As a proclaimed lover of thrillers and dark humour, I was hooked from the very beginning."Bad Men" by Julie Mae Cohen tells the story of a glamorous socialite who's also a serial killer. Saffy Huntley-Oliver is the perfect blend of sass, wit, and ruthlessness - I found myself rooting for her despite (or maybe because of) her questionable morals.

The story is expertly woven, with a cast of complex characters that all have secrets hiding behind their facades. The plot twists and turns are expertly executed, keeping me on the edge of my seat as I try to piece together the mystery. And the romance? Yeah, the romance. I ship Saffy and Jonathan hard, despite knowing that their love is built on shaky ground.

As a fan of true-crime podcasts, I loved the nod to Jonathan's true-crime podcasting career. It added an extra layer of authenticity to the story, and I loved watching Saffy's skills come into play as she helped him clear his name.

What sets this book apart is its dark humour. The author's wit is sharp, and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the absurdity of it all. The characters' banter is snappy and fun, and even when things get serious, the tone never feels too heavy.

I listened to the audiobook version, and I have to say that the narration was top-notch. The voice actress brought Saffy to life in a way that made me feel like I was right there with her.

Overall, I'd give "Bad Men" 5 stars out of 5. It's a wild ride that will keep you guessing until the very end. So if you're looking for a thriller with a dash of dark humour and a healthy dose of sass, look no further.

Amazing twisted thriller with dark twisted humor to match. The irony and absurdidy of the premise is well executed and weaves the individual storylines with the the integrated story of the main characters, with all the secrets hiding behind them. From the prolouge to epilouge it will keep you breathles.

The narrator handles the different points of view deftly.

“Bad Men” is a twisty thriller that offers a wickedly fun and entertaining ride through the life of Saffy Huntley-Oliver. More than just an intelligent and glamorous socialite, Saffy harbours a dark secret: she’s a proficient serial killer. This serial killer anti-hero takes justice into her own hands by hunting down the worst of society—rapists, murderers, and abusers—leading a thrilling double life.

The narrative becomes even more intriguing when Saffy becomes obsessed with Jonathan Desrosiers, a true crime podcaster. Their relationship begins with an orchestrated meet-cute, setting the stage for a story filled with dark humour and a fast-paced plot that maintains a good amount of tension throughout.

Surprisingly, Saffy’s character is quite likeable, despite her narcissistic tendencies and lethal habits. She’s fierce, bold, and someone you wouldn’t want to cross—qualities that make her stand out in the “Podcast” genre. The story unfolds through multiple points of view (POV), adding depth and perspective to an already compelling narrative.

As a good debut for Julie Mae Cohen, “Bad Men” captivates readers with its amusing premise and a satisfying ending that will leave you wanting more. The audiobook, narrated by Nathalie Buscombe, is particularly noteworthy for bringing the characters to life with great pace and cadence, enhancing the overall experience.

“Bad Men” is a bold and unapologetic novel that thrills with its unique protagonist and engaging storytelling. It’s a must-read for fans of thrillers with a twist of dark comedy.

I received an ARC copy of the audiobook from RB Media | Recorded Books via NetGalley.

#BadMen #NetGalley

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

"Bad Men" by Julie Mae Cohen is a called a feminist thriller. It's a story about serial killers. The main character is Sapphy. When she was young, she was molested by her stepfather, and when he wanted to start doing it to her younger sister, Sapphy killed him. As time goes on, she gets rid of other pedophiles and abusive men.

She develops a crush on a true crime podcaster, John D. He discovers one of the local serial killers. Later, he starts to get threats in email and then texts. Can't say more without spoiling it.

This book has some gory scenes. No spice. There is a lot of drinking. Good mystery and thriller.

Characters -4/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 5/5 by Nathalie Buscombe
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 4.375 rounded down to 4 stars

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

I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrative and narrator kept me eagerly listening. The ending was a little predictable, but it didn't detract from the overall story and pacing.

TW: Child sexual abuse, gaslighting, grooming, death by suicide, death of parent, (almost) dog death, divorce, domestic abuse, anxiety, depression, drinking, toxic family relationships, panic attacks, sex

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Saffy Huntley-Oliver is an intelligent and glamorous socialite; she also happens to be a proficient serial killer. For the past fifteen years, she's hunted down and dispatched rapists, murderers, domestic abusers—bad men all. But leading a double life has left her lonely—dating’s tough when your boyfriend might turn out to be your next victim. Saffy thinks she's finally found a truly good man in Jonathan Desrosiers, a true-crime podcaster who’s amassed legions of die-hard fans for cracking cold cases and bringing justice to victims­­.

When a decapitated body shows up on Jon's doorstep the morning after his wife leaves him, he becomes the chief suspect for a murder he insists he didn’t commit. Saffy’s crush becomes an obsession as she orchestrates a meet-cute and volunteers to help Jon clear his name, using every trick up her sleeve to find the real killer and get her man—no matter the cost.
Release Date: May 7th, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Cover is nice
2. I liked what the synopsis said this book was about
3. Writing isn't terrible

What I Didn't Like:
1. Saffy is terrible
2. Not a thriller it's a romance with elements of suspense
3. So boring - nothing happens
4. Characters horrible
5. So much pointless sex

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

I find it hard to believe that a skinny 12 year girl is able to drown a man in a pool.

Jonathan finds a bag of trash on his porch so he opens it and finds a foot. It's not his wife which I had thought it was possible, but he called and she was with her mom.

Love that Saffy is a vegetarian but she's more than willing to throw the dog into a hole where it was close to drown. I guess the take away from this is if you are horny then throw a dog in a hole they can drown in so you can fake a rescue to meet a man you have a crush on.

Why is Saffy trying to be friends with Jonathan? Did I miss this? Ohhh she's trying to be in a relationship with him!

I found Saffy absolutely completely annoying. She keeps pushing herself onto Jonathan no matter how many times he tells her no.


I thought this was going to be a book about a serial killer but almost right from the beginning it turns into Saffy chasing after Johnathan to date him. I don't like being fooled into thinking a book is described as one way and ending up hoodwinked.

Johnathan is never allowed to tell Saffy no because she strong holds him and forces him to say yes. He mentions wanting to go to the police station but Saffy tells him she's going even when he says no. He says he doesn't want a dog and Saffy forces the dog on him. He says he doesn't want to stay in her home but she practically throws her keys at him.

Why is Johnathan a suspect when they have a man in prison who is being charged for the exact same crime that happened on his doorstep? Yeah the real killer isn't admitting to this murder but he's a murderer so why would the police believe him over Johnathan? Zero sense here!

Oh they explain it's because the victim had been sexually abused and the killer they arrested wasn't in his motivative.

Maybe I am a prude but talking with your sister about how horny you are and all the ways you're going to screw some dude is gross. Who has sex talks with a sibling and why?

Skipped some chapters and Saffy is still talking about wanting sex with Jonathan. Holy crap seriously!

Simon (the super fan from the beginning) is the killer. Oh I'm so shocked - nope. Terrible. He did it because he wanted a podcast and book for him.

Final Thoughts:
If you started this book thinking you were getting an action packed thriller of a woman seeking revenge and justice for other women, then you are mistaken. The characters are dreadful. Author seems to just be fixated on Jonathan's broken marriage and Saffy trying to sleep with him. Then throw in Saffy's younger sister Susie who's chasing after her crappie boyfriend and it all feels like a different book than the one described to us in the synopsis.

I wasn't having a good time at all. Actually I dreaded returning back to this book. In the end I had to dnf it around page 250 because it all has no substance and just horny grown-ups pining for one another.

There is a basic I guess mystery thrown in here that someone put a bag with a foot in Jonathan's porch but it was such an after thought to all the romance and lust. Look I requested this book for the mystery not the hookups.

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Thanks to Netgalley and The Overlook Press for an advance copy of the ebook. Also thanks to Recorded Books for the advanced audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you @NetGalley and @RB Media for the ARC. Bad Men surprised me how into the book I was. Serial killers are usually not my thing, but this book was a good introduction. I think most people have thought about getting rid of bad men but we know it is morally wrong. Our main character thought is the end justifies the means. I plan to read more by Julie Mae Cohen.

A queen in her own right, our main character Saffy Huntley-Oliver kills bad men as a service to us all. This was a fun, almost cozy, thriller right up until the last 20% where we really get into the gore. MFM and TWWD girlies, this one is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I am so torn about this one. It kept me interested throughout the whole thing, and I wanted to know who had it out for Jon. I just don't feel that the story matches the description—it is way less about Saffy than it is about Jon. I just wanted so much more from this.

The narrator made me truly dislike Saffy. She was so annoying and ruined the book for me. Her voice was irritating, and her personality was irritating. It felt like she was forcing Jon into everything romantic, which made it feel as though they had no chemistry at all.

Jon, LISTEN TO THE DOG.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrated by Nathalie Buscombe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Story by Julie Mae Cohen ⭐⭐

I absolutely love a good vigilante killer, but this was terribly disappointing. The premise is fantastic but the delivery and the characters were so dull and quite frankly for a lot of talk about murder this book didn't really do alot of it or go anywhere.

The audio of Bad Men did not disappoint! I really
Enjoyed the way the narrator made this story smooth. The transitions flowed and her inflection was perfect. I even enjoyed her make voices, which I usually do not.

The story of a female serial killer was an interesting take. I enjoyed the dry humor of the main character but I felt like the character development was a bit off. The ending left much to be desired as well. However, I was on board throughout the book when the author inserted witty quips and drew some parallels between current events and politics. Anything with a feminist tone that cleverly rejects misogyny always catches my interest. Overall definitely worth a listen!

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen was an awesome listen! I found myself turning it on any chance I had! Saffy is the kind of character that is easy to fall in love with, even when you know she is a serial killer…who kills bad men that is! This book was filled with so many twists and turns intricately woven around an ongoing mystery and romance! It was so enjoyable! I would definitely recommend it to either read or listen to the audio book!!

Firstly, I would like to extend my gratitude to RB Media, Julie Mae Cohen and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

This is another mixed bag review. Right out the gate I want to highlight Nathalie Buscombe for the outstanding job she did narrating this audiobook. She captured the the satirical tone of this novel expertly, and gave life to each character and scene in a way that was thoroughly engaging. Her narration elevated my experience of this book.

Sadly I struggled with some core elements of the story and characterisation. I think despite their ages and the book's themes, much of the dialogue and the actions taken by the characters read younger and slightly underdeveloped, or rather ungrounded in reality. I was also disappointed that Saffy, the book's lead, took a backseat to her male love interest for much of this book, with the central storyline following this rather, plain and unremarkable man. Her attraction to him and the author's choice to feature him so much, never quite made sense, as he came across as quite ordinary and lacking real depth, despite the characters' constant proclamations of his charm and brilliance. His prominence in a book ostensibly about the female protagonist was puzzling.

That said, I did find myself entertained by "Bad Men" in a sort of guilty pleasure way, much like watching a soapy TV movie. The plot moved at an okay pace and there were certainly some humorous moments that landed well. If I'm honest I think this book was just not quite tailored to my specific tastes but it was by no means a bad book and I could see how it would work for someone else.

Overall I think this is a decent read if you don't go in looking for too much out of it. I'd say it's more or less what you'd expect from reading the blurb - the author really takes a satirical, tongue-in-cheek approach to the whole 'female serial killer' concept and I think for audiences looking for a light, quippy, somewhat predictable, over-the-top feminist thriller, this would make a quick enjoyable read.

This book had great potential but it fell a little short to me. I did enjoy the narrator of the audiobook. The only negative was that it was a little hard to follow. Each chapter should have been more clear on who was speaking. Overall a pretty good book though! Would read more from this author.

This was such a fun read! I live for women who slay their public life and who aren’t afraid of any man. BUT they also are a serial killer on the side for fun. Saffy is one of my favorite characters ever!
The ‘justice system’ serves a lot of purposes but one of them is rarely justice. Especially when it comes to rich white powerful and awful men. I love any book at is from a strong independent women. Is Saffy a psychopath? Absolutely! But is she also intelligent, sophisticated, and irresistible? Also yes. In her defense, the world is definitely better off without these men and saved your tax dollars at the same time.. (FBI please don’t read this)
One of my new favorite trope is a psychopath trying to fall in love.
The only reason this is not a five star for me is because the ending didn’t have that last shocking OMG feeling like I was anticipating the entire book.

If you loved the Mind Fuck Series or the Dr. Gretchen White series by Brianna Labuskes, you will love this book. Do psychopaths get along with each other? I’m not sure but I would love a book where Saffy visits the States and helps Dr. Gretchen White solve cases!

I received the audio book from NetGalley. The narration was done by Nathalie Buscombe and she was perfect for this book. She gave the perfect sophisticated, partly (always) annoyed by people tone I would 100% expect from Saffy.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an arc of Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen!

I loved this audiobook. Saffy is an extremely confident woman, aware that she has some skills that others absolutely do not. Her fierce love for her sister and desire to keep her safe since childhood is commendable. What this protective nature turns her into is bizarre, yet completely normal for Saffy. Jon is a loveable character and I was surprised that he didn't realize what was happening or who Saffy truly is. But, then again, he's not a detective. I definitely saw the killer coming but it did not impact my enjoyment of this book. It was enjoyable to listen to, even if Saffy's valley girl accent was a little bit too much at times.

I highly recommend this book for murder mystery readers and those who want a bad-ass heroine/villain? You decide.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book!

absolute banger of a book! not only do we get a female serial killer mc on the sociopathic spectrum, but a well blended in romance and mystery that keeps you waiting for more on the edge of your seat! and, with that ending, this book is easily in my top 5 for this year so far! a must read for all!

Love love love. Loved being in this girls brain while she was murdery. And I actually liked the romance and seeing it play out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast paced, easily listen and despite the characters being bland and beige (Jonathan) or incredibly annoying (Saffy), it's somehow an enjoyable listen.

The plot is fairly predictable, thanks to the random inclusion of the villain who then disappears never to be seen again until the end of the book. However that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

My main issue with this book was the amount of saliva which could be heard from the narrator which left me feeling uncomfortable for the first half of the listen.