It's not often that a book comes a long that feels wholly original and refreshing and original. An absolutely fantastic read that keeps the pages turning.

My 12 year old daughter kept side eyeing me when I was reading this. I don’t know why as I already know what to do anyway, I don’t need a book of tips! (Don’t worry, I’d only do this to rich relatives and not my beautiful children… they have no money! I crack myself up more than I do other people…)

Anyway, this was a brilliant read, it was funny, well written and very well thought out. I will be encouraging my friends to buy this, and if I ever win the lottery, I’ll make sure not to tell them…
Thank you for letting me read this x

Not at all what I expected but still thoroughly enjoyable.
We follow Grace as she describes how she murders her family, why and how she ended up in prison for a murder she actually didn’t commit. Grace’s reasoning makes sense the whole way through, and although the majority of people wouldn’t murder people for those reasons, she makes it seem quite normal and not at all like she’s a psychopath.
The story is written in diary form, and can flit between parts of the story and be a little confusing. But this works well with the story as it makes it seem like she’s gone off on a bit of a tangent whilst giving you more of the story. I think because of this, it had me wanting to read on more and more because I wanted to know more about the part of the story before it went off on another tangent.
It picked up a lot more towards the end, and I thought I knew where the story was going and how it would end, but right up to the last chapter I was still guessing at the wrong ending.
One of the more interesting crime novels I’ve read this year and one that has a dark sense of humour scattered throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this book for an unbiased review.

If you appreciate dark humour and badass women then you’ll love this one. Hell bent on righting wrongs of the past, Grace goes on a mission to eliminate each member of her dad’s side of the family. Grace’s sense of justice, vulnerability and deviously pithy one-liners had me rooting for her - even though she was meticulously slaughtering members of her family. Her sarcasm knows no bounds and I loved it.

The ending was a doozy, not gonna lie. I kinda saw it coming (I read a lot of crime and thrillers) but it still had a whammy effect.

If you’re a fan of My Sister the Serial Killer, then you’ll love this. I’ll happily look out more of Mackie’s Books.

I have just finished this book and to my surprise, even though it was pretty hyped here on booksta, I enjoyed it

Review 👇📖

We are following the main character, Grace as she is dealing with her mother's death, swearing that she will revenge her death by making her father pay for abandoning the both of them and refusing to acknowledge her as his lovely daughter

Silently, she is following all of the six members of her father's family by murdering them. And this is not even the whole story!

Over the course of the book, Grace is imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. Finding herself in the prison she starts telling us her story

This book has got me hooked by the first page. Slick, Wildly Compulsive, the perfect mix of murder and comedy where the main character is plotting everything perfectly

The way she followed her victims, the way she got so close to them it was impossible to think that sweetie Grace is capable of something like this

However, I did find the writing a little long winded sometimes, especially when she was describing her next murderous adventure.
Probably I am used to the nordic noir kind of murderous and mysterious plot, this was more of a fictional-comedy-murder type of book, where I've enjoyed the social commentary and Grace's lines possibly more than the actual murders

Eventually, the end was a shocker and I am not regretting at all reading this one

Recommended for:
So, if you are in the mood for a crime related Halloween 🎃 kind of book but you don't want to be traumatised in your sweetest dreams by the memory of what you've read, this is the perfect book for you!

TW: Violence, Murder, Blood, Drugs, Sex references and Alcohol Abuse

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you Netgalley for the gifted ARC 🙏🏼

I have loved everything about this one. This is well-written and a book that I have been completely unwilling to put down. I am a huge fan of this author and cannot wait for more.

Sparky, Slick, Wildly Compulsive…
Sparky, slick and most amusing tale of revenge served cold as we are introduced to anti heroine Grace Bernard. Dark, twisted but wildly compulsive this is one sit read which is extremely difficult to part with and you may just find yourself rooting for Grace throughout.

Loved this book! Was completely compelling and ingenious and gobbled it up! Although this book is uncomfortable at times you feel empathy for the main character

"I've killed several people, but I'm currently in jail for a murder I didn't commit." I have to admit, it's quite an intriguing premise for a novel. And at first, I really enjoyed pretty much everything about this story. The main character was unapologetic about her actions, with biting humour layered throughout her retelling of her first murders. But then she became more of a mean girl. The nasty comments weren't just reserved for those who had wronged her, she started to look down on everyone and everything. Add in a large dose of "I'm not like other girls!"-style feminism and that was me done. I struggled to get to the 50% mark, but then I gave up.

This was not for me. I just did not find it humorous. The main character was unlikeable which would have not bothered me if part of the books “reason to exist” was to make us understand her if not to accept the murders but at least to understand the why.

Absolutely loved this book. Bella Mackie's prose is witty and sharp with cutting edge black humour. Highly recommended.

A brilliantly dark comical read.

We follow Grace as she slowly and systematically kills members of her estranged family, seeking revenge. Grace, in all her flawed glory, is a brilliantly likable character. Told from her diary entries in prison we slowly catch up with what's happened and how she ended up incarcerated. I really enjoyed the twists and turns towards the end of the book and I found the author's voice incredibly readable.

If you're a fan of dark humour, mixed with murder, How To Kill Your Family is one for you. There isn't much I can say about the plot without ruining it, but it's a darkly delicious romp through the mind of a serial killer. One who is somehow almost quite likable. Calling out hypocrisy. Refusing to accept being less than. Putting men in their place when they overstep. But also vulnerable. And strangely moral. Mindless killing is not ok according to Grace. Righting a wrong however, is perfectly fine.

I did find the writing a little long winded at times, but in general, it captured my attention. I could see some of the twists coming, but the final whammy was a shocker. So much I want to say about that but I can't without spoiling it.

All in all, a really enjoyable read with plenty of laugh out loud moments due to Grace's pithy one liners.

Disturbingly dark and full of humour, with a conniving, cunning and terrifyingly savage narrator and flawless observations that are just so deliciously wicked. An absolutely brilliant take on the revenge thriller!

Well written, highly enjoyable crime caper, with dark humour running through it. Comparisons have to made to the old Alec Guinness film Kind Hearts and Coronets - the plot is essentially the same, although carried out in a different way. This is not a criticism - it’s a reworking of a brilliant plot in an equally brilliant way. And of course who can not think about Killing Eve while reading it? In fact, I found myself visualising the central character as Jodie Comer - she would be the outstanding choice to play this character without a doubt!

I absolutely loved this book and have been recommending it to everyone since reading it! The perfect mix of murder and comedy. Grace Bernard is the perfect anti-hero! I can't wait to see what is next from Bella Mackie, definitely one of my favourite books this year.

Dark humoured and grim, this story of murder and revenge for wrongdoings by rich people was quite satisfying, and there was a nice 'twist' at the end. Very modern feeling.

Oh this was fabulous! Really enjoyed this novel. I loved all the asides and social commentary, possibly even more than the actual murders!

Grace, the main character, lived with her mother and following her mother's death, Grace sought to make her father pay for abandoning her mother and refusing to acknowledge her as his daughter by calming murdering six members of his family.

However, over the course of the novel Grace is imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. And it all unravels from this point...I have to say I loved this twist! So clever!

I can't wait to read more by Bella Mackie, Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for providing this ARC.

Kind hearts and coronets meets Killing Eve with a bit of the Talented Mr Ripley thrown in for good measure. Grace Bernard is in prison for a crime she didn’t commit but she’s here to tell us the story of the crimes she did commit; multiple murders, of her entire family no less.
Grace details how she planned and executed the execution of her no good relatives and the reasons for doing what she did. It’s difficult not to like Grace she’s sharp and clever and funny and she doesn’t give a flying fudge. I found myself completely on her side for the entire book and had to remind myself multiple times that she was doing despicable things. I felt terrible that she was in prison for something she hadn’t done even though she deserved to be in prison for the things she had. The twist at the end I saw elements of through the book but couldn’t tell how it was all going to shake out and it ended being totally satisfying and completely frustrating at the same time. So good. It was the only way to end it. Throughly engrossing.

I was massively intrigued by the premise of this book and it didn't disappoint. We follow Grace who is in prison for a murder she didn't commit - but only after she got away with killing six members of her family! She almost appreciates the irony.

This has Killing Eve vibes as we follow Grace planning and undertaking the murders in totally different ways - including one in a sex club!

It is very funny - Grace is an absolutely savage narrator. I just personally found the pacing a bit off leaving the ending feeling rushed. I still highly recommend this as it was a very fun read.