| Title | : | A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593875583 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593875582 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 |
| Publication | : | First published January 14, 2025 |
I wasn't smashing the patriarchy; I was killing it. Literally.
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're murderers. Well, they used to be. They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to rid from the world. Then Hazel got pregnant.
Now, they’re just another mom-and-dad-and-baby. They gave up vigilante justice for life in the suburbs: arranged play dates instead of body disposals, diapers over daggers, mommy conversations instead of the sweet seduction right before a kill. Hazel finds her new life terribly dull. And the more she forces herself to play her monotonous, predictable role, the more she begins to feel that murderous itch again.
Meanwhile, Fox has really taken to being a father. Always the planner, he loves being five steps ahead of everyone and knowing exactly what’s coming around the bend. Plus, if anyone can understand Hazel needing one more kill, it’s Fox. But then Hazel kills someone without telling Fox. And when police show up at their door, Hazel realizes it will take everything she has to keep her family together.
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage Reviews
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I typically don't enjoy comparing books to movies or other books, but the fast-paced and intriguing opening of A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage instantly reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Smith (having watched both the movie and the series adaptation). I can honestly say this adrenaline-fueled, anxiety-inducing, and brilliantly twisty book offers a much better plotline and execution than both of them.
It also shares similarities with one of my favorite steamy thrillers, Butcher & Blackbird, though this book surpasses it with fewer steamy scenes but smarter, mind-blowing twists, highly entertaining outcomes, and multi-dimensional character development.
I absolutely loved it! I read it in one intense, restless sitting, and it was totally worth it because the story gripped my attention so fully that I couldn’t put it down. I had so much fun—giggling, shifting in my seat, and enjoying the mess of secrets and schemes between the couple! I found myself rooting more for Fox than Haze, though I also understood her tragic past, struggles, and how they were reflected in her art. This is an exceptionally well-written dark comedy, dark romance, and smart thriller!
Now, let’s summarize the plot: Haze, a passionate artist with a troubled childhood, is impulsive, sexy, and in her mid-thirties. Recently a new mom, she struggles with suburban life and keeping her promise to her husband not to kill anymore. Her unfulfilled bloodthirst leaves her feeling dull and questioning her life choices.
Her husband, Fox, is in his early forties, working in finance, trying to be a good father, and a bit controlling. He comes from a wealthy but sociopathic family that knows about his desire to kill but covered it up in exchange for sending him to Europe and banning him from returning to the U.S. However, it was during his time in Paris that he met Haze—his perfect match—while she was killing a dangerous man.
Their whirlwind romance led to marriage within six months, but their dreamy, dark, and steamy European vacation came to a halt when Haze discovered she was pregnant. Now, Haze feels trapped in the suburbs, struggling to paint, and forced to socialize with other moms. She eventually befriends Jenny, who initially seems needy and eager to please, but there’s more to her than meets the eye, particularly when it comes to her abusive ex, which intrigues Haze, making her think she could be Jenny’s savior.
Meanwhile, Fox is also struggling with secrets, keeping two women in his life hidden from his wife. Why do his parents want him back in the States so badly? What leverage do they have over him? Is he having an affair? And what’s really going on behind those closed doors with the eccentric strangers he meets?
Haze, on the other hand, hasn’t kept her promise—there’s already blood on her hands. But it was self-defense, right? How could she have known that man would approach her during her night jog? She doesn’t realize that breaking her promise just once could unravel everything, setting her carefully planned life on fire! And she may have chosen the worst possible person to befriend. Oh, Haze, what have you done? This time, there’s more at stake than just your marriage!
Until death do they part, Haze must find a way to fix the mess she’s made.
Overall: Wow! Just wow! This book is mind-blowing, intellectually stimulating, funny, dark, and utterly irresistible! You need to read it!
I’ve officially declared Asia MacKay as an auto-buy author, and I can’t wait to dive into her next release!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam for providing this fantastic book’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts—I truly appreciate it!
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*OUTLIER REVIEW*
The couple who slays together-stays together!
So, what happens when this couple can no longer share this passion?
Hazel and Fox used to kill bad men (ala Dexter) together. But when Hazel became pregnant, they agreed to give up their hobby for a respectable life in the Suburbs.
Hazel misses having an outlet to help her tame her RAGE, and eventually she cheats on Fox (as in kills behind his back!) bringing the police to their door. Now, she will have to find a way to protect those she loves.
The story unfolds from the POV’s of BOTH Hazel and Fox, in the BOTH the past and the present, with occasional magazine articles describing Hazel’s work as an artist, AND text messages sent to her late friend Matty’s cell phone, giving the execution a very choppy feel.
Sure-it’s a fun premise but it’s been done before (Samantha Downing’s “My Lovely Wife”) and I guess I could not help but compare the two.
And, have you ever noticed the overuse of kids in Foster care growing up to do bad things in so many psychological thrillers? I know the system is far from perfect but every character lately seems to have the same back story and I guess I have grown weary of this too.
One POSITIVE is the “tongue in cheek” humor, and I admit that FIVE YEARS AGO-this very well may have scored higher for me. BUT, the ME today, didn’t find it very engaging-my taste seems to be changing.
So, take this review with a grain of 🧂 salt. If you are new to the genre, or don’t read it frequently and you enjoy dark humor-this will probably be a great book for you! There are plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews for it, and I encourage you to read those as well.
AVAILABLE January 14, 2025
Thank You to Bantam for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts! -
Are Hazel and Fox ready for suburbia? Better question…is suburbia ready for them?
Let me introduce you to a couple that were literally made for each-other. True soul mates. They share a passion that nearly no one else could imagine (at least I hope not!) It’s called murder! Yup, you heard right! 🔪
This seemingly typical, average couple enjoy a most unusual hobby. Killing “bad men.” But they do have standards. Innocents are always spared.
But when baby BIbi comes along it’s time to hang up the knives and settle down into a normal life. Not as easy as it sounds.
This serial-killer read is definitely on the lighter side with the focus primarily on the topic of the art of killing than on the kills themselves.
I do prefer my thrillers on the darker side but every once in a while I need something mild as a palate cleanser. This fit the bill.
Will this book be the beginning of a series? Or is it a one and done? Stay tuned…
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley -
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Publication date: 14 Jan 2025 (Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Audio (Wildfire) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!)
Rating: 4 stars
'A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage' turned out to be an unexpectedly fun read that skilfully combines dark humour with relatable, complex themes.
Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟
Romance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
From the start, the enticing prologue and engaging, conversational writing style effortlessly drew me in. I devoured the dark humour and sardonic tone, which brilliantly lightened the tale of two ex-serial killers battling their murderous urges.
"when the worst had happened repeatedly, it was hard to expect goodness in people."
While the character-driven storyline might not resonate with everyone, I found the complexities of Hazel and Fox's strained marriage refreshingly raw and realistic. Additional themes of loss, depression, sexual assault, and privilege further enriched the story, adding depth and relatability that kept me invested. The only drawback was that the deep dive into both characters led to a relatively mundane start and some concepts being rehashed a few times.
This all shifts around halfway, with several twists and turns escalating the tension in the story. It became increasingly hard to put this book down as I was eager to see how the story would be wrapped up. Sadly, the ending was a bit of a stretch, offering a resolution that was more convenient than believable. Still, it tied up the story nicely enough, so I won't complain too much.
"Familiarity breeds contempt."
The main characters, Hazel and Fox, are impressively well-crafted, with rich backstories that greatly influence their actions and growth. Even Hazel, who I did not find likeable or relatable due to her snide, manipulative and fiery nature, remained interesting because of her troubled past and authentic struggles as a mother, wife and friend. I also found myself rooting for Fox because of his toxic family dynamics and his efforts to mend his relationship with Hazel. The narrators, Georgia Tennant and Kyle Soller, brilliantly brought these characters to life and enriched the listening experience with natural, emotive vocal variety, along with sound effects. Other characters nicely drive various aspects of the storyline but did not stand out to me beyond this, as they felt one-dimensional.
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I tried to like this book, i promise i did! I did not like this book
First one id say that books are my escape and once i start to CONSTANTLY see the author's political views, im turned off.
So no im not the intended audience for this!
Getting to the book now, it had a good premise but unfortunately it did not deliver. the last 1/3 of the book was so beyond believable.
I just laughed my way to the end of it, also taking my time too!
Solid 2 star!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC! Beyond grateful and humbled
BOOK OUT JAN 14TH 2025 -
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay was a WILD ride—think Dexter meets Mr. & Mrs. Smith with a dash of dark humor and suburban chaos! Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the ARC! The book drops on January 14, 2025, and it’s 352 pages of pure, chaotic brilliance! 🤩
Serial killer spouses 🗡️
Suburban chaos 🌼
Secret identities 🤐
Dark humor 😂
Domestic suspense 🏡
Past vs. present timelines ⏳
Morally grey characters ⚖️
Partners in crime 🖤
Power couple vibes 💕
Found family… kinda? 👨👩👧
Okay, so Hazel and Fox are your classic couple-next-door… except they used to kill bad guys for fun. 🔪 Talk about a killer relationship, am I right? They lived this glamorous, globe-trotting life of justice-by-murder, loving each other fiercely, until—SURPRISE—Hazel gets pregnant. Suddenly, it’s suburbia, baby Bibi, playdates, and PTA meetings. Fox? Living his best “dad” life. Hazel? Not so much. She’s itching to stab (literally) some excitement back into her world. 👀
When Hazel secretly kills someone (oops 😅) and Fox starts hiding secrets too, their “perfect” little family starts unraveling quicker than you can say “diaper genie.” 💥
Let’s talk about the humor—Hazel’s snarky wit is EVERYTHING. Her awkward attempts at making mom friends had me laughing out loud. 🤣 And the thriller part? Totally gripping, though I could’ve used a bit more of Hazel and Fox together—their chemistry and tension deserved more page time! The pacing dipped a bit in the middle, but Fox’s chaotic American family totally made up for it! They’re like a storm of dysfunction and hilarity wrapped in one big crazy package. 🌪️
Would I recommend it? HECK YES! It's funny, dark, and surprisingly relatable (because, c’mon, who doesn’t have a few secrets in their relationship, right?). 💁♀️
Release day can’t come soon enough—mark your calendars, this one is a must-read! 🎉
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I got the ARC of A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage, and I’m so excited to dive into this one! 🤩📖 Hazel and Fox’s quirky, darkly thrilling dynamic as ex-serial killers trying to live a suburban life has me hooked already. Can’t wait to see how their past catches up with them and what happens when Hazel’s dangerous itch resurfaces!🔪 -
It takes a LOT for me to want to finish an entire book without skipping anything - and I was hooked all the way to the explosive somewhat sarcastically hilarious ending. This is wild and absolutely not what I thought I was about to be reading? I think I thought it was going to be much darker really?
Both Hazel and Fox are characters that you 100% want to be friends with.. even if you might be a little bit scared of them. Vigilante justice for the win!!
**Thank you to Random House / Bantam for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews! 🦋 -
This was interesting...two vigilantes who kill for all the right reasons 🤣. The relationships are well-written, and the third wheel is a nice surprise. I actually liked knowing these two are out there "protecting" people like me.
What's missing for me is Haze's backstory. Fox's family gives me a bit of insight into who he is, but actually, now that I think about it, it's really unclear why they do what they do. There isn't a specific event or trauma that shows causation. It's just something they both do as a matter of fact. Maybe we don't actually need to know the why behind the why to enjoy the book.
I saw it's being developed as a TV series. I might check it out one day. Could be a lot of fun.
Rounding up to 4 and hoping this is the first in a series. -
Fox and Hazel meet under some murderous circumstances and discover a soulmate within one another. Their chemistry sizzles and life is nothing but an adventure. Unfortunately, that adventure comes at the cost of killing dastardly men.
When Hazel finds out she's pregnant Fox is over the moon with joy. Hazel has the baby and though she loves her daughter more than life itself and would do anything for her she struggles with her new role in life. She misses the excitement of their life before but she has promised to put all that killing behind her in an effort to keep their family safe.
What happens when Hazel breaks the no-killing rule behind Foxs' back? You'll have to read this to find out.
Female vigilantes have become all the rage lately in the thriller genre. I have read so many books of this type and, honestly, I think I'm just getting a bit bored with this particular storyline. I liked the start of this book and found myself entertained with the snarky humor and amusing anecdotes. Around a 1/3 of the way in my interest started to wane. While I liked Fox as a character I can't say I enjoyed Hazel much. What started as humorous became a poor me pity party. You have a faithful husband that loves you, a healthy child, money, a beautiful spacious home, and let's not forget the designer wardrobe - these are things other people don't have so it got really tedious listening to all her woe-as-me crap. I just couldn't muster any sympathy for her selfishness.
Also, beware, this entire book is based on the miscommunication trope. For two people that were soulmates and so madly in love I find it hard to believe that Hazel didn't come clean to Fox. The man attacked her and I'm sure Fox would have forgiven her (or gone after the dude himself) given the circumstances but then this book wouldn't exist.
I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for my complimentary copy. -
Release Date: 14th January 2025
What a great premise for a book, a couple who are bonded together by their love of murder and how they navigate a life together with a baby and the loss of their passion.
Haze and Fox are not your average couple, travelling the world killing 'bad' men, living the life of luxury until Haze gets pregnant. Fox then decides it's too risky to carry on and they must stop their killing ways and start living a normal suburban life, so they can be there for their daughter, Bibi.
Hazel struggles with this and how flat and boring her life and marriage are becoming, off out for a run one evening she kills alone and tries to hide this from Fox, whilst also befriending a detective on maternity leave, can she keep her secret from them both and get away with murder?
It soon transpires that Fox has his own secrets and ways of coping with the loss of the high of a kill in his life, with the added pressures of his controlling family back in America, interfering and threatening him.
This is a great story with a great premise, about marriage, the lies people can keep to try to protect those they love and the challenges of having to change your life when you have a child, obviously not all marriages contain illegal activity, but for Haze and Fox they think they're so unique and no one else understands them, but in reality a lot of their fears and issues are very common.
I liked the use of the exerts about how to have a good marriage and the switching between Fox and Haze's narration. The quick wit and sharpness of Haze was brilliant and added a lightness and some humour to the book, as she tries to navigate making mum friends.
Overall a good well paced book, but did slow down in the middle.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
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Meet Hazel and Fox, happily married with a young daughter living the dream in the London suburbs. They appear to be the perfect couple, but what people don’t know is that before the birth of their daughter they were serial killers, ridding the world of bad men across Europe. They gave it all up for their little girl, but Hazel is struggling to fight the urge. Fox is doing his best to keep the, safe, but both are hiding some pretty dark secrets from each other.
This was such a fun read! I do like anything with a serial killer and now we have 2. This made me laugh so many times. Hazel was very committed to keeping her secrets, even from her husband, who knew being a killer would put so much strain on a marriage 😅 I lost myself in this one over a day and am not mad about it at all.
Thanks so much to Hachette Australia on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on January 14th. -
Hazel and Fox seem to be the perfect couple. Together they live in an upscale London neighborhood where they raise their daughter, Bibi. They seem to have the perfect life except that they are ex-serial killers. Hazel and Fox traveled across London while killing bad men along the way. Everything was going to plan until Hazel got pregnant and they gave it all up for a life in the suburbs. Three years later, Hazel hates the life of music groups and playdates, missing the lifestyle she once had. When she accidently kills a man without Fox, she must clean up her mess without Fox finding out. Meanwhile Fox has some secrets of his own. As their secrets start to grow, they find that there's more at stake than their marriage.
This book was fantastic! This story was both comedic and intense. It seemed like every chapter a new secret was revealed, and I kept wondering what was next. If you enjoyed Butcher and Blackbird, I would highly recommend this book.
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage comes out January 14th.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the opportunity to review A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage. All thoughts and opinions are my own. -
I’m taking another trip to Outlier Island with this one. The synopsis sounded like it would be my jam, but I struggled to connect.
Fox and Haze-what cool names! Especially for a serial killer duo ridding the world of scum. We’ve seen this basic premise before, but it still holds the promise of a fun ride. They’re living on a globe trotting high until pregnancy puts the brakes on life as they know it. Both are in agreement that their baby must become the top priority. For Fox it’s clear that means retiring their knife wielding ways. Haze reluctantly follows his lead, but struggles both to find an outlet for her rage and to create art. She’s drowning in boring suburbia. Both are hiding how much they are floundering without the outlet killing provides. Both are holding onto damaging secrets.
What will happen when someone slips up?
Will miscommunication cause their careful life to implode?
The characters have a lot of potential, but they aren’t quite developed enough. I felt like they came up short and made it difficult to connect with. There are articles and texts between the chapter that slow down the momentum and didn’t add enough to the overall plot to justify them being there. These breaks didn’t work for me. I’m a huge fan of dark humor, but it only works when it fits the scenario and the character that’s delivering those cutting one-liners. The humor here felt inconsistent for the character portrayals. I didn’t buy it.
More development and a tighter pace would’ve worked wonders here.
I liked this one, but I didn’t love it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing an Advance Readers Copy for review. All opinions are my own. -
I actually finished reading this book in church before the service began because I could not stop reading it. I know it's pretty ironic considering the premise. When I first read the title I did not know what to expect and I certainly did not think I was going to like it as much as I did.
The title actually does a great job explaining what the book is about Hazel, who is married with a small child. She also happens to be a serial killer. Her husband, Fox, is a serial killer as well. They work as a team to exert vigilante justice but only on men who really deserve it. When Hazel gets pregnant they both agree to put their killing ways aside only having a small child and changing their lifestyle has a big impact on their marriage. Both of them try to make a go at their new life. Fox, tries therapy, and Hazel makes a new mom friend. Both do their best but old habits are hard to break.
This was such a fun book and such a great read. The best part was so much of it was relatable, except for the killing part, obviously. If you have been married a long time or have kids you can relate to what Fox and Hazel go through. This was a fun escape and I highly recommend it!
Thank you to Bantam/Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. -
Hazel and Fox are setting their hobbies to the side to raise a child in suburbia. They have had a history of killing bad men. They have set rules to protect their child.
Can they stay away from their darker urges?
A lighter side of, “My Lovely Wife.” -
I was excited about reading this one, only to be disappointed. It was boring and had unlikeable characters. The miscommunication between the two main characters bothered me. Furthermore, a lot could have been avoided if they just spoke to one another. The book felt like it was trying to be more of a dark comedy than a thriller. I love both genres, but not in this book. It did not give me thriller vibes at all and the dark humor wasn’t even funny to me. This book was predictable and forgettable.
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage is about a Husband and a Wife that enjoy murdering people. Even before they were Married, both of them were murderers. Everything was great for them until they had a baby. When the baby was born, they gave up being murderers and focused on being a Mom and Dad. However, they both get the urge to still murder after they had their baby. Will they continue murdering people after the baby is born? Will they do whatever it takes to keep their family safe?
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book was published on January 14, 2025 and is available to read. Overall, I rate the boring book a 2.25 out of 5 stars. -
4.5 stars
Review/
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3.5 ⭐️ rounded down
I wanted to like this one more than I did 😭 I liked the premise, but I didn’t really enjoy the characters. I was engaged throughout reading the book, but the ending was just ok for me. The ending just seemed so far fetched ( granted the plot itself is a little out there 🤣). This was a highly anticipated book and it didn’t live up to the hype. If you are looking for a no frills/easy read with a serial killer trope- you might enjoy this one, but ultimately - I’d pass. -
DNF. A sincere thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I regret I failed to engage with the book, but many enjoyed it. I was bored with their marriage when the bonds were shattered after the birth of their child. The characters were lacklustre and dull except for the passion for murder, which was now absent in their lives. Like Dexter, there was no remorse because they only killed people they considered dangerous, thus saving potential victims' lives. I urge readers not to be influenced by my rating but to read the positive reviews.
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Fun domestic popcorn thriller, but very typical for the average thriller reader. Nothing you haven’t seen before, but it does have a good fusion of humor in the writing. Think a funnier My Lovely Wife.
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I am officially obsessed with
Asia Mackay, and I want to read everything she writes.
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage was so dang fun and it was like an episode of Dexter with a side of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I loved the dark humor throughout and I would say this is a lighter thriller for those looking for some sort of palate cleanser after darker ones. I actually quite liked Hazel (Haze) and Fox, and Haze’s penchant for killing bad men made her very endearing for me. Her having found a man to do it with her?! Teamwork makes the dream work as they say. They are both so ready to blow it’s hilarious, and the not killing is getting Hazel really down. I wish they would have had more time in the story together though since the chemistry between the two was everything.
I also loved the audiobook so, so much and Georgia Tennant & Kyle Soller were excellent! They did such a great job voicing Haze and Fox, and I could listen to them forever. I don’t think I have heard either of them before and really hope to hear them again someday in another audiobook. A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage would be great as the start to a series and I can’t help but hope Mackay turns it into one. I need more of this couple and after what happens at the end, it seems like it would be the way to go. 👀 I also loved the past and present timelines and thought the combination of the two brought more depth to the story. Haze as a mom resonated with me and it was so awkward which would be exactly me. 🤣
Read this if you are looking for a lighthearted thriller, snarky humor, and vigilante justice!
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage is a different type of thriller that will leave you both entertained and maybe slightly disturbed. A suburban married couple who moonlight as serial killers – is inherently absurd, yet the author delivers it with such wit and style that it's impossible not to get swept up in the twisted tale and I could not stop reading. Hazel and Fox are a rather dysfunctional duo. Their "day jobs" as seemingly ordinary neighbors provide a sharp contrast to their gruesome nocturnal activities. The author builds tension, keeping you guessing about their next move and wondering how long they can maintain their facade. I just kept on reading, not wanting to stop. If you enjoy dark humor, twisted thrillers, and books that push the boundaries this is one you’ll enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published January 14, 2025. -
Fast-paced read that has you easily hooked from the beginning. I will admit some of the plot was very repetitive, and at points I was like, "Get on with the point already." I still enjoyed this book, and the ending was worth it. I liked how the author addressed marriage and motherhood while also making this book feel like a thriller movie. It gave Dexter and Mr. & Mrs. Smith crossover vibes to me.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgelly for this ARC! -
*3.5 stars ✨
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Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book.
The premise of this book sounded very interesting, like it would be a fun time. However, once an author starts placing in their political views throughout a book with gross generalizations on gender, race, and jobs it turns my mind off completely from the book and makes you wonder, is the author ok? I read books to escape people's perceived perception of reality, but I digress.
Throughout the book we have the main characters who are married, serial killers, and seeming to have marital issues (mainly due to lack of communication in the marriage) which the mfc thinks that her marriage has lost it's luster as they are now living a normal, cookie cutter, boring, privegaled life with a child and without murders. The characters are very morally grey trying to justify murders by only attacking people who have wronged women in some way, which sounds great until things go wrong, disrupting the life they've developed.
The main characters are very dull, and the story was drawn out for what little it provided. There's drama in relationships/family dynamics done right, and then there's ones done wrong, which this book fell into the latter. The ending was also very over the top, which did not provide a satisfying conclusion. I really wanted to DNF the book about 40% through it, but I stuck with it, and unfortunately, it ended up being disappointing. -
Happy publication day 🍾🥳🎉
A first read for me from Asia Mackay and I was more than a little pleasantly surprised.
The Mr. & Mrs. Smith similarity is quite obvious, so I won’t lean in to that too much it was definitely reminiscent of something else that I can’t quite put my finger on. I think there are a lot of similar concepts, but this title stood its ground.
I do love a morally grey character, so a morally grey couple was just double the fun. I must say I related far more to Haze than Fox for the majority of the book, I loved her dripping sarcasm, and I actually wanted her to kill the people she killed. Don’t look at me like that, I know we’ve all mind murdered someone 🤣
The mundanity of suburban mummyhood is a far cry from the high fashion, jet setting (if a little bit stabby) life that Haze lived with Fox for so long. So it’s little wonder that it’s all gone off the boil a bit for them. The little flashes back to the past while present day Bibi has just shat herself had me cackling. I loved the development of the friendship with mum chum Jenny. As I said Fox took me a little while to warm to, but toward the end I loved him aswell.
Loved the ending, and the acknowledgments are well worth a read for the laughs.
Clearly pitched as a bit of a domestic thriller, there is obviously some dark content, but I think if you lean into the humour, the little snippets of backbiting between the couple and the actual love story behind it, the hope of staying together, and the aim to save the marriage you’ll love it and it’ll be a sure fire 2025 winner. Get it on the list!
I don’t like the cover here on goodreads, the one on NetGalley, which I hope is the final edit is much better.
A bit of a triumph to have Georgia Tennant and Kyle Soller narrating the audiobook, both absolutely nailed it.
All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends
Huge thanks to Headline Audio via NetGalley for this ALC 🎧 -
I have to start by saying this is a strange book with a strange premise. Hazel & Fox bond over a love of killing. Haven’t seen that question on the dating apps! But they are murderers with morals, because they only kill bad guys. However, when Hazel gets pregnant, Fox decides they must give up their “hobby” to ensure a safe life for their daughter.
But life is dull without their hobby, and they both deal with this in different ways. People come into their lives that test their relationship and lifestyle, and the two are in a rough time navigating their marriage. As I was losing some interest, some new twists arrive to bring more interest, but also complications.
I probably can’t say enough that I found it strange… but surprisingly entertaining. I’m used to judging books by writing, but also the connection and emotion the author delivers. These are hard characters for me to connect with, but I did enjoy them. Curious to read more reviews from others. 3-1/2 rounded to 4. -
Wow Wow Wow! This book was amazing!
Oh how I loved the dark dynamics of a serial killer couple, now turned your next door suburban couple/young parents.
I couldn't get enough of all the internal loathing from the subdued housewife, that Hazel is, and all those feels internally unleashed. I mean I felt seen. And I loved all the cunning prospectiveness that was Fox, all his brainiac problem solving voodoo schemes were spectacular.
And it was very morbidly-hilariously entertaining. Well, I really loved this book, and I will recommend it to everyone! I can't wait for all of you to read it. Thanks NetGalley! -
I'm a sucker for serial killer protagonists and this Mr. & Mrs Smith style husband and wife dual POV story about two reformed serial killers who are trying to quit for the sake of the daughter was TOP NOTCH!!
Wealthy American, Fox and loner British woman, Hazel meet and come together in their youth over a shared love of killing bad men but when they become parents Fox begs Hazel to focus on their family and not do anything that might risk their happy domestic life.
Told from alternating perspectives, we get insights into the challenges of being the breadwinner and the stay at home mom and how hard it can be to make female friends in mid-life. Put off by all the typical 'perfect' moms, Haze unknowingly befriends a policewoman on mat leave and when she falls off the wagon in her killing hiatus, things really heat up as she tries to hide what she's done both from her husband and her new friend.
This was action-packed, funny, relatable and great on audio narrated by Georgia Tennant and Kyle Soller - I couldn't get enough and I will eagerly read anything Asia Mackay writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Katy Brent and C.J. Skuse. -
I had a blast reading this book. Its dark humor and its murderous main characters were so much fun. This is a great take on what would happen if two serial killers just happen to get married? Haze and Fox have their own code and morals. They just enjoy killing together. Super fun book! I will definitely be interested in reading more from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
