Member Reviews
I really, really enjoyed this sassy, quick-witted read! The cover is fantastic, the title draws you in... and I really enjoyed the dark humor of this book. Kitty was really likable, despite her being a killer! I have to hide my eyes when I say this, but it was enjoyable when the men deserved it!
This was a really fast read for me, mostly because I enjoyed it so much. I love a book with suspense, dark themes and especially with some humor and a well-meaning devious anti-hero who has a complex sense of right and wrong. Good read!!
This is a very interesting concept of a book which I enjoyed immensely although it had a few areas which I found difficult to believe.
Wealthy influencer Kitty comes from a family famed for producing frozen meat and is a staunch vegan. Her father disappeared some time in her teens and her mother then left to live abroad. Kitty and her fashionable crew spend their days shopping and nights partying, until a man follows Kitty from a club and tries to attack her.
What ensues is the start of a need for Kitty to cleanse the world of would be rapists, many of who she cuts up and disposed of at the family eat factory.
Dark, comic, readable but a little too much for Lotty to get away with?
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Move over Bella Mackie, I’ve found another serial killer I might like even more…! Maybe that’s a strange thing to say but I really enjoyed kitty’s journey and literally couldn’t put this book down! Will definitely be recommending to anyone who enjoys a strong vengeful female!
The synopsis of this book has all the things I'm looking for in a thriller: a feminist dark comedy about a young woman murdering terrible men... YES, PLEASE.
Unfortunately, How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, did not live up to my expectations. The main character, Kitty, is super wealthy but doesn't live off her family's money on principle because she's vegan and they made their fortune in processed meats but still let her mom buy her a condo in Chelsea with the meat money and has had a super fancy life because of the meat money, but is now supposedly supporting her rich lady lifestyle as an Instagram influencer. I normally wouldn't even care about this but it's SUCH a big deal that she's vegan and not using the meat money that it's mentioned 1000 times and made no sense and annoyed me.
Our girl Kitty is also an unreliable narrator - which I often love - but it's done in an "I'm not sharing this crucial piece of information with you so I can pull it out later to seem like a big reveal" kind of way, which is also annoying.
I did like Kitty's vengeful streak and appreciated her choices when it came to selecting her victims, but I don't understand her lack of interest in hunting down her stalker or her relationship with bland-boy Charlie.
Also: Kitty choosing to use glossy Vogue magazine pages to sop up the blood in her kill zone? For the love. I get the visual the author was trying to paint, but come on.
A lot of reviewers have enjoyed this book, but it was not a good one for me.
How To Kill Men And Get Away With It by Katy Brent is a fun, unrealistic, and totally over the top. I was drawn in for the title and cover, and Yay, I really enjoyed it. A bit dark, but funny, but draws you in even with all the unlikeable characters. Read this if you have ever wanted a female Dexter.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dexter Morgan who?
America’s favorite serial killer needs to move on over because Kitty Collins just meat grinder-ed (literally 🫣😬) him out of the ball park. Kitty Collins an influencer turned serial killer prowls the streets—or dating apps— looking for the worst of the worst in the male gender. Like Dexter though, she has a rule book and truly does her best to stick to it to avoid any casualties.
Even the best serial killers make a slip up though, and for Kitty Collins, this happens one night when she accidentally murders an innocent man. Of course, she spirals and starts to realize that the normal life with a boyfriend or her avenging woman persona can’t work together.
This book is one crazy moment after another and trust me, her logic on killing men just may have you agreeing in some instances. This woman is crazy for sure, but, she makes serial killing look like a legit side hobby she can do in couture splendor
One of the best books I have read in a long time! The book starts with a bang as Kitty the narrator talks about murdering people... or to be more specific men.
We meet Kitty who is seemingly addicted to social media, followers and likes. She is an influencer and is often seen out and about with her girls. Its on one of these nights out that she 'accidently' kills a man who doesn't like to take no for an answer. Then when her friend is 'ghosted' after meeting a guy on an app she wonders if she is taking her revenge too far.
This book is shocking and funny in equal measures and it does also make you think that sometimes the world would be a better place without these men who are cheaters, liars and predators.
I loved the writing and the style of this book and I will definitely be recommending to others.
Gloriously, uproariously black; "How to Kill Men and Get Away With It" is the read you need when you want to rip through a story and be hugely entertained! It's pretty graphic and brutal at times, but maintains a levity that is very appealing.
It's a thoroughly contemporary novel, colourful and stylish and would perhaps be a great present for that friend who loved "Killing Eve" but never reads a book. I'm not spoiling the plot if I tell you there's a heavy hint of "Dexter" going on as Kitty identifies and dispatches her victims, however she's way more chic and wouldn't want to get spatter on her Louboutins.
Hardened crime readers might pick away at her modus operandi and wonder how she would get away with any of it, but I guess that's not the market Katy Brent is aiming for here. I found it a rattlingly fun read and I'm sure I won't be the only one.
I found this much cuter and more entertaining than I initially thought I was going to. I thought it was a very clever premise. I loved the aspect of all of the characters being so wealthy. This was the rich girl Dexter I didn’t know I needed.
It was a fun read in some ways but in others it was also a wasted potential. The whole setup seems quite intriguing with a hidden secret in the world of the glamour and the rich. But a big part of that interest was left untouched. Kitty's interest in killing men seems sudden and forced even if her interests are justified with time. I never for once was interested in kitty's murders. (It really isn't that easy to get away with murdering someone). She is unable to get any sympathy for herself or any interest in her actions out of the reader. Her friends are a bunch that are easily forgettable but worst of 'em all is kitty's boyfriend who is solely there for the purpose of being at her beck and call. He doesn't seem to have a life. The story is intriguing and captivated my interest but the climax wasn't as exciting as i thought it would be which kinda ruined the story for me. It might be a fun read for you if you like reading about rich "influencers" who do nothing all day.
Thank you to HQ, HQ Digital & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc
This book was so witty and funny, I couldn't put it down. Between the unexpected comedy and the exciting suspense, How to Kill Men and Get Away With It is a must-read. If you liked Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead, you might even like this book better. Kitty is experiencing things that almost every woman has gone through and she's doing something about it. Even with a book that literally has "get away with it" in the title, I was still shocked by the ending and how everything tied together nicely (but not without some awesome twists).
If you liked How to Kill your Family by Bella Mackie this book is perfect for you!
I really enjoyed this book and devoured it in one go during my plane journey. I think this is a book that is more enjoyed when read all at once (but each to their own). I really had to stop myself from gasping every now and then because well I was surrounded by people. There are some twists especially when it came to Kitty’s stalker!
I found myself torn between whether I support Kitty’s actions or not, as I could see why but also it was a very extreme way to deal with what was happening! I found that her getting away with it was too convenient because we didn’t see how Kitty turned CCTV off for example, but we know they were off and she wasn’t caught. Also, in other public places there are multiple camera and conveniently she wasn’t caught? That being said it was interesting regardless of that but this makes this book lose half a rating due to it just being slightly too convenient - also what’s up with the police?
Overall this book kept me engaged and in suspence the whole time, I had so many theories running around in my mind and I did like the fact we got to see Kitty’s life aside from the murdering people so the entire book wasn’t just “let me kill people.”
I am giving How to Kill Men and Get Away With it 4.5 stars! I would happily read another book by this author. Before reading do check trigger warnings because there are quite a few apart from murder, including miscarriage.
TW: <s> rape, (sexual) assault, murder, gore, domestic abuse, eating disorders, misogyny
I've decided to just do a simple what I liked / disliked list for this review.
Here's what I liked:
Nothing. I've been trying to come up with any aspects that I liked about this book, but I seriously couldn't think of anything.
And now here's what I disliked: *takes deep breath*
The protagonist aka Kitty Collins.
I've rarely read about a character as unlikable as Kitty. She's an influencer and accidentally kills a man when he tries to rape her at the beginning of the book, which she shows a concerning lack of regret and distress about.
Kitty is also a vegan. Her being vegan itself obviously wasn't what bothered me, what bothered me was the fact that she makes vegans look like arseholes. She's one of the militant ones, you probably know the kind. I suppose the author was going for some kind of irony here. Like, she's vegan because she doesn't want animals to be killed (every time milk or other animal products are consumed within her vicinity she gets grossed out) but killing men is fine somehow…?
There's also the fact that she pretends to "save" women from the men to justify her murders, but she's also condescending towards basically every woman she encounters. Why bother "helping" women if you can't stand any of them.
She also constantly shames one of her best friends for having an eating disorder.
I hated Kitty.
The plot.
I didn't find the plot especially interesting.
The side characters. Each and every one of them felt like a caricature or a parody. None of them were properly fledged out. I also disliked how a lot of them were introduced with their name and then their follower count. Yes, I get that the author was probably trying to empathize Kitty's priorities there, but I still found it dumb.
Overall I wouldn't recommend How to Kill Men and Get Away With It to anyone.
Kitty Collins is a vastly wealthy influencer, heiress to a meat processing business, she lives the life most can only dream of. However, she has an issue with how men are allowed to treat women and it’s making her very angry indeed…and when Kitty gets angry she tends to reach for the stun gun and her special knives.
How to Kill Men and Get Away with It is an undemanding dark humour/romance. It’s not desperately original, a lot of books and film tread a similar path. However, it’s well written, very funny in places and extremely violent, if that’s your sort of thing. Katy Brent certainly knows how to write and I’m sure this will sell very well. Thank you to #netgalley and #HQstories for allowing me to review this ARC
This is a good book masquerading as a chic lit light read. Although you have to suspend any knowledge you may have about forensic investigations, the underlying premise is that some men still think they have a right to women and their bodies, attention and willingness to engage. Obviously this shouldn’t be the case and I really enjoyed this one woman campaign to stop the most despicable men who think that way. Katy Brent has cleverly interspersed modern social media and young peoples’ obsessions with labels, lifestyle and influences with the aforementioned serious social issue of men’s role in their own downfall. I’m excited to read more by this unique voice.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is probably 3.5/5 stars. It was engaging, clever, and very different from many of the similar books out there ([book:Finlay Donovan Is Killing It|53138099] comes to mind). However, where this book lost me is that it was graphic, and unnecessarily so, in my opinion. In addition, it was difficult to sympathize with the protagonist Kitty Collins who: a. claimed to hate her job as an influencer; b. simultaneously leaned into her job as an influencer and her shallow friendships; and c. turned out to be a Jack the Ripper-esque serial killer. Even her relationship with Charlie seemed disingenuous and orchestrated. She murders an innocent man and spirals (understandably), but then goes right back into her killing spree at the end. Her lack of growth ruined the ending for me.
Overall, worth reading simply for a book where rapists get their comeuppance. However, lower your expectations for the women in the novel too.
Suspend your disbelief children, because that's the only way you'll enjoy this book.
There were some pretty gruesome murders in this book, a whole cast of fully unlikable and unsalvagable characters, and so many obvious signs as to Kitty's crimes that were simply swept away to make this story work. Sadly, work it did not.
Kitty Collins quite literally trips into the life of murdering and really, who can blame her? Haven't we always wanted retribution for all the nights we walked home with keys in between our fingers, for all the name calling because we didn't put out for a guy who was expecting it, for all the time we were forced into doing things we absolutely did not want to. At least, that's how Kitty justifies her new lifestyle change, and as long as she's getting away with it, she's more than happy to rid the world of scumbags. But then something happens, something that throws Kitty new mantra and her plans into chaos, and now things are more than spiralling out of control. Seems her stalker knows all about Kitty's darker urges, and they're ready to tell all... unless Kitty can stop them first.
How to Kill Men and Get Away With It is a really hard book to summarise and talk about without giving away spoilers. Kitty Collins has grown up around murder, thanks to her family owing the biggest abattoir in the country and, although a Vegan herself, Kitty is more than capable of getting a little blood under her fingernails if the need arises. Social Networker and Instagram influencer, she spends her days pushing products she doesn't care about, and longs to have something worthwhile in her life, and that something worthwhile just happens to be murder. Her first kill is accidental, but when she gets away with it she starts to feel an urge for more, and quickly realises just how easy it is to find the worst of the male population. She sees it as revenge, as justice because really... who is going to miss these despicable human beings. She is incredibly good at rationalising her actions and, if I'm being honest, I found it hard to disagree with some of her points. She feels a rage that I think a lot of women can relate too and to quench it, Kitty needs to kill.
Kitty, in fact pretty much all the characters in this book were hard to like, but I feel like that was deliberate by the author. Through Kitty she showed the hypocritical thinking of people with enough wealth to not have to worry about their actions. Kitty never really believes herself to be in any danger of being caught, thinks she is smarter and better than pretty much everyone around her, which is hilarious when you think she is going round murdering people. But Brent somehow manages to endear her to us anyway. Her friends are the stereotypical kind of vapid influencers who show one side to the public and act completely differently behind closed doors. In fact the only likeable character in this book was Charlie, the guy Kitty starts dating
If you love a bit of dark humour (and I mean dark) and aren't put off reading about some incredibly dark topics (rape, on screen murder, physical abuse, drug and alcohol abuse) then I would definitely recommend checking this out. The author never makes light of these issues, instead uses Kitty as an outlet for retribution. Some of my favourite scenes were, bizarrely, the murders themselves, especially the first couple that were accidental. We spend a good portion of this story in Kitty's head, listening to her reasoning, planning the later murders after getting a taste for it, and then doing the deed and while these scenes were undoubtedly dark, they were also hilarious and a little thrilling.
I've never really read a book like this, so can't say 'read if you enjoyed...', but it does give me Dexter vibes, only she's a woman and I think her reasoning and the people she chose to kill made it resonate with me a little more. Don't worry. I'm not planning on taking up Kitty's mantle, but it's hard not to give in to her need for justice, especially when it seems there is no other way to get it. Brent helps the story flow by adding in plenty of plot twists as well as 'holy fuck' moments, but it's the ending that really sent me for a loop. If you're looking for a fast read with a little dark humour with an unlikable, but almost relatable MC, I can't recommend this one enough!
"...that burning need to destroy every bad thing I see, every bad person, every time someone wrongs someone who doesn't deserve it..."
Meet vengeance-seeking Kitty Collins; a social media influencer, meat/poultry industry heiress and a vegan. A woman who sees red whenever she sees or hears about injustice being done to women by toxic men. She sets about making the world a better place by getting rid of the predators for good and as the title suggests, getting away with it and then getting on with her life.
There were several times when I actually gasped out aloud whilst reading this book - particularly when Kitty got rid of the bodies. This book isn't for the faint-hearted.
How to Kill Men and Get Away With It is a mixture of dark humour, satire and just plain fun. Overall, it is quite an entertaining and compelling read.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this via NetGalley.
I had to think a little bit about this book after finishing it. To be honest it is a little bit outside my preferred genre, but the cover and synopsis made it seem like a quirky read. While I did enjoy it I felt it was lacking a bit of the quirkyness that the cover seems to imply.
I'll start with the negatives. I had a little trouble rooting for Kitty at first as she's presented as a rather shallow and vain influences that'll promote anything just for the likes. There's also an interaction at the start of the book that makes it seem like she doesn't care much for her fans.
Since this was an ARC I hope the texts and insta posts are presented a bit more stylized in the finished book, especially with regards to the emojis which were kind of jarring.
I could also have done without the brand name-dropping as it also kept pulling me out of the story.
On to the positives. This was an easy read, while at times a little stressful. Kitty did grow on me, though you'd think she'd be a little smarter about how she does some things since she's familiar with Dexter.
It was weirdly cathartic to read about abusers being taken down.
There are some parallel storylines that gives this book more to grab onto than just a hack-and-slash story, and I appreciated that. The mystery of the stalker was an engaging part.
The chapters were short, which made it easier to both stop when needed, and keep going when I wanted to.
All in all a fun read, would def recommend for those who enjoy this genre. 3.5 stars.