Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

The premise of this book immediately grabbed me—think Dexter with a little RHO…. While the concept was strong, some aspects of the execution fell a bit flat, particularly Haze and Fox’s relationship. The dynamic was meant to be tense and complex, with Haze suppressing her urge to kill, leading her to doubt the authenticity of her love for Fox, while Fox played the role of the ultimate savior. But something about their connection just didn’t fully click for me.

That said, the ending? Absolute perfection. Jenny is that girl, and honestly, maybe—just maybe—bringing a third person into a marriage can save it. 😂

A Serial Killers Guide to Murder by Asia McKay was so good!! If you like morally gray characters, secret identities, serial killer spouses, different timelines, dark humor, and domestic suspense then you will love this book.

This is my first book by Asia McKay and I enjoyed it. Told from multiple POV’s, Fox and Hazel are serial killers who happen to fall in love, get pregnant, and start a family. They work hard to keep their identities hidden and have use their own codes. Their lives went from an action movie to living a suburban life, taking mommy and me classes, and working corporate jobs. They are struggling with the ups and downs of their marriage because what originally brought them together they are no longer doing and they kinda resent each other for it. This book was full of twists and turns, alternating chapters, bad people, secrets, and lies. What more could you ask for?? Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and options.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes, etc: Retired Serial Killers, Marriage In Crisis, Morally Grey Characters
POV: Dual, 1st Person
3rd Act Breakup?: Kind of?

Brief Summary: Hazel and Fox were the ultimate power couple, traveling the world and killing bad guys as they went…until Hazel fell pregnant. Now they’ve settled down and retired, and Hazel is bored out of her mind. When she kills someone behind Fox’s back, she learns he’s been hiding things from her as well.

The Praise: I really loved the premise of this book. The overall plot was fun, mysterious, and unique. I really liked Hazel’s backstory and I liked her snark as well.

The Critique: The relationship between Hazel and Fox just fell sort of flat for me. It felt a little underdeveloped. Hazel struggled with the idea that she may have been blinded by the high of killing and that she and Fox weren’t really as in love as she thought, but we never really get clarification on that. She spent the entire book resenting him and we didn’t see much of them actually in love, which made the ending feel incongruous.

Final Thoughts: This book had a lot of potential but didn’t quite live up to it in my opinion. It was still a fun read, just not what I was hoping for.

While I usually prefer darker thrillers, I need something lighter here and there.

This is not necessarily about the kills each had, but *the art of killing*. What made Hazel do what she do. What made Fox want to handle the individuals he encountered. A meet cute that only these two could benefit from..... Thankfully they have standards. All kills are justified. Very bingeable!

I could see this being a series, or even adapted to the screen. Filmed with the vibe of Dead to Me or The Santa Clarita Diet.

This book was so fun! A little Dexter, a little Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and some seriously unexpected twists. I enjoyed the dual narration, although everything did wrap up maybe a little too tidy in the end. It seems like it is set up for a sequel, which I would definitely read… Would also love to see this adapted for TV!

Obsessed. Two serial killers get married and have a kid so they make a pact to not kill anymore but one of them breaks it? The secrets in this book are hilarious and amazing and i loved it

This was pretty chaotic in a really fun way. I really loved the dark humor and the chaos being unleashed upon suburbia. Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this prior to publication.

Haze and Fox are raising their daughter in a stable neighborhood, arranging playdates and trying to avoid too much screen time. But it is a bit of an adjustment from the life they had pre-baby - where a fun night out involved ending the lives of men they deemed "bad." Fox appears content with settling into parenthood and leaving murders in the past, yet Haze longs for what used to be. She loves her daughter, but the monotony of life as a SAHM who can't seek vengeance is really getting to her. So when the opportunity arises, she takes it and tries not to let it destroy her family and pop the precarious safety bubble they live in.

I really enjoyed this book! This was a fun and interesting book idea that was well executed. There's really not a ton of murder and gore, as these serial killers are struggling to recover from their addiction. This leads to a lot of struggling and tension in their marriage. All marriages have conflict, but not all of them include trying not to irritate your wife to the point she wants to literally stab you. I thought the plot was really great, it had me hooked with quite a few twists that I did not see coming. Haze is especially fleshed out as a character. As a fellow SAHM with young kids I could understand a lot of where she was coming from as a mother, although we definitely don't agree on most outlooks on life! I did really enjoy the Jenny character! We go back in time for many chapters of the book and alternate POVs between Haze and Fox. At times I wondered if this was the second book in a series just because of where the book picks up - so much of their lives happened already and we are dropped into present day with a toddler and them looking back nostalgically at days full of bloodlust.

Overall this was a great read. It is similar to a less dark and less steamy Butcher & Blackbird. If you have a dark sense of humor and like suspense I recommend this book! I look forward to reading more from Asia Mackay. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for my opinions.

I really enjoyed this book. Truthfully I didn’t know much about it but am glad I read it. It was a very interesting premise and also unsettling. Worth reading.

3.5/5 stars

This thriller has a very slow start wherein there is no thrill and all complaining. However, it eventually got better and more engaging. Rounded up to four stars because I didn’t see the ending coming at all.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for providing me with an eARC of A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage in exchange for my honest review!

What a charming, darkly comedic, and thrilling way to guide me through the ups and downs of a marriage between two former serial killers. It's easy for me to become invested in Haze and Fox as they struggle with trying to love each other, as that affection fades away and they long for the old days of hunting down and offing horrendous men. It can be downright grimly humorous to watch this couple (in both the past and the present) express love and wistfulness for each other over the murderous lives they'd previously led, over the spark that axing monstrous human beings had infused into their relationship. I'll admit, though, that I could have done with more murder happening on the page. You'd expect that from a book that revolves around serial killers, right? But nope, it would be suitable to anticipate only spurts of such explicit grisliness. Instead, the book focuses more on the growing tension and mistrust between Haze and Fox while they're contending with being trapped in a dying relationship. It's great to have Jenny in the story as well, adding more nuances as I witness the dynamic between her and Haze, who has her own selfish motivations for befriending Jenny.

Overall, I'm officially rating A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage four out of five stars. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for more of Asia Mackay's work.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Asia Mackay’s "A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage" is an exhilaratingly dark and witty novel that masterfully interlaces murder, marriage, and unexpected humanity into a rollercoaster of suspenseful delight. A genre-defying work, it challenges conventional definitions of love, morality, and personal redemption through its razor-sharp storytelling and deeply flawed yet captivating characters.

The story centers around the marriage of Hazel and Fox which is anything but typical. Beneath their surface charm lies a shadowy undertone of secrets and—well, a penchant for murder. Mackay crafts an ingenious tale that doesn’t merely dwell on sensationalism but dives deeply into the motivations and complexities of her characters, exploring what drives people to extremes and how love, in its warped forms, can both destroy and save us.

Hazel, a compellingly nuanced protagonist, invites readers into her psyche as she grapples with her unsettling lifestyle and the paradoxical tenderness in her relationship with Fox. The character development here is exceptional—Hazel's inner turmoil and sharp wit keep readers teetering on the edge, alternately horrified and amused. Fox, meanwhile, is a chillingly charismatic figure, his macabre tendencies underscored by moments of surprising vulnerability.

One of the book’s most brilliant facets is its seamless blend of humor and suspense. Mackay’s writing gleams with biting sarcasm and clever dialogue, injecting levity into the dark and thrilling narrative. Themes of trust, forgiveness, and morality are explored with a deft touch, making the novel not only a riveting read but also a thought-provoking one.

The pacing is relentless, and the twists are both shocking and satisfying, with Mackay’s prose propelling the reader forward in an unyielding grip. While the book's premise might seem niche, its exploration of universal human emotions—love, guilt, ambition, and the desire for redemption—ensures its resonance across a wide audience.

"A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage" is not just a story about murder; it’s a sharp, complex exploration of human relationships under extraordinary circumstances. For readers who enjoy thrillers with a twist of humor and a generous dose of emotional depth, this book is an absolute must-read.

Hazel has stopped being an artist to be a stay at home mom. Fox is working at an investment company. They been arried for ten years. They both adore their little girl baby named Bibi. They are former serial killers but now are trying to reform for the sake of their baby. However giving up killing has dulled the spark that they used to have. They are feeling trapped and resentful. Hazel goes to the local baby and me music class and mocks them. She meets Jenny, another mother, they begin an unlikely friendship. Hazel finds out that her former partner owes her a lot of money. Hazel. decides that he will pay up. to see that he pays up.

The author has written a tale of marriage and murder. It does have humor which lightens up the novel. I like d how Hazel was snarky either her baby and me music club. It is very well written. Don’t miss it!

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay was a little tiring to read. Switching between flashbacks to present for both Haze and Fox was a lot to keep up with. The point of life changing because the murderous couple had a baby was mentioned incessantly. I may have had a better time with it on audio.

Once again I find myself an outlier. There isn’t even one character that is likable. I reluctantly give this three stars. This ARC was provided by Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Decent Thriller with Some Missed Potential – 3 Stars

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage has an intriguing premise and delivers some suspenseful moments, but it falls short of being a standout thriller. The concept—a marriage entangled in secrets and murder—had the potential to be gripping, yet the execution felt uneven.

The pacing was inconsistent; some sections were tense and engaging, while others dragged. The characters, particularly the main couple, were interesting but lacked the depth needed to make their actions feel truly compelling. There were some predictable twists, though a few surprises kept me invested until the end.

Overall, it’s a decent read for fans of domestic thrillers, but it doesn’t quite live up to its full potential.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read a new thriller!

two former murderers are married with a baby trying to give up the vigilante life. Can they do it? Lots of twists and turns, murder and mayhem, interesting complex characters making this a real page turner and a must read!

Thank you @NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the ARC. We find two people have have fallen in love with ridding the world of bad people and each other. The location in Europe sets Jack the Ripper vibes. Unfortunately when they have a baby, killing is no longer proper and they hang up their knives. Yet living in the suburbs is no longer fulfilling, husband never home and no killing. I enjoyed the story and the ending was not what I was expecting at all. A must read.

This was so well done. It is the perfect balance of suspense and humor. Characters you cannot help but love and also fear.

I enjoyed this book. I loved Haze, Fox, Jenny, and the kiddos. The buildup was well done, the twists were beautifully plotted, and this could be a series if Asia wanted it to be!

If you like thrillers but don’t want anything too dark, this is the perfect balance. It isn’t gory or vulgar; it’s a thriller infused with humor and well-timed comedy.

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage was a fun thriller that helped get me out of a reading slump. I enjoyed the thrilling story and it also provided a bit of an escape for me from reality. The story was quite unbelievable in many different aspects but the writing style worked to make it believable and keep you on your toes.