Member Reviews
THIS BOOK THIS BOOK OMGGG IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE
First the title??? I'm immediately hooked, immediately adds to cart
I love this book it was chaotic, but everything was thought about. Alexa play ✨mastermind✨
Main girl SLAYED. Literally. All I could think about was Lana Myers and modern Balladyna (Ha! Kills😀🔪)
Love it, couldn't stop listening. 5/5⭐
Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
Wow this book was just wow.
I just finished reading it but I have to say, this book grips you from the first sentence until the end of the book. I was on the edge the entire time.
***“Before all this started, I’d thought that squeezing the life out of someone would be easy. The right amount of pressure on their windpipe and they’d just go limp, like when a kitten suddenly falls asleep. It’s actually nothing like that.”***
So the novel really is what it says it is. Kitty is an Instagram influencer who gets a taste for killing men. This book had me in so many conflicting feelings… There were moments where I loved Kitty and routed for her, moments when I was angry with her, moments when I felt so bad for her…. This is a 5 star read. Keeping me gripped into the story and the writing is just phenomenal. I really hate writing reviews for books I absolutely adore, because I really do not want to give anything away because it is just so phenomenal and surprising me at every turn. This book has everything. Murder. Friendship. Love. Feminism. Empowering.
*Note: Please check your triggers before reading this novel because there are A LOT of dark subjects other than murder.*
[Thank you Netgallry and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review]
This was brutal. Completely brutal, but kind of in a... good way? Kitty Collins is a well-off, rich, influencer living in the burrough of Chelsea and Kensington who, upon a drunked night out gone wrong, decides to take matters into her own hands and protect women from men, by.... well, killing them.
It's such a strange book because on the one hand, you are never quite rooting for Kitty, there is always something just too aloof with her character to be completely behind her - and yet, she's not /entirely/ wrong either because why SHOULD women have to be so scared of men?
And thus, we follow Kitty's exploits, a very gripping, fascinating and often disturbing journey. The first couple of chapters were a little slow until I got used to Kitty's snobbery, but after that I absolutely flew through this!
The book did lose me slightly with the reveal at the end and an extra element I'm not sure was needed but I really enjoyed this over all and the narrator was perfect at creating the perfect 'voice' for Kitty. Uncaring, very neutral but still (eh, kinda?) human.
I would definitely look for books by this author in the future!
Firstly, whilst I liked the narration and hate it when narrators do ‘voices’, I found it hard to know who was speaking at many points during the telling as the males and females sounded the same.
The tale itself is dark and twisted. Katy Brent has a dark soul … which makes a great story. I was 100% with Kitty, despite her being everything I hate; an upmarket influencer. She commits her crimes for the very best reasons. But then she messes up and you just want to scream at her. This, though, makes for a far more interesting tale and I loved it. I look forward to reading another by the same author
This quirky book is a real joy to read; although in terms of feasibility, it's a bit of a reach. Nonetheless, it's a fun premise with a fast pace. The murders are a tad gruesome, the humour a bit dark and the ending unpredictable.
I had the audio format, which has a well chosen Narrator, portraying the posh, self absorbed IT girl persona of Kitty Collins perfectly; who happens to be a social media influencer and vengeful serial killer (of mostly deserving assholes).
The funny title of this book really stands out, making it a must-read for me - so I am eternally grateful to NetGallery and HarperCollins UK Audio for allowing me to get a copy of this audiobook - which entertained me for the full 9 hours 25 minutes.
Narrated by Victoria Morrison ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author Katy Brent ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am so glad the title lived up to the ending!!
I loved this female Dexter and if this became a series I'd absolutely read it a second one.
Such deliciously dark humour! Kitty is one twisted gal and I'm here for it! I loved her vigilante vixen character who considers how to clean blood stains out of her designer clothes whilst mid murder. I actually laughed out loud several times. I really liked how the book went on readers get to know Kitty more and delve beneath the surface of her personality and why she murders men.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable book for those of us who don't get squeamish.
How to kill Men and Get Away With It – Review (https://thebookslayers.home.blog/2022/12/04/how-to-kill-men-and-get-away-with-it-resena-colaboracion/)
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity of reading/hearing this audiobook.
The first and main thing that I have to say about this book is: wow. I love books with unlikeable protagonists, specially if they are women. Plus, if it's a revenge-like killer or a sort of “Dexter” (who the protagonist identifies with), I'm sold. End note: this is the sort of book that I enjoy, which is why I requested it.
Now, the book itself… I was hoping for a little more story, perhaps some kind of thread that tied it all together towards the end. The plot gives too much away because the book is about the protagonist who kills men for their misogynistic actions. That is what the summary reveals, and it is pretty much what the book is about. Thus, I feel like it lacks some sort of story alongside the killings. Some sort of conflict with her being an influencer, I don't know.
The characters were quite plain for what I expected from this book, but it was not such a bad idea. Most women were shallow (specially if they were part of the influencer world), but overall they were just there to advance the plot. The men would all belong to this idea of “all men”, which honestly makes sense. Both views fit in this book and work for this story because we see what happens from the protagonist point of view. She sees other people as topics, clichés and problems, probably because serial killers usually are some sort of narcissist or sociopaths of some sort. However, there are two exceptions to this rule (cannot and will not say to avoid spoilers) which change the protagonist way of thinking and her actions/plan.
The book does not seem that complex from the beginning, mainly because of its sarcasm and dark humour, but giving the book some rest once I finished it, I realized there is more to the characters than I initially thought. The only issue I can see was what I explained about the plot, the secondary stories and such, something that I liked more in Dexter's books.
Will I read more of the author? Probably, yeah. Do I recommend this one? If you like this sort of unlikeable characters, some dark humour and are okay with the many trigger warnings it has, then yeah. Will I buy it? Depends, if there are no more books on this story, then yeah, but if there are (by the way it ends it seems like it), then no.
So this one wasn’t massively on my radar for 2023, and yet having listened to it over the last week I really love it now! It’s just such a brilliant dark comedy full of murder AND glamour and whilst I didn’t necessarily want to, I totally fell for Kitty!
Not your usual vigilante, Kitty Collins is a famous influencer with lots of fans and lots of money who just happens to enjoy murdering bad men. Which is fine until she meets a good one, then makes a mistake and has to re-evaluate everything. Except someone is watching her and isn’t ready for her to stop…
So full disclosure, I think this book may end up a Marmite situation - if you don’t read it all as very tongue in cheek then you might find yourself annoyed rather than amused by Kitty, but honestly I just found her hilarious! I think what did it for me were all the little asides and scathing comments under her breath which just had me chuckling away to myself. This novel doesn’t take itself too seriously and I love that!
But aside from how funny it is, it’s also just an addictive storyline - and there’s something oddly satisfying about a woman taking down sex pests and abusers whilst wearing designer clothes 🤣 Think Dexter but wearing Balenciaga and in chilly London rather than Miami and you’re halfway there…
I’d happily recommend this if you’re after a funnier thriller!
Thank you Harper Collins UK for the audiobook review copy. This was for me a subtly witty and even a little snarky/edgy read, excellently narrated and produced to convey tone and mood on top of a satirical (to me anyway) plot. This was the kind of twisty thriller that made my commute better, that reminded me of My Sister is a Serial Killer, and simply reminded me that there is a place for dark humor blended with strong female characters. Brava to Katy Brent for the book and appreciation to Victoria Morrison for bringing the book to life with the narration.
Femme fatale murderer looking to revenge male sexual predators. Definitely an author having fun with fiction; there are reality flaws that could be picked apart. But why bother, suspend a little belief and enjoy the dark story. Perfect for the ‘I see you’ fan. The audio version I listened to is read brilliantly with just the perfect tone to express ‘Chelsea excess and privilege’. Thank you to Harper Collins Audio Uk and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
Very much like another similar populat book. The premise of this book sounded so interesting and the synopsis had me hooked. Unfortunately the book itself didn't have me hooked. The main character is incredibly unlikeable and the constant social media references put me off. That being said, I will be on the look out for other books by Katy Brent as I'd like to see what else she writes in the future. Tried the audiobook as well and still had a hard time.
How to kill men and get away with it, Really, how could you not be drawn to a book with a title like this? and whilst it was interesting, I was not blown away by it, personnally I've never understood the attraction of influencers, they seem to be over privalaged people who are lucky enought to be given free stuff that they then tell normal people they need to buy it and Kitty Collins epitomises this, Shes a rich, pretty vegan heiress instagram star, whose family make processed food and in her spare time she murders bad men, which she does far to easily, and this was what bugged me, shes told of someone bad, a quick ggogle search and she knows where they will be and then she kills them, its totally unrealistic and just to perfect. So whilst it was a okay listen I'm not to sure if I'd rush to a sequel if it was done.
A bingable but jarring read.
The pros: Fast paced, fun, and addictive storyline with dark humour and very valid and appreciated social commentary on misogny.
The cons: So many implausible plot points, inconsistencies and plot holes, irritating cast of characters, and a main character with such a massive supeiriority complex that made it difficult to enjoy being inside her head.
I dunno, there were way too many things to both love and hate that I just came out with very confused feelings about the book.
I've been in a reading slump and this book snapped me out of it! Kitty is a beautiful social media influencer with tons of followers. Everyone is jealous of her. What they don't know is she is a serial killer. This is witty and fun, although it is dark at times. For fans of Dexter, Kitty will be your new favorite serial killer. Where Dexter killed the most heinous criminals, Kitty targets sexual predators. How she lures them, kills them, and disposes of them is a tad unbelievable, however, as the title states...Kitty teaches you how to kill men and get away with it. Highly recommend. Looking forward to more from this author and hopefully more from Kitty.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. This is my honest review and all opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this book, and I thought the voice actor who read it did a fantastic job.
I can't say that there was one character in the book I actually thought was a valuable human being, as they were mostly vacuous internet influencers with too much money and shallow lives, except for Kitty whose hobby was murdering men who deserved it.
Part a retelling of Dexter (acknowledged by the author), and part a commentary on the #metoo movement and the dangers women face on the streets of the UK, this book doesn't hold back on the detail and makes a rel page turner - as long as you engage your willing suspension of disbelief..
When I read the synopsis I was expecting a funny, witty, Dexter type book. Kitty Collins is witty, and does have a dry humor that I appreciate. However, I think there are some trigger warnings that need to be stated as this book gets slightly more detailed than I was expecting in some areas.
Trigger warnings:
Rape
Sexual Assault
Death of a parent
Miscarriage
Child abuse
Incest
Depression
This book had me laughing in the beginning but confused towards the middle and rest of it. I was never really sure if the book was defending influencers or mocking them. Kitty and her friends are all very rich and privileged and stuck up. Her friends felt a bit like caricatures and a little flat. Kitty got depressed and very hard to deal with. She was whiny, and way too obsessed with looking good to a very bland man. I was expecting a bit more feminism in this book. We do get some moments of discussion how women are easily targeted by men, and some of the very unfair and disgusting things that happen to women for merely existing. However, Kitty is not a vigilante that you really want to root for all the time. When I hunk of fun vigilantes I think of the brothers in Boondocks Saints.
Not everyone Kitty harms really deserved their fate. And, there was a troop of a women lying about an assault that I really had an issue with. Women already aren’t believed and that moment really threw me. Women are already accused of lying for paybacks so when this trope is used in a book I was expecting to be feminist I was disappointed.
It’s also more graphic in details of assault. It seemed to be advertised as more of a comedy. If I knew these details were going to be darker and more on the dramatic side I wouldn’t have read this. I don’t dnf arcs so pushed through.
I did like the ending and it redeemed it for me a bit.
Overall, it’s an interesting story that did keep me engaged. I think if you okay with the triggers it’s not a bad read.
I did like the narrator and think she did a very good job.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this audio arc
**listened to the audiobook as well as reading the electronic copy**
When reading the blurb of this book, it made me think of the 'Sweet Pea' books by CJ Skuse - a book series that I adored.
Unfortunately this book didn't have the same wit as those by CJ Skuse - it was a lot darker. So don't be fooled by the quirky cover or the blurb. This isn't a funny book.
I enjoyed Katy Brent's writing style, and found it very easy to read but the plot of this one frustrated me. It got very repetitive. Man does something 'knob-ish'to a female, protagonist gets her revenge on behalf of the said female. Man gets murdered. Protagonist gets away with it. And repeat.
Don't get me wring, there were a couple of kills that were more meaningful but there were a lot that were not, and I feel were just used to plump up the word count. The repetitive nature of this book did grate on me somewhat.
I was quite surprised with the choice of narrator - I was pleased she was British, but I did find her fairly monotone, and it did nothing to help me like the character.
Despite the repetitive plot, I do think it had some important points to make, and as I say Brent's writing was really engaging. I enjoyed this book, although I didn't love it.
I look forward to seeing what Katy Brent does next.
A funny and entertaining read, taking us to the thrilling world of Kitty.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.
Kitty Collins is a woman who contains multitudes: she’s a mega-rich heiress, and Instagram influencer, a passionate vegan, and a serial killer. But she only kills those who really deserve it, setting up a Dexter-type situation, but with a lot more hashtag content and binge drinking. How To Kill Men and Get Away With It’s concept is an exciting one - I love a good sociopathic female lead, and I was hoping for some commentary on the social media age via Kitty’s line of work. I did not get this, however - this novel is, unfortunately, a classic case of great concept, bad execution.
Kitty’s sardonic, witty point-of-view is deeply enjoyable, and the multi-faceted plot (more on that in a moment) thunders on, keeping you hooked. Short chapters means it’s easy to burn through, and the actual murders are a lot of fun.
What I didn’t like, though, was that I truly did not know what the author was trying to say with this one. There’s social commentary alright, but a LOT of it is to do with being vegan and so comes off as lecturing the reader. She then tries to take on all the ills of a misogynistic world, as well as the extreme privilege of the uber-rich. It’s a lot, and as a result, plot and pontification get muddled, and the whole concept falls a bit flat. Brent also deals with a lot of serious topics in this one quite flippantly, in a way that really rubbed me up the wrong way. One or two passages made me genuinely uncomfortable and it felt like the author talking, not the characters.
The novel possibly could have gotten away with some - if not all - of this if it had stronger characters - but with the exception of Kitty, the POV and main character, everyone is a bit crudely drawn, and in several cases, their actions make no sense - this is particularly evident, and annoying, in the case of the primary love interest. Which, let’s be real, a serial-killer-girlboss novel doesn’t need. Charlie felt extraneous to the plot and kind of boring, which is never a great sign.
This is Brent’s debut work of fiction and don’t get me wrong: it’s a lot of fun, much more so than other similar commercial fiction works I have read. But as the unhinged women genre goes, it’s lacking in depth or meaningful social commentary.