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My Better Half

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Till Death Do Us Part...

Docile and meek Lucille Stevenson has never had an anger problem. Until now. Everything and everyone is making her see red, especially her condescending husband of thirty years. She desperately wants to kill him, and it terrifies her.

Attacked during a home invasion, Lucille finds an unexpected outlet for her rage. Killing. Afterwards she feels lighter, in control, reborn, and she begins making her own decisions, having opinions, becoming her true self, much to the disapproval of her husband. But even though she's freeing herself from a lifetime of repressive chains, the anger hasn’t gone away. And it wants to be fed.

To maintain her tenuous control, Lucille starts playing a dangerous game, unaware that a relentless detective is closing in. But she can’t stop. Killing bad people is the only thing keeping her from strangling her husband.

Can Lucille find a way to preserve her newfound freedom, or will she lose everything to her burning rage?

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2020

2727 people are currently reading
810 people want to read

About the author

M.M. Boulder

6 books46 followers
Click 'FOLLOW' Beside the Author Name So You Don't Miss Release Updates From This Amazon #1 Bestselling Author!
(M.M. Boulder is the penname of M.M. Crumley)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Hi, I'm M.M. Crumley Your Author Extraordinaire (Also Known as M.M. Boulder)

As M.M. Crumley I write Urban Fantasy books full of supernatural action, nail-biting-mystery and; laugh-out-loud humor. Why? Because stories, myths, and legends have always been a huge part of my life... As a child, I liked nothing better than to lose myself in a world where magic and heroes were part of the fabric of existence.

As my pen name M.M. Boulder I write psychological thrillers and murder mysteries that bring the darker impulses we may not feel completely comfortable with into the light. My stories are full of lies and deaths, but there is always justice. A type of justice that's not afraid to get its hands dirty. I write morally ambiguous characters who are pushed to their limits and take matters into their own hands. In my world getting away with murder has never been so much fun!

No matter what I write every one of my characters are real to me. They exist. They are three-dimensional beings who demand that their stories be told. If I were to turn away from them, they would haunt me; and so I don't. Instead I chase after them and write down everything they say!

I have several series to help you scratch your itch for adventure:
THE HOUSE OF GRAVES Series
THE IMMORTAL DOC HOLLIDAY Series
THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS Series
JANEY FALKE: SAINT KILLER Series (Coming Soon)
Five Deliciously Dark Psychological Thriller Novels
And More...

To learn more or to just make friends come play with me at the sites below. And be sure to click 'Follow' everywhere to stay in touch! You rock!

My website: www.mmcrumley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoneGhostPub...

Amazon M.M. Crumley: https://www.amazon.com/stores/M.M.-Cr...
Amazon M.M. Boulder: https://www.amazon.com/stores/M.M.-Bo...

Bookbub M.M. Crumley: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-m-c...
Bookbub M.M. Boulder: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-m-b...

Goodreads M.M. Crumley: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Goodreads M.M. Boulder: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

And get your FREE Doc eBook at mmcrumley. com

Read and Listen to THE IMMORTAL DOC HOLLIDAY On-going Series Titles
Book 1: HIDDEN
Book 2: COUP D'ÉTAT
Book 3: RUTHLESS
Book 4: INSTINCT
Book 5: ROGUES
Book 6: EMPIRE
Book 7: OMENS
Book 8: CHASM
Book 9: FERAL
Book 10: OBLIVION
Book 11: RELENTLESS
Book 12: REQUIEM
Book 13: HELLION
Book 14: SHADOWS
Book 15: INDEBTED
Book 16: FATHOM
& More Coming Soon...

Read and Listen to THE HOUSE OF GRAVES Five Book Series
Book 1: THREE LITTLE GRAVES & THE BIG BAD WOLF
Book 2: OVER THE RIVER & THROUGH THE WOODS
Book 3: FIRE BURN & CAULDRON BUBBLE
Book 4: A HUNTING, A HUNTING WE WILL GO
Book 5: AND HE WALKED A CROOKED MILE

Also read and listen to THE LEGEND OF ANDREW RUFUS Complete Seven Book Series
Book 1: DARK AWAKENING
Book 2: BONE DEEP
Book 3: BLOOD STAINED
Book 4: BURIAL GROUND
Book 5: DEATH SONG
Book 6: FUNERAL MARCH
Book 7: WARPATH

And try my deliciously dark psychological thrillers (Writing as M.M. Boulder)
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT
MY BETTER HALF
THE LAST DOOR
MY ONE AND ONLY
WE ALL FALL DOWN

lastly, for the Young Reader in Your Life—Available Now!
RUTHIE & THE TROUBLE WITH BEING TEN

FREE GIFT eBook and more @ mmcrumley. com

























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5 stars
982 (40%)
4 stars
678 (28%)
3 stars
449 (18%)
2 stars
186 (7%)
1 star
101 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
Profile Image for ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣.
2,526 reviews19.2k followers
June 14, 2020
Q: The lady who walked around with a kill bag in case she ran into anyone she could kill. (c)

Nice plot: How an adult guy drove his mom to distraction with his creamer preferences.
Or not. Or:
Irate housewife gets unrepressed in a hurry.
Or:
Everybody watches everybody in this one.

A teensy tadsy caricaturistic but then again, for some reason, I liked it & the twist. A lot!

Q:
He stumbled into the stove, smearing blood all over the shiny steel. She watched him for a moment, growing angrier with every second. He wouldn't stop screaming, and he was making a complete mess of her kitchen. (с)
Q:
Richard should have been home by now. It didn't take him that long to climax. (c)
Q:
If she had died last night, she would have never had coffee again. Ever. She would have never eaten chocolate again or drank wine. White wine, red wine, rose wine, sparkling wine. She hadn't drunk enough wine.
But more than just that, this was a day she might not have had. A gift. A pleasure. And today she was going to do something new. She was going to make a change. Because it seemed like such a waste not to. (c)
Q:
What were her workout goals? She wanted to be able to lift a man's torso without struggling so much (с)
Q:
Maybe she was in shock. Maybe it would hit later on, and she'd collapse. But until then, she'd lift weights. (c)
Q:
She wished she could show him survival of the fittest with the business end of a golf club. But she didn't. (c)
Q:
She didn't mind being a nurse, but she was a nurse because that was the career she'd picked when she was ten years old and they had handed out assignments in class. It was the horse she'd picked. (c)
Q:
"No. Why don't you go scare someone straight, play bad cop, torture your boy toy, I don't care. Just get the hell outta my way." (c)
Q:
In fact, she hadn't imagined killing him in over twenty-four hours, so she felt she was making progress already. (c)
Q:
Next time she killed someone, she'd be ready. (c)
Q:
Richard watched Detective Sanders watch Lucille with a frown. (c)
Profile Image for lusty22.
420 reviews3 followers
November 20, 2020
This book is nuts. I gave it three stars as I wanted to finish it and I did laugh out loud in a couple places. I laughed because it was so entirely ludicrous! Fifty year old lady turned serial killer because she's menopausal! Right.... Anyway I more than likely will never read this author again but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read.
Profile Image for Tammy.
32 reviews
July 11, 2020
1.5 rounded up. I can't believe I even finished this it was so ridiculous.
Profile Image for Amanda Krupitzer.
50 reviews
August 4, 2020
I absolutely adored this book! It was comedic, dark, twisted, and thrilling. It could be a little silly but that was part of the charm. Lucille (ahem, Lucy), has all the thoughts we sometimes get about how you are so mad you could just kill someone, but she acts them out. It kept me going til the end and never disappointed. I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Samantha Curtis.
243 reviews19 followers
November 8, 2020
I just loved this book so much. Kept me reading for hours

Full of twists and had my mouth open at time. Easy Tory to follow
79 reviews
July 17, 2020
Couldn't put it down!

I just loved this book! It's a story made for "Snapped." A seemingly boring housewife just suddenly flips the switch on her domineering husband, and he can't handle it. The twists and plots are so interesting, you get caught up, wondering what's going to happen next. I so did not expect the ending. What a shocker!
3 reviews
August 3, 2020
Couldn't put this book down!!

From beginning to the end I found this book funny, realistic, and full of twists and turns. Main character was someone I could identify in a way and kept me captivated until the end. Great read!!
Profile Image for Lisa.
274 reviews13 followers
Read
September 6, 2020
The "Better Half"

... Isn't who or what you think it is. 😁 But That's the only hint you get from me!

Lucille has been a depressed and repressed housewife for 30 years, always catering to her demanding husband. Breakfast is the same boring menu from week to week, dinner is on the table at 6:30 sharp. She drops off and picks up has dry cleaning even though it's on his way to work, and out of her way.

Then, one evening, as she's sitting home waiting for her husband to get home, someone creeps up behind her and tries to kill her. Somehow, her anger for how her life has been going so far erupts and she uses that to not only get out of the situation she's in, but to turn the tables on her attacker and kill him before be can kill her.

While disposing of the body, she realizes how out of shape she is and, after 30 years, tired of being treated like a doormat, she decides to do something for herself for once. She joins a gym where her ego is stroked and she begins to transition from Lucille to Lucy.

But... while this was a huge part, she also realizes that she feels much better and lighter - much more calm and peaceful - after she kills.

Rather then give away spoilers, let me just say that the authors used of humor is very apropos to each situation in a wickedly disturbing way. And I had predicted the ending totally wrong!

Maybe you can guess the end better then I did!

A very enjoyable read, but I just had to take off a star for careless spelling errors (woman/women, gripper/gripper, summery/summary (ABOUT the summary of a book for gripes sake!!), etc).

The best thing about the book is the humor used. Because it's used in the context of people being killed, it may make some uncomfortable, but it's not meant to. It pokes fun at a certain phase of life, but you don't learn it until close to the middle or end, so if the humor bothers you when used along with murder, try to hold on. You'll have a reason to apply the humor elsewhere soon!
Profile Image for Joann 'bartunek' prashek.
870 reviews12 followers
September 16, 2020
Merry go round

Unless you like merry go rounds, the same thing over and over and over again, I recommend not opening this book. No real suspense and definitely not a thriller for me.
Profile Image for Nan Christine  Borton-Smith.
555 reviews12 followers
July 30, 2020
Great Read

I didn’t know I’d love psych suspense mixed with domestic noir and humor. This book has all three in spades! My first read by this author and look forward to more.
9 reviews
August 1, 2020
Great fun crazy book

Great, funny in the crazy way, book! Typos were annoying and caused me to have to re-read some lines. The story was still very good!
Profile Image for LadySoto.
14 reviews
Read
August 6, 2020
Ha! This book got me. I've never read from the perspective of the killer before and this was interesting and funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't want to give anything away on this one.
4 reviews
October 15, 2020
Surprisingly Good!!

I do not usually read this genre but was piqued by the description. I managed to read it in less than 2 days while working full time. It was gripping, suspenseful, funny and all around a good piece.
Profile Image for Sandy Doolin.
3 reviews
October 12, 2020
A fun read with a little bit of everything...romance, thriller, murder, humor. If you enjoyed the tv show Dexter, you'll like it!
12 reviews
September 29, 2020
Definition of page turner

Oh wow! This book got me from page one ans did not disappoint from beginning to end! Unlike any book I've ever read. This has made its way in to my all time top ten. This book hit all my marks for a good read. AWESOME READ!
23 reviews4 followers
September 29, 2020
So much fun to read

I enjoyed reading this so much. Its hilariously dark and deliciously disturbing. I rooted for Lucy the whole way. I mean, who DOESN'T have homicidal thoughts from time to time...
14 reviews1 follower
September 29, 2020
Loved this book!!

Didn’t know where this story was going and that’s a good thing. Kept me turning the page and I couldn’t put it down. Must read!! Xo
12 reviews1 follower
September 21, 2020
Craziest book I've ever read

This is truly the craziest book I've ever read! I read it in one sitting. If this isn't the epitome of a psychological thriller, I don't know what is!
4 reviews
September 14, 2020
Fantastic, Engaging, Page turner

This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter until the last page. It was unlike any other story line that I have ever read. A mix between female empowerment and Dexter (the TV show). It has been decades since I have read an entire book in one day. I can no longer say that is the case as I couldn’t put this book down.
Profile Image for Linda.
202 reviews1 follower
September 13, 2020
Crazy but good

Beautifully written. The characters were fascinating and it goes without saying, unique! This is totally a different kind of book than I normally read, but M.M. Boulder nailed it! Lucy reminds me of a female Dexter. Entertaining if I care to admit it, what can I say? It is fiction, after all.
1 review
September 6, 2020
Not what you expect!

Loved this book, the pov of the story teller starts as you would expect, then quickly goes down a road I've never read before, absolutely loved it. Funny too. Cant say much more as don't want to spoil it, but would recommend to anyone who enjoys a quirky and satisfying read.
14 reviews
September 7, 2020
This book was insane! I had no idea how it would end and it didn't disappoint! I may keep this one in my list to read again and will definitely check out other titles by this author!
69 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2020
Different

Enjoyed reading a different approach of a story. Feeling it from the killer’s perspective gave new insight to the story.
3 reviews2 followers
September 2, 2020
Interesting and twisted!

Certainly started with a bang! Never expected Lucille(later Lucy) to be one that was so skilled with a fork! ;)
Profile Image for Leanne Hardy.
403 reviews
August 4, 2020
I liked the first half I could buy into it the down trodden woman etc she was treated like a worn out door mat BUT the author repeats way too much! Constantly stating the obvious, repeating over & over how little respect she has had over the years at home & at work it went on & on, what kept it being different was the murders they were interesting & dare I say fun to read about????

The ending was an anti climax, too simple made it predictable & the epilogues I honestly could have done without I couldn't buy those at all & added to the hammy read :(
Profile Image for Erin.
3,063 reviews375 followers
August 6, 2020
Not really believable

Lucille has just turned 50 but lives more like she’s an indentured servant in her 70s, bowing down to her husband, Richard and her terrible boss. Then one night an intruder breaks into her home and a who different side of Lucy emerges.

I wanted to like this, it seemed so earnestly written, but way too many coincidences, improbabilities and police officers acting as none would act (they actually do have procedure, you know....that they MUST follow?). It was all too much. Quarantine read and currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
27 reviews
August 30, 2020
Hard To Finish

I did not care for this book at all. Actually, I am surprised I bothered to finish it. I guess I kept hoping it would get better. The conversations Lucille carried on in her mind were annoying. The repetitive focus of her hatred for Richard, her husband, became tiresome. Then, the ending was totally ridiculous. Don't waste our time on this one.







Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews

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