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Over Her Dead Body
Not yet published
Expected 9 Mar 26Ruth Watkins is pretending to be a serial killer…
Two years ago, Ruth was an ambitious journalist on the trail of a serial killer with a very specific calling card. Then her best friend became the latest victim, and Ruth’s life fell apart. When police shelve the case, Ruth decides there is only one way to force them to keep make him kill again. Or at least, make it look like he has…
The good working at a funeral home has its perks, like access to fresh hearts she can use to stage convincing crime scenes.
The bad the real killer has noticed Ruth’s ‘work’ too, and now it’s not just the police trying to catch her…
A darkly hilarious thriller about grief, revenge, and the surprisingly thin line between solving a murder and creative corpse management. Perfect for fans of How to Kill Your Family and Listen for the Lie.
Readers love H.J.
‘Pitch-perfect black humor.’ Observer
‘This book had me laughing out loud so much I woke my son up from his nap early and for that I will never forgive the author… Think How to Kill Your Family / How to Kill Men and Get Away With It – but wittier (sorry Bella Mackie and Katy Brent).’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I flew through it in a day… Dark, funny, and a plot that goes 100mph. This is one of my favourite books I’ve read so far this year.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Ok I absolutely loved this book!… I binged it in under a day. I didn’t want to put this down.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘An absolute gem—I was hooked from the very first page. I knew instantly this was going to be a wild, brilliant ride… I genuinely don’t think I’ll ever stop recommending it!’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘A deliciously dark comedy. Even the cat had me laughing out loud… Easy five stars from me.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Had me dying of laughter and grinning from ear to ear. I was entirely gripped from the start… Considering a re-read already for the laughs the book gave me.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I loved this book so much! Fran’s inner dialogue was like the blood in my veins and I want to be besties even if she is a murderer… One of my favorites this year!’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘An unhinged story & I LOVED it… The perfect mix of dark humor, chaos & secrets. I was hooked from page one and literally could not stop reading. This book was impossible to put down.
Two years ago, Ruth was an ambitious journalist on the trail of a serial killer with a very specific calling card. Then her best friend became the latest victim, and Ruth’s life fell apart. When police shelve the case, Ruth decides there is only one way to force them to keep make him kill again. Or at least, make it look like he has…
The good working at a funeral home has its perks, like access to fresh hearts she can use to stage convincing crime scenes.
The bad the real killer has noticed Ruth’s ‘work’ too, and now it’s not just the police trying to catch her…
A darkly hilarious thriller about grief, revenge, and the surprisingly thin line between solving a murder and creative corpse management. Perfect for fans of How to Kill Your Family and Listen for the Lie.
Readers love H.J.
‘Pitch-perfect black humor.’ Observer
‘This book had me laughing out loud so much I woke my son up from his nap early and for that I will never forgive the author… Think How to Kill Your Family / How to Kill Men and Get Away With It – but wittier (sorry Bella Mackie and Katy Brent).’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I flew through it in a day… Dark, funny, and a plot that goes 100mph. This is one of my favourite books I’ve read so far this year.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Ok I absolutely loved this book!… I binged it in under a day. I didn’t want to put this down.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘An absolute gem—I was hooked from the very first page. I knew instantly this was going to be a wild, brilliant ride… I genuinely don’t think I’ll ever stop recommending it!’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘A deliciously dark comedy. Even the cat had me laughing out loud… Easy five stars from me.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Had me dying of laughter and grinning from ear to ear. I was entirely gripped from the start… Considering a re-read already for the laughs the book gave me.’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I loved this book so much! Fran’s inner dialogue was like the blood in my veins and I want to be besties even if she is a murderer… One of my favorites this year!’ Reader review, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘An unhinged story & I LOVED it… The perfect mix of dark humor, chaos & secrets. I was hooked from page one and literally could not stop reading. This book was impossible to put down.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
375 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 9, 2026
95 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
immediate-tbr
November 10, 2025
pre-read
જ⁀➴
╰┈➤ I'm so excitedddd I LOVED the author's debut - My Wife, a Serial Killer and if this follows the same dry-humor-murderer pov with women committing crimes then count me in!!
╰┈➤ I'm so excitedddd I LOVED the author's debut - My Wife, a Serial Killer and if this follows the same dry-humor-murderer pov with women committing crimes then count me in!!
January 29, 2026
What an interesting romp with super interesting characters! I am always drawn to stories
with dual roles and quirky backstories and this book had me completely engrossed in the
Friendships, the wackiness of our protagonist, Ruth and our Detective Carlotta. Women
make great, strong characters and these two are fabulous.
There is laughter, there is cringe and, alas, a few tears, all managed in brilliance, to a
satisfying conclusion.
Highly recommendable story ~ not exactly a mystery, but certainly a suspense. Filled
with friendship, misplaced love and loyalty.
My thanks to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for the download copy of the book
for review purposes. I've yet to be disappointed 🌹
with dual roles and quirky backstories and this book had me completely engrossed in the
Friendships, the wackiness of our protagonist, Ruth and our Detective Carlotta. Women
make great, strong characters and these two are fabulous.
There is laughter, there is cringe and, alas, a few tears, all managed in brilliance, to a
satisfying conclusion.
Highly recommendable story ~ not exactly a mystery, but certainly a suspense. Filled
with friendship, misplaced love and loyalty.
My thanks to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for the download copy of the book
for review purposes. I've yet to be disappointed 🌹
January 28, 2026
Thank you netgalley for letting me read this early ☺️
Now this is how you write a book !!
I haven't heard of this author but the summary of the book just sounded incredible. I'm so thankful the publisher allowed me to read it early as this book had everything what iv been searching for in a book.
-The chapters are short
-straight into it no unnecessary writing
-had me hooked from page one ((which is rare for me))
-it had me laughing
-i connected with the characters & i loved Ruth so much
& it also has a hilarious Tortoise named Toast
What more do you need 😂
Think i've found another author who i'm going to be invested in ☺️
Now this is how you write a book !!
I haven't heard of this author but the summary of the book just sounded incredible. I'm so thankful the publisher allowed me to read it early as this book had everything what iv been searching for in a book.
-The chapters are short
-straight into it no unnecessary writing
-had me hooked from page one ((which is rare for me))
-it had me laughing
-i connected with the characters & i loved Ruth so much
& it also has a hilarious Tortoise named Toast
What more do you need 😂
Think i've found another author who i'm going to be invested in ☺️
January 11, 2026
How can I write a review for my little brother making his mark on the world again with his excellent writing? (Excuse my grammatical mistakes James!)
Pacey, disturbing, emotional and entertaining! To all my dear friends, please buy, support and review this second book of James’!
Pacey, disturbing, emotional and entertaining! To all my dear friends, please buy, support and review this second book of James’!
November 3, 2025
chicas, me lo leí en septiembre como beta y os digo que es una maravilla. es un descenso a la locura, un "qué puede ser lo siguiente"
February 1, 2026
This book is the follow-up to HJ Garbett’s previous novel called ‘My Wife, the serial killer.’ The previous characters are not included in this novel; the only one carried forward is detective, ‘Cecilia Carlota or Cis’. She has been transferred to a new location, Charing Cross police station, because of the debacle that happened in the previous novel. She was placed in charge of catching the “TellTale Killer” but failed to do so. Now, the case has been closed and is now cold. The TellTale Killer was a brutal serial killer who would murder absolutely anyone. He would cut out their hearts and leave them in boxes around London. Sadly, though, the victims’ bodies were never found. His last victim, number eight, happened to be the protagonist, Ruth’s, best friend, Greta. Ruth feels guilty about Greta‘s death, but there was really nothing she could’ve done about it, and she feels if she had listened to the conversation that was taking place between them, maybe Greta would still be alive.
Ruth feels that the case shouldn’t be cold and has decided to continue the TellTale Killer’s work, leaving two hearts in boxes in London. She wanted the case to be reopened so that she could hopefully try to catch the real killer herself. You may be wondering where she got the hearts from? Well, she works in the family-run funeral home with her uncle, Phillip, and her cousin. Convenient, right?
Anyway, Ruth is such an airhead. It’s not even funny the way her attitude to all of this will probably get her killed. I know it’s only a book, but you can’t imitate a serial killer and then not expect the actual killer to reach out in some way as he has now done. But rather than going to the police, she decides to try and deal with it herself. If this isn’t the decision of an idiot, I don’t know what is. This book could’ve been considerably shorter because you could see where this is going before the book even gets there. However, towards the end of the book, it does pick up with regard to some action and intensity, but it’s also very philosophical in terms of dealing with life and loss, also how you should treat it and so on and so forth. But if they had made the book shorter in length, a lot more could have happened without the preamble that goes with it. Detective Carlota, in comparison to the previous book, is a lot nicer. She actually calls Ruth using pleasant monikers, which I haven’t known police to do in all the books that I’ve read. The writing style is very good though. However, there are a few too many big words in there that were not really necessary and some that I didn’t actually understand. All in all, it was a very good read and it definitely is not for children or teenagers; it is an adult book which covers adult topics. The book was relatively well researched, although some cancer words could’ve actually been explained. But to understand which ones and to get a grasp of the book, you’ll have to read it yourself, and it is worth a read.
Ruth feels that the case shouldn’t be cold and has decided to continue the TellTale Killer’s work, leaving two hearts in boxes in London. She wanted the case to be reopened so that she could hopefully try to catch the real killer herself. You may be wondering where she got the hearts from? Well, she works in the family-run funeral home with her uncle, Phillip, and her cousin. Convenient, right?
Anyway, Ruth is such an airhead. It’s not even funny the way her attitude to all of this will probably get her killed. I know it’s only a book, but you can’t imitate a serial killer and then not expect the actual killer to reach out in some way as he has now done. But rather than going to the police, she decides to try and deal with it herself. If this isn’t the decision of an idiot, I don’t know what is. This book could’ve been considerably shorter because you could see where this is going before the book even gets there. However, towards the end of the book, it does pick up with regard to some action and intensity, but it’s also very philosophical in terms of dealing with life and loss, also how you should treat it and so on and so forth. But if they had made the book shorter in length, a lot more could have happened without the preamble that goes with it. Detective Carlota, in comparison to the previous book, is a lot nicer. She actually calls Ruth using pleasant monikers, which I haven’t known police to do in all the books that I’ve read. The writing style is very good though. However, there are a few too many big words in there that were not really necessary and some that I didn’t actually understand. All in all, it was a very good read and it definitely is not for children or teenagers; it is an adult book which covers adult topics. The book was relatively well researched, although some cancer words could’ve actually been explained. But to understand which ones and to get a grasp of the book, you’ll have to read it yourself, and it is worth a read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was already a fan of Garbett’s style before picking up “Over Her Dead Body.” His last book had the perfect mix of dark humor and wild energy, exactly what I look for when I need a break from my usual intense thrillers.
Thanks to the author and Storm Publishing for the #giftedARC delivered via NetGalley.
Ruth is the kind of character who makes it impossible to stop reading. Her best friend was murdered by a serial killer, which is just as terrible as it sounds, but Ruth’s way of dealing with her grief, loneliness, and questionable choices is hilarious. Her marriage ended after her husband cheated on her with another man, she lost her job, and now she’s stuck working for her uncle at his funeral home. She’s also living with her ex and his new partner. She and Ben actually get along, which is kind of cute, but the whole living situation is just weird. I don’t know how she does it!
Ruth’s struggle with missing Greta and her difficulty making new friends is a main focus of the book. She channels her energy into solving Greta’s murder and becomes a self-appointed detective. I found myself shaking my head and laughing at some of the wild choices she makes. Careful decision-making is not her specialty, but her impulsivity is totally entertaining. The book swings between laugh-out-loud moments and scenes that tug at your heartstrings.
“Over Her Dead Body” is funny and emotional. It kept me hooked from beginning to end, and I really hope Garbett keeps writing these darkly funny stories.
Thanks to the author and Storm Publishing for the #giftedARC delivered via NetGalley.
Ruth is the kind of character who makes it impossible to stop reading. Her best friend was murdered by a serial killer, which is just as terrible as it sounds, but Ruth’s way of dealing with her grief, loneliness, and questionable choices is hilarious. Her marriage ended after her husband cheated on her with another man, she lost her job, and now she’s stuck working for her uncle at his funeral home. She’s also living with her ex and his new partner. She and Ben actually get along, which is kind of cute, but the whole living situation is just weird. I don’t know how she does it!
Ruth’s struggle with missing Greta and her difficulty making new friends is a main focus of the book. She channels her energy into solving Greta’s murder and becomes a self-appointed detective. I found myself shaking my head and laughing at some of the wild choices she makes. Careful decision-making is not her specialty, but her impulsivity is totally entertaining. The book swings between laugh-out-loud moments and scenes that tug at your heartstrings.
“Over Her Dead Body” is funny and emotional. It kept me hooked from beginning to end, and I really hope Garbett keeps writing these darkly funny stories.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Recieved as any ARC through Netgalley, t his is an honedt review.
Thanks to Storm Publishing for the pre-approved to read this book.
Ruth Watkins world was shattered when a serial killer murdered her friend Greta; already barely handling the shocking loss... the killer hasn't been caught and Ruth can't stand Greta's case may never be solved. So with the unique skills supplied by her job working in funeral home and an understanding of how the " TellTale" killer presents his kills; Ruth hopes to give Greta the justice she deserves. Never could have imagined the actual killer would take notice and work to rope Ruth into a real murder. Ruth finds herself in a surreal position: bending the ruler of law could get her into real trouble... and yet be the reason a killer could finally end behind bars.
Over Here Dead Body is beautifully witty, scary and deeply tragic... and a wonderfully memorable.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Storm Publishing for the pre-approved to read this book.
Ruth Watkins world was shattered when a serial killer murdered her friend Greta; already barely handling the shocking loss... the killer hasn't been caught and Ruth can't stand Greta's case may never be solved. So with the unique skills supplied by her job working in funeral home and an understanding of how the " TellTale" killer presents his kills; Ruth hopes to give Greta the justice she deserves. Never could have imagined the actual killer would take notice and work to rope Ruth into a real murder. Ruth finds herself in a surreal position: bending the ruler of law could get her into real trouble... and yet be the reason a killer could finally end behind bars.
Over Here Dead Body is beautifully witty, scary and deeply tragic... and a wonderfully memorable.
Highly recommended.
January 28, 2026
Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley and author H.J. Garbett for this eARC.
A funny, over-the-top well written mystery.
While the subject matter is very dark and heavy Garbett manages to still keep the overall mood light and at times even funny.
I enjoyed the story even though at some points it kind of drags a little.
My main problem was Ruth. I found her to be just SO unlikeable! Her ex-husband keeps going on about how kind she is, yet throughout the whole book we do not see even an ounce of kindness from her - we do from basically every other characters, yet she who is supposedly the kindest of all, does not do one kind thing through the whole book.
To me she just seemed very self-absorbed and careless with other peoples feelings (also in the flashback chapters, so it’s not fro the trauma of losing her best friend to a serial killer).
So because I found it quite tedious reading from her POV a lot of the time I unfortunately didn’t enjoy the book as much as I probably would’ve otherwise. It was still a fun read though and I would recommend it to people who want a lighthearted thriller/mystery.
A funny, over-the-top well written mystery.
While the subject matter is very dark and heavy Garbett manages to still keep the overall mood light and at times even funny.
I enjoyed the story even though at some points it kind of drags a little.
My main problem was Ruth. I found her to be just SO unlikeable! Her ex-husband keeps going on about how kind she is, yet throughout the whole book we do not see even an ounce of kindness from her - we do from basically every other characters, yet she who is supposedly the kindest of all, does not do one kind thing through the whole book.
To me she just seemed very self-absorbed and careless with other peoples feelings (also in the flashback chapters, so it’s not fro the trauma of losing her best friend to a serial killer).
So because I found it quite tedious reading from her POV a lot of the time I unfortunately didn’t enjoy the book as much as I probably would’ve otherwise. It was still a fun read though and I would recommend it to people who want a lighthearted thriller/mystery.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really liked this author's debut novel so I knew I had to read this one as well and I was not disappointed. This was a well told and engaging serial killer murder mystery. Some of the parts of this book that focus on Ruth's job at the funeral home remind me of the show "Six Feet Under" which I loved. I also really loved Toast the horny little torture tortoise and it gave the book some moments of comedic relief. I thought I knew who the killer was for a good majority of this book but I was completely wrong! Overall I think if you are in the mood for a dark comedic serial killer thriller, you will definitely enjoy this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Ruth Watkins is pretending to be a serial killer…and working in a funeral home really helps her….Will Ruth succeed or get herself killed?
Loved the unique storyline in this book – my first by this author. Sometimes gross, sometimes funny – a great mixture. Throw in a turtle for a pet and you have a wonderfully different kind of thriller. It had great characters with subplot storylines, and of course, a serial killer to hold your interest. A great read – I will look for more books by this author!
Loved the unique storyline in this book – my first by this author. Sometimes gross, sometimes funny – a great mixture. Throw in a turtle for a pet and you have a wonderfully different kind of thriller. It had great characters with subplot storylines, and of course, a serial killer to hold your interest. A great read – I will look for more books by this author!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Macabre and bloody
I loved the author's previous book but can't make up my mind about Over Her Dead Body, do I love it, hate it or just feel indifferent. Gruesomely funny. A darkly comic thriller which I ended up speed reading the stomach churning sections (there were a lot) due to their high degree of ick. Even with the excellent writing, I struggled to finish.
With thanks to Storm Publishing and the author for the eARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.
I loved the author's previous book but can't make up my mind about Over Her Dead Body, do I love it, hate it or just feel indifferent. Gruesomely funny. A darkly comic thriller which I ended up speed reading the stomach churning sections (there were a lot) due to their high degree of ick. Even with the excellent writing, I struggled to finish.
With thanks to Storm Publishing and the author for the eARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This author's books are not for me. Not sure why we needed to know so much about the main characters burping habits. Things took forever to get going. The main character was unlikeable and not in a good way. At the end it seemed like she randomly just stopped going to work, and it wasn't explained until the funeral home closed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There’s definitely a lot of dark humor in this book. It’s over the top how Ruth tried to catch a serial killer. It’s not your average mystery/thriller. It has angst and some suspense. The writing is clever.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews