This is a twisted, dark and witty story about a married couple who are trying to adjust to life with a child, a big change especially if you happen to be ex serial killers!

Secrets, failure to communicate and forcing a smile when you’re actually screaming inside slowly unravels Fox and Haze, so relatable…except for the murder 😂

This was an enjoyable read, I chuckled numerous times and it had twists that kept me engaged right up to the end.

I will not be giving feedback.

The story itself is good but just not gripping or dark enough for me.

Thank you for the opportunity

Fox and Hazel are a wealthy married couple and are devoted to their little girl, Bibi. So devoted, in fact, that Fox took it upon himself to decide that he and Hazel needed to give up on their previous lives - as serial killers!

As serial killers, they only went for people who were evil. They researched, stalked and researched more before killing. They had a perfect system.

After the birth of Bibi, Hazel starts to feel that her life isn’t going so well, she really wants to kill, but has promised Fox that she won’t. She tries to join into mundane life with drinks and meals with neighbours, but she’s struggling … until she makes a friend in Jenny. But all is not as it seems.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I found myself smiling a lot. There is a hint of mischievousness that made me wonder just what was going to happen next.

The story is told in chapters relating to either Fox or Hazel’s point of view.

I loved the characters, it was great to see how they coped with life during and after their time as serial killers.

My thanks to Headline and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm most definitely in the minority here, BUT I just didn't like it. I got 45% in and constantly felt my mind wandering off, I kept trying to dip back in, but unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me.

1.5⭐️ rounded to 2⭐️ as the premise and plot really interested me initially. Maybe it was just too full of humour for me!

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Serial Killers Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay in return for my honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book and I must say it is a really enjoyable read loved the main characters and certainly didn’t see the twist at the end.

Overall this is a good story. There are highs and lows and the intricacies of marriage and parenthood are well set out. Whilst the experience of being a serial killer parent isn’t one that’s easily relatable, I do believe that this book highlights how much relationships can adapt and change especially through becoming parents.
I enjoyed the banter and witty nature of the book, the author clearly picking up on different social settings and how British humour adapts to those situations. And although the ending may have been thought to have been predictable, she did take it in a direction that wasn’t glaringly obvious, which was nice.
I only have two issues with the story that bring down the rating. One being the tired rhetoric that people who grew up in foster care grow up to be serial killers or other variations of criminals, in my opinion this is a tired narrative and casts a negative light on a system that isn’t best funded and has its own difficulties. I also would have liked if the author had included a note to give readers a heads up to some of the content. Whilst this is very obviously about serial killers, it’s not obvious that scenes about and including sexual violence are included in the book. Due to the graphic nature of some such scenes, I myself may not have picked this book up had I been aware. Obviously this is personal preference but I feel that the title of the book lends itself to a quite unserious story, when in fact there are some serious and potentially triggering topics included.

°𝔸 𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕂𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣'𝕤 𝔾𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕋𝕠 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕘𝕖
°𝔸𝕤𝕚𝕒 𝕄𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕒𝕪

'𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓'

𝙷𝚊𝚣𝚎 & 𝙵𝚘𝚡 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚕 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎, 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚝𝚋𝚎𝚢'𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚡-𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜.

𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝙷𝚊𝚣𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜.

𝙰 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚍𝚘𝚘𝚛 - 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚑𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝙷𝚊𝚣𝚎 𝚐𝚘 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚕𝚢....?

Thanks to @netgalley & @wildfiredoesbooks for the opportunity to read this book. I really enjoyed this, it kept me on the edge of my seat & I kept wondering what was going to happen next!

4.5🌟

#asiamackay #netgalleyuk #wildfirebooks

Meet married couple Fox and Hazel. Soulmates, living a glamourous, adventurous lifestyle which also includes a passion for murder. They tour around Europe, ridding the world of contemptible men. Hazel is an artist whose work is never better than when she is on a high following a killing. Life is just perfect, until Hazel discovers she is pregnant. Fox is ecstatic, Hazel less so. Fox insists they give up their previous lifestyle in order to protect their child. Whilst Hazel does adore her daughter, she struggles with continual internal conflict, missing the excitement of her old life and hating the boredom of her new one. A chance encounter leads her to kill again. She knows she must keep this a secret from Fox, who has secrets of his own. The couple grow further and further apart. Can Hazel fix the mess she created? What will happen when she discovers the secrets Fox has been keeping from her?

On the whole this is a good read, both Fox and Hazel are likeable characters. The slippery slope of keeping secrets from each other was well written and very believable. Accepting the premise of a dazzling couple justifying their murderous spree as ridding the world of bad men (this is fiction after all) I found myself racing through the pages wondering where the author was going to take me. Sadly I was very disappointed by the ending, it just seemed far too neat and a mismatch to the rest of the story, as such I can only give this 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

The story follows Haze and Fox, a wealthy married couple adjusting to life with their first child. Sounds pretty normal, right? The twist is that they’re former serial killers attempting to turn over a new leaf. Think 𝘔𝘳 & 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩 meets 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.

What the blurb doesn’t reveal is that their past targets were exclusively bad men. In fact, throughout the book, examples of genuinely good men are scarce – limited to Matty, Haze’s late best friend, and Fox, who’s flawed himself. So if you enjoy dark comedy like this and 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘰 𝘒𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘐𝘵 or 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘱𝘦𝘢, this could be right up your street.

The book leans heavily on the dynamics between Haze and Fox, particularly their miscommunications and Haze’s reflections on their relationship. There’s also a strong emphasis on designer fashion, which again adds to the glamorous 𝘔𝘳 & 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩 vibe. There are three pivotal moments of growth for Haze throughout the story which I thought were great. And yes – more Sausage, please!

Thank you to Headline for the NetGalley and physical copies of this one.

"'Do you even still love me?'

'How can you ask me that? Of course I do. I would've killed you in your sleep months ago if I didn't'"

If you’ve been tearing through everything by Katy Brent and Bella Mackey, meet Asia Mackay and this stylish, sassy and superbly written story about marriage and murder.

Take Mr & Mrs Smith, amp up the drama, add a dash of morally confusing main characters and you’ve got a Serial Killers Guide to Marriage. Full of dark humour, wit and absolutely immaculate vibes the whole way through, this story offers a romance with one hell of a twist, a fierce feminist streak and a darkly enjoyable dose of violence in the form of a retribution fantasy we’ve all played secretly in our heads but is here in black and white on paper. And somehow amongst all this, there were so many feelings and deeply touching emotional moments that had me clutching onto the pages and tearing up.

Jumping between scenes of almost sleep-inducing mundanity, the trials of everyday life as a modern woman as Haze tries to settle into her new life and count the days since her and Fox retired from murder. She was a beautiful narrator - a crass, honest, real storyteller with a fabulous voice. Asia effortlessly wove the modern day with stories from the past from Fox’s luxuriously privileged but cold upbringing to Haze’s history of neglect and heartbreak, never stopping the calm but pacey flow from moving forwards. As we switch between Haze and Fox, we’re left to wonder who is really telling us the whole truth or if they’re both just giving us their sides.

A morbidly funny, high stakes thriller with a darkly delightful edge — balancing a relatable story about losing yourself with getting away with murder.

Hazel and Fox's love bloomed through their shared interest: killing bad men. But now, years into their marriage, and with a young daughter to cherish, things are getting stale. Hazel chafes against Fox's insistence that they put down their knives. So when she gives in to temptation, and the police come knocking, it will either save their marriage or destroy it.

The comic tone of this book is superb, and I really enjoyed Mackay's writing style. Had I read this a few years ago, it would have been a standout favourite. But I think I'm growing fatigued of 'funny serial killer' books and this didn't stand out for me. I don't feel that it reinvented the genre and it just wasn't as compelling as I'd hoped. That's only my opinion, and I'm sure many other readers will love this.

What a cracking take on the serial revenge killing genre! A husband and wife combo. Can a marriage really take the pressure of such an occupation? And what about the occupational hazards!?!! I whizzed through this read and totally loved this author's book. I hope there is a part two to this as it certainly could lead to one. I loved the toxic and dark twists and turns, and always love a story involving bad people getting what they deserve! Totally recommend if this is your thing!

Enjoyable, witty, tongue in cheek read about a serial killer couple whose lives change when they start a family. Lacked something in the middle of the book for me but overall I did like the black comedy of it.

A good read which, although it was about two serial killers (they were bad guys so it was ok) it was really about how a marriage changed once a baby came along. Although it is a thriller it’s not too scary (perfect for me!) and it keeps you interested until the end.

Three and a half really.

I enjoyed the book. It was easy reading.

The characters were exceedingly likeable or slimebag grots as they were written to be; although I couldn't get a handle on Helga the nanny.

My problem, even though I know it is a novel and authors can make them what they want, is that I couldn't find anything in it that made me think there may be a sliver of truth in it.

I LOVED this!! Totally loved the characters, the way it was written, how communication is key in a marriage, AND serial killing.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't get enough of it.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Haze and Fox are serial killers but they only kill bad guys. Haze’s kills are chaotic, Fox is methodical and carefully executed, together they make the perfect team. However, they decided to retire when Haze becomes pregnant. She loves Bibi, and loves being a Mum, but loses the sense of self that lots of mother’s can identify with – without the murdering bit.
The story opens on Haze and Fox’s marriage seemingly irretrievable breaking down, they are in the woods, in a storm trying to kill each other. The narrative flits between the past and present to reveal to the reader how they got from being the perfect team, to trying to kill each other.
The story is told through the two point of views of the main characters, but while you see everything that Haze is doing, you don't get the full story on Fox. About two thirds of the way through Fox’s movements and motivations aren’t addressed to keep the mystery of how they come to be trying to kill each other in the opening scene.
There was some dark humour I enjoyed. The end felt a bit rushed, and incredibly far-fetched, but we’re not reading books like this for the realism, are we?!

Hilarious take on how a marriage can go stale without both parties being stimulated by their own interests; in this case being serial killers. I have loved the previous books by this writer about juggling a family and being an assassin and this is a different take on it. Really enjoyed the sly references to life in the suburbs. Some good surprises in the plot near the end of the book. More please.

Sadly I wasn’t able to finish this as the copy I had been given had words missing and also letters from words so it was difficult to read.

I really like the idea behind this book and will no doubt buy it when it is released

Meet Fox and Haze, once they were a super cool couple jet setting around the world to all the best parties, occasionally killing bad guys along the way. Since the arrival of their baby they are stuck in suburbia with nothing more than baby groups to keep Haze entertained. Fox has put a ban on killing and it’s doing nothing for their marriage.
This is a fun book, starts very well, sags in the middle a bit but, as the twist is revealed, romps to the end. A really good thriller, I’ll look forward to Asia Mackay’s next book.