Thank you so much to Abrams and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bad Men follows female vigilant serial killer, Staffy, as she falls for and maybe slightly stalks Jon, a true crime podcaster. Staffy starts her life being abused by and accidently on purpose killing her stepfather. She then grows up to find abusive (or 'bad') men and disposes of them. Poor Jon attracts serial killers like no one has ever seen before. Blame it on his exploitation of murder but Jon finds himself solving one serial murder, being befriended and later almost killed by another, being abducted by one who happens to be his biggest fan and last but probably most important, falling in love with one.

I found myself absolutely captivated by this book. When I first got the ARC I checked out the ratings and it made me a little nervous to start because it was pretty low so I thought I would find plot holes and poor writing but after finishing this book I can definitively say the internet got it wrong on this one. There isn't emotional depth or heartbreaking plot point but it's fun and amusing and what more do you need from a book. I was genuinely rooting for Staffy for most of the book- didn't love the dog bit but it certainly served to remind the reader that she is not a good person. This is absolutely peak morally grey. I also loved the woman being the murderer because have probably read about 100 books where the male is and he uses that to save the poor helpless girl. None of that here. Staffy is not a woman who needs saving and in her own way she does care about people. She kills bad men after all.

I love morally grey characters and female serial killers are certainly having a moment! I was excited about reading this and it started off strong, but unfortunately he kind of lost the plot for me.

The pacing was hard and the ending ended up being very predictable. The premise was definitely there but unfortunately it fell short for me.

I read this entire book twice and I could not tell you a single thing about it. Fell super flat and not feminist.

Camp!!! Like every heroine I ever wanted to write as a teen, (a triple heiress, bubbly, a philaaaaaaanthropist, glamorous) but with a dark twist. Unhinged and fun and sorry to say that if you hate a silly good ride, this book will probably not be for you.

I was really looking forward to this, but man. I was disappointed.
I kept waiting for the drama to pick up and it never did, I didn’t care about the characters and the “mystery” occupied maybe 5% of this book. Also, nothing was added to this story by Saffy being a serial killer. Literally nothing.
Very easy and fast read though.

What a fun book! I love the premise about the serial killer crushing on the podcaster who has caught serial killers.
I wish there was a bit more… murder? Difficult to say but I figured with the synopsis we’d get more. The dog was sweet comedic relief.

I liked the epilogue, but I felt there were loose ends. The sister, the ex wife, and the original ‘Axe’ serial killer!
Overall very enjoyable. Good writing. It was a good story.

"Bad Men" by Julie Mae Cohen presents a unique twist on the serial killer genre, featuring a morally complex female protagonist who follows her own code of ethics in choosing her victims—sort of like a female Dexter. The story is fast-paced and offers a fun, wild ride.

The book alternates between the perspectives of the two main characters, adding depth and variety to the storytelling. Although marketed as a thriller, the book leans more toward romance, with relatively few killings by the serial killer. This surprised me and might disappoint others expecting a darker, more intense exploration of the protagonist's lethal tendencies.

Cohen's novel includes feminist overtones, though some actions taken by characters seem to undermine these ideals. The protagonist is a morally gray (or rather, dark gray) character, driven by her personal code. While some characters come off as a bit cliché, the overall story is decent and enjoyable.

In summary, "Bad Men" is a good beach read. While not heavy on the thriller aspect, it is suspenseful and wraps up at the end. It’s an entertaining and engaging novel, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking a deep dive into the darker aspects of a serial killer’s psyche.

A phenomenal read by Julie Mae Cohen! It was dark, addicting, and kind of funny! I loved this cheeky read!

This book was so interesting and I had a great time with it. The opening chapter is shocking, but important to the plot so definitely check trigger warnings. Cohen explores the grey area between good and bad, and how morality looks for each individual.

Savy/Sarafina kills bad men
Men who abuse women. Men who hurt women. Bad men shouldn't exist!!
Savy meets Jonathan, a true killer pod castor. She loves him and will do anything for his attention.
Jonathan finds himself being blamed by the cops for a body that was dumped on his doorstep. He didn't kill the person, but someone did
How far will Savy go. Will she ever stop killing
Will Jonathan be able to prove that he's not a killer, or will he end up on her list

I love the premise of this one. A female serial killer who kills bad men, yes please. Unfortunately, the story was told in dual povs. I did not care for Jon's point of view. I would have preferred the story told from only Saffy's perspective. The mystery reveal was a bit of a letdown. I would have liked more of Saffy taking down more despicable men than what was given.

Somehow this “feminist” woman serial killer novel was focused around *checks notes* a man. This plot had so much promise but just fell so flat.

Plot was very predictable and the main characters story is pretty minimal. I wish we heard from her more and about her thoughts, other than scheming. The one or two sentences where she actually did make critiques on society felt very lame and thrown in.

I still somewhat enjoyed the book but dang, this could’ve been so good.

I enjoyed this book but didn't love it. The protagonist, Saffy, was interesting but I wanted her story line of being a female serial killer to be the main one. Unfortunately, the author focused more on the obsession and love interest and their budding romance. The alternating perspectives was also not my favorite.

I tried really hard to get into this one, but I just wasn't able to. I am still really thankful to the publisher, author, and netgalley for granting me advanced access to this digital collection before publication day.

Finlay Donovan meets Stone Cold Fox!! This is a funny thriller (yes it’s a thing)! Saffy is a mastermind and I would read a whole series about her and her serial killer ways!

This follows Saffy, a serial killer who targets bad men, and Jon, a true crime podcaster. Saffy thinks she has finally found a good guy in Jon, but then he is accused of murder. She decides to investigate with him to clear his name.

I liked the premise here, but was confused that it switched between Saffy and Jon. There was also a lot less of Saffy’s murdering throughout than I thought. More chapters seemed to be from Jon’s perspective. It also takes a long while to get to the true plot (like 40% in it got there). The whodunit was also not surprising although there is a good minor twist in the epilogue. A good premise, but just too long to get to the actual plot.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When socialite and serial killer Saffy Huntley-Oliver sets her sights on unsuspecting true crime podcaster Jon Desrosiers for her next potential suitor, a dead body shows up on his doorstep and he begins receiving ominous messages.

This quirky debut was a fun read. I found myself rooting for Saffy as she took out bad men for their indiscretions against women. Although she’s a serial killer, she’s so relatable and has a soft spot for her sister. When she decides to embark on a mission to win over her crush – who happens to be a popular podcaster – things start to really pick up. Will he figure out her secret?

I enjoyed this book, but I felt like we didn’t get to know Saffy as much as Jon. I felt like she was more of a side character, which was interesting because the book marketed it more about her foray into killing bad men. It felt like the book could be set up to expand into a series, and it could be fun to see if Jon ever finds out Saffy’s little hobby. I’d be interested to follow for more!

Thank you to Julie Mae Cohen, The Overlook Press (Abrams) and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of the book for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers at The Overlook Press (by extension of ABRAMS) for providing this free digital ARC in return for an honest review. My opinion of the book and the content of my review were not altered by my receiving this edition.

I’m going into this blind only knowing that it’s a female serial killer of men.
If Dexter had a female lead and everyone is funny and pretty interesting - as a book.

From the quote at the beginning I was hooked. I devoured this book in one day, less than half a day truly. The pages turned so easily and the wit and humor actually made me laugh to myself a few times. “I kill bad men. As a hobby, it’s not as Instagrammable as baking.” C’MON! That is hilarious!!!

There were some dark elements in this book, as early as our main character’s childhood, and I found that no part of me wanted to root against Saffy, only for her. (Except with the poor pup…..) Saffy is downright side-splitting funny though, and her wit had me highlighting all kinds of lines on my Kindle. “Pavement pizza” “It’s impossible to move bodies around on public transport with any kind of discretion.” “A dress cut that won’t pop a boob when you’re strangling a man from behind.”
Just to name a few. Which is a testament to the mind and writing of the author.

True crime has become a widely popular pastime between podcasts, insider tv spots, and even conventions. The idea of a podcast host and author becoming the target of sociopaths feels very possible and parts of the book dealing with Jon were shocking and felt ripped from a headline.

Even near the end the twists and the follow-through of one very graphic threat were shocking all the way up to the final reveal, the true mastermind taking steps to bring everything together.

I immersed myself in this book, I think it would make a great tv show, I cannot recommend enough!

Thanks to Abrams for a Netgalley copy to review; this title's on sale now.

Bad Men leaned more romance than thriller for me, something I'd expect more from a romantic suspense where the <i>lead</i> is not the killer...

Some very humorous inner monologue moments from Saffy's POV shone through, but I didn't get what I expected from this. Solid three-star read, something for the beach or a trip.

For me this was just an OK book. Definitely not what I expected from the description. Didn't finish it since I lost interest.