To be honest, reading the prologue and the first couple of chapters, I wasn't sure I was going to finish this book. The prologue gave a sense of who Saffy is and why she's taken on this sadistic double life, but then the first chapter is rather dull, as is the next chapter depicting Jonathan's life as a famous true crime podcaster, whose wife then leaves him because he's dedicated too much time to murder. In retrospect, those chapters are pretty important for understanding the rest of the book; I just wish there had been more tension. The romantic setup felt strange as well, and I never really understood why Saffy felt so drawn to Jonathan other than his obsession with true crime. But the story itself was entertaining and I found myself more intrigued by who was really framing Jonathan as I kept reading. I was actually surprised by the reveal near the end as I'd kind of forgotten about one of the characters, and I appreciated the direct reference to Stephen King's Misery. But, I have to admit, I saw the final "twist" at the end coming a mile away.

The narration by Nathalie Buscombe was enjoyable and it was easy to discern her characters. Thank you to the author, Harry N Abrams, and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you so much to RB Media 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.

Outside of the actual book, the narration absolutely slayed (pun intended). The narrator nailed Staffy's ambiguous accent as well as changing the dialog to fit a UK setting even better like changing fries to chips and kissing to snogging and it absolutely improved the source material which is rare.

Love the writing but the plot of the story let me down a bit. I was expecting more kills and gory scenes from the FMC and her obsession with the MMC was not necessary.
That cover was amazing but definitely hace mixed feelings about the book.

Absolutely loved this one. I am a big fan of books that center on women putting bad men in their place (grave?) and this one fit the bill. I have both the print and audio version but preferred the audiobook because the narrator was fantastic.

I went into this one blind, I did not read the description to give me any ideas of what the book would be about and I think that boosted my experience.

This book is billed as a ‘feminist thriller’ and had I picked it up for that reason alone it would have affected my rating. As I really don’t believe there was anything feminist about this book.

Saffy is a serial killer who kills bad men. She never knows if the next date she goes on will result in her next victim. When she listens to Jonathan’s true crime podcast she thinks she’s found a truly good man. A body shows up at his house and she’s convinced he’s innocent. She does everything she can to insert herself in his life to win him over and clear his name.

This book was full of sarcastic wit and tense moments. I am in the minority who enjoyed it but again, I didn’t pick it up just because I wanted a feminist thriller. I recommend going into this one with an open mind and giving it a shot!


Thank you RB media for a copy of this audiobook.

Wow, wow, wow! This is a must read! Graffic and descriptive, but definitely worth the read! This one will keep you questioning yourself! What would you do?

Who doesn't love a woman serial killer? Killing men that deserve it? Then throw in some love, lies, mystery, and conflict... Love, love, love Saffy and Jonathan! This book had it all. A good mystery with a surprising twist.

I received an advance review copy for free (thank you NetGalley), and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

This book had a great premise BUT I don't think it was executed well. An audiobook for me has to be super engaging and this just wasnt

This book is about a badass female serial killer that takes care of the really bad people in this world. I was instantly drawn to this book and I loved it.

Much like most of my reviews, this was reasonably entertaining without ever really going anywhere. Too bad, but things are sometimes.

Saffy is a serial killer that hunts - you guessed it - bad men. She loves killing and otherwise lives a normal life with family who have no idea about her secret hobby.

Jonathan is a true crime podcaster who recently helped get a serial killer imprisoned, but it was at the cost of his marriage. He ends up going on a date with Saffy, and they joke about murder and trume crime, he having no idea she is in fact, a murderer. After moving out of his home, he finds a dead body on his doorstep and instantly becomes the main suspect. Saffy is pretty sure that Jonathan is a good man and definitely not a killer, and she decides to help him prove his innocence.

This is a surprisingly light hearted mystery with some romance. 3.5 stars rounded up. I'm extremely late with this review. Thank you RB media for giving me a copy of this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for this ARC!

I really enjoyed Bad Men and I thought it had a great twist on the female serial killer trope. Saffy was a wonderfully delightful character that I couldn’t help but love. I also enjoyed how Julie wrote this story in dual POV and it was done so well! The narration was also great and the narrator made the story even better. And this is Julie’s debut thriller? Hats off to her!

Bad Men is a twisted love story that you won’t be able to put down!

I was excited to request Bad Men when I read the premise. I definitely enjoy the female serial killer/vigilante trope. Decent mystery with some funny moments. I do wish this had been less focused on the romantic aspects though.

I was expecting something serious but this was dark and funny. I loved the lady who kills bad men, and her progression seemed so normal based on her life. I loved how she fell in love and the way she wooed the poor guy. I loved the narrator, who was cool as ice. This is a quick read but lots of fun. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook.

This was so amazing! I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to more from this author! Kept me completely captivated

I absolutely LOVED Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen. This is certainly one of my TOP reads of 2024. An easy 5 Star rating for me!

Bad Men follows main character Saraphina (Saffy) Huntley Oliver who is a wealthy and glamorous socialite to those that know her or know of her, but behind closed doors, she is a feminist serial killer... and she's really good at what she does. It's not all sunshine, roses and "offing" the Bad Men though... Saffy is looking for love and takes interest in a true crime podcaster (what an ironic pair). Saffy does things that will make you question your own moral compass and will have you straight up rooting for a murderer. I enjoyed the witty, fast-paced writing with touches of gruesome darkness that made me uncomfortable in the way I'd hope a thriller would! The narration by Nathalie Buscombe was exceptional. I was able to listen at my normal 2x speed without losing any quality or understanding.

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media and Julie Mae Cohen for this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was an intriguing story. There are very few female serial killers, so I couldn’t resist picking up this one. Saffy was her own kind of vigilante. After suffering abuse as a child, she is determined to protect women from murders, rapists and domestic abusers. Because of her life choices it’s hard for her to be close to anyone, until she meets true crime podcaster Jonathan. This story gives us a view of not only her murdering ways, but of Saffy as a person as well.

I liked the audio of this one. Nathalie brought Saffy to life and really helped make me like her, which I didn’t think was possible considering she’s a serial killer.

Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for my ALC of this book.

Bad Men was such a fun read. Saphie was a Dexter-esque anti-heroine that I was rooting for the entire time. This book was just what I needed while in a reading rut. I listened to the audio and it was very well done. The plot was a little dark as with any book related to serial killers must be, but if you’re a fan of Finlay Donovan or Dexter, you will love this story!

A Vigilante British women who lives to take down shitty men. I liked Saffy’s cheeky attitude toward men. I enjoyed her unique voice and perspective.
I did have a bit of a hard time believing she would be falling head over heels in love with a random man and trusting him blindly, after how hard she worked her whole life and the things she has known and seen men do. The romance storyline took me out a bit, and the mystery at the center didn’t have a lot of relevant suspense for me. Overall i enjoyed the ride this took me on and the characters.

It started with a shiver and kept me shivering through the whole things. What a book! Poetic justice in motion!