4.25
A funny and fast-paced thriller that is reminiscent of Dexter, Butcher and Blackbird without the sex, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Haze and Fox are serial killers who have retired since having a baby. The book focuses on their attempts to navigate everyday life as retired serial killers. Hazel in particular is having a difficult time being retiree. She misses the thrill of the kill. The story is told in dual POV.

I really enjoyed this one. Even though they are serial killers I found both characters lovable. I found Hazel relatable. She advice that preceded each new section was hilarious. I enjoyed the dark humor. The dialogue is smart and funny. Overall I really enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dexter meets the Smiths
Fox and Hazel have a code: only the bad men die. Their victims are vetted and researched. Their crime scenes are immaculate. They are rich and beautiful jet-setters who are always in control. Until they have a child. A baby means big changes to their lifestyle. As much as Hazel loves Bibi, she misses the hunt and the kill. Her life gets so routine and boring that she doubts her husband’s affection. Then she makes an unlikely friend in a police detective on maternity leave.
This book is what I wanted from Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This was a fun and thrilling read. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that even though the narration switched between Fox and Hazel, Fox’s actions were not made clear until the end. I felt like a bit of the mystery around him was never settled.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the ARC.

2 stars ⭐️✨.

Overall, this book was decent as a past time. I saw potential in the plot of the story. I think that the main character Hazel's inner monologue was mostly complaining about everything which made this book go by very slowly. In fact, a lot of scenes between characters felt redundant. One thing I did like about this book was the way that Hazel described her daughter. It was heartwarming to see that even though she struggled a lot with motherhood, she still really loved her daughter. Fox was an okay character. I just didn't think his point of view added much, since he was complaining a lot too. I wasn't that happy with the ending either because the first part dragged on so long that I expected more from the conclusion. I didn't hate the book, but I expected more from it. I think the entire conflict could've been solved if the characters had a conversation.

This book would be good for those who enjoyed Butcher & Blackbird.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy.

I thought this book was a blast. Would I have liked more murder? Of course I would. But I found myself truly interested in the lives of Fox and Haze. Especially, Haze. Every marriage faces its challenges. And time, children and life can often dim the passion that ignited the relationship. This is a topic that has been covered by a lot of books in the "chick lit" section of bookstores. But to make the thing that extinguished the spark a lack of being able to kill was a fun way to explore this aspect of marriage. This wasn't the typical genre of book I like to read, but I really did have a good time hanging out in this world with these characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the advanced reader copy.

I was so excited to read this book, based on the premise--two serial killer's who get married and then have to hang up their knives when they get pregnant and have a daughter; but the wife is not as ready for retirement. Unfortunately, this book got very bogged down in the minutae of married life rather than the excitement of reading a story from a serial killing couple's point of view. By the time I got to the halfway mark, the story felt like it was only just starting to pick up. 50% of trudging is too long for me to hang with a book.

I'm a sucker for serial killer protagonists and this Mr. & Mrs Smith style husband and wife dual POV story about two reformed serial killers who are trying to quit for the sake of the daughter was TOP NOTCH!!

Wealthy American, Fox and loner British woman, Hazel meet and come together in their youth over a shared love of killing bad men but when they become parents Fox begs Hazel to focus on their family and not do anything that might risk their happy domestic life.

Told from alternating perspectives, we get insights into the challenges of being the breadwinner and the stay at home mom and how hard it can be to make female friends in mid-life. Put off by all the typical 'perfect' moms, Haze unknowingly befriends a policewoman on mat leave and when she falls off the wagon in her killing hiatus, things really heat up as she tries to hide what she's done both from her husband and her new friend.

This was action-packed, funny, relatable and great on audio narrated by Georgia Tennant and Kyle Soller - I couldn't get enough and I will eagerly read anything Asia Mackay writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Katy Brent and C.J. Skuse.

This was definitely a unique and different storyline. I was pulled into the story in the beginning, but it didn’t pick up momentum enough to keep me invested. I think there was too much focus on random details of their separate lives and not enough focus on their marriage.

I needed more action from this one and then it went off the rails at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: This one is a complicated one for me. Make sure before you pick up this book you really read the synopsis. This is not a thrilling read, it's a very slow paced examination on marriage, day to day domestic life, and how life changes as we grow up. There is the added factor that both partners are serial killers, I would have liked that to be a stronger part of the book.

The pacing really didn't work for me in this one. I felt the start was really smooth, funny, and moving along. However, it lost a lot of momentum then at about half way it picked back up again and I was really invested, then it quickly lost momentum again. This cycle continued for me throughout the book. Obviously reviews are based on our personal preference and there was a lot here I didn't enjoy or maybe it's better to say would have preferred attention to be on other places of the story? It's complicated because this is not a bad book by any means and I think a lot of people will like it. I think this is one of those instances where I thought it was going to be something different than it was. This is more for people who like slice of life with a little twist.

The writing is good, satirical and humorous at times. Again, I just thought it was going to be something different than it was and I don't blame the author for that. This isn't one of those cases were the book promises one thing and we get another. You get exactly what is in the synopsis.

It takes a LOT for me to want to finish an entire book without skipping anything - and I was hooked all the way to the explosive somewhat sarcastically hilarious ending. This is wild and absolutely not what I thought I was about to be reading? I think I thought it was going to be much darker really?

Both Hazel and Fox are characters that you 100% want to be friends with.. even if you might be a little bit scared of them. Vigilante justice for the win!!

**Thank you to Random House / Bantam for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

This was a fun, quick read with witty banter and relatable characters. Think Mr & Mrs Smith meets Dexter😉 it took me a little bit to get into it, but it wasn’t long before I was hooked. I appreciated the commentary around marriage and early parenting - mixed in with the vigilante mǔrdering of course lol

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this fun quick read! It was so funny and entertaining! Some points were a bit over descriptive but over all a great read!

This is a very intriguing story. It is told from the point of view of the two main characters in the present and the past. Fox who grew up with a privileged life and became a killer. Hazel grew up in foster care and also became a killer. The plot of the story chronicles how they got to where they were and how they handled the challenges. It is simple to read with some lovely characters. Readers will enjoy the delightful twists and turns as the story unfolds.

Fast-paced, exciting and very suspenseful describes this book about Haze and Fox who meet during the murder of a bad guy. They fall in love and have a baby girl, Bibi. Before Bibi is born, they agree to stop murdering people. These are not your typical serial killers, they go after bad people who they feel need to die. Both of them are having a hard time sticking to their agreement. I really enjoyed this very fast-paced book that moves right along.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC of this very interesting book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackey

The ups and downs of any marriage and early childing-raising years is fraught with tension, sleepless nights, and disconnect. Add to it the loss of a love or passion and it is the current state of Fox and Haze’s marriage. Fox and Haze both have the same passion - murder. Fox is the planner and Haze is the doer but when Haze gets pregnant they put their passion away for the safety of their family. Can they live without it? What will it do to their marriage? Find out with a Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage.

I loved this story. It is fast-paced while being surprisingly relatable. I gave it 4.5 stars and highly recommend it. Thank you, NetGalley and Asia MacKey for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest Review.

A Serial Killers Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay

“Two former serial killers trying to keep their past buried realize that old habits die hard.”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Satirical fiction, Family life fiction, suspenseful fiction
(Personal opinion: I would not say this is a mystery or thriller)

*Available January 14th, 2025!*

Asia Mackay highlighted and amplified all the toughest parts of marriage and parenthood. As a mother of two and happily married for 7 years, there were parts of this book that were so raw and relatable. Hazel is an average mother who has lost her identity and at times you saw how she hates motherhood and marriage all together. She felt powerless and stuck in her “boring life”. I myself have grieved aspects of my pre-kid life. I remember reading parts of this book and thinking “dang, it’s really not THAT bad” which made me laugh. Lots of fun, dark humor!

We also see Fox’s (the husband) POV, and how he so desperately wants to help Hazel regain her power, but Hazel consistently thinks he doesn’t care (classic miscommunication in marriage). The end was such a fun surprise! I loved this book, it made me think about my own life as a wife and mother. Some times it takes work to be happy; being a mom isn’t easy,even for a serial killers ☠️, but it’s worth it.

Favorite Kindle highlights:

“I wasn’t smashing the patriarchy; I was killing it. Literally.”

“I’m not saying I’m Batman or anything. Well… I mean, if the cape fits.”

“We had no manual, no handbook for living happily ever after.”

Note:
Again, my personal opinion is that this is not a thriller/mystery. Yes, there was some suspense, but overall do not go into this expecting some big “who dunnit” or “what the heck is going on”.

Honestly, starting this book wasn’t really grabbing my attention. Lots of whining going on, annoying characters. But seriously, at the half way mark I was getting into it . I feel bad saying I was kind of bored at first but there just wasn’t a lot going on to make the story exciting. But again, I reached a point where I thought this really has some potential. I honestly want to know how this is gonna go down and it didn’t disappoint. I really loved the twists the author incorporated. So, well done!

Such a fun read. I was entertained from the very beginning. I will be purchasing more by this author! Kid

This is definitely a fun read if you like Mr. and Mrs. Smith! I was hooked from the start and really enjoyed the dual timeline. The thrill and the comedy were fantastic to the point I would love to see this on the big screen!

Looking for a book with serial killing, a dislike of yummy mummies, and marital advice? A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay has all of the above!
We’re dropped into Haze and Fox’s marriage, where things have clearly been tense for a while. They had been a serial killing team for years, but stopped when Haze found out she was pregnant, and it’s clearly grating on both of them. I enjoyed so many parts of this book, like Haze’s internal commentary, Jenny’s determination to be Haze’s friend, Bibi’s entire life as a spoiled toddler, and every single scene with Helga, the perfect nanny.
I also liked the majority of the plot. While the focus is on Haze and Fox’s marriage and killing woes, there’s a fascinating subplot of Haze’s attempts to join into traditional suburban life. And this subplot includes her new friend Jenny, a woman trying to build her life back up after a relationship with a scumbag of a man. After finishing the book, I realized that I cared more about Haze and Jenny’s burgeoning friendship than I cared about Haze and Fox’s marriage.
Fox was an interesting character in the beginning, but he was the one really going off the rails as the storyline progressed. And the last 40 pages or so was just me with that surprised Pikachu face, saying “excuse me, what” over and over. Even with multiple chapters from his point of view, I felt zero connection or attachment to him. To be fair, I’m not used to the husband being around in books like this because they usually get killed off pretty early.
But my feelings towards Fox’s character didn’t stop me from enjoying this book. At its core, it’s a story about the expectations placed on women, the strength of female friendship, AND being a serial killer who’s also a good parent.
If any of this book's weirdly specific traits caught your eye, you should definitely give it a shot! I’d also recommend it if you’ve been looking for something with a Mr. & Mrs. Smith vibe!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 stars!

I wasn't sure how I felt going into this book but I ended up really liking it! It is a dual POV (which I love) and follows the main characters adjusting to live as parents-- but they are also serial killers. It gave me Dexter vibes in the sense that they are more like "vigilantes" who only kill "bad" people.

This was a super quick, easy read and had me sucked in once I had started, it was very different from what I was expecting and kept me on my toes while not being a dark, suspenseful read. It is a witty thriller with dark humor and was incredibly done.