For readers who:
- like contemporary crime + lifestyle novels
- like their characters a little deranged
- like when the line between good/villian is a little blurred

This book was an interesting read for me. The premise was great, and the characters were good. I just had a really hard time getting in their heads and being on board with their justification for murdering. That's a me thing, so if this book is your style, you'll probably really enjoy it.

I also thought the ending was a little rushed/unbelievable.

· Name of the publication/blog/outlet where your review will be published/posted: Goodreads
· Run date for when the review will be posted/published: January 12th, 2025
· A link to your review, if available, so the publisher can share your review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6954339353

3 out of 5 Stars!

Hazel and Fox may look like ordinary suburban parents, but they have a history like no others. They are serial killers. Well, they were serial killers until Hazel got pregnant, which forced them into retirement. Once they had the baby, they vowed to stop killing. Fox seems to have no issues with this, being a father comes easy to him. But Hazel is feeling defeated and depressed, her life seems so boring now compared to what it used to be. Hazel is dying to kill again, which ends up happening. Except this time, without Fox being next to her and keeping it a secret. Will Hazel keep it together? Or will their family fall apart?

“A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage” by Asia Mackay really caught my eye when scrolling on Goodreads! The title, cover, and synopsis are all excellently done. This book looked really bold, refreshing, and intriguing. At first, I was really drawn in and hooked. I was learning about their past and where they are now. But throughout the book, my interest started to decrease. The actual conflict in the book, Hazel's killing, doesn’t happen until about 1/3rd of the book. In my opinion, the conflict didn’t feel as crazy as the synopsis made it out to be. The conflict was more about Hazel and Fox’s relationship.

Throughout the book, there were 2 perspectives. It bounces between Hazel and Fox. I really liked how Mackay did this, as it keeps the book moving forward. I was not a huge fan of Hazel, even though she has her reasons for being depressed, I just thought her character was overall very dull. I get you want to keep killing, but there isn’t anything positive you can talk about? Fox, on the other hand, was very intriguing to read about. He had a very mysterious past and secrets he was trying to cover up. I thought he was really intriguing, and I wish more of the story covered his perspective.

Overall, if the storyline appeals to you, I would recommend this “A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage” by Asia Mackay. I think it is hard for a mystery and thriller plotline to feel refreshing, so I applaud Mackay for picking something new! Pick up your copy on January 14th, 2025!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Asia Mackay, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed it, it was a quick and funny read. I would rate this a 3.5 stars. I would recommend it.

Described as “Two former serial killers trying to keep their past buried realize that old habits die hard in this “wildly original, razor-sharp thriller””.
While I agree I’ve never read anything like this before, I did not find it razor-sharp or thrilling. I found Haze and Fox to be whiny liars. Each complaining about the other, their vastly different childhoods, and waiting for the other to tell the truth.

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage- think Mr. and Mrs. Smith as parents of a baby living in the London suburbs. Hazel Matthews, an artist, and, Nathaniel Foxton "Fox" Cabot, rich and working in finance, had been happily ridding the world of "bad men" who preyed on women. They were known as the "Backpacking Butcher" by Interpol. Hazel becomes pregnant and the couple decide to be better for the sake of their child, It is hard for Hazel to give up the killing so she does what she shouldn't-she kills a man without Fox.

This is a dark comedy told from the POVs of Hazel and Fox. We learn that Hazel had a hard childhood, a friend from art school committed suicide. Killing is a release for her pent up anger and frustration, after all how many mommy and me groups can you attend? She meets Jenny, a young mom with an ex- partner who is not a good person, so Hazel "helps". There is another mom in the group who happens to be a police officer and has been on the trail of the Backpacking Butcher. Fox is dealing a little better with suburban living, going to AA meetings, thinking his addiction to killing is like an addiction to alcohol. He also has a strange past regarding his family. What is up with the people he meets? Who are the two women? Secrets are everywhere and the police are at their door. What are they going to do?

I loved this book! It kept me turning the pages. The characters are well developed, I couldn't help rooting for them. I hope someone makes a film or mini series, so much dark humor!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, for an ARC. The review is my own.

Fox and Haze are serial killers. Then Hazel gets pregnant and everything changes. Can they maintain a kill free life to protect their daughter?

This book was wild in a good way. Whether it’s Fox’s awful family, Hazel and her attempts at normalcy and being a mom, or their navigating life as a family with the twists and turns throughout.. it just made this book fun & enjoyable!

Definitely a book I’d recommend as a fun read & something to change up your normal reading habits whether it’s thriller, suspense, etc.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I needed time to think about this book before writing my review. This book is a curious mix of a horror novel and family fiction. I was going to DNF this book, but curiosity, more than anything, had me reading until the end.

Fox and Haze seem to be the perfect couple, and they are as long as they are killing evil men. Once they had their child, life changed. No more killing, and from there, life goes totally downhill for them. Also, note that Fox is ultra-rich with what appears to be a good job. Haze is a famous artist renowned for her mixed-media canvases. You can imagine what she mixed into her paintings! They had met in Paris when Haze was caught by Fox taking care of business - shall we say.

The whole plot is a bit unbelievable, but that is fiction, right? Well, the ending is even more unbelievable but somewhat clever.

What I did have were significant issues with the whining and moaning from Haze -and she whined and moaned about everything. We get that she had a bad childhood. For goodness sake, you can't pick up a book today where someone isn't blaming everything in their lives about their childhoods. Fox wasn't much better, and all this inner dialoguing eventually got on my nerves to the point that I just didn't care what happened to them.

Fantasy fairy tale ending *sigh*, what are you going to do?

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Bantam/Random House, the author, and NetGalley.

This was phenomenal and such a ride. The pacing, the characters, the humor, and the chemistry between Hazel and Fox were absolutely intoxicating. I read this in one sitting, easily!

Meet Hazel and Fox, they are the perfect couple, they kill bad guys for fun! Then they move to suburbia when Hazel gets pregnant. They decide they need to stop their killing ways and become "normal" for their baby Bibi. Both of them struggle with this decision in different ways.

The book moves between Hazel and Fox's different POV's AND between past and present. There are even text messages between Hazel and her best friend from college who committed suicide, thrown in. This was confusing to me at first until I got used to the format.

I felt the first third of the book moved slowly. It did pick up toward the middle. The ending was fast paced. I also enjoyed the quick wit and humor rom Hazel that was sprinkled throughout the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I gave it 4 stars. I do think it could have been a little shorter. less of Hazel and Fox's secrets.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group | Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The main characters in this book, Fox and Haze, meet under odd circumstances and find they both serials killers with all the best intentions. They fall deep in love, and have a baby named Bibi. Now they struggle giving up the old life, or has it been given up?

This book has interesting twist and turns, coupled with related real world experiences. The one I find most relatable is Haze’s experience with mom life and feeling mom guilt. The story really dives into what it feels like to become a parent, and lose the loss of autonomy you might of once felt. Also, how hard it can be to find a friend as adult. All of this while the Fox and Haze struggle with their need to fill the blood lust they had that fueled the chemistry in their marriage. I couldn’t predict the end, but it was well written and enjoyable. This was a wonderful read, and I would recommend this book to others.

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage was a fun and hilarious dual POV thriller to read! Haze and Fox are used to traveling the world eliminating the bad men, but after having their daughter Bibi, they have put themselves into retirement and are trying to be a normal family. While it seems that Fox has adjusted to his role of being the perfect father/husband, Haze is having a difficult time giving up her old life.

This book was quite the wild ride and I didn't expect or see any of the twists it took coming. It was constantly on my mind as I was reading it and I didn't want to put it down. The character development and surprises throughout the story kept you engaged and wanting more the entire book. This is the first book I read from the author Asia Mackay and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future. I could totally see there being a sequel in the future with where the book left off.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for my ARC of this excellent novel!

3/5 stars

eARC provided by NetGalley

I really struggled with this book. The biggest positive is that it is written really well. While the story it self was not really for me I can see how people would like this story. The title of this book I feel like does not represent the actual story. It should be A Serial Killer's Guide to Parenthood. Seeing as that is the thing that caused them to change their lifestyle. They were married and living their best lives and then had a kid and that changed everything for them. While a lot was happening it also felt like nothing was really happening. This story heavily relies on the miscommunication trope. For me personally it just annoyed me more then anything. The twist at the end I did not like at all. The story builds to this big scene and then the ending lets that tension just fall away. Doing something that to me did not track with the story. Also the "they kill bad people that makes them good" was to heavily relied on in this story for me. It was suppose to make us like them but it just kind of annoyed me as we kept going. They are Serial Killers, that what I am here for. I did not really get that from this story. It also was pretty repetitive. I do not know if I recommend this specific story but I am interest in this authors other work as I do think they are a good writer. This story was just not for me.

Review: 2.5 Stars rounded up

The premise of a former serial-killer couple settling into suburban life sounded like a darkly funny, thrilling ride, but unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me.

Neither Hazel nor Fox felt particularly likable, which made it hard to connect with them. Fox’s POVs were far more engaging, but Hazel dominated the story, and her chapters often dragged. The pacing was uneven—slow for most of the book, only picking up at the very end.

I usually love dark humor, but the tone here felt off and forced. The constant miscommunication between Hazel and Fox was frustrating and seemed to drive the plot more than genuine tension.

While the premise had promise, the story fell flat for me. Thank you, NetGalley and Bantam, for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & Bantam for an eARC ♥️

Meet Hazel and Fox, a suburban couple with a baby and a whole lot of baggage. They used to be serial killers, but they've "retired" to live a normal life.
Hazel's going stir-crazy in the 'burbs, missing the rush of their old life. Fox, on the other hand, is loving every minute of fatherhood. But when Hazel's old habits come back to haunt her, their carefully constructed life starts to unravel.
What follows is a wild ride of cat-and-mouse, dark humor, and a healthy dose of satire. I loved how the author pokes fun at suburban life while still delivering a thriller that's both suspenseful and thought-provoking.
The writing is razor-sharp, with characters that are both fascinating and terrifying. Hazel's inner monologue is hilarious and disturbing at the same time, making her one of the most unique and complex characters I've encountered in a while.🔥

This one's a must-read for fans of twisted thrillers, dark humor, and satire! If you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you laugh out loud, this is the perfect choice.

This was a usual take on married life. And I liked it.

If you remove the serial killing from the plot, there’s still a story about marriage and communication and putting in the effort, etc. The serial murdering added an interesting and unpredictable element to the story.

I could take or leave Fox but I really liked Haze as a narrator, which is surprising giving the whole serial killing. But I liked that she was more than that. The author took the time to make her a real person, not just someone to serve the unusual plot. I appreciated that a lot.

It kind of leaves it where you could see a spin off and I’d read it if that’s the case.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an advanced copy of A Serial Killer’s Guide To Marriage.

Hazel and Fox have a young daughter and a picture perfect life from the outside. When in reality they are both serial killers, but they “retired” when they became parents. But they are both doing things behind the other’s back and they start to question whether they can trust each other. Will there whole world come crashing down on them?

I was not a fan of the writing style or of the characters in this book. It was also way too long and really drug out. This fell flat for me.

I really enjoyed this! A really interesting concept with a serial killer couple, it reminds me of Butcher and Blackbird but with less spice and more thrills. While some parts of the story were slow , I was interested until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book if you thrillers with a touch a humor!

This is by far the most interesting and unique thriller I have ever read. I am not usually the biggest thriller person, but this one was so literary and funny and I am obsessed. Both Fox and Haze are so likably-unlikable that it made every concerning thing they do so intriguing. I really liked the way the book was broken up into parts, as well as how Haze and Fox’s relationship spiraled throughout the book. The whole vibe of it kinda reminded me of Butcher and Blackbird if it leaned more into the thriller aspect than the romance.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for the advanced copy!

I would first describe this to others, without mentioning the title, that this is a great book about marriage in general and dealing with losing parts of yourself in order to raise your children. All completely relatable things. Until you get to the killing. Maybe not so relatable then 😆.

This is the third book I’ve read recently about a woman serial killer (only killing bad guys of course), and I AM HERE FOR IT. There’s something almost comforting about thinking of a world where bad guys didn’t get away with shit. That if the law couldn’t provide justice, someone else would step in and ensure that. So I’m already rooting for Haze and Fox. And let me tell you, I loved this couple. I loved Haze’s antisocial and blunt but hilarious personality, knowing she was a softie at heart. And Fox just seemed like an actual hero to me.

I loved learning the origins of their killing and their relationship, and then comparing it to their relationship in the present day. The thrill didn’t really come until the end, but I loved how everything came together then. I was worried I wasn’t going to like the ending, but it did not disappoint! I would absolutely love it if this had more books continue where this left off, so I’m crossing my fingers that happens. Pick this one up and maybe my wish will come true!

This is a quirky mystery about a husband and wife (Fox and Hazel) who are serial killers of bad people (similar to Dexter), but who decide to try to give up their “hobby.” What follows is a lot of information about both Fox and Hazel’s past as well as how effectively their attempts to change course goes. While this was all interesting and did keep me turning the pages (and I did like the plot twist at the end), I found that the story really dragged at points and was perhaps too drawn out for its own good. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this read.