Rounding up to three stars.


Whilst the idea of this book sounds great, for me it didn't always hit the mark.
There were times when I smiled along with it, or enjoyed the way the plot went there were other times when it just felt long, too long.
Never a book I rushed back to, and Whilst it's probably a good thing I didnt feel any connection with a pair of serial killers, it's not a great sign of how much you're enjoying the book.

Fox and Haze are the proverbial couple goals. He’s an investment banker, she’s an artist. They have an adorable baby daughter. But the relationship has become stale, lately. Since they agreed to stop serial killing domestic abusers, paedophiles and gropers. Who’s gonna crack first?

As you’ll have noticed, this is a darkly comic, hands over the eyes, read. But look a little deeply and you’ll see this a metaphor for several things: relationships, raising children, family, intimacy, creative block…

And the main characters are so well-written, you’ll find yourself cheering each kill. Yes, you will. The humour is some of the most deadpan I’ve read recently. Such as, Fox meeting Haze in Paris. When she’s having trouble finishing off a murder. Mackay is always in control of the narrative and keeps it both funny and thrilling with two great twists midway through the book.

Judging by the praise from actors; I think it’s a matter of time before you see this on a screen. Plus, the book ends on an open note. We may not have seen the last of Haze and Fox’s bloody/hilarious adventures. It’s published by Headline on January 14th, 2025 and I thank them for a preview copy. #aserialkillersguidetomarriage.

This book follows ex-serial killers, Hazel and Fox who are married with a baby. Hazel became pregnant and they had to give up their London lifestyle for a life in the suburbs. Hazel desperately wants to start killing again and she ends up being the police to their door.

I’m giving this 3 stars. It was okay but just not nuanced enough for me at all. There was a big focus on motherhood in this and the banality of doing the same thing every day raising a child which I’m not really interested in. Hazel and Fox kill bad men and I’ve read quite a few books involving serial killers and this one just didn’t wow me. They kill bad men and these men are hard to find empathy for because of their crimes against women. This means the story often lacks nuance. I think this would have been much more interesting if they just killed indiscriminately so then we could understand the psychology of why they like killing. Overall it was fine and I can see people loving this, it just wasn’t a win for me.

What a fantastic read this is. Once you start reading you cannot stop. Somehow it quickly seems 'normal' that a couple should be serial killers, especially when they get rid of the 'bad guys'. However, things change when their daughter is born.

Beautifully written, amusing and highly recommended. I definitely want to read her other books.

This book is an amusing but also quite serious offering that purports to tell the story of two reluctantly reformed serial killers, Fox and Hazel, who have traded in their eventful lives taking down bad men for the boredom of suburban normality.

While they both loved their earlier lifestyle, Fox insisted that they give it all up after Hazel accidentally becomes pregnant. Unsurprisingly, their once-tight relationship is paying a price for the transition from excitement to excrement (aka dirty diapers).

When Hazel gives into her instincts, it brings their family into the crosshairs of the authorities, and both Fox and Hazel must now make some difficult choices...

The couple's marital challenges are surprisingly relatable to anyone who has dealt with the everyday grind of trying to keep a relationship together in the midst of mundane domesticity. An interesting and at times fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for this eagerly anticipated ARC.

Haze and Fox are married ex-serial killers. When they had their daughter Bibi, Fox made them quit their dangerous life and move to the suburbs. Haze is not happy about it. She loves her daughter but is not cut out for normal life. She misses her old life and also still grieves for her best friend Matty who committed suicide many years ago. She and Fox have only ever killed bad men, so really, they were doing society a favour, whilst leading a life full of thrills, without an inkling of remorse.

"Hunt, kill, hold hands. That was our love language, and we knew exactly how to keep the passion burning bright."

Now she is forced to make friends with other mothers like nervous wreck Jenny who, shock horror, turns out to be a police officer on maternity leave, and very interested in serial killers like the Backpacking Butcher, the name the police gave Haze and Fox because they believe it's only one man.

"They thought we were a couple to die for; they’d never guess we were a couple to die from."

One night, Haze slips up and sets in motion a series of events that threatens everything she and Fox hold dear. Meanwhile, Fox is having his own battles to fight involving his horrible parents and his own desire for the old thrills, that lead him to AA meetings as a means of coping.

Wow, what a book. This is such smart and clever writing, done in very short chapters using two POVs with flashbacks to happier times. I enjoyed every tense minute and read this in one sitting. I'm not sure what it says about me that I rooted for Haze and her murdering ways all through the book but she is such a great character. You can feel her rage about all the bad men she's no longer allowed to kill while she plays happy housewife, and you get it. Her marriage seems to be going down the pan with both of them withholding things from each other, and I just wanted for them to be ok again.

The book contains dark humour but it's not as funny as I thought it might be. Instead we get the brutal but entertaining dissection of a marriage, that, apart from the killing, could be a fairly typical union that goes from the honeymoon phase to a more boring suburban life containing pooping kids and bin juice.

The action speeds up towards the end as everything seems to come together in a thrilling, rain-soaked finale.

"I always knew our life together would involve bloodshed. I just never thought it would be ours."

The ending is total perfection - absolute chef's kiss and exactly what I wanted to happen. This book will be a sensation when it comes out next January and I feel privileged to have received such an early copy.

While I initially enjoyed this book, I felt that the longer it went in, the more it dragged. I couldn’t get behind the main characters, not because of what they were doing (I love a good morally grey character), but because I found it all a little plain and uneventful. The writing was good, as was the plot twist at the end. I did like the dual POV as well, it added to the overall story. A mixed bag for me!

I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is addictive! 4*

When I first picked this book up, I immediately thought of the film Mr and Mrs Smith (2005) - not the 2024 version, thank you very much. I don't know what I expected from Mackay's novel as this is my first time I've read anything of hers. I felt suffocated, perhaps that's not the best word to use but it was extremely tense at some points and I loved every moment of this book. Have you ever read a book where you need to read on but also scared about what happens next? This is that book for me. I was crippled by the unpredictability by it.

How was that achieved? Simply, the characters. Well-thought out and complex people. I normally dislike two POVs but I do really love Haze and Fox. I naturally prefer Hazel but how she describes married life and life as a mother in modern suburban Britain honestly speaks to me. Although I am both childless and single, I completely understood the expectations and difficulties regarding this. I think if you are either married or married with child(ren) then this book will speak to you. The complaints and difficulties spoke of in this book are things I hear regularly from my married friends. Fox - in my head - is an attractive American and elite but I can't hate him not after what life threw at him. However, Hazel will always have my heart. She's witty, hilarious and just true to herself. Life has been an absolute disaster for her but she's the most authentic character I've ever read in a while. She's not two-dimensional. Hazel is at the heart of this novel.

The structure of this book is clever. I loved the whole idea of it of how a marriage is structured; from honeymoon to hiatus, this book was exceptionally clever.

I will be recommending this book when it is finally released in January 2025.

A very fun story about the difficulties of marriage and serial killing! I read it in one sitting and was totally engrossed for the whole time. Although it is definitely a story about getting away with murder, Mackay also talks about the difficulties of losing sense of yourself in long term relationships and adjusting to parenthood.