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.

Haze and Fox are married with a little girl Bibi. They’re living in suburbia with yoga mums, posh parties and toddler play dates. Proffering an image of middle class domesticity, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Fox and Haze met in Paris just as she was about to kill a man in a dark alley. Two serial killers met their matching each other and spent years travelling over Europe hunting men who “deserved” to die and meting their own form of justice. When Haze unexpectedly became pregnant they form a pact not to abstain from killing to protect their daughter. Abstinence is proving harder than each of them ever imagined. As they struggle to contain their kill instinct, secrets abound and Haze and Fox question whether their marriage can survive!


I loved this book. It’s funny, quirky and a real page turner.I liked the fact it’s told from the void points of both the main characters. I did wonder how the story could end. I have deducted half a point as I feel the ending was a little far fetched and didn’t gel with the rest of the book. Still overall one of my favourites of the year. 4.5 from me. Thanks Netgalley for the Arc.

The book introduces two main characters Hazel and Fox.

Hazel, in her mid thirties has recently become a mum and is struggling with the suburban life. She feels unfulfilled in her new role, missing her true passions of art and murder.

Fox, in his early forties works in finance and is trying to be the best dad he can be, whilst also denying his passion for murder.

They made a pact when their daughter was born to stop killing to prevent jeopardising their family's safety. Two serial killers trying to live a quiet, suburban life. What could possibly go wrong?

I really enjoyed this book, it's my first by Asia Mackay and I can't wait to read more. It was thrilling, twisty, funny and incredibly hard to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book sounded so good and i really wanted to love it. I did love the characters but they story felt like it dragged too much for me. I am glad i stuck it out to the end because the ending was great.

A readable but not memorable novel about two serial killers who marry and vow not to kill again when they have a child, but find it difficult to achieve. They live in relative luxury due to husbands American families riches and to all intent and purposes live the normal suburban life of a well todo upwardly mobile young family. Unknown to her husband the wife kills again and things start to spiral out of control.
I found the plot to be entertaining but as a crime novel, if that that is what it is meant to be, then it is less impressive.

This was so close to being a DNF. I wasn't feeling it. I couldn't relate to Hazel, and I didn't particularly like her. Then somewhere around 20-25% I became intrigued.

Hazel and Fox are serial killers. They've used Fox's trust fund to travel around Europe, killing 'bad men'. But since having their daughter, they've retired and are living a quiet, suburban life. Except that Hazel is miserable and wants to get back to the killing...

It felt like the book took a while to get going, and it dragged quite a bit. I'm just not interested in the rich suburban mummy life… Going to the park, suspecting your husband of cheating, etc. (even if the rich suburban mummy in question is a serial killer).
The ending took off like a rocket, though, tying up loose ends quickly and with quite a lot of exposition on Fox's part. It might have been nice to see some of that, rather than be told about it after the fact, and would’ve added another layer to the story.

If this was a movie it would be a 90-minute popcorn flick. Far-fetched and great for light entertainment, and I'm sure plenty of people will enjoy it, but perhaps I wasn't the right audience.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Having just read this excellent story I will quickly ask my kindle to go and visit her previous novels because this murder and fun mystery was an easy and enjoyable read, despite the subject. They used to be serial killers until they decided to settle down as a family and agreed a pact to stop murdering individuals that deserve to die. In the meanwhile, they are both appear to have itchy feet and the return to murder is inevitable. What isn't expected is the lead female character, Haze, making her first best friend in her life, apart from her husband Fox, and finding out she's a police detective and has spent time looking into the same serial killers murders in the past. The inevitable downsides follow and although murder is often the topic in the past (as shown by each character) and in the future, it's dealt with carefully and with consideration because each murder is only carried out on an individual who is no longer welcome in society. They work best together and when they are carrying out their activities by themselves, they make mistakes and this could lead to their downfall. This is an excellent read and you can't help but enjoy the murders and the mystery because of the way they are presented.

Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're ex-serial killers.

They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.

Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.

But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox's back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.

Thank you NetGalley!

Great book and well written, just not for me

Loved the concept of this, it kinda gave me Butcher and Blackbird vibes of it they lived in the suburbs and has to stop killing minus the spice, as this was spice free. But filled with banter and mishaps. Plus some twists I wasn’t expecting. Really funny and entertaining. Any black comedy serial killer fans, this one’s for you.

I was really excited to read this novel as the concept seemed quite fun and seemed to mirror a lot of aspects of Mr and Mrs Smith (movie and series).

However I felt the pacing was unbelievably slow and it was only about 70% through the book where things really picked up when I had been expecting a lot more action throughout.

I enjoyed the story but felt that the pacing and the fact it wrapped up a little too perfectly at the end really let things down for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I was disappointed in this book. I had heard it was wickedly funny, especially in Haze's lack of self awareness but apart from a scattering of times, I found it all a bit flat The setting of the scene is slow paced and lasts for almost half of the book. It picks up a bit after that but generally it was not a book that I felt compelled to eagerly read, keen to know what happens.

I was not keen on the ending and I did not understand the money issues Fox has near the end - what about his arrangement with Julian? I also thought there would be more to Helga.

The book is left open at the very end for Further Adventures but as far as I am concerned, they have delighted me long enough.

This was such a funny book. Is being a serial killer something of a career / hobby ? that you can give up ? Is settling down with a baby something that you can do after a life killing bad people ? Are the school gate Moms more scary than bad people ? Read it and weep (tears of laughter).