📚Book review 📚
I was lucky enough to get a proof of @asia.mackay newest book A Serial Kiler’s Guide to Marriage published by @wildfirebooks over on @netgalley. Let me start by saying that this isn’t a title to be taken seriously. It’s fiction and I’ve seen a few reviews where people have said ‘it’s not believable’ etc - it’s not meant to be! I flew through this and it made me chuckle; I mean, what does happen when two serial killers marry each other?! I need to read Asia’s other books now!

“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.
This could save their marriage - unless it kills them first.” Book 5 of the year.

‘A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage’ by Asia McKay is a funny, feminist, fabulous dark comedy with building tension and a thrilling conclusion, perfect for fans of Katy Brent and Sarah Bonner! Told in dual POV by spouses Haze and Fox, this book explores how to keep marriage alive after having a child… and turning your back on a dangerously addictive murderous lifestyle.

Will they be able to resist their desire for righteous killing sprees (don’t worry, they only murder “baddies”) or will one of them fall back into their old ways? Will Haze’s new “mum friend” Jenny help her adjust to normality, or stir the pot further? Will their wedlock survive? The novel explores these questions in a humorous way - beginning each section with a quote from a marriage self-help book and snarky commentary from Haze.

Without giving away too much of the plot, I’ll say that this was a bumpy but enjoyable ride! Twists, turns and laughs kept me going and despite the deadly subject matter, this felt like a lighthearted read to end 2024 with. Overall, this gets 3.5 stars from me!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Headline via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

With so many skeletons in the closet, what’s one more? When former vigilante killer Hazel breaks her husband’s no-kill rule, she’s willing to do anything it takes to keep Fox from finding out — but her accidental friendship with a policewoman definitely makes things more complicated. A dark comedy page-turner with dual husband and wife POVs which I thought worked really well; I enjoyed Hazel’s caustic narration balanced with Fox’s more rational tone. Again, a far-fetched, lacklustre ending was the only thing keeping my rating from being higher.

This book is way more fun to read than a book about serial kilers deserves to be. This doesn't feel particularly like a new idea but really really well done and super enjoyable to read.

I devoured this fun serial killer romp which felt like MR AND MRS SMITH struggling with the the mental load of parenting and dealing with their own family issues. It was so readable and propulsive and I so desperately wanted Fox and Haze to not only stay together but get away with their murderous but righteous antics. Would highly recommend!

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay and narrated by Georgia Tennant and Kyle Soller was a very clever written book which covered so many topics. It was funny and exciting, very fast-paced and taking unexpected twists and turns throughout, it was a roller coaster ride!

This audiobook. had me laughing out loud several times whilst listening to it, It was an excellent dark comedy and I loved it!

The Narrators Georgia Tennant and Kyle Soller were excellent and they were fun to listen to.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Headline | Wildfire for my Arc.

This was good fun: a nice mix of a dark theme with a lighter tone, plus some good twists along the way.

Fox and Haze are a married couple like no other you have ever known. On the outside, they appear as upstanding citizens living in the suburbia, away from the hustle and bustle of London. They have a young daughter and their life seems perfect.

However, they are ex-serial killers. Think of them as Dexter meets Mr & Mrs Smith – they only kill bad men who really deserve it. They don’t go for women, children, and innocent people.

When Haze fell pregnant, she thought that they could carry on with their lifestyle, only with the baby in tow. Fox, on the other hand, had other ideas. He decided that they should stop and become ‘normal’ for the sake of their child. Then, when the child is an adult, they can go back to what they were doing before.

Haze agreed, although, unwillingly. It’s been over two years since their last kill. She’s a bored housewife/ artist, but she hasn’t painted for a while. Killings were her inspiration, and because they don’t kill anymore, she feels she can’t paint anything worthwhile.

Then, Haze kills a man (she says it was self-defense) and disposes of the evidence. She keeps things away from Fox and hopes he won’t notice.

But Fox is keeping secrets of his own. He is away a lot in the evenings, and the couple start to bicker a lot.

Then, Haze befriends Jenny, a single mum, who turns out to be a police detective (!), who in her spare time likes to solve cold murder cases. How will it all pan out?

You have to read this one for yourself.

I really enjoyed this. It offers a satirical view of marriage and becoming a parent. I loved Haze’s little quips and her lack of understanding about day-to-day social situations and interactions.

It was safe to say that Haze was struggling with the pact she’s made with Fox. She wanted her old life back, but it wasn’t possible, as she was now a mother. Towards the end, I found Haze’s voice a bit whiny – all I wanted for her was to talk to Fox and sort it out!

I am not saying that Fox was a saint – far from it. He was keeping so many things away from his wife, because ‘he wanted to keep them safe’.

The ending wasn’t what I expected either and I will say no more on the matter!

Thanks to Wildfire for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!

I did enjoy this book but feel like I had higher expectations that weren’t met. Not saying that that made it a bad book because it certainly isn’t and I would still recommend it to others! I also want to point out that I am new to this genre and those who love this genre would definitely enjoy this book. For me it was slow to start but I fully enjoyed the second half and ending!

This is a good book, I did enjoy reading it. Hazel and Fox were a good pairing. It’s great for people like me who have a twisted sense of humour. Contemporary? Not my vibe however put serial killers into the mix? a hit 100%.

The story as a whole was really good I just wished the middle bit padding was a bit shorter.

It did have a good twist at the end but it seems out of the blue and a bit rushed but that could just be me not looking into it deeper.

Read it for yourself and see!

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for this eARC!

This was a deliciously dark story with secrets and intrigue galore.

A couple deeply in love and bonded over their thirst for murder - but only for those who deserve it. Sexy and glamorous couple Fox and Haze were that couple others envied.

But when their daughter Bibi was born, they made a pact to live a more conventional life. But the thirst has never gone away and Haze is bored. Their marriage begins to crumble and as the secrets they're keeping from one another pile up, it seems as though there's no way back.

A run in the park leads to Haze being attacked. They picked the wrong woman though.

A fast paced climax sees Fox and Haze reunite as they lay bare their closely held secrets.

Plenty of drama, a powerful female character refusing to abide by society's rules and a wholly satisfying conclusion.

This was so much fun and such a page turner! I especially loved the backstory. However, I’m not a massive fan of the miscommunication trope and Hazel wasn’t my favourite character.

I really enjoyed this, I loved finding out the backstory and how they came to be married and serial killers, it’s not like they both enjoy the same boring hobby!
I loved the fact that apart from them being serial killers their marriage went through the same ups and downs as everyone else’s.
I really connected with Hazel and her loneliness after having a baby and attending all the classes without having any friends and struggling to make them.
The twist at the end was something I didn’t see coming at all but I loved it! I love how Hazel empowered another woman and gave Jenny her power back after going through what she did!
This was gripping, funny, sad but also really relatable (not the serial killer bit)
Would love a sequal!
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Release Date - 16th January 2025

ADVANCED REVIEW COPY - NET GALLEY


This take on the Mr & Mrs Smith story starts as a fun read. We get to share the viewpoint from both lead characters, the married "former" serial killers ...Haze, happy as a Mum but limited by the boredom
of domesticity, and Fox who has moved on in his own head and wants a quieter (almost) legal life of family and friends.


Author, Asia Mackay, is new to me. This is her third novel. The previous books were about a British spy returning to the fold after maternity leave so there is a theme of sorts running through her work it seems.


A third of the way in and I have to be honest, I've not warmed to the characters or the story which is getting a bit repetitive in respect of bemoaning the lack of killing time - the number of days since the last "job" surely doesn't
need updating/repeating? The point was taken the first time , the boring repetition of nursery Mums playtimes, office routine and home life...I want to read books where something happens that keeps me page turning...I realised this morning that I've not picked
up the book for a whole weekend (for pedants that's before Friday evening and upto Monday lunchtime), a good read keeps the interest and thus far mine has waned...and then something happens and dots get joined - though not necessarily in the right order!...


Talk about a game of two halves - somewhere around the 38% mark the book stepped up a great and met my page turner requirement... Things began to happen, plots began to thicken and herrings of a red variety twisted into the narrative...


At the end of the day I have to give this one four stars as three feels a bit curmudgeonly... If you pick it up then persevere as in the end it's worth the effort I reckon.

This was a fun read! The plot was outrageous, and a novel take on the ‘serial-killers-but-only-bad-guys’ genre. I have read quite a few of these books recently though, and that probably hampered my enjoyment a little bit, as the story was similar to other books I’ve read recently. I did love the humour in this one - the references to life as a suburban parent were spot on. All in all, a decent read if you’re a fan of the genre.

Absolutely loved listening to the audiobook version of this book, Hazel and Fox are such a non standard couple, there are many humorous moments in the book amongst the dark ones!
Georgia Tennant has an amazing voice and it’s a pleasure to listen to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Audio for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this light hearted read, it was witty and kept me hooked all of the way through. I loved the style and will be looking for more similar books and books from Mackay

A dark and wickedly satirical take on life in suburbia with the added frisson of the protagonists being serial killers albeit ones on a sabbatical until their nine-month surprise and reason for their newly found domesticity daughter Bibi reaches eighteen. Perhaps if the husband Fox aka Nathaniel to the neighbours hadn’t expected his wife to go cold turkey it might’ve been easier on her but after three years of play groups and yummy mummies, Hazel is ready to kill the first person who looks at her the wrong way. After years of a glamorous lifestyle, travelling Europe and ‘unaliving’ people, no matter how much she loved her daughter, the ‘burbs just didn’t cut it, and she missed the anonymity of their old life. Most of all she missed her dashing husband who had become a middle-aged paper pusher overnight seemingly happy with their new life

This was my first read from this author and if A Serial Killers Guide to Marriage is anything to go by, it won’t be the last. With a fabulous flow Asia Mackay’s style of writing sucked me right with her wickedly tongue-in-cheek dark humour and with enough twists and turns to keep me absorbed throughout. I did get distinct Dexter vibes in so much that they only killed bad men, and I would’ve loved to have had more of their past live together. One part I especially loved were the little windows into Hazel’s psyche highlighted at the beginning of each section that had a light-hearted air of pure sarcasm about them as she and Fox dealt with their relationship issues like millions of couples out there – by ignoring each other…..well I suppose they couldn’t very well go to marriage guidance without having to kill the counsellor afterwards. Fortunately, they were able to find their way back to each other by reconnecting over their first love. This is definitely an author to keep an eye on.

I'm not sure why the serial killer genre has become so popular in recent years, but this story of Fox and Haze trying to retire from "killing bad men" and become perfect suburban parents after the birth of their daughter kept me turning the pages. It feels like the author has set it up for a possible sequel and I will be looking out for it.
Thank you to netgalley and headline for an advance copy of this book

The book started off quite slowly & there were times that it felt a bit dull. However, it really picked up around the halfway point & I thoroughly enjoyed the last 50%, especially the ending, which I thought was great. It’s a bit disappointing, as the premise seemed so promising. That said, I would still recommend it, as I think others might enjoy it more, it just didn’t quite meet my expectations.