Spoilers for all eight episodes of Netflix’s The Hunting Wives. Margo Banks killed Abby, using Sophie’s gun, then let suspicion fall on Sophie. Sophie uncovers the truth but does not report Margo; instead, the finale leaves Sophie hiding Kyle’s body and bound to Margo by a dangerous secret. The Netflix series changes the killer from May Cobb’s novel, where Jill kills Abby.
Who killed Abby in the Netflix series?
Margo killed Abby after Abby confronted her about her affair with Brad, Margo’s teenage boyfriend, and the pregnancy and abortion Margo had kept secret. Margo shot Abby with Sophie’s gun, creating a path for investigators to suspect Sophie. The finale’s confession confirms what Sophie pieces together from the clues. TIME’s finale breakdown follows the reveal.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Hunting Wives | $10.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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My Summer Darlings | $14.44 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII | $1.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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The Teacher | $9.33 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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The Cinnamon Bun Book Store: The viral TikTok cozy fall romance for fans of opposites attract and... | $9.97 | Buy on Amazon |
How does Sophie figure out that Margo did it?
The key clue is not a direct confession at first; it is the mismatch between what Margo said and what Sophie later finds. Margo had said she could not use a tampon. Sophie later sees tampons in Margo’s bathroom and realizes the abortion was Margo’s, not Abby’s. That reframes the pregnancy rumor and connects Margo to Brad.
Abby knew about Margo’s affair and abortion and confronted her. Margo had a powerful reason to silence her: preserving her marriage, social standing, and the political future associated with her husband Jed’s campaign. The bathroom clue explains how Sophie identifies the secret; Margo’s admission to Sophie establishes the murder.
#1 Best Overall
Why did Jill and Pastor Pete look guilty?
The series builds plausible false trails. Pastor Pete preyed on young women, had Abby’s sweater, and gave her a ride on the night she died. Jill was hostile toward Abby, behaved suspiciously around Abby’s records and car, and was tied to the pregnancy rumor. Those details point suspicion toward them, but neither killed Abby. TIME details how the finale resolves those clues.
Who gets framed, and what happens to the murder case?
Sophie is framed for Abby’s murder: her gun is identified as the murder weapon, and she becomes the prime suspect despite no apparent connection to Abby. Jill’s death removes Sophie from immediate custody, but it does not expose Margo. The authorities’ on-screen resolution redirects blame to Jill, leaving Margo’s responsibility concealed from the case’s official outcome.
Rank #2
What happens to Sophie, Margo, and Kyle at the end?
Sophie returns to Margo and works out that she killed Abby, but Sophie does not turn her in during the finale. Jed throws Margo out after she confesses her affair and abortion to him. The two women are left on more equal footing: Sophie knows Margo’s secret, while Margo has leverage because Sophie has killed Kyle and hidden his body. Us Weekly’s ending recap also describes the Kyle development.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How is the show’s ending different from May Cobb’s novel?
| Story detail | Netflix series | May Cobb novel |
|---|---|---|
| Abby’s killer | Margo | Jill |
| Pregnancy and abortion secret | Margo’s secret drives the reveal | Not established in the cited adaptation coverage |
| Sophie’s position at the close | Framed for Abby’s murder, then hiding Kyle’s body | Not established in the cited adaptation coverage |
| Closing dynamic | Sophie and Margo share a dangerous secret | Not established in the cited adaptation coverage |
The distinction matters because a summary of the novel that names Jill is not necessarily wrong; it is describing a different ending. Showrunner Rebecca Cutter said the change to Margo was intentional, explaining that she wanted to see whether the series could make the most obvious suspect the killer. TheWrap’s interview with Cutter discusses the adaptation choice and the ending’s setup.
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