REVIEW: A Serial Killers Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay

Blurb:

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.

Review:

"'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.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for a review.
A serial killers guide to marriage will be available from January 14th with Headline
This title contains subjects including sexual assault, violence and references to suicide.

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