3 stars

Big promises here. A female Dexter, heck yes. However, the plot doesn’t really follow through. I suspect this will be a series though, so hopefully we’ll see our MC really become who we want her to be.

All that being said, this would’ve been a great book without the promise of that female Dexter. There wasn’t much serial killing going on here, but the writing was good and again I think this is just the beginning so I won’t write it off just yet.

I have read over 60 thrillers and this my first female serial killer based book. I actually quite enjoyed the plot, but everything felt extremely rushed. The craziest scenes were merely a page long and then quickly resolved. The focus of the book doesn't even end up being about a female serial killer, that part is quite glossed over. It is a super fast read though and took my mind off real life for a while.

Thank you NetGalley and ABRAMS for the digital ARC of this novel.

Personally this book was not my cup of tea! That doesn’t mean that it won’t be yours though so I definitely encourage you to read it ! The plot was just a little too slow to get in to for me.

This one started off really strong for me. I was so excited to read something that reminded me of my favorite show “Dexter”. However about 30% through it took a turn to almost insufferable. It turned to the MC being obsessed and a just a lot of nothing happening.

For a book that started off so strong, it fell flat very quickly.

This was a witty, easy read but often times I kept wondering where the plot was going. I was so interested in the MC especially when we're introduced to her backstory and then the plot centered around Jon...a less than stellar character . Once the two of them met, the plot picked up a little steam, but the overall ending fell flat.

This book interested me because it reminded me of Mindfuck and I absolutely loved that book.

This book begins with Saffy's background and how it led her down the path of killing men, more specifically, killing the most disgusting men alive. Flash forward to the present day, Saffy meets Jon, a true crime podcaster, at his book signing and makes it her missing to create a meet-cute that forms into a relationship - now introducing Girl, the dog with the biggest side-eye I've ever heard of.

I think the premise is fun since it's a lighthearted-ish story about an FMC who is a serial killer and has regular urges like becoming her crush's girlfriend. However, it felt more like a mystery romance since there was still an element of 'who did it' with the current serial killer on the loose and Saffy doing everything in her power to get him to fall for her. It felt more centered on Jon than Saffy since he was the one whose job was to report crimes and help solve them and had the crime brought to his front steps - literally.

Saffy was fun and uncharacteristically upbeat for someone who tortured and killed (bad) living as a hobby. Her sister was included and just felt like an unnecessary character to have since her main purpose was dating a good-for-nothing man who cheats on her all the time. Jon was a bit annoying since he came off as self-centered (thinking everything had to do with him, the killers were obsessed with him, etc.). I loved Girl and how she did everything in her power to act like Saffy was not there, and I don't blame her. I too would side-eye someone who put me in a well for their meet-cute.

Other than that, this book has so much potential and the cover is so cute I'm still planning on buying it because it just looks stunning and it was overall a fun book.

Saffy Huntley-Oliver is a rich and stylish socialite but also a serial killer who targets bad men. She develops a crush on true crime author and podcaster Jonathan Desrosiers. She soon inserts herself into his life just as his marriage is deteriorating and he finds himself at the center of an ongoing murder investigation.
Bad Men is a wickedly fun thriller. It's full of dark humor and addictive storytelling. Saffy’s unconventional quest for love and justice is a refreshing twist to the traditional serial killer narrative and forces readers to question their perceptions of right and wrong.
I do wish we got a bit more of Saffy's serial killing side. After Jonathan is introduced, Saffy unfortunately becomes a bit of a side character when she should really be the star. However, author Julie Mae Cohen expertly plants a number of clues and foreshadowing that seems to indicate we'll be seeing more of Saffy in the future.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and ABRAMS for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book- I fell in love with the cover but they say never judge a book by its cover. The start of this book was intriguing and the ending definitely gave me the closure- but the middle just drug me through the mud over and over again.

This is story to me jumped around to much from being about a female main character, Staffy or a Seraphina, who wanted to protect women from bad men. To then about a podcaster, Jon, who caught a man who was a murderer which led to him loosing his wife to a divorce and everything he loved. To Amy, the ex wife who hated all things crime related. To then Simon, the biggest fan who loved cats.

Jon and Seraphina meet in a town in Scotland after Jon’s life has gone to shambles and Staffy pretends she knows nothing about this Pod Caster…however she knows everything. These two become close and before you know it Jon starts getting threats sent to him VIA text. From there on it’s a mystery to find out who’s been threatening Jon and why?


*I would say there is slight triggers so please beware of pedophile type references and rape is also mentioned.*

It’s strange; I can’t say that I adored this story, but it was well-paced and action-packed and I couldn’t put it down. I guess it’s super entertaining. Yet, for some obscure reason, I expected Saffy’s murdering-bad-men job to be full time, so I was weirdly wishing there were more murders. In the long while where there isn’t a single murder occurring, in the beginning, Saffy appeared to me like any random character, a bit bland, even though I liked her energy. I can’t say that I connected with either her, her sister, or Jon, and while this story has a love interest, I didn’t believe in them as a pair that would last. Overall, I don’t know what to think of it. I liked it, but I also didn’t :)

Saffy is a gorgeous, intelligent, thrice-over heiress who spends her free time murdering terrible men, taking care of her little sister, and crushing hard on the host of a true crime podcast.

I’m a total sucker for books about charming sociopathic women doing the dirty work of vengeance, and this was such a great addition to the genre. Fast-paced and funny, you’ll 100% be rooting for Saffy to take care of business and get her man.

Perfect for fans of They Never Learn (Layne Fargo), The Change (Kirsten Miller), The Female of the Species (Mindy McGinnis), and Jane Doe (Victoria Helen Stone) - or anyone looking for some feminist escapist fantasy where the bad men are handled and the bad woman is the good guy.

Fantastic read!

It was a little slow starting for me, but it picked up in the second chapter and I was full steam ahead. Despite it being about murder & some heavy sub-topics, it is a breezy read with humor and well developed characters.

4.5 stars! The cover and title alone caught my eye originally.

What a fun, quick read! So many twists and turns, I was dying to see how it all tied together. I had my suspicions and most came true, but I have zero complaints about that. Normally I am wholeheartedly against a “romance” subplot, but this was done in a way that was still very enjoyable.

If you’re in the mood for a twisted, feminist thriller that’s equal parts darkly comic and suspenseful, then Julie Mae Cohen’s “Bad Men” is a must-read. This award-winning author takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the mind of an irresistible serial killer in a story that’s as wickedly fun as it is lethal.

Meet Saffy Huntley-Oliver, a glamorous socialite with a deadly secret. For the past fifteen years, she’s been on a mission to rid the world of rapists, murderers, and domestic abusers—bad men who deserve to meet their gruesome end. But her double life has left her feeling isolated and lonely, unable to trust anyone, especially in the dating department where even her boyfriend could be her next target.

Enter Jonathan Desrosiers, a true-crime podcaster with a legion of devoted fans. When a decapitated body shows up on his doorstep, he becomes the prime suspect in a murder he swears he didn’t commit. Saffy, infatuated with Jon and seeing him as a truly good man, decides to take matters into her own hands. She orchestrates a meet-cute and volunteers to help Jon clear his name, using her unique skills to uncover the real killer, all while navigating the complexities of their budding romance.

The strength of “Bad Men” lies in its dark humor and addictive storytelling. Julie Mae Cohen masterfully weaves together a tale that keeps you guessing and chuckling at the same time. Saffy’s unconventional quest for love and justice adds a refreshing twist to the traditional serial killer narrative, challenging our perceptions of right and wrong.

The characters are well-developed, and you’ll find yourself simultaneously rooting for and questioning the morality of Saffy and Jon. Their chemistry is undeniable, making their relationship a central driving force in the story.

While “Bad Men” is a thrilling and entertaining read, it’s not without its flaws. At times, the narrative can feel a bit too fast-paced, and some plot twists may come across as predictable to seasoned thriller enthusiasts. Nevertheless, Cohen’s storytelling prowess and unique perspective on the genre make this book stand out.

In conclusion, “Bad Men” is a darkly comic and addictively readable feminist thriller that challenges conventional notions of justice and happily ever afters. If you’re in the mood for a suspenseful page-turner with a dose of humor and a feminist twist, Julie Mae Cohen’s latest offering should be on your reading list. It’s a wickedly good read that will keep you engaged from start to finish.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Saffy has been in a mission since she rescued her sister from a depraved step father. He began his depravity with her and she determined he was not moving on with her sister. She’s seven for goodness sake. It’s astonishing to watch her work. Fast forward to adulthood and Saffy has refined her unique talent. She and her sister are not only well off but Saffy has a huge secret. She smitten and it irritates and intrigues her. Saffy- Huntley-Oliver loves a true crime podcaster who’s been forced into hiding. As she grapples with her feeling her podcaster has a true crime of his own to solve before he becomes the next victim. She’s a no prisoner type of gal but she may have just more than she can handle here. Happy reading

Dexter meets The Devil Wears Prada in a hilarious dark comedy with some real LOL moments. You have to just love Saffy and her approach to life, outside of the dismemberment that is. A fun read, not for the squeamish.

I LOVED THIS!!! I can't believe I have to wait until May of next year to give my patrons! This was so well written, tongue in cheek with just the right amount of pop culture references. I can't wait to read more by this author.

This book started off really strong with stories about how Saffy became a "serial" killer, but it quickly because a two-part story that didn't really mesh together. Her secret life + the idea of this man who solves crimes for a living is a great storyline in theory, but maybe not executed the best way. Saffy around Jon is fake, whiny, and a little too much of a pick-me-girl—while Saffy on her own is a badass killer who's taking down bad dudes. I wanted more of a cohesion between the two, but instead we got this "feminist" story that's really just all about a guy and with a lackluster ending that really doesn't make much sense. It's a decent read, but I wanted more—3.5 stars.

Oh my gosh, this book is legitimately impossible to put down. I read it in under 24 hours, and I truly did not expect HOW many twists and turns there were going to be in this book (but I will say I did expect what some of those twists were!!). Saffy is a confident, headstrong sociopath who kills men who commit evil acts, and Jon is simply a man living his life. Even though Saffy is an actual murderer, she is somehow written well in a way where readers feel empathy towards her and her killer tendencies? Which was a happy surprise for me. Saffy essentially entraps Jon and sets them on a path to be together, and you watch her plan unfold throughout Bad Men. I felt like this story was a romance with a sub plot of murder and manipulation honestly, because we hear more about Saffy’s obsessive infatuation with Jon more than her male-killer motives. And sometimes, Saffy rubbed me the wrong way when she spoke about food/other people’s habits of eating unhealthy foods.. like part of her personality is being “beautiful and brilliant” but she doesn’t give any grace to other females for eating junk food. BUT it could be argued that those thoughts just play into Saffy’s sociopathic tendencies. Overall, it was an entertaining read that I sped through.

Please note that there are brief mentions of pedophelia and sexual assault (no graphic scenes but they’re mentioned a few times).

I thought this was a very clever book - thank you to NetGalley and Overlook Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Saffy Huntley-Oliver is a serial killer. She does have standards, though, and only kills "bad men" -- men who are abusive in one way or another. She's also fabulously wealthy and so doesn't have to worry about pesky things like jobs and rent. Her mother died when she was young, leaving her and her sister (briefly) under the care of their odious step-father. He soon was out of the picture and so Saffy has devoted her life to making sure her sister is taken care of and is shielded from the harsher truths of the world (as much as she can). Saffy is currently obsessed with a man who she very much believes is the complete opposite of the bad men she eliminates. Jonathan Desroisers is an author and true crime podcaster. One day a bag of dismembered body parts is deposited on Jonathan's front steps. It looks as if it's another victim of the Bin Bag Killer, but suddenly the police are looking at Jonathan as a possible suspect. In order to clear his name, he finds his investigations might put him in more danger than he'd bargained for. At the same time his marriage breaks down. In an attempt to get away from it all, he retreats to a cabin in the Scottish highlands. Saffy decides this would be the perfect time to instigate a "meet cute" (involving a dog she adopts for this purpose). Although Jonathan is upset by all the recent events in his life, he is drawn to Saffy and they begin an affair, much to her delight. But there's still that matter of the murder victim at Jonathan's front door . . .

I had read some information about this book and the overall impression I had was that it would be a comedy, or at least a black comedy, but there was nothing at all funny about the book. Saffy is a cheerful and remorseless killer, but she isn't at all amusing. She's rich and beautiful, which is how she was able to get the initially reluctant Jonathan into a relationship. The story is fine as a mystery/thriller, I was just disappointed that the promised humor was absent.

I found the execution quite confusing despite a fun idea. Would've loved to have an excerpt here before requesting.