By the end of this book I was left wanting more.
It had been a slow start, and took me a while to get hooked by the characters. But once I was hooked, I was hooked.
In a way, that was the charm of this book. Understated, considering the theme. It came alive as I read, and the storyline became richer, more in depth, and totally riveting.
I wasn’t expecting the ending at all, but I loved it none-the-less. Genius! Like nothing I’ve ever read before. Highly recommended and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Well that was a fun read!

Think Mrs & Mrs Smith, as serial killers. They have travelled all over killing bad men until they start a family. Now they must behave for the sake of their daughter. But do they?

This starts with a bang, dips slightly in the middle, then picks back up. I was surprised how it managed to wrap up at the end. Great book.

Well, that was a blast! Slick, stylish, sardonic and shockingly funny – with so many life truths. Asia Mackay delivers a stunning read: misdirection, homily, spoofs on art descriptions, high society, nursery school and what her heroine, Haze, had to surrender on becoming a mother. How I empathised with her! Fox, her husband, soul mate, partner in crime, ever-thoughtful husband misses their previous life too …
How can they restore the pzazz to their marriage?
Page 45 has the perfect summation of what women expect from men. It is sublime and laugh-aloud hilarious. It’s a p[ity the book won’t be published until 14th January ’25 – it would be the perfect Christmas gift for so many of my friends. Don’t miss it.

This book is an easy read. I was engaged lightly to the end, without having to focus too much on the story. Perfect for a tired mind, holiday read or long commute. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

Rating: 4.3/5

I loved Asia Mackay's first two books, "Killing It" and "The Nursery", but it has been about five years since her last publication and I was beginning to wonder whether her writing days were behind her. Thankfully, that has proven not to be the case and "A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage" is every bit as entertaining to read as her previous two offerings.

Those first two novels featured Lex Tyler, the mother of a young daughter who juggles her work as a secret agent for Platform Eight with the daily trials and tribulations of being a wife and mother. Although "A Serial Killer's Guide" follows a different track, there are still some areas of crossover. Hazel and Fox are a young couple with an affluent lifestyle, thanks to Fox's wealthy family background, but their relationship is anything but conventional, because they met and developed their bond through a shared love of killing bad men! However, now, some years later, they have a young daughter and they are desperately trying to curb their natural instincts and live the life that the world at large would expect them to lead.

The story is told alternately from the perspectives of Hazel and Fox. We gain insights into the their shared passions, but also the distinct differences in their personas, which are admirably portrayed by the author. Many of the challenges and daily stresses that the couple face will be familiar to the audience - though without the history of bloodlust and the difficulties in trying to wean themselves off their previous murderous addiction.

The narrative is pacy, gripping and overflowing with wonderfully dark humour, but against that there are also moments of unconventional poignancy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am so glad that Asia Mackay has put pen to paper again. I just hope that it isn't too long until she does so again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Great premise but found that the Sluggish pace, characters that I didn't engage with and repetition of their whining for the first 25% was frankly off-putting. Not for me.

I was so excited about this one it sounded so intriguing, I was expecting so much more but it ended up being very slow and not much happening until after the half way mark. The ending definitely made up for the first half of the book but unfortunately not enough for me to give it more than 3 stars.

Hazel & Fox were so cool, an absolute power couple. I loved how (pre baby) they were living the high life and indestructible. It was definitely too good to be true but the lavish life they were living gave them that sense of security and they were untouchable.

I liked the reasonings behind their murders and I also loved how it tied in with how they met each other and formed their relationship.

Once the baby came into the mix though, you could feel their facade slipping away and I think Asia really captured how much having a child changes you, through her writing.

Hazels friendship with Jenny was brilliant. I love how she was so closed off to start with but as their friendship grew, they both evolved. The little plot twist regarding Jenny was a great addition.

I really liked the narrative of this book, the story linked together well and although some parts felt a little repetitive, there was always something going on. The ending was 🤩.

Brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT! I absolutely loved this great read!

Haze and Fox are serial killers, which sounds dodgy, but they only kill bad men, so apparently it's ok!! They live a glamorous (and murderous) lifestyle, bankrolled by Fox's trust fund and Haze's art, but when Haze falls pregnant, Fox decides that they need to stop killing, in order to make sure their child has the best upbringing possible, with both parents present.

The struggles that they both go through were sad, but also, completely hilarious! There is a need from both of them to protect the other and neither of them realise that the other has either totally sussed what they are up to, or has completely misinterpreted it and are very upset. I can't say too much more without venturing into spoiler territory, so you'll have to read it for yourself!

Brilliant writing, fabulous characters and a killer plot!

⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Asia Mackay and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Fox and Haze were the socialite couple who married, moved out to the suburbs and raised their toddler, Bibi. As a stay at home mum Haze has it all except the misses her past, when her and Fox were a serial killing duo. Domestic bliss isn’t sating her any longer and Fox seems to be hiding more and more from her. Can they save their marriage?
I loved Asia’s first two books and enjoy her dark humour and this was the same. I was very excited when this arc was sent my way and I enjoyed it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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.

Reviews will also published on Instagram and Amazon on publication day

If a book can be called light hearted when the main characters are serial killers then this is it. Fox and Haze are the married couple who have everything money can buy. A glamorous lifestyle that only the very wealthy enjoy. They don’t get their kicks from private jets and fabulous parties, although they are partial to these too, no, they thrive on murder. Travelling through Europe leaving death and no evidence in their wake. Until Haze becomes pregnant. Fox insists their risky life has to change for the sake of their child. As with most new parents, stresses take their toll but in this marriage it is the inability to scratch the murderous itch. A page turner that somehow never really gets gruesome or frightening but unexpectedly has the reader absolutely rooting for serial killers. A unique story that had me gripped with its clever plot and interesting main characters who were chalk and cheese. An excellent read that delivered something different.

This was a strong 4 Star read.

I hope this is an early arc and has another editing stage as like others noticed there are many writing mistakes throughout.

Other than that this was a comical take on serial killing and an enjoyable read. This is perfect for when you want a quick, feel-good, cosy read with a cuppa.

Haze (Hazel) and Fox Cabot are retired serial killers who have given it all up to raise their new child, Bibi, like normal parents do. It seems to be a good plan but, like all the best plans, it quickly falls apart.

Domesticity does not really suit Haze and her relationship with Fox is feeling the strain. Increasingly, they feel the distance growing between them. Meanwhile, Haze becomes friendly with Jenny, another local parent, and reflects on the abuses of her early life, mostly connected to men. It is therefore no wonder that she grows up wanting to kill bad ones, especially bad white ones, and it isn’t really any surprise when she kills a man in the park.

The book gets a bit complicated from then on as a police investigation begins, she and Fox become even more detached and Fox turns out to have a strained relationship with his parents. It’s a little bit hard to follow because the story is told in turn by the two main characters but, after a bit of a crisis, there’s a fairly extraordinary ending.

Haze is the more explored character, and another feisty female assassin from Asia MacKay. Fox is there largely as a foil to her but when he comes into his own there’s a sense of here comes a man to save the day. I’m not sure that will go down well with some readers!

The killings are clinical without too many visceral details and the cleaning up is a bit too easy but it’s an entertaining book and, if you’re thinking of murdering somebody because they deserve it this Christmas, reading this could be an excellent distraction!

This was a fun story.
Underneath the humour and talk of serial killing you get a real sense of the loss of self when marrying and having a child. I can see this being made into a mini series!

This is a fun book about two married serial killers, trying to go straight since having a daughter. I really liked and related to Haze (minus the murderous thoughts obviously) who is not a natural people person or mother. One of my favourite comments was saying her toddler "hadn't shat herself in weeks, which really helped me enjoy spending time with her". But after the initial buzz and introductions, it felt a little flat and repetitive. It was still engaging because of the witty writing style, short chapters and dual POV but nothing much was actually happening. I also couldn’t really get on board with their lust for killing. The vigilante aspect yes but it didn't quite hold up alongside the repeated portrayal of their dark sides. So a mixed but fun read!

Couples who kill together stay together! Good book with plot twists throughout. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy this genre.

Haze and Fox, a prolific serial killer duo, have given up their life of crime to settle down and raise a family. While Fox seems to have adapted well, Haze is struggling to come to terms with being a stay-at-home mother.

I love a quirky title and A Serial Killer's Guide To Marriage is certainly quirky. Author Asia Mackay has managed to strike the perfect tone in this satirical take on suburban life.

The vast majority of the story is told from the point of view of Hazel "Haze" Matthews, wife of Nathaniel "Fox" Cobb. The pair see themselves as "good" serial killers because they only murder men who have committed crimes against women, a drastic solution to some of the #MeToo accusations.

If you take away the serial killer element this is really a story about a marriage that's in a rut. While the husband goes out to work daily, the wife is left at home and resentment festers. The precious together time after a child has been put to bed is filled with mundane chatter. We see how having a child changes your whole perspective on life, but it's not always enough to hold a marriage together.

When the storyline switches to Fox we see someone who is handling the radical change in lifestyle far better. Just getting out of the house is a release, however, Fox has other ways of venting his pent-up feelings.

The marriage begins to crumble when Haze accidentally kills a man while out jogging. As she tries to cover up her crime and hide it from her husband along the way, we see frustration and mistrust begin to grow between the pair.

There are a number of sub-plots that really add spice to the story, particularly when Haze unexpectedly makes a female friend at a playgroup. The book opens with a face-off between the pair, so you know where the conclusion is heading. The author manages to keep the reader in suspense, adding a few glorious twists into the mix along the way.

Not for me. I thought it would be bit in the end just a rehash of other stories. Some nice characterisation and some funny scenes but over all I’ve been here before

It’s very much giving ‘You’ with Joe & Love when they have their little one and move to the suburbs. 30 something couple who have a killing habit move to yoga obsessed, gluten, nut, sugar, fun free suburbia and vow to leave the murder life behind now they have a baby. Lo and behold it doesn’t quite go to plan. Enjoyable but definitely overly familiar for me personally. Glad I read it but wouldn’t rush back.