a lot a bit psycho but a little bit fun? the british and dark humor in this book helped, but overall it was a pretty harsh read. it toed the fine line between quirky, vigilante-justice motives and some REALLY DIFFICULT and HEAVY topics. Please please please read trigger warnings prior to opening this book. If you like true crime told first person, this one is for you. If you don't like that, don't read it!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

"the first man i ever killed was my father. but we're not there yet. that's not really even a part of this story. all you need to know about that, is that a) it was sort of an accident and b) he deserved it."

I picked this up through Netgalley, with thanks to Eve Kellman and Avon Books from Harper Collins for gifting me this e-ARC

on a night out and a guy giving you the creeps? a first date with someone who isn't all they appeared to be? feel unsafe and need to find a way out? contact Message M.

rating: ⭐⭐⭐

my thoughts: honestly? i'm not sure if i can even rate this book 3 stars. unhinged. absolutely and utterly unhinged. as someone who has been SA'd before in the past, seeing Millie's complete and utter delusion. the blurb talks about murder, and yes the title of the book is how to kill a guy in 10 ways, and was recommended to be similar to how to kill your family, but the killing spree?

the ending chapters? its just total recklessness with no regard for anything at all or anywhere near believeable. i absolutely loved the message m stuff, as someone who hates that this has become our society and provides such a reflection on everything that we go through as women.

but as someone who is meant to be providing that service, as message m, how is it that she is a complete victim blamer half of the time? she hates everyone, comments on how what people wear and they look like - as a book meant to be about saving women from situations that aren't their fault, how is it possible to be both?

definitely, definitely check the trigger warnings for this, it is extremely extremely dark and something i wouldn't be even surprised to see on an episode of criminal minds because of the themes!

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

This book unfortunately wasnt for me, it felt very slow paced and I. Feel I went into it expecting too high of an expectation which led to my lack of enjoyment.

I LOVE MILLIE MASTERS!!! She is brilliant, fiesty , fearless and ingenious!!! Her desire for justice for the female sex is just brilliant but her protectiveness for her sister is another level. I wanted Millie to get closure for her little sister and as the story went on and I learnt more about these sisters, that desire grew.

Millie’s relationships are the parts that lighten this thriller, they’re such a contrast to her family set up. Her Sunday lunches with the girls, her days in the framing shop with gossip Gina and her dates with gorgeous James. Getting in Millie’s head when she’s with her acquaintances and friends made me for get at times that she’s an angel of vengeance! But not for long mind!

How To Kill A Guy In Ten Ways does just that, not that this is a “how to” guide. Millie gets inventive in her MOs , using what’s to hand or in some cases pre planning the male’s demise. She is an ingenious creature and I loved getting to know her and join her on her journey of retribution.

There is comic moments, there is the suggestion of bloodthirsty acts but Kellmen got the balance BANG ON. This is a sensational debut. I loved Kellman’s writing. It’s dark with elements of comedy, akin to Bella Mackie, Katy Brent and Amy Tintera. She’s an author going on my watch list!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I absolutely loved this story! The story follows two sisters after one isa violently attacked. The other decides vigilante justice is the way. This story was propulsive and very witty even though it's a tough subject matter. Girl power all the way! Loved this and highly recommend

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me feel a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand, I thought the book was propulsive, and I kind of flew through it cause I wanted to see what was going to happen and the pacing was nice and even for the most part. But on the other hand, some parts of the book just felt weirdly out of place and thrown in. Millie's decisions didn't really make much sense, and I found the humour kind of went over my head for the most part.

It did keep me engaged for the most part, and I still had a fun time, about as much as you can have reading about serial killers!

please check trigger warnings before reading!

Women supporting women 😌😂 what a ride this book was. Millie has a vigilante alter ego, saving young women from difficult situations with men which leads to her getting a bit of a taste for murder. This is honestly filled with so many twists and turns, I could not out it down. If you love a bit of drama and murder, this is definitely the book for you.

In Eve Kellman's latest thriller, Millie Masters transforms her grief and outrage into a daring form of vigilante justice after her sister suffers a devastating assault. She launches "Message M," a hotline dedicated to assisting women in precarious situations, ranging from unwelcome advances in bars to unsafe late-night walks. Millie is always ready to intervene, becoming a guardian angel to those in distress.

As the trauma increasingly consumes her sister, Millie's own resolve hardens. Frustrated by law enforcement's inability to capture the perpetrator, she decides to take matters into her own hands. What follows is a gripping journey of retribution, marking Millie as a relentless avenger in the face of injustice.

This narrative, while centered on a somber and serious subject, is punctuated with sharp wit and a darkly humorous undertone that captivates and entertains. The novel is a provocative exploration of the lengths one might go to seek justice, wrapped in the trappings of a pulse-pounding revenge thriller. The story's dynamic female relationships add a powerful layer of depth, celebrating resilience and sisterhood in the face of adversity.

Though the plot ventures into extravagant territory, it’s a thrilling page-turner that revels in its audacity. This book is a wild ride through the psyche of a woman who channels her pain into a chilling crusade against wrongdoing, making for an unapologetically bold and gripping read.

CW: Rape, Sexual Assault, Incest

Thank you to Avon Books!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
We have Promising Young Woman at home.

On my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
Fun cover. Looks garbage. I am in the mood for brain rot.

Thick of it:
It’s just reading like girlypop is gay and in love with her bestie. (It reads like this all book, but supposedly they’re both straight?)

They're always allergic to nuts in these good for her novels.

Girls can have a little oxygen. As a treat.

A Sam!

Gormlessly

She texted the wrong apartment maybe and this is the love interest? (Basically.)

Pink hair girl is evil and photo boy is innocent (Nope.) ((I don’t know what it says about me that I was waiting all book for a man to be proven innocent, and they never were. I think it’s more my innocent until proven guilty and correlation is not causation stance, than internalized misogyny, but who knows.))

I love Fleabag. (This book is nothing like Fleabag.)

Frame shop guy is that sexy neighbor, no? (Yup.)

So many clothing descriptions.

It just feels like the plot of Promising Young Woman.

This is literally just Promising Young Woman.

Mindfuck x Promising Young Woman

This book has a gaping plot hole that nobody has security devices to record them entering and exiting. Like the policeman’s house should have cameras outside of it.

She’s really bad at murder. I think the police can recover deleted photos. Also, her whole ass wig. Also also, it’s gonna be suspicious that he took his bag off and that he landed backwards. Like her DNA is gonna be all over him.

Shouldn’t he have multiple EpiPens at his own house? (He does.)

All these little written asides feel like a beta reader pointed out plot holes, so the author threw in a single sentence to try and circumvent it instead of reworking the scene to get rid of the hole.

If she kills him, her bestie still won’t get her money back though?

I don’t know, men suck, but that doesn’t automatically mean they deserve to die.

Girl is SLOPPY

I’m a little over this book. It’s pretty hateful towards everyone. Like it’s body shaming a bunch of women. Anyone with tattoos or piercings is apparently horrible. It’s writing off all dudes as bad people. And I know it’s because our main character girlypop is so flawed, but it’s disheartening to read because it’s framed like you’re supposed to root for her. (You’re definitely supposed to root for her and her warped thinking.)

I’m kind of bored, but also this book is exactly what I expected it to be, so whose fault is this?

How delusional is she that she thinks Nina doesn’t have trauma existing as a fat woman in the world who keeps getting scammed by men?

The solution better not be that the neighbor raped the sister in her bedroom. (It’s not this, but it’s almost this, and I feel like the audience knowing at least half the whole time further proves how bad of a detective girlypop is.)

He is just a guy. Hit him with your car! And she took that literally.

What is there to tie you to the case? Only copious amounts of DNA evidence and the multiple living witnesses. And your GPS run data.

You know, it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth that the solution to getting one over on bad men is framing innocent ones for attacking women.

Post-reading:
This book is exactly what I expected it to be. And if you’re like Samantha, you hate revenge thrillers. Why would you pick this up? It’s because I want to like them. I keep trying. I want a feminist romp. I want the he is just a guy, hit him with your car vibes. And instead, my traitorous little brain is always like cool motive, still murder.

If you’ve watched Promising Young Woman, you’ve already seen a better version of this. If you’ve read Mindfuck, you’ve read an equally bad, yet more more entertaining version of this.

Here’s what this book gets very, very wrong. Its main character slut shames other women, constantly disparages other people’s bodies, and definitely subscribes to the all men are shit belief. And that’s not what feminism is. It makes the book a hateful bummer, and yet it’s written like you’re supposed to root for her and her warped thinking.

It has nothing nuanced to say about rape culture or the justice system. There’s something deeply fucked about advocating for believing women, but then having the solution be to frame an innocent man.

It’s messy. It’s plotholy. It requires you to constantly suspend your disbelief. The characters are unlikable. There’s no snappy dialogue. The romance is unnecessary and never something you’re invested in. There’s really nothing redeemable about this book other than the fact that it is technically readable. The easy-readerness of this is the only thing hauling it out of one-star territory.

That being said, I think it’s a waste of your time. Don’t pick it up.

Who should read this:
No one?
Good for her revenge fantasy fans
I blindly support women’s wrongs readers

Do I want to reread this:
Nope.

Similar books:
* The Mindfuck series by S. T. Abby-revenge thriller, serial killer and FBI agent, written as a romance, but is not
* No Home for Killers by E. A. Aymar-revenge thriller, family drama, vigilante shit
* The Maid’s Diary by Loreth Anne White-bucket revenge thriller
* The Housemaid by Freida McFadden- Verity and Gone Girl’s mediocre love child
* The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson- YA revenge thriller, Gone Girl wannabe
* None of This is True by Lisa Jewell-domestic suspense, tries to redeem a pedo
* The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh-generic revenge thriller, family drama
* Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn-OG revenge thriller
* A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon-bucket revenge thriller
* How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie-revenge thriller
* The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale-revenge thriller

I initially had a hard time getting into this book, but as the story went on, it got better and better. The main character was kind of awful, but she grew on me, and I ended ended up enjoying the second half of the book. The ending was excellent, and because of it,
I actually increased my rating by one star.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Fans of 'How to kill your family' rejoice - your new obsession is here (& honestly it's probably even better).

Millie is the protagonist (? kind of ?) we have been looking for. Her inner monologue is equal parts cool, calm and collected as well as entirely unhinged - and honestly hilarious (in a dark and murderous kind of way). After her sister Katie, goes through a horrible experience (no spoilers here), Millie sets up a helpline to support women who are in dangerous situations with dangerous men. However one night when a rescue turns into a murder, it appears Millie has found her calling.

What follows can only be described as the only serial killer I have ever routed for (with a dash of police officer romance thrown in for good measure), trying to solve the mystery of who attacked her sister, with a healthy dose of murderous side quests.

P.S. The audiobook of this is great, the narrator really helped bring the characters to life.

Dark, twisted and all around AMAZING. I couldn’t get enough and the ending was perfect! I look forward to reading more by Eve Kellman. Thanks NetGallery!

3.5, rounded up to 4.

A fun read that initially seems like a vigilante justice trope, the story of Millie and her phone line morphs into a mystery/thriller that becomes difficult to put down. The writing style, the fun tone that addresses serious topics, the impossibility of rooting for a psycho, the desire to see the justice, it all wraps into a neat little package.

Eve Kellman has crafted a strangely likeable character in Millie that I couldn't put down.

The flaws become apparent as the story gets more unbelievable over time, strange circumstances stacking up all the way to the culmination.

An enjoyable read, simple writing, good but not great characters. Worth the time, especially after a heavy read, or something educational taking up space in your brain.

This is a really fun book, that you need to read with a bucket of salt, since some of what happens is really hard to believe!

However, it was still entertaining and I hope we get a sequal!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ How to kill a guy in ten ways by Eve Kellman.
This story follows Millie, the nighttime vigilante, who helps women out of fishy situations while they are out and about through her Message M platform. However, the story turns when Millie kills one of them. This turns into a little bit of a killing spree, and Millie decides to look for the man who sexually assaulted her younger sister.
I did not love every aspect of this book, but once invested I enjoyed it. The ending had me shocked.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending on this review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book is perfect for fans of the film, ‘Promising young woman’. It also has similar vibes to the book ‘How to kill your family’ by Bella Mackie. Millie, our main character is a serial killer that runs an app where girls that are being harassed by guys can message the app to get help from Millie. It’s about her trying to help other girls and women while also starting to fall into madness. This book left me with this eerie feeling that I got from ‘How to kill your family’ and ‘Bright young women’ by Jessica Knoll.

Perfect for those that love to read about feminist fiction, serial killers and feminine rage.

Thank you Avon books and NetGalley for allowing me access to this advanced title. It took my awhile to get into this book. Surprisingly I enjoyed it. It was funny and then became dark, but I wish there was more development for Millie. I absolutely love the cover!

When I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this, but I wasn't expecting it to be THIS good or end the way it did!

The story is built up well and we slowly get to know Millie and see her journey as she becomes a serial killer through her helpline 'message M', which is for women who need rescuingfrom men. This is funny but dark in places giving it a little bit of sweetpea vibes. Maybe in another universe they could meet?

I also loved that this was set in Bristol and recognising a few of the places along the way.

This was such an addictive read and I can't recommend it enough! I can't wait to see what book Eve Kellman comes out next.

Fab thriller/rom com story with great storyline and interesting characters. Easy to follow writing style and the cover is beautiful will definitely read more from this author.