, but wasn’t engaging enough for me as a sole focus read.

I expected to like this book more but after all it turned out I might not be the target audience for it.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the NetGalley ALC.

Narrator: Fenella Fudge
🎧 length: 9,5h
Audiobook review: the audio performance was alright. I had trouble understanding some small bits but it didn’t affect understanding the overall storyline. (I’m fluent in English but it is not my first language and the narration is very British)
I listened with varying speed, starting with 1.5 but pretty quickly going for 1.75 or 2.0x (which is my usual listening speed)

[RijaReads]

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the ALC- Pub Date May 14,2026
And Sourcebook Landmark for the ARC- Pub Date July 21, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2.75 rounded up)

I requested this one because I really enjoyed the author’s first book, Julie Tudor is Not a Psychopath… and I went in expecting the same vibe.

And honestly? This had such a good premise.
There were some genuinely funny moments, like actually funny and Mr. & Mrs. Dixon are painfully clueless in a way that somehow works.

But… this dragged. 😅

Some parts felt unnecessarily slow, the chapters were long, and there were so many characters that I kept having to pause and figure out who was who.

Overall, I did laugh a few times and I can see what the author was going for, but it just didn’t hit the same as her first book for me.

[Eva]

Helaas viel dit boek me erg tegen. De titel belooft spanning en intrige, maar die verwachtingen worden niet waargemaakt. Het verhaal is langdradig, bevat veel onnodige zij-informatie en mist echte spanning. In plaats van een meeslepende thriller voelt het boek traag en vlak aan. Jammer, want het uitgangspunt had veel potentie. Voor mij absoluut geen aanrader.

[Holly]

*4.5 stars ✨

[Casey Pond]

Dark, twisted, hilarious!

[Brie]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. It ran on soooo much and it took forever to get to the point! I almost DNF it several times and I honestly should have. 🫢

[Emmalee Bautista]

I loved the beginning and end of this book. I didn’t like the middle very much. Mr. Dixon is abusive and I didn’t like how Daisy didn’t really do anything about it.

[Cleverly Chloé]

This sounds so good.

[Stephen Wright]

2.5 stars (but we’re harsh and round down on this app)
Served a purpose of an easy read after my heavy science fiction streak. I think therefore it gets a passing grade. Was just a bit “meh” and got a little bit weird towards the end. A wife who clearly gave no actual psychotic tendencies or real conviction towards murdering someone ends up mummifying her husband? Not fully on board with the ending but as I say it wasn’t an unenjoyable read.

[Judy Collins]

THE ABSOLUTE ACCIDENT BINDING THEM TOGETHER TURNS LETHAL.
"Jennifer Holdich delivers a twisted, darkly funny look at a crumbling marriage that mutates into a ruthless race to frame each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game of survival.

In Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body, author Jennifer Holdich delivers a wickedly funny, off-kilter, and darkly compelling British domestic psychological suspense novel. The story hinges on a deeply resentful wife navigating immense physical and marital hurdles to secure her personal freedom after a chaotic roadside accident binds her to her toxic husband in a lethal cover-up. 

Wry comedy vs. a high-stakes marital race to prison. A desperate plan to escape a toxic marriage turns into a terrifying waking nightmare when a hidden corpse refuses to stay buried, forcing a husband and wife into a vicious battle to frame each other. 

Elevator Pitch
A twisted, darkly humorous psychological thriller following an unhappily married couple who accidentally kill a pedestrian on their way home from a party and hide the body on their decaying estate—only for a torrential rainstorm to wash up the evidence and ignite a ruthless cat-and-mouse race to see who can frame the other first. 

Review Breakdown

Intro
Daisy Dixon is completely trapped in a failed, abusive marriage to her controlling, cryptocurrency billionaire husband, James. She has a bag packed and an escape plan ready, but the night before she is set to leave, disaster strikes. While driving home from a lavish local fundraiser, Daisy accidentally strikes a pedestrian on a dark country road. At James's manic behest, they avoid the emergency services, bring the dying man home, and hide his body inside the family's crumbling mausoleum. When a torrential storm causes the structure to collapse and washes the corpse straight into the local village, a high-stakes legal panic ensues—and Daisy quickly realizes James has already pointed the finger at her to save himself. 

Setting
The dusty, neglected rooms and leaking roofs of Langley Hall, a crumbling, grand manor estate in the insular English countryside of Upper Iffley. 

Vibe
Off-kilter, cynical, and delightfully twisted.

Genre
Dark Comedy / Domestic Psychological Thriller / Suspense / Satire. 

Themes
~The Toxicity and Performative Nature of Marriage
~Betrayal and Mutually Assured Destruction
~Wealth, Greed, and Complicity
~Revenge and the Subversion of the "Victim"

Standout Characters
~Daisy Dixon: The complicated, seemingly naive protagonist who must shed her passive role and find her sharpest claws to avoid taking the fall for murder.

~James Dixon: Her narcissistic, controlling crypto-billionaire husband whose instant instinct for self-preservation transforms him from a partner-in-crime into a lethal competitor.

~Mrs. Billings: The Dixons' highly eccentric, kleptomaniac housekeeper who hilariously pockets household tchotchkes while the central cover-up unravels around her

Author Writing Standout
Jennifer Holdich excels at dismantling classic domestic thriller tropes by infusing them with biting, laugh-out-loud interior monologues and a masterful handle on dark humor. Her inclusion of a neighborhood social media "Greek chorus" to comment on the escalating town scandal adds an incredibly fun, contemporary, and realistic dynamic to the narrative pacing. 

Takeaway
In a marriage entirely built on constructed lies and fragile egos, the hidden corpse in the yard is never the most dangerous thing in the house—the person sharing your bed. 

Title Significance
"Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body" represents the ultimate, ironic test of marital teamwork—highlighting how an act meant to bind a couple together forever becomes the exact catalyst that makes them completely tear each other apart. 

Metaphor
The rotting, leaking Langley Hall mansion serves as a physical mirror for the Dixons' marriage—gorgeous and imposing on the outside to fool the public, but entirely structurally unsound and decaying within. 

Why You Should Read
It is a fiercely entertaining, delightfully vicious, and unconventional suspense novel that values sharp wit, eccentric character writing, and dark errors over standard procedural beats. 

My Thoughts
"An offbeat, pacy domestic suspense thriller with a game of cat-and-mouse, packed with sharp wit, eccentric village commentary, and a wonderfully clever final sequence."

Daisy begins as a passive, abused wife trapped by an ironclad prenuptial agreement. However, the crisis forces her to shed her naivety. Playing the Game to Win: The novel highlights her transition from a victim into a vicious, calculated player who is surprisingly adept at fighting back.

The pacing is fantastic. Holdich crafts an agonizingly funny and tense race to the prison gates, where you actively root for Daisy to outsmart her awful husband. The novel explores the lengths an individual will go to save themselves when they are entirely alone. The sharp-tongued dialogue and eccentric village dynamics keep the story incredibly refreshing, building to a beautifully clever final sequence. 

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
"A brilliantly offbeat, laugh-out-loud dark comedy thriller that proves revenge is a game best played with absolute calculation."
 
Recs
Read this if you devoured Julie Tudor Is Not a Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich, Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, or My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. 

Special thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: July 21, 2026
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[Sharon]

Daisy Dixon is married to James, her abusive husband. Her plans to leave him however are thwarted when she runs over a man in her car with her husband in passenger seat. James pressurises Daisy to take the still alive man to their home, but when he later dies, they both panic and bury him in the grounds of their estate. Daisy thinks James is doing all this to help her out so she doesn't get into trouble with the police, but she later finds he is helping the police with their inquiries and has placed all the blame firmly at her door.

This was enjoyable read! Whilst it sounds like a serious story, it wasn't completely and there were lots of funny moments in it. I liked Daisy's character and really felt sorry for her. There was something about her character that I'm sure a lot of women could empathise with! James sounded awful and I disliked the character instantly. Whilst I couldn't work out why he wanted to help her when she had the accident all became clear as the book moved on. The pace of book was good with a great ending and it was an easy to read story. I liked the thrill of it all, but especially liked the dark humour throughout. Would definitely recommend!

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle]

There is something deeply romantic about a crumbling estate, a toxic marriage, and a freshly dead body. Like if War of the Roses had a baby with a cozy British murder mystery and then that baby grew up with a passive aggressive streak and access to a shovel.

Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body gives us Daisy Dixon, who lives in a stately home that is one stiff wind away from becoming a historical ruin and is married to James, a man who thinks controlling your wife’s food intake and allowance is a personality. He has her on a £250 monthly budget after convincing her to dump her money into cryptocurrency. I need you to understand I was ready to fight him in chapter one. I was stretching.

Daisy is planning to leave him. Freedom is on the horizon. And then she accidentally runs over a man with James in the passenger seat. Instead of calling an ambulance like two adults with souls, James suggests they just… take the body home. As one does. You know. For later.

When the man dies, they panic bury him in the family mausoleum on their estate. Which would have been a solid terrible plan if not for the small issue of a storm washing the body out into the village like the world’s worst gender reveal. Suddenly the whole town is buzzing, the police are sniffing around, and Daisy’s dreams of escape are replaced with “how do I not go to prison with this man.”

And here is where the book really finds its teeth. Because James, in peak mediocre villain fashion, tries to cooperate with the police and subtly shift the blame onto Daisy. Sir. You were in the car. You helped carry the corpse. You picked the mausoleum. The audacity is Olympic level.

What I loved is that Daisy is not some wide eyed innocent. She fantasizes about killing her husband. She hides his belongings. She messes with his clothes so he thinks he’s gaining weight. She blogs anonymously on the village message board to test the rumor mill. She is petty, messy, morally gray, and slowly realizing she might actually be better at this game than James. Watching her pivot from passive to quietly strategic was delicious.

The tone is darkly funny in a very British, dry way. The small village gossip culture becomes its own chaotic character, especially when the storm exposes the body and everyone loses their collective minds. There is something wildly entertaining about a tight knit community speculating their way through a murder while Daisy is internally spiraling and plotting.

Now. I will be honest with you because we are friends. The pacing in the middle drags a bit. There is backstory, history with the villagers, layers of marital dysfunction that sometimes slow the momentum when you are screaming “just outmaneuver him already.” The murder plot kicks into full chaos a little later than I wanted. I was tapping my watch.

But once the blame game truly ignites, it becomes a twisted little race to prison and I was locked in. The final stretch has that uncomfortable tension where you are not entirely sure whether to root for Daisy’s freedom or be concerned about how good she is getting at this. It gets just unsettling enough to make you question how unreliable she might be.

Daisy and James are absolutely a match made in hell. Their marriage is less “til death do us part” and more “til one of us frames the other.” And yet beneath the dark comedy, there is something sharp about the way control and emotional abuse are portrayed. It is not just quirky marital bickering. It is suffocating. Daisy’s small rebellions feel like oxygen.

Overall, this is a 3.5 star read for me. I had a great time. I laughed. I wanted to throttle James. I occasionally wished the middle tightened up. But I absolutely appreciated the commitment to messy characters and morally questionable choices. It never tries to pretend anyone here is clean.

Would I recommend it? Yes, especially if you enjoy domestic thrillers that are more “chaotic marital chess match” than “serial killer mastermind.” It is dark, it is a little ridiculous, and it fully supports women’s rights and women’s wrongs.

Whodunity Award: For Making Me Root for a Woman Who Absolutely Should Not Be Trusted With a Shovel

And a chaotic little thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC. Nothing says “professional reviewer” like me cackling over a mausoleum mishap at midnight. Truly appreciate the early access to this delicious marital disaster.

[Nicole Austin]

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body” by Jennifer Holdich is a twisted marital thriller that thrives on unreliable narration, toxic power dynamics, and the quiet horror of domestic control. Holdich delivers a story that is as compulsively readable as it is morally skewed, combining suspense with pitch-black humor in a way that keeps you off balance until the very end.

At the center of the story are Daisy and James Dixon, a couple whose marriage looks barely functional on the surface but is rotten at its core. They live in a decaying manor house, trapped by appearances, finances, and mutual resentment. James is controlling, manipulative, and emotionally (and financially) abusive as he’s obsessed with maintaining the image of success while quietly squandering other people’s money. Daisy, meanwhile, is passive, insecure, and deeply unreliable as a narrator. She fantasizes about killing her husband, yet feels powerless to leave him thanks to a suffocating prenup and James’s control over every aspect of her life, right down to what she eats.

When a fatal accident leaves the couple with a body on their hands, they’re forced into an uneasy alliance to cover it up. From there, the story spirals deliciously out of control. Lies stack on top of lies, another death follows, and the tension tightens as police interest grows and the couple begin subtly and not so subtly turning on one another. If one lie is exposed, everything collapses, and both Daisy and James are desperate enough to do anything to avoid that outcome.

Daisy is the story’s standout feature. As an unreliable narrator with a murky past involving a tragic incident where multiple people died, you are constantly left questioning her version of events. Is she a calculating killer or simply a deeply damaged woman who keeps finding herself in catastrophes? Her quiet acts of rebellion like hiding James’s keys, altering his clothes to make him think he’s gaining weight are both hilarious and unsettling, and her passive-aggressive defiance adds a surprising emotional hook. While she’s not particularly clever and is a terrible liar, watching her slowly reclaim small pieces of control is oddly satisfying.

Holdich’s pacing is excellent, balancing mounting suspense with moments of absurdity and razor-sharp wit. The small-town setting amplifies the tension, as rumors spread quickly and speculation threatens to unravel the carefully constructed cover-up. The prose is vivid and sly, laced with dark humor that underscores just how ridiculous and horrifying the situation has become.

The ending is gruesome, bold, and perfectly in tune with the story’s bleak sense of justice. It reframes everything that came before and delivers a final reckoning that feels both shocking and earned. Not every reader will connect with the offbeat tone or the deeply unlikable characters, but for those who do, the payoff is immense.

Overall, “Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body” is a clever, unsettling domestic thriller that explores control, complicity, and survival within a toxic marriage. With an unforgettable narrator, escalating tension, and a brutally satisfying finale, it’s a must-read for fans of dark humor, unreliable perspectives, and thrillers where no one is truly innocent.

[Kimberly]

I picked up Jennifer Holdich’s Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body before the sun was even up because I wanted to make a dent in my backlist. I poured a cup of coffee, headed out to the patio, and figured I’d read a chapter or two before the day got busy. Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

This book was weird…and I mean that as a compliment.

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this much over people making such terrible decisions. There were a couple of times I actually stopped reading, looked up, and thought, “There is no way this is going to end well.” Then I’d read another page anyway.

James got under my skin almost immediately. Every little comment he made had me rolling my eyes. Daisy, though? I wasn’t sure what to make of her at first. She frustrated me, made me laugh, and then surprised me more than once. By the end I realized I’d been quietly cheering her on without even noticing when it happened.

Faith decided she wanted breakfast right in the middle of one of the best scenes. She was very offended that I finished the chapter before getting up. Priorities, Faith.

I loved all the odd little details around the old estate and the village. It felt like everybody knew everybody else’s business, which only made the whole situation even messier. Every time I thought the Dixons had finally figured something out, they’d somehow make everything worse. Honestly, I started wondering how many bad choices two people could fit into one book.

I carried this one into the kitchen while making breakfast, then tossed it in my bag before leaving for work because I knew I’d want a few pages at lunch. On the drive home I kept replaying parts of it instead of thinking about work, and that’s usually how I know a story has stuck with me.

This isn’t a serious, heavy thriller. It’s dark, sarcastic, awkward, and more than a little ridiculous. Somehow all of that worked for me. I finished it smiling, which feels like a strange thing to say about a book that starts with someone hiding a body.

I already know who’s borrowing my copy because I need someone else to experience James and then tell me they wanted to yell at him too.

Have you ever finished a book and immediately wished you had someone sitting next to you so you could say, “Okay…you are never going to believe what just happened.”

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