Overall I think this was a decent book, although I do have some nit-picks here and there. We'll start with the good. I think this is a really good look at a marriage, and how kids can change the dynamic of things in very drastic ways. Granted, I don't think there are going to be any serial-killer couples out there reading this, but discounting that aspect of it I think it's a genuine exploration of such topics and is done in a really good way. I also liked that we got the full story as well, in-so-far as the romance is concerned. We got to see it from start to..."current day" so to speak, and I think that really helped flesh things out (pun maybe intended). I can also say that this book was quite readable. The chapters are short, the voice is amusing, and it moves along at a fast pace. I was certainly kept flipping pages, and I think that's really a testament to the author's style and voice, because in a different book I probably would have given up. Now onto the bad. I think the ending kind of comes out of nowhere, and there are also enough things that I feel are left unresolved that if there's not a second book it just feel too unfinished. This is an ARC though, so maybe things have been tightened up a little for the final release? I'm not betting on it, but I suppose it's possible. The ending is also kind of ridiculous. I get the idea behind it, but it just seems like fan service (for lack of a better term). Is the book realistic at all? Aside from the relationship aspects, no, but even discounting that the ending seems a little too far fetched. I think I was also expecting something a little more...brutal? For a thriller this is remarkably tame, so if you're looking for blood and gore you're not going to find it here. I would say it's certainly more a psychological suspense novel than gritty dark thriller. So all in all an amusing, quick read with some elements done better than others. I probably won't hand-sell this one, but I won't stay away from pointing it out if someone is looking for something that I think this fits. Also, I thought this was a debut, it's not, this author has written other things. I might be curious to see what this author comes up with next, but unless it really speaks to me I'm not sure it's something I'll be dying to check out.

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage By Asia Mackay

Such unlikely heroes in this book, and yet so very likable. It’s not a spoiler to acknowledge that Haze (Hazel) and Fox, so gorgeous and so in love, are serial killers. After all, it’s right there in the title. Still, they do have a moral code, and backgrounds that conjure sympathy, and they mean to do better, for their little daughter’s sake. Above all, it’s fiction — we won’t be called to testify or sit on a jury for them, free to simply enjoy it, and I did. This was fun to read, witty and suspenseful, and very thought-provoking, with a clear, flowing style and a satisfying, unexpected ending, a pleasure to read and very hard to put down.

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage is an action packed, suspense filled book. The premise of the book was unique and thrilling. I would say once I got to part 2, the pace really picked up and I didn't want to put the book down! I enjoyed a lot of the twists and turns that happened. The dual POV made the story so much more interesting and the short chapters really made it fly. I also thought the ending was pure perfection and would love to read more about Haze and Fox!
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

I was very excited to read this ARC! It was pretty good but some of it fell flat & it was kind of slow when it came to the "fear of being caught" aspect. The description of the book didn't really match up to what happened in the book. The action I felt all came at the end and it then felt rushed. It was a good story but the plot timeline was a little off. All in all I really loved Haze, Fox, and Bibi. I liked Jenny but I think it's far fetched as to how it ended with her.

To their friends and acquaintances, Hazel and Fox look like they have it all - the enviable London lifestyle, vacationing in all of the hottest places, & they have a beautiful little girl. Things aren't so great behind closed doors though. Haze really misses their old lifestyle, from before she got pregnant. Back when the two of them went after bad men and eliminated them. Fox required her to retire their vigilante justice when their baby was born. Fox seems to love being a dad, and is perfectly content with this new life, but Haze is chafing at the bit. It is only a matter of time before she slips up.

This book was so much fun. It was a combination of thriller & comedy. It was sort of a reverse Mr. & Mrs Smith. I loved Haze & Fox. They were both delightful. When they were both hiding things and trying to keep secrets from each other, it was fun to see them each spiral, trying to figure out what the other was doing. I am really hoping that there might be a follow-up book to this one. If you love a good fast-paced thriller that will leave you laughing, look to further. I highly recommend it!

This is a DNF for me at 48%. I really tried but just couldn’t get into it. Never found myself thinking about it & when I did read I found myself scrolling my phone or just looking around,
I see that it has great reviews on Goodreads…so I know there is a market out there for it.

Thank you so much for the copy. I didn’t love this book. But it was written well. I just couldn’t get into the storyline or the characters. This book could be the perfect book for someone else though.

This is probably the 5th or 6th serial killing vengeance book that I've read in the past handful of months and I'm getting burned out. I also didn't find this one to be at all what I expected. It's a lot more domestic drama than thriller or romcom, as advertised, and I found the pacing surprisingly slow-going considering the topic at hand. From the blurb and the cover I expected something with more dark humor but it seemed more like every other book I've read in which a woman was a horrible past attempts to come to terms with it by killing bad men. It felt a little heavy-handed and I just couldn't get into it...

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay is a humorous romantic comedy about two serial killers who are married to each other. Haze and Fox put their killing on hiatus due to the birth of the child and they both are struggling but neither wants to admit it. They hide secrets from each other and push each other away, while embroiling themselves in troubles of their own. The book is a little bit rom-com and a little bit thriller but all fun. I really enjoyed it and could see it as a tv series.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and Bantam publishing for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Hazel and Fox have a fairly typical rom-com marriage, including a meet-cute in an alley over a recently ventilated corpse, common interests, and the struggles of life changes brought about by parenthood. Author Asia Mackay shows us the workings of both minds as they begin to keep secrets from each other, which was easy for them at first, and then became a burden as living with lies will do.
This book was fun and skips over the details of their hobby, so there aren't many passages that will disturb the squeamish. I found it did drag a bit through the middle which led to some skimming, but overall it was a fun read. I understand why authors who want to write about serial killers in a light-hearted manner need to fall into the "Dexter-ization' of the characters, specifically, the code of only killing "bad men" but it's also a bit overused.
That aside, it's a fun read. I recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing—Ballantine for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great, fast and fun read. This story grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go. Loved reading an ARC of this and appreciate getting the ability to do so! Loved the dueling views and perspectives for this book. It made it so much more fun to see the mess that has become of these two characters lives. I hope to hear more about Fox and Haze’s story from this author!

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Hazel and Fox are married ex-serial killers. They are trying to live on the right side of the law now that they are parents to Bibi. Now living in a suburban neighborhood, they traded killing and body cleanup for hosting dinner parties and mom groups.
Hazel gets the itch again to kill and when she breaks the pact of no killing she has to do everything in her power to keep the police off their doorstep and not get caught.
I really liked the storyline and the character relationships in this book. I felt that certain parts were a little rushed for me. I would have liked to get more details on things. Overall it reminded me a little of Mr and Mrs Smith (a great movie IMO) but not completely like it.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to get an early copy of this book to review.

Ok, this book was so fun to read. Two vigilante serial killers who fall in love and kill bad men together, until they get pregnant and put that part of their life in the past. Or do they?

This gives Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibes. I’m a sucker for a female rage/serial killer book, so I do wish there was more killing. I felt that some of the moodiness and miscommunication about the marriage in the middle of the book was a bit repetitive. Overall, I absolutely enjoyed and would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Can two serial killers ignore the itch to kill and settle into suburban life to give their daughter a normal childhood? This is the dilemma Haze and Fox struggle with. Each of them struggle to find something that gives them the same satisfaction that they felt while ridding the world of people who prey on the innocent. When their former life collides with the new life they’re trying to build, they find themselves and their relationship floundering rather than joining forces to protect their daughter. It’s hard to fathom that you’d be rooting for a couple of serial killers to find their happily ever after, but that’s exactly where you’ll find yourself. This book provides a unique storyline and offers a fun and enjoyable reading experience. I do have a cautionary note however - if you’re offended by foul language, you may want to give this book a pass.

This story follows Haze and Fox who are two retired serial killers. They have a daughter named Bibi and they are trying to get use to a normal life with marriage and parenthood. The book takes you on some sharp turns where each character is trying not to go back to their old ways but somehow things happen that proves challenging for each of them.

This book does provide a Mr and Mrs Smith vibe. The ending was surprising but I felt was a bit rushed with how everything came together. This book did keep my interest due to it being a different plot than I have read before. I found the characters to be fun. An overall good read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Haze and Fox are two retired serial killers turned suburbanites, navigating the monotonous world of parenthood and marriage. Haze, feeling restless in her role as a stay-at-home mom, starts yearning for her old life, much to Fox’s dismay. And then, things take a turn…

As promised, this book delivers a blend of 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' meets 'Butcher & Blackbird', with a dash of 'Santa Clarita Diet' dark humor. While the opening hooked me right away, the pacing lagged a bit in the middle, taking its time to truly find its footing. There was more “telling” than “showing,” which initially made it hard for me to fully engage with the story. But once all the pieces started falling into place, I couldn’t put it down. Every seemingly questionable moment from earlier chapters was revealed and and the whole final third of the book was mind blowing when all was revealed. So many bombshells!

Surprisingly, the book also offers relatable and honest reflections on motherhood and marriage (hence the title). Haze’s candid take on becoming a mother felt real and raw, something I imagine many parents would connect with deeply.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

This was so fun! Very short chapters, which I love. I actually really love Haze as a character. The premise of this is super fun, I’ve been reading a lot of serial killer romance books this year but this one was really unique!

** Spoilers Ahead **

I found the ending to be satisfying but I would have liked to see a bit of reconciliation and romance between Haze and Fox after, rather than just them saying that things were better. I think a couple of things could have been more nearly wrapped up at the end, but Jenny is the best and I’m very happy with the outcome of the main plot line!

This book focuses on a couple of vigilante serial killers, Haze and Fox. Asia Mackay makes it clear that they only kill really bad men, so she doesn’t lose her audience with a couple who delight in slaughtering innocent young girls.

Although this book was compared frequently to Mr. And Mrs. Smith, I didn’t get that vibe at all.

Haze was so whiny and unlikable. Due to her past (both her bad childhood and her marriage up to that point, both of which she ruminates over ad nauseam), Haze is bitter, mean, and entitled. Even if it’s understandable given her childhood, it is a tedious POV to read. And I feel no loyalty to that character.

Fox’s POV is slightly better, but more than half of the book focused on Haze. Fox was basically the fix-it guy who cleaned up after Haze and kept her happy.

I just couldn’t get into this book, and found it a slog to complete.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A fast paced, fun thriller that gave off total Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibes. I was hooked from the first chapter and really appreciated the author’s approach to motherhood while also juggling marital issues.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Publishing: January 14, 2025
Pages: 352

“A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage” is a first time read by author, Asia Mackay and was just over the top wonderful. I loved the humor mixed with satire and the twists mingled up into the story. It was fund read with all its quirks and crazies, but I totally enjoyed it. The title captured my attention but who would have thought of two serial killers marrying and having a child…not this reader. Definitely a page turner that blends suspense with an uncharacterized sense of humor…this might be the read for you. Recommend the read.