This book introduces us to Hazel and Fox, an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except, they are serial killers. They killed men who harmed women all around Europe. Until Hazel falls pregnant and they give it up for a live in the Suburbs. Hazel starts to get the itch though and with Fox acting suspicious, will their marriage survive?

This was a good book which kept me intrigued. As we learn more about Hazel and Fox’s childhood, it makes it clearer why they are the way they are. It’s a dual POV book which allows us to see things from both perspectives and highlights our opinions are not always accurate! The ending did surprise me slightly but it has made me hope for a second book to see what happens next. Only giving this book 4 stars as it didn’t grip me instantly and felt it was slightly dragged out. I would still recommend this book though and like I said, hoping for a second one!

Delightfully messed up, twisty concept with a Dexter-like couple you can't hate.

Oohh this was so much fun! I love McKay's previous books on a similar theme (suburban family-murder mash up), and this time it's a twosome.

Living the 'suburban dream', wife Hazel is finding inspiration for her art is lacking following the birth of her daughter. Husband Fox is trying his best to provide for everyone (okay he has a trust fund too) and support his wife's emotional needs. Which are not the usual 'bored housewife' sort. Hazel's missing the regular murders she and her love used to commit - only bad men. But he's insisted they curtail their bloodlusts while their toddler grows up, encouraging his wife to convert her energies into motherhood, art and finding mum friends. All while he attends secret AA meetings to quell his own needs.

After meeting under less-than-meet-cute circumstances (not one they could describe to future grandchildren), Hazel and Fox appeared soulmates - both with a need to hurt, but channelled towards those hurting others. It was perfect - Fox had his parents' money and the freedom of a continent. Hazel had a pained background and the skills/will to inflict pain on those deserving it.

Now Hazel is stuck in soft play, making friends with a needy fellow mum and trying not to resent her husband. Fox's high paying job just isn't stretching as far... and both are feeling the effects of this life on their marriage.

And that's just the start. It was as clever and complex as previous stories, with hints throughout that you don't realise are helpful until the end. I won't go into intricacies of the plot, but I did love following both narrators through their marriage problems, their needs and how they deal with them, and how a few little accidents/incidents threaten the end of everything.

Some great characters here, though Hazel can be incredibly unlikeable at times and Fox with his privileged background comes close to being someone you can't identify with at all. Mum friend Jenny builds herself into a sympathetic person. And the ending was one of the most satisfying I've had the pleasure of reading in recent times.

Huge fun. Though definitely not one to take as a lesson in how to keep a marriage going... Trust me on that.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Haze and Fox are living their perfect lives. They are a gorgeous couple who travel the world, living a life of luxury, killing bad men. Men who deserve everything they get. Until Haze falls pregnant and between them, they decide their lifestyle is not conducive to having a child. They need to stop what they're doing, settle down in the suburbs and give their daughter a stable, normal life.

All is going well until one evening when Haze is out for a run and she kills a bad man. But she can't tell Fox. They had a deal. He'll go mad.

Before long, we discover that Fox is also hiding things from Haze and we watch them grow further and further apart from each other. A million miles from the loving couple that they used to be.

The book loses its way a little in the middle but not for too long. There are some fun twists. Haze has a dry sense of humour which I enjoyed immensely

Hazel & Fox like to kill bad guys. That was until Hazel fell pregnant and Fox said that they had to say goodbye to that life!

After moving to the Suburbs, Hazel misses the buzz of killing. Can she keep the promise to her husband or will she ruin their lives forever?

A really addictive read, with laugh out loud moments, and a few twists along the way.

This was a fun entry into the ‘dysfunctional marriage’ ‘good serial killer’ genres. Asia McKay is a great writer, but this was just not as good as her spy series.

Haze and Fox have been together for over a decade, living in wedded (and serial killing bliss) for almost 13 years until the birth of their daughter causes them to put their killing days behind them.

Haze is bold, brash and was disturbingly easy to relate to (thankfully not the unaliving tendencies) and had me in hysterics more than once.
Fox is the quiet type, and at times I felt sorry for him as he tried his best to quell his inner addictions and deal with his off-the-rails wife.

I did at times get a bit confused with all the Americanisms and at first didn't understand where this book was set as Haze would use terms like 'Crib' and other American terminology. Though Haze is supposed to be the English character, Fox - the American - came across as the more British of the two in terms of vocabulary and dialogue.

All in all an interesting premise.

Thank you to the publisher for this advance copy via Netgalley.

2-2.5 stars

I have come to the conclusion that I perhaps read too many books where a female characters murders many male characters - the Sweetpea series by CJ Skuse, and the Kitty Collins series by Katy Brent - and I'm not angry about it...a future career perhaps? I'm joking....

Anyway, it's amazing how I can read so many books with near enough the same character motives, and they're still all different enough to be interesting. Where this one differs is that it shows a couple's perspective on it, not just the woman's.

I have been so excited about this book that I couldn't wait to get into it - but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations.

There is definitely a Mr and Mrs Smith vibe to it, whether intentional or not, it's quite obvious. But that's not a negative, just an observation.

It flits between the present day, and then various points in their past - the first time they met, their early married days, their first kill etc.

It is very slow. Especially the first half. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's boring, but nothing happens. I know it's all about ex-serial killers and their sobriety but I thought there would be more...just, more. I remember the Kindle saying I was 40% of the way through and I was shocked. It was all a bit mundane and I started getting distracted by other things. I have so many other books to read that whilst I powered through with this, I kept thinking about what else I could be reading.

I didn't like the main characters. They weren't morally good or morally bad; yes they killed people which should make them bad, but their motives were good, so does that make them morally good? I found them a bit grey, a bit vanilla. I didn't care if they continued killing people or didn't, if they succeeded or failed. They kept moaning about a rocky marriage but neither seemed to actually want to talk to the other, they just seemed constantly moaning and childish, and I just didn't take to them at all. And none of the supporting characters interested me either, they were all quite annoying.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and sadly I am disappointed. It didn't grip me or hold my attention, nothing really happened - until the end when everything happened and it didn't feel like the right ending at all - and one the whole, I just didn't care about it, sadly.

3 stars

As a big fan of the trope of a serial killer who kills bad men, I went into this book with some excitement. The premise and the plot was really interesting and I thought it was a more original take with focus on being what happens after you retire from serial killing bad men, which I liked. However, I felt with the plot that it took a little too long to get going, the pacing felt off and the middle section in particular had me feeling quite bored - everything seemed to just *happen* at the end. There was a lot of focus on the mundane where I would have liked some more risk and some more flashbacks. What didn't help was that I really struggled to like the male main character - I'd even go as far to say I couldn't stand him.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable take on a trope I love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I did that thing again where the title and cover of a book drew my attention on NetGalley, and I didn't do any plot reading until I'd already sent the request through. Happily, A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage turned out to be a book I was glad to read.

Hazel and Fox are married and they're both ex-serial killers. Fox is from a wealthy American family, and the pair enjoyed a lavish London lifestyle until their daughter came along. Swapping the swish for the suburbs, they both struggle with the reality of leaving certain aspects of their old life behind.

I'm uncertain as to whether Asia Mackay wanted to portray Fox and Hazel in the ways she did, meaning I'm uncertain as to whether we're all meant to really like Fox and really dislike Haze (her name being shortened to that inexplicably irritated me), because in my eyes he could do no wrong, whereas I found Hazel to be petulant, whiny and self-serving.

Fox's chapters interested me more, especially with the inclusion of his parents and his brother. His world felt much more grounded and relatable, drama aside, and the frustrations he felt in various circumstances were all completely valid to me. On the flip side I found Hazel to be far too airy, she just so happens to be a killer who befriends a cop, and her actions are so rash and badly thought out I found her to be a really annoying character.

The messages to the dead friend were also quite jarring, and didn't add anything to the overall storyline. It took me quite a while to finish A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage because it's hard to want to read a book where 50% of the main character cohort is one like Hazel.

As things came to a head in the final chapters I felt like the ending was being rushed along, and certain things were conveniently explained away that could've done with more attention and page space. I didn't hate the book, but I'd be in no rush to recommend a split-perspective read which was unenjoyable for half of the chapters due to such an unlikeable character.

Excellent premise delivered badly, unfortunately.

Thank you so much Headline for an advanced copy of this book!

Haze and Fox are an extremely wealthy and glamorous couple. They also happen to be serial killers. Since welcoming their child Bibi into the world, they have agreed to stop their favourite past time. However, recently, Haze has started to feel that itch again.

I don’t think I will ever tire of the dark humour, whitty thriller trope! This was such a fun and easy read and had a refreshing take on this popular trope.

The story, even though it fits the blurb, wasn’t what I was expecting it to be at all. It kept me constantly on my toes and I now definitely need to check out the authors other books!

I picked this book as the cover and title caught my eye. Hazel and Fox are a married couple with a young daughter, they seem to have it all, but tensions are building. Hazel and Fox were serial killers, but decided to stop when they had their daughter. Reluctantly, Hazel is going to play dates and has befriended one of the mums. Struggling with her urges, things get out of control and Hazel ends up hiding things from her husband. Soon she begins to suspect he’s hiding things from her too.

The book is quite an easy read with short chapters. Sometimes the jumps between different timelines confused me a bit. For me, the middle of the story really dragged and I was bored. It does pick up again towards the end.
I think you need to suspend your disbelief for most of the plot, it does get quite farfetched and became too implausible for me.

I didn’t really like Hazel or Fox for most of the book but I think this was due to their total lack of communication with each other. It was so frustrating and I found it really rich for Hazel to be annoyed with Fox for keeping things from her when she’d been lying for months and kept so much from him!

Overall, this book reminded me of the film Mr & Mrs Smith. It just about held my interest but became a bit too far fetched for me.
Publishing on 14th January 2025, thanks to Wildfire Headline Publishing Group and NetGalley for my copy.

Oh want fun this book is! The ingredients of love murder and humour. Such a hoot. I loved every page.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book which has so many interesting levels. Don’t be put off by the mention of serial killers in the title because it’s so much more than a serial killer/ police procedural/ murder story. It’s more about relationships: those built on trust over a period of time, those which creep up on us unexpectedly and those familial bonds that tie things together. It also brings into question the old debate about nature or nurture. It’s a book that on the surface seems to be quite generic but on reading becomes so much more. I also loved the characters who were so well defined

A Serial Killers Guide To Marriage is a story that follows the quite unbelievable line but for me this worked well.
Haze and Fox are married with a young daughter, Fox works in London and Haze is the housewife that is bored. She is bored because before she fell pregnant they were serial killers but only killing bad men that deserved to die. When she had her daughter they made a pact to stop all killing but Haze has killed a man and she thinks Fox is cheating on her. The marriage is in decline but can an unsuspecting friend help put them back on track?
This was a light hearted read although some of the kills were quite harsh! The characters worked well together and the storyline although slightly unbelievable was different to anything I’ve read before. The book flowed well and it did have you wanting the couple to stay together and not get caught.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Headline, Wildfire for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This was fun. The story flowed brilliantly and kept me engaged. The darkness and humour really hit. I got mr and Mrs smith vibes which I absolutely loved!

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for this book.

It's superbly funny and shocking at the same time.
Asia Mackay has created a really well written book with an off the wall storyline. Some parts are shocking, and others had me laughing out loud. It may be a bit far-fetched, but it definitely worked for me. The characters all have their doubles and flaws, yet they are compelling.
Hazel and Fox are vigilante serial killers who target well-off men who have abused women or committed other rimes that have escaped justice. They stepped away from this when their daughter was born, and they are both struggling with the normality of suburban existence. They both miss the thrill of their previous life, and this causes friction between them.
Asia Mackzyhas done a great job here.

Right from the very first page of this book I was immediately invested in the plot. Straight away it was giving me 5 star vibes.
I found the writing style to be so enjoyable and it all flowed brilliantly. I loved the short chapters, that really made me want to keep reading, so much so I finished this in one day.
I liked the main characters of Hazel and Fox and I was interested in reading about them and their relationship. I enjoyed the fact the we got to see both of their POV's in alternating chapters as this did seem to add some depths to them and the story.
My favourite character though was Hazel. I could really feel her sense of yearning for something more from her life and her boredom and that really came across well. I felt like she was a strong character who I found to be funny in a dry and deadpan sort of way.
I have to say that there have been some books recently that have attempted similar storylines. Books featuring a female vigilante that is packed full of good for her energy, but for me, none of them have worked. This one however really hit the nail on the head, I loved it!
I highly recommend you read this and I will definitely be reading from this author again.

Okay this was a hoot to read! Bloody good fun, sometimes quite literally! Haze and Fox fell in love at first sight, in a dark alley, over the body of a dying man (and together finished the job). Haze swore a bit too much for my liking but I enjoyed her friendship with Jenny, and the artwork she can create if inspiration strikes (usually at the cost of someone else). Now they may be two serial killers (the good kind though, only going after those that deserve it) but after Bibi arrived (a new baby always upends people's lives) things are a bit stressful as both try to figure out what to do with excess time since they made a promise to not kill until she grew up (too risky). There are so many secrets and when your first impulse is to stab the problem head on, there does arise quite a bit of tension which leads to funny and sad and violent actions. I found my way laughing through this book, especially at Hazel's reaction when she slips and stabs an attacker to death.

I enjoyed this book a lot and I will say it was a plot that I had not really read before but I found it intriguing how two serial killers can find love and figure out a life for them and their child, and still remain together doing what they love. That ending was quite surprising and I did not guess it but liked it. Cause they are good serial killer vigilantes going after the big bad men. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this story.

This was a fun and lighthearted read - despite the subject matter - and I did enjoy it as a break from some of the more complex books I’ve been reading lately. Despite being serial killer’s the two main character’s (Haze and Fox) come across well and you are invested in their story, and don’t want them to get caught!

That being said I didn’t find the story telling particularly ground breaking and it was predictable at points, and often plot points seemed to be a bit too convenient, with characters accidentally stumbling across important information a little too often for my liking.

I also found the choice to have some chapters from Fox’s perspective odd. A lot of his actions and motives were kept from the reader to build suspense so only getting half the story during his chapters felt a bit lazy, I would’ve preferred to only have heard from Haze to build the suspense more organically.

When Hazel meets Fox she doesn’t expect to find someone who loves her favourite hobby especially when her hobby is killing bad men. Together they travel across Europe removing the world of bad men but when Hazel falls pregnant Fox decides that’s it not more killing and they have to live like normal people. For Hazel she is not only loosing part of herself but it’s also stopping her from being artistic and painting as her kills were her inspiration. As she meets a new friend she puts her whole future at risk and as her marriage seems to be falling apart can she resist killing again and can she save her marriage before it’s too late. A very dark fun read!