Well it is incredibly embarrassing how long it took me to get round to this, and whilst I am glad I finally did, I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.

The long chapters hit hard for me, especially listening to it, and I found some parts I was getting through for the sake of it. However, the plot twist was great and I wasn’t expecting it at all.

The main narrator was very easy to listen to, and had a voice that match how I imagined the character, which is surprisingly not as common as you would expect.

Overall, 3/5

Absolutely amazing. My favourite book this year! The type of book that keeps you going until you get to the last two chapters and it shatters what you thought you knew

Good pacing in most places, but some unnecessarily long chapters and waffley at times. Interesting plot

When we first meet Grace she tells us she is incarcerated for murder, but claims her innocence. However, she then expresses frustration about the fact she has been imprisoned for a crime she did not commit when she has actually been responsible for the murders of six of her family. From that statement, I was drawn in. What was this character, and what on earth were we going to learn?
What we quickly discover is that Grace is the product of an affair between a very wealthy English businessman and a young Frenchwoman. She has never met her father and when her mother dies, Grace is determined that the man who denied her existence will be made to pay for his rejection. So, she comes up with a plan to kill off each member of his immediate family and then reveal her identity before killing him.
While her logic might be more than a little skewed (ie. totally deranged), the black humour with which she sets about her task is mesmerising. I found myself repulsed by her behaviour while highly amused by her wry comments on society and the people she is targeting. I'm not sure what that says about me!
The book itself is structured rather repetitively as we learn about each of the murders. Grace, though in prison (which means this does not seem like the most sensible of moves), is writing her memoirs, determined that one day people will give her credit for her actions. This need for affirmation places her, for me, very firmly in the sociopath category...but she is thwarted by a mix of bad luck and other characters.
Her plan for the destruction of the family of Simon Artemis comes under threat when her best friend's fiancé falls off a balcony and dies. Grace is charged with the murder, though she was in no way responsible. Eventually, Grace is released and is free to continue her plans. Unfortunately, while she is deciding on her next course of action her father dies. Grace has no part in this...or does she?
As we neared the end of the book I found myself wondering quite how events would be wrapped up. Would Grace finally admit her identity and get her inheritance? That was the plan. Her plans are thwarted, however, by a character that we learn about very late on - and who is integral to events. While this made me a little more sympathetic to Grace, it also frustrated me.
How to Kill Your Family is definitely a book I'd recommend to others, and I loved the narrator for Grace. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to meet Grace.

Sparky, Slick, Wildly Compulsive…
Sparky, slick and most amusing tale of revenge served cold as we are introduced to anti heroine Grace Bernard. Narration is well performed, well matched and perfectly nuanced. Dark, twisted but wildly compulsive this is a listen which is extremely difficult to part with and you may just find yourself rooting for Grace throughout.

A brilliantly dark comical read.

We follow Grace as she slowly and systematically kills members of her estranged family, seeking revenge. Grace, in all her flawed glory, is a brilliantly likable character. Told from her diary entries in prison we slowly catch up with what's happened and how she ended up incarcerated. I really enjoyed the twists and turns towards the end of the book and I found the author's voice incredibly readable.

Supposedly a kick-ass (anti-) heroine, Grace mostly got on my nerves with her self-indulgent musings, condescending social commentary and drawn out killing spree. She is a despicable human, as are most other characters in the book save one or two of her potential victims. Some of the humour did make me laugh but a lot of the time I was rolling my eyes at the „cutting edge“ settings and exaggerated characters.
Not sure if it was supposed to be social satire or written for immature millennials / Gen Z readers.

Bits I enjoyed that the author included, sometimes in very funny ways:
- the hacking of a Smart Home
- the scathing descriptions of Influencers
- soul destroying routine of prison life
- the loathing of the Hampstead/ Primrose Hill middle class and their obsession with „vintage“ crap
- certain expressions and etiquettes surrounding death and funerals
- the shenanigans at London sex clubs

2 stars because it wasn't awful, just okay.

I really enjoyed maybe the first two thirds of this book. It's a really interesting take on the crime genre, as it's narrated through a diary. I could have done without some of the lengthier flashbacks but overall I was enjoying the format and learning what happened. Didn't love the last third where suddenly a second point of view is added - I get why but it felt quite jarring to me. Wasn't totally satisfied with the ending either - not because of the situation at the end but more because it's quite abrupt and we don't get to see Grace's reaction at all. This seemed strange to me as Grace's voice is the majority of the book! Not sure I'd recommend this one, but I'm sure some people would definitely enjoy it. Audiobook - worked as an audiobook for me and both of the narrators were great!

This was brilliant just loved it - what a mind to think of this. Absolutely amazing, cant say anything due to spoilers. Not sure if the book would be as good as the audio, the narration fitted this to a T.

Off to find more by this author and the two narrators - such a great job.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

This is a great audiobook. The narrator had a really good tone and attitude to her voice for this narration, and it was a perfect fit for the storyline.
The story is darkly humorous and pulled me in from the beginning and kept me engaged all the way through to the end.
I didn’t see the story ending how it did and while it was a very interesting twist, there’s part of me that wanted to know what the reaction was from Grace, but other than that I really enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author got allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. #HowToKillYourFamily

Very clever, and extremely funny. This book was full of surprises and not at all what I imagined it would be. The amount of time that was spent by the author in researching each element is clear to see throughout the book. Grace’s voice is so relatable, especially to millennials. Brilliant writing style which made it so easy to read. The only disappointing thing was the ending, not in terms of the writing but for the character!!

First of all I LOVE the cover for this book - but pretty in Pink our lead protagonist isn’t !! For Grace Bernard is quite a character, She is dark, disturbed and scary and right now she is sitting in her prison cell writing her memoirs. She has murdered many people , and she wants to take you along for the ride and expose every little detail bare. Grace is funny too at the right moments and at times I felt I was listening to an autobiography rather than a work of fiction. So here it is - she’s a psycho you will learn to like so pull up your chair and listen to this extraordinary audiobook. A great narration by Charley Clive and Paul Panting. My thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for my gifted copy.

"Like Mumsnet, but for murderers."
If that quote doesn't make you want to read this book, then we can't be friends😂.

The plot of this book is so unique and expertly told. Full of revenge & dark humour.

I listened to the audiobook and I would definitely recommend that as it really added to the story.

There's no denying Grace is a vicious character. Exacting her revenge on the family who wronged her & her mother, she shows the awful things she's capable of. But..I kinda loved her?! The unapologetic way she tries to take back the life she was owed but never given. She's not someone I'd like to meet in real life, but for the sake of this book, I think she was memorable and expertly written.

And that twist! This is definitely the easiest five stars I've given. Bella Mackie has a writing style you can't help but enjoy, everything is revealed at perfect timing.

Definitely recommend this book. I always think a true sign of me loving a netgalley read is buying the physical copy afterwards, I didn't even finish How to Kill your Family before I ordered my own copy!

5 ⭐

Thank you to Harper Collins, Bella Mackie & NetGalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine you've managed to get away with killing your whole family and you then get dumped into prison for a crime you didn't even commit! Meet Grace, who has single handedly destroyed her whole family with some pretty entertaining, well planned and executed murders. She now sits in Limehouse Prison, deeply bitter and pee'd off with the hand she has been dealt.

Grace is essentially that character you love to hate. Full of dark humour and snarky sarcastic wit, I spent a lot of the time wondering throughout the book whether the murders were justified and whether she was just going on an out of control revenge rampage. She's a deeply flawed character but it's done to perfection. Her snobby, judgmental and nasty side oozes out and mixes with her pretty unique and flawed belief system. I flipped from supporting her to thinking she'd gone to far and back again so many times I lost count.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was perfect. There were so many moments where I burst out laughing and was so so glad that I had my earphones in.

A deeply twisted, dark comedic thriller which keeps you interested and intrigued right until the end.

How to Kill your Family is a darkly comedic romp that you’ll want to race through, but at the same time savour!
I really enjoyed the audio version and the narrator playing Grace, Charly Clive, did an excellent job portraying this somehow endearing and charming serial killer.

Grace Bernard had a rough start in life. She never knew her dad, but when she was old enough her long suffering mum told her who he was, the rich and well known fashion mogul, Simon Artemis. He had wooed her, got her pregnant, and then swiftly left to go back to his wife and never see her again.
Not even when Grace’s mum got seriously ill, facing death and leaving Grace an orphan did Simon want to know.
Grace, now mostly alone in the world except for her best friend Jimmy and his family, starts plotting to avenge her mother. Or, as the title suggests, she decides to kill her absent father and all the rest of his family.

And that is where we join our (anti) heroine at the start of this novel, although we find her serving life in prison for murder, where she has plenty of time to tell her tale. Except she wasn’t caught offing any of the Artemises… she’s in there for a crime she didn’t commit…

I loved this until the last hour and a half but don’t want to give any spoilers. We are left wanting Grace, even the murderer that she is, to succeed, but the ending felt like a bit of a kick in the teeth from a smug and smarmy new character suddenly making an appearance. As unbelievable as a book like this could be, you manage to go along with Grace’s madcap antics, she’s extremely switched on and doesn’t miss a trick. Which is why some of the things that are revealed at the end don’t seem to fit with the rest of the story. It doesn’t ruin the book and in some ways it’s difficult to imagine a “perfect” ending, but it just wasn’t what I hoped. I also wasn’t keen on the choice of narrator at the end, the voice for me sounded much more mature than the early twenties age of the character.

I still thoroughly enjoyed this read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

I have to say i loved the character Grace Bernard. A woman set on killing off her father's family so she can claim claim to his vast estate. This book is full of dark humor. Although she's a killer you get to really like the character. You feel gutted for her when you discover she is currently serving time for a crime she didn't actually commit.
Grace comes up with some very creative ways to bump of people.
The ending was a little disappointing for me mainly cause I personally wanted a different ending. However, the book is still worthy of 5 stars.
I experienced the book via audio. The narrator certainly brought Grace to life for me and was a perfect fit for the role.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to receive an ARC

Trigger Warnings:

Violence, Murder, Blood, Drugs and Alcohol Abuse.

‘Limehouse prison is, as you might imagine, horrible.’
Bella Mackie, How To Kill Your Family

Have you ever started a book and just known it will be a five stars? A kind of, bookish love at first sight type thing? Because that is how I felt about this book. From that opening line, I already knew – no matter what Grace does (and I can assume from the offset it isn’t going to be good) I am going to back her, 100%. Her colloquial voice, her pragmatic outlook, and her wardrobe descriptors (which weren’t always needed, but I am a sucker for that kind of description) had me falling head over heels in love with her. How To Kill Your Family looks at Grace’s journey from fatherless teenager to professional hitwoman with a specialism in one very specific family – her own.

So, at the start of the novel, Grace is in prison for a murder she didn’t commit. And whilst most inmates claim they are innocent, Grace really is and she’s really annoyed because she has killed six people and gotten away with it. The world still doesn’t know what she did and, with a final appeal looking promising, freedom is on the horizon. As I said, I felt compelled to champion Grace from the start. The narrative voice isn’t ‘friendly’ as such, but it is very reminiscent of the Carrie Bradshaws and Dexter Morgan. (Obviously, more of the latter than the former). I loved that the descriptions of each murder was totally realistic, that she’s killing off her family one by one in her free time. A side hustle of murder. Starting with the grandparents who turned her mother away, the cousin who escaped the family to be a better man, the uncle with a penchant for sex clubs, the vacuous sister, and a couple more which close the circle around Grace’s real prize – the man who got her mother pregnant and then abandoned her. Simon Artemis; millionaire entrepreneur and resident f**kboi. (My words, not hers). Artemis is the absolute worst, and it gave me a heady thrill to see how each death impacted him, much in the same way it gets to Grace. But obviously, she’s in prison, so the murdering of her family is only half the story. You find out about the upper-middle class family that took Grace in after her mother’s death, her best friend who wants to marry a brat, her coworkers, her life (what little there is of it) and it builds such a colourful modern tapestry – like I said, I loved it.

As far as atmosphere goes, whilst this is a thriller – it isn’t the spooky, gorey, scary kind. It’s more like (and go with me on this analogy) someone you know is about to start a fight with someone at work. It’s not your place to get involved (and you couldn’t even if you wanted to) but you’re watching the drama unfold in the most delicious way. You’re going to rush home and tell your partner all about it, you’re all giddy and excited. It’s that kind of thriller – if that makes any sense at all. But if you need comps that will help understand this heady mix of high octane and contemporary banality I’d say it’s comparable to The Murder of Graham Catton and My Sister the Serial Killer.

I’m going to leave this here, because honestly I can’t be trusted not to give spoilers. But just know – it was a five stars. You should read it. Right now.

I was really looking forward to this book after seeing so much about it prior to being given the ARC.

Unfortunately, I found it extremely underwhelming and much longer than it actually needed to be.

BUY THIS BOOK.
Hooked from the start and genuinely could not stop listening (audiobook version).
Grace is such a lovable character, yes...despite the fact she's a killer.

The audiobook was read by a fantastic woman who really suited the character and brought it to life.

SPOILER BELOW
I can't decide whether the ending feels like she's been robbed a little bit, but I suppose it would have been too predictable otherwise.

I noticed this book on NetGalley as I recognised the author’s name and the front cover really grabbed me. I love millennial pink and think the cover is just that!

However I don’t know why but listening to the first chapter I wasn’t overly thrilled but after a few more listens I was obsessed! Such a witty funny and charming read (considering it is written by a serial killer) I really liked Grace and her sarcastic dry commentary and the way she planned and killed the members of the Artemis family. The twist at the end threw me a big as I did expect something but from a totally different character!

Brilliant read and I will definitely recommend to friends!