Member Reviews
This is one wacky ride. The main character, Kitty Collins- wealthy social media influencer (boy, I dislike that job) becomes an inadvertent killer which morphs her into an actual serial killer.
Kitty is sarcastic, sardonic, and lusty for blood! Every man she interacted with put me on proverbial pins and needles as I waited to see if they were going to be roofied and date murdered.
Kitty happens to be an heiress to a “meat” fortune and her late night visits to the slaughterhouse will have you thinking twice before you down your next bratwurst. FYI- Kitty’s a vegan.
She ultimately makes a major murder mistake and is thrown off her game, but by the book’s ending- I have a pretty good inclination that she’s not done killin’. It was honestly awesome to have a WOMAN have the upper hand as we are generally the ones looking over our shoulder and hoping we don’t end up chained in someone’s basement.
I’d like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this advance reader copy. All the opinions stated here are my own.
I wanted to love this one and based on the blurb and plot I should have. First off thank you to the publishers for the ARC copy. My real issue with this book is the main character Kit. Her motivations seemed all over the place and very inconsistent. She made massive amounts of money and had no issue using it with Instagram but constantly complained about her chosen career. She had a violent stalker but didn’t do anything about them till near the end of the book. I also thought this would be a lot more fun than it was. Overall this one didn’t work for me.
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review
twisted and fun, this is a great book that hooked me from the very beginning.
thank you netgalley + the publisher for this arc!
i feel the cover of this is kinda misleading😭 i went into this thinking it was going to be lighthearted or something based on the cartoony cover but it was the complete opposite (in a good way). this is more like american psycho, except the main character is actually likable. the only thing i didn't really like was quick it moved past some plot points aka the way there was so much buildup for some parts (talking abt the adam part here + the dad) but then the actual scenes where they appear/info is revealed last like 2 paragraphs.
also, i don't know if there's a list of trigger warnings for this book anywhere, but you should definitely be careful reading this if you're sensitive to gore and sexual assault
TW: sexual assault
Kitty Collins is a vegan Instagram influencer with a secret hobby - murder. Targeting only the scummiest of men, she takes to Tinder and the news to find targets. Can she keep it up? Will her stalker out her?
This book had me laughing and cringing along as Kitty singlehandedly took on the worst of the men in London vigilante style. A murder turned romance that you won’t be able to put down.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.
I really wanted to like this. Loved the cover and the plot sounded great. But thought the the writing fell flat and characters didn't have any depth. It felt choppy and didn't really flow.
My thanks to HQ Digital for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘How to Kill Men and Get Away With It’ by Katy Brent.
Being a lover of crime fiction, how could I resist a novel with such a title? This extremely dark revenge comedy-drama is award winning journalist Katy Brent’s debut.
Kitty Collins is a child of privilege, living in a posh Chelsea flat. She is an Instagram Influencer with millions of followers who takes great care in curating her image. She is also on a killing spree, though as she explains it - she tripped into the role.
One night on her way home from a nightclub she was followed by a man who had been pestering her at the club. When he escalated to assault, she pushes him away and he stumbles and falls onto a broken wine bottle. Oops.
Now she can’t seem to stop as she has acquired a taste for revenge though has strict rules about her targets that she names Kitty’s Code. One rule she admits that she stole directly from ‘Dexter’, “7. Killing must serve a purpose or it’s just plain murder.”
Kitty, named for the femme fatale in the 1946 film noir, ‘The Killers’, was a delightfully unreliable narrator. In her Letter to Readers, Katy Brent also references Patrick Bateman, so clearly knows her literary serial killers.
There were a few times when I had to suspend my disbelief with respect to Kitty’s disposal techniques. Yet, I was rooting for her to fulfil Rule 6: don’t get caught.
Overall, a tongue-in-cheek revenge comedy-drama that was definitely over-the-top and so very entertaining.
“Killing must serve a purpose or it’s just plain murder. Okay, I stole that one directly from Dexter, but it’s still pertinent”
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! With reminiscence of Finlay Donovan, My Lovely Wife, Dexter, etc., I knew I would like this one after the start.
Kitty Collins is a vegan, influencer, aaaand now serial killer. After walking home one night and getting followed home by a guy who felt he deserved something in exchange for buying her drinks (classic), he accidentally ends up dead and it all begins for Kitty (well, sort of). Kitty has a past that has influenced her heavily and it was so interesting to get all that background little by little.
You have to suspend a little disbelief for this one but I didn’t see the end coming at all! The only change I would make is the amount of times her veganism was pushed, felt like I was trying to be sold on the ideals of it.
I feel like I need to get my hands on a physical copy when released!!
📚Read this if you like:
⁃ Dexter
⁃ My Lovely Wife
⁃ Finlay Donovan
⁃ Promising Young Woman
My ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🌶️.5
TW: sexual assault, murder
Trigger Warning: This book does contain alcohol, drugs, physical abuse and Sexual Assault
This book was really funny, it had a lot of great pop cultural references and the plot of the story was SO GOOD. I did not see the ending coming and it had me on the edge of my seat at times! Every time Kitty would kill, I was so scared she was going to get caught. I kept thinking I knew who the stalker was but was so surprised in the end. And the ending WAS SO GOOD!
I really hope there's another book after this one! This was my first book I read from Katy Brent and it won't be my last!
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an arc of this book!
I got about 20% into this but I decided to DNF it. The title and the concept sounded really great and like it had a lot of potential but unfortunately it didn't work for me. It might get better as it goes on but it didn't grip me enough to want to continue and I'd rather spend my time reading something that I enjoy.
I found the main character, Kitty, extremely annoying and did not care for her at all. I only read until the first 'intentional' killing but I thought it was extremely ridiculous. I don't know maybe the killings are more 'justifiable' later on, but this was just over the top. Kitty was acting crazy and not in a good way.
As I didn't read the whole book I'm going to give this a 3 star reading.
Made in Chelsea on crack - a millennial revenge thriller with an unlikely heroine.
I raced through this humour-laden murderous romp over the space of a couple of evenings.
While reading I was reminded of Made in Chelsea crossed with true crime and while I’m not a fan of the reality show (I actively love to hate it and all its regional siblings) I wasn’t surprised to read the author notes at the end saying she was inspired by the show and thinking about what would happen if the girls got their revenge on the cheating boys.
When I read the first look on Readers First I was hooked by the dark comedy of it all and I was lucky enough to grab an early arc from Netgalley.
It’s a really quick read which lovers of How to Kill your Family and The Girls I’ve Been will definitely enjoy.
Protagonist Kitty Collins is a kind of anti hero, a meat industry heiress turned vegan social media influencer, a Chelsea girl through and through.
When one too many of her friends and fellow women are wronged by men, she decides to take matters into her own hands (literally) 💉🔪🪓 ☠️
Everything in this book is taken to the extreme, with highly charged humour, and I think that’s just the kind of read I needed as it was pure escapism.
Murderous thoughts might cross the mind of any millennial who spends about five minutes on Tinder, but no one would ever act on these urges… no one except Kitty Collins!
It’s wonderfully out of touch with reality… but it could JUST be true.
The ebook of How To Kill Men and Get Away With It is out now!
This book grabbed me from the first page. In public, uber influencer Kitty Collins has a lifestyle to envy but in private, her demons emerge whenever she feels that there is a wrong to be righted. Perfect for the Insta #metoo zeitgeist, this was a great plot with neat twists and an ending begging for a sequel. If there is one, I’ll read it! Thank you to the publishers and #netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy. Loved it!
Wow! I’m finding myself still thinking about this book. Part of me really enjoyed it and a part of me really didn’t. Truthfully I don’t know which won wins out but it’s a very well written book and it’s high time for some questionable female serial killer books.
Talk about a book that took me by surprise! How to Kill Men and Get Away With It was one fun book. I loved the snarky tone and the sarcasm. Not everything in the plot was believable but if you suspend you disbelief for a little, you’ll have a good old time. I would definitely read another book by Katy Brent.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
A female serial killer with a conscience has fast become a favourite genre of mine for the last few years. So as soon as I saw this title I knew I'd enjoy it!
The tales within the book are dark and disturbing but there's also humour throughout and it's gloriously gory at times. A great read that I really enjoyed, would give a very solid 4.5 stars as it doesn't pip my favourites of a similar vibe. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.
What a good read !!! Full of great characters and a page turner. Carries some deep plots that will keep you reading until the early hours!
Such a fun, fast paced read. I would have loved to read this one in just one sitting. The main character is fantastic. The book is dark and sarcastic and I loved it. The book was surprising in how it sucked me in and kept me reading. I loved the mystery, I loved the psychological aspects. I just loved it. It was great.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK. I was so exited when I got the notification that I'd be granted the ARC. From the title to the actual plot and the characters. It was amazing. The twist near the end was so unexpected, and I loved the fact that Kitty's qualities went so far against each other, it made her show more depth within her character. The book was so insanely detailed to the point where some parts of it had made me feel semi nauseated, which in this case is amazing
Based on the synopsis of the book, I was hoping for something in the vein of Finlay Donovan. But Kitty Collins is no Finlay Donovan. She is a rich influencer who seeks out men who have assaulted women and kills them. While the idea of the book sounds interesting, the execution isn’t. The characters are all one dimensional and there was nothing about them that I liked or cared about. I found myself skimming through parts of the book hoping it would get better but it didn’t. Fans of Dexter would probably like this book but it was a miss for me.
cw: death, graphic depictions of violence, sexual assault, misogyny
Kitty Collins is a disenchanted Chelsea It Girl and Influencer, full of loathing for her apparently perfect life, and the privilege men have. After accidentally killing a man who wouldn't accept she wasn't interested, and sick of the misogynistic expectations of the men she and her friends encounter in their daily lives, she develops a 'killer' addiction.
This was an absolutely unputdownable read. It's hard not to like Kitty, or empathise with a lot of the situations that lead to her actions (not condoning the actions, just to be clear!) Kitty has enough scathing self-awareness of her privilege that you almost forget she's a serial killer, and her acerbic humour is SAVAGE. I genuinely snorted laughing several times. I loved how aware she was, both of her own excesses, and the society we now live in. But there are dark (and sadly, all too familiar) themes entwined throughout the story.
There are definite Dexter vibes going on (which is honestly what attracted me to the book in the first place). If I have one criticism, it's how blatantly unprepared Kitty is at times. I know the first couple of murders weren't premeditated, but from Daniel onwards, I'd have thought she'd have planned things a little better, (especially as she herself likened her 'mission' to Dexter). it's also a convenient plot hole how little thought she gave to background checks, locations, and CCTV, considering how many there are throughout London. Instead, we're treated to a Gossip Girlesque stalker, who sees all. The book is often depressingly accurate in its depiction of the threat of sexual violence women face on a daily basis, to the point where you *almost* applaud Kitty. But as the story progresses, the focus shifts towards the repercussions of Kitty's impulsive actions, which makes this a more emotionally nuanced story, and one that will leave you thinking about this book long after the final page. As a debut novel, this is an almost flawless read, and I will absolutely be reading more from Katy Brent.
Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review*
Favourite Quote:
He referred to himself as an ‘entrepreneur’. Which everyone knows is shorthand for twat.