If you're looking for a book with one hilarious foot firmly in the world of social satire and the other kicking up its heels in the shock and kill world of murderous serial killers, then Asia Mackay's new novel is made for you!

I can not tell you how many times I laughed (loudly!) at the plight of two SERIAL KILLERS navigating the highs and lows of marriage, parenthood, suburbia, the workplace, friendships, playgrounds, and toddler music classes WHILST yearning for the "good old days." You know, those rosy pre-child years of living their best life and removing some unsavory, immoral, or downright BAD PEOPLE from the world as needed. (Think righteous superheroes - without capes - but with sharp and pointy weapons.😳)

In addition to the over-the-top, cinema-ready serial killer story, Mackay infuses the story with astute observations about the very real life journey of folks who attempt to navigate this mysterious thing called "adulting." This aspect is what kept me reading and thinking throughout my giggles and gasps.

I wholeheartedly recommend this original and entertaining novel for your enjoyment.

I received an advanced digital copy of "A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage" from NetGalley. This review reflects my own thoughts and opinions.

This novel has a publish date of January 14, 2025.

I was so pleased to receive the ARC. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers. However, I found the book lacking in interest. It's quite slow, with no real surprises.

I like the premise but the execution was boring and disappointing. Not much was happening most of the time. I didn't really like either main character, but I especially hated Hazel. She was obnoxious from begining to end.

OMG, this book is insanely good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The twists and turns this book takes are so damn good. This is an entertaining look into a serial killers head, and it is so good you can't put it down until the last page!!!!!!!!

Hazel and Fox aren't your traditional suburban couple. Before having their daughter, they were vigilante serial killers - justifying their impulses by killing bad men who didn't deserve to live. For the sake of their family, they decide to give up their risky hobby, but neither of them are happy about it. Without an outlet for their energy, their marriage struggles until they stumble upon an unlikely solution.

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage was just okay for me. It seemed to drag on, which is never a good feeling to have while reading. Miscommunication is my least favorite romance trope, and there was a lot of it in this story. I didn't find either character sympathetic and thought Haze was insufferable until she was redeemed at the end. I did enjoy the ending and how the story was wrapped up. I think other people would enjoy this, but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy!

Now this was a fun read! Huge thank you to Random House for the ARC of this book.

If you’re a fan of Brynne Weaver’s Butcher & Blackbird or Leather & Lark, this is absolutely a read for you. Think an extended epilogue of either book, where we follow our couple as they navigate parenting & suburbia, while giving up their passion on ~unaliving~ the way they want to. A Serial Killers Guide to Marriage did not disappoint!

These are some of my favorite serial killers. Two married people killing bad people and then trying to normalize themselves for the sake of their daughter. It was kind of sweet. But you just can't stop doing what you love, right? The cast of characters surrounding them were perfect foils for their attempts to be regular parents in suburbia. I will read their further adventures.

Hazel and Fox are the perfect suburban couple, rich and beautiful and living a life that seems perfect as they raise their little girl. Underneath, they're a couple of serial killers who met, fell in love, and went on a rampage throughout Europe taking out very bad men until pregnancy and a desire to raise their daughter right sees them moving to the suburbs. Trying to live a 'normal' life is a challenge for both of them, with Hazel feeling depressed and angry all the time and Fox burying himself in work and pulling away from Hazel. Until things come to a head and they both have to face their true desires and expose their secrets.

It's a weird one. There are some very dark moments and implications that actually have you cheering for Hazel whenever she takes out a bad guy. It also reads a bit depressive before things really take off, which is a testament to Mackay making it so that feelings bleed off the page so that you feel what the characters are feeling. There are also some sincerely funny and positive moments that balance out the darkness quite nicely. All of this combines to make a story where you're not sure you should be cheering for the serial killers but they're totally in love and you want to cheer for true, understanding love to persevere.

Fox and Hazel truly are perfect for each other and it's obvious once they stop trying to solve things themselves and confess everything to each other. There was a point somewhere around the middle where I needed to know what was really going on and couldn't put the book down. It entertained me while also making me think, which is always a great thing in fiction.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the interesting read!

The premise of this book is exactly what I would look for in a story. Unfortunately this one was just too repetitive for me to really get engaged with the storyline or the characters. I wasn’t looking forward to picking it upz

You know when you find a book you like and you kick your feet as you read it? No? Just me? This book did that. I like the killer perspective. It was different. They as a couple were different. They knew how to identify and take down the bad guys. Who can be mad at that? Ha. 4.8!

Fox and Hazel seem to have it all; a lavish lifestyle and an adorable little girl but something is missing. They used to be so in love and living a wild life until Hazel became pregnant and everything changed. No more exciting parties and trips around the world but most of all not more killing. How will they adjust to being a normal suburban family? Can their marriage survive this dramatic adjustment or will one of them have to go?

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

LOVED ! This was such a fun quick read !
Haze , although a tad crazy is hilarious & relatable with her marriage issues (outside of the murder part) but yeah she did kind of bug me throughout with her spoiled ass behavior. Her kid was more self aware .
Definitely had a lot of dark issues mentioned but the author doesn't dwell on it & make this a depressing book.
My only complaint is I didn't love how Haze kept referring to her life ending when she saw those 2 blue lines & her life sentence....
The ending was a bit of a surprise & I loved it.
Shoutout to Helga . I love her & want her in my life ❤️🙃

Thanks Netgalley for another great Arc
" SerialKillersGuideToMarriage ❤️🗡️

Bantam eARC
Think married couple that kill like Dexter but stop because they become parents. This book was interesting watching Haze and Fox figure out what to do when they lose their stress outlet and shared habit. It created some great conflict, some frustration with both of them, and made me consider how parenthood restructures everything. The middle dragged a bit, but the ending surprised me in the best way.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book was my first 5 star read for 2025 and it won’t soon be forgotten! It totally gave me Mr. And Mrs. Smith vibes, just a murderous couple trying to live a normal suburban life. I loved all the secrets and deception between the two, when underneath they both really love their daughter and each other. At times it felt like a comedy of errors and had me literally laughing out loud. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers told from both parties points of view!

I liked it! I really enjoyed/appreciated Asia Mackay’s writing- short, easily read, POV identified, well written chapters. I didn’t see the twists coming- never a dull moment in the lives of serial killers, I guess….. By the end I was cheering Haze and Fox on.
Although I initially struggled with the idea of serial killing being justified primarily because of who the victims were /their actions, I continued to read; about a third of the way into the book, I realized that I gotten invested in the characters and their story.
Thank You to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the invitation to read and guiltily enjoy this ARC.

In A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO MARRIAGE by Asia Mackay, things are not happy in a couple's suburban house and home with baby and the life you're supposed to want. Possibly the fact they met over murder and lived exciting and rewarding times at the start have spoiled the chances for Hazel and Fox. I loved the perspective of former murderer Hazel viewing the dramas of suburban life, the preschool issues and sizing up the everyday ordinary when Fox seems happy being a "normal" person. Twists and turns of the plot, tight and fascinating dialogue, deep characters I fell like I know....this book has it all for a lighthearted look at what happens when happily ever after isn't what you thought you wanted -- ever. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

What a great book!! Vigilante serial killer couple trying to live in suburbia?! So good. I loved the humor and drama. The secrets that kept you guessing the whole time and how everything was connected! Would definitely recommend.

I read "A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage" by Asia Mackay on NetGalley. I would never have thought that I would be rooting for 2 serial killers to make their marriage work, but I did with this book. The couple, known as Hazel & Fox, worked as killers together until Hazel got pregnant and they decided to try raising a family. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from the author.

Being a mom is tough! Not only is her two year old daughter still not completely potty trained, but her marriage has fallen into a rut and she's had to take a step back from her career...serial killing.

This is the most fun book I've read this year...and a book that is very poignant about the challenges of long term marriages and raising a child. I'm not a serial killer, but I've found the balance of raising my son and trying to balance a career I love, while trying to still be the fun person I was before I had my son (with a pre-baby body.) At one point, Hazel admits that “I wanted to be an amazing, awe inspiring mother without doing the actual work required to be an amazing, awe inspiring mother.” It's incredibly relatable! While the book is centred around Hazel's relationship with her husband, Fox - I laughed out loud when Fox went to AA for his killing addiction - after all, if they can help you cope with alcoholism, they can help you with any addiction, right? The secondary characters were also incredibly enjoyable, from Helga the nanny (who never mentions that Hazel isn't quite dressed appropriately for book club) to Fox's brother Julian (who would rather not know what Fox is up to, so that they can keep a good relationship). I never thought a book about the compromises of motherhood and murder would be so hilariously entertaining.

Finally, the real heart of the book is Hazel's friendship with another mom, Jenny. Details of her life (which I won't spoil here) make the friendship a bit difficult, but the protectiveness Hazel has for her is genuinely heartwarming and a real sign of Hazel learning to trust other people. And the book ends in its own version of a happy ending - the only ending which really fit.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who can handle some dark humour about motherhood, or anyone who has ever enjoyed a true crime podcast over a glass of wine.

I'm sure many moms can relate to Hazel's dilemma. She gave up a beloved career to stay home with their little girl Bibi. Her time as a serial killer partner to her husband Fox ended with the arrival of their daughter. Essentially both agreed it was safer for their new family member if they pursued tamer and legal activities.

Once I got past the abundance of f-bombs at the beginning of the book, the plot really hooked me. I did enjoy the end of the book much more than the beginning. And it was difficult to love Hazel -- I tried. Fox was more nurturing despite his history and of the two.

Asia Mackay makes a delightful statement in her Acknowledgments about the result of a five star review:
every time you rate a book five stars on any public forum rainbows light up the sky, fluffy bunnies leap with joy, and a writer ecstatically cries how it was all worth it?!
I am so sorry to deprive you of a star, Ms. Mackay. I am probably too much of a rule follower to appreciate this story. I did really like it!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. This book was scheduled to be released on January 14, 2025.