Something happened to Millie Masters sister. As a result she is determined to find the culprit.
Millie is running a hotline called M. Anyone feeling in threat or danger can call her up of an evening and she will come to their rescue. Millie is aware that there are many men out there who just wont take NO for an answer. It is during one of her rescue missions that something happens. This starts her on the path she takes.

Although you really shouldn't like Millie you can't help but feel for her flawed character. You also come to realise that there's more to her history that's put her on the path to murder.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

If your job is what pays the bills then Millie is a picture framer, but if your job is what you define yourself by then Millie runs a phone line for women who feel unsafe on a night out. Women like Millie's sister, Katie, who hasn't been the same ever since she was attacked nine months ago. When Millie first sets out to find the man who attacked her little sister, she only wants to help, but between hunting down Katie's attacker and running her phone line, Millie starts to think that the only way things will change is if someone does something to change them. Someone like Millie.

I am loving the recent trend for books about women who go on killing sprees, and I could not resist this one's title. I enjoyed that we get to see the start of Millie's killing spree, to understand what triggers it and how it happens, and I also enjoyed that we got details of who Millie's victims are and how she kills them. This genre is always going to be a little exaggerated, but How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways strikes a good balance between enough realism that we can see how Millie ends up in the situation she does, and enough fantasy that we get an entertaining story with a happy ending. And I am thrilled about that happy ending. On the realistic side, there is obviously a lot of material to work with in terms of the men Millie considers worth killing - and this is a heavy topic, although hopefully that happy ending will help - but I also enjoyed the realism of the characters more broadly, the little details that made them feel like people you've met.

As well as satisfying on the female-serial-killer front, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways also satisfied on the black-humour front. Millie is an amusing narrator, and I enjoyed her sarcastic observations and asides, as well as her relatable inner monologue. I was on Millie's side from the very beginning, and I couldn't wait to see how her story ended. This is a solid addition to a fun new genre.

Don’t you just want to grab this, switch off the phone and curl up on the sofa
By far one of my favourite books I've read this year… I loved every minute…

I honestly wasn’t too sure about this book at first. I had never read anything in the female serial killer genre but the title and the description drew me in.

Millie has started a hotline for women called Message M. Text this number at anytime and she’ll get you a safe ride home. Obviously, things take a dramatic turn and the book lives up to its title.

For most of the book, I was feeling entertained but I just didn’t really care about the story. But there was a point towards the end of the book where my jaw dropped and I just couldn’t put it down.

The last couple of years have seen a mini-boom in the trope of female serial killers. Interestingly, the vast majority of these stories are dark, but funny.

Given the persistent (im)balance wrt the direction of gender based violence statistics to date, it's probably not an accident that these stories do tend to play on the absurdity of events described, rather than the likelihood of such murders actually taking place. Because one of the few things that holds true globally, if to slightly differing degrees, is the disturbing prevalence of violence against women.

Be that as it may, and absurdity notwithstanding, this is a good addition to the genre.

After a number of strange dating experiences, Millie decides to set up a service for women to help them get home safely after a date that hasn't really gone the way it was planned. Or when some random creepiness emerges in the form of a man in a bar who will not take no for an answer, or a stalker, or a threatening ex, and so on and so on.

To be honest, I cannot think of a single woman who will not appreciate the idea of a service like this! I seem to remember many years ago that students at my University in London were told about a service called Lady Cabs that was recommended for this very reason. Though what Millie offers is a decidedly upgraded version...

Nevertheless, very soon things go off- track due to the persistence of a certain type of particularly creepy individual, and the fact that one specific incident hits too close to home for Millie. The rest, as they say is history (herstory?)!

This is a dark, thrilling and very entertaining book. And considering the subject material, there is a surprising amount of very relatable humour on offer. If you are feeling a little vengeful, or ill-used, or just in need of a good laugh, then this is probably a good choice for you.

A dark and funny entry into the female serial killer genre, this book really grabbed my attention from the first chapter. Millie has a hotline called Message M for women who feel unsafe on a night out, which honestly sounds like a fantastic service. However, this all goes a bit sideways when this turns into actual murder.
I really enjoy a good female serial killer novel because there aren’t many of them in the genre (and in real life- or maybe they just don’t get caught!). Although Millie was frustrating at times, the author really still managed to make her likable to the point where I did want her to succeed. I also enjoyed her friend group, and the dynamic with her sister Katie.
It was a very enjoyable read, thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the copy!
4 stars.