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“The couple that kills together stays together…Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing, they’re ex-serial killers.”

 A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage, Asia Mackay

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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 (and more)!

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!