I love a whodunnit where everyone is screwing over everyone else so this book was my cup of tea from the start. Who knew the world of estate agents was so dangerous? Every single character in this book is so unlikeable, and I loved it. I spent the whole time reading it trying to work out what had happened and I probably had about 20 different theories throughout…the reveal hit me like a sculpture to the head. I loved it.

I was initially drawn to this book as I saw it described as perfect for fans of Selling Sunset. It’s based around a group of toxic women who work at an estate agents called Harrington Estates. Like the show, there’s plenty of office politics, especially with the new girl Bella who’ll do anything to get to the top.

However, things take a turn during an open house for a new client where Bella is found dead.

This was such a fun read and one I’d recommend to anyone who loves a bit of dark humour mixed with murder. I laughed out loud throughout and won’t be able to listen to Big Girls Don’t Cry by Fergie again without thinking of Hannah, one of the main characters.

The characters are so unlikeable, hilarious and at times, scarily realistic. Such a brilliant book and one I’ll be recommending. Thank you so much to @netgalley and @headlinebooks for this ARC.

A humorous whodunnit, that will keep you guessing and keep you reading.

Five women in an estate agents who will literally stab each other in the back to get what they want..

Thanks to Netgallery and Headline, Kate Weston for this ARC.

I was just blown away by this book, I read this is one sitting and it was so engrossing and the twists were great. I found the characters to be very interesting and engaging. Honestly was not expecting who the killer was. This was such a fun and exciting read and will definitely read more from this writer.

If Selling Sunset met Desperate Housewives and got wrapped up in a murder mystery, you'd land squarely in the scandalously sharp, hilariously dark world of How to Make a Killing.
Set in the cutthroat world of luxury real estate at Harrington Estates, this book is packed with high-stakes drama, biting wit, and enough secrets to fill every walk-in wardrobe in their £10-million listings. We meet a cast of women who are polished on the outside but each struggling with ambition, insecurity, and buried resentments.
Bella storms onto the scene with stilettos and sass, determined to climb her way to the top—no matter who she tramples along the way. She’s the kind of character you love to hate and can’t stop watching. Hannah, once the office golden girl, is fuming as Bella steals her thunder (and her trophy), and Olivia’s trying to juggle a perfect life that’s slowly unravelling at the seams. Then there’s Claire—sweet, unlucky, and perpetually flustered—who you can't help but root for, especially when Bella sets her in her sights.
The murder of Bella at a lavish open house flips everything on its head. Weston delivers a perfect balance of dark comedy and classic whodunit tension, poking fun at influencer culture, corporate competition, and the chaos of female dynamics in the workplace. It's part mockery, part thriller, with moments that had me genuinely laughing out loud—and others where I was flipping pages to figure out who had the strongest motive (hint: pretty much all of them).
What I loved most was how each woman was written with depth. They’re messy, ambitious, flawed—and entirely believable. The office politics felt real (if a bit fabulously exaggerated), and the mystery itself was tightly plotted with red herrings and sharp dialogue that kept things zipping along.
If you enjoy your thrillers with a splash of humour, a sprinkling of scandal, and a cast of characters you wouldn’t trust with your house keys, How to Make a Killing is the perfect weekend read. A smart, stylish murder mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously—and is all the more entertaining for it.

I LOVED this! Devoured in one sitting. If you love Katy Brent, you’ll love this- thriller but make it funny! Thrillers are my favourite genre so even better when a bit of humour is thrown in! I’ve never read anything by Kate Weston before but she’s an instant favourite!

Secrets, Lies and Selling Houses... What more can you want from this darkly funny murder mystery based around an elite estate agency where someone will kill to get what they want.

I loved How to make a killing. It was a fabulous summer read that kept me gripped, and guessing. And as I work in property myself, I appreciated the humour woven into the characters and the agencies that made it very much like Netflix's Buying London.

Oh, the drama! I loved this. Everyone was screwing everyone over, meaning every character had a motive, and I wasn't a hundred percent sure who did it until the very end. I also somehow ended up liking some of the characters by the end and hoping for the best for them, which made the epilogue extra enjoyable. And the last bit!!! Loved it.

Deliciously Dark..
Harrington Estates - just one big happy family. Really? Well, that’s what the women who work there may say - the reality is something rather different. These women are determined to get to the top of their game and will do anything that it takes to get there. In short, when it comes to getting a listing .. they’re cutthroat. A dark and dangerous witty suspense where anything goes, filled with a cast of wholly unlikeable and utterly devious characters populating a pacy and frothy plot brimming with deep humour. Deliciously dark and endlessly entertaining.

this was such a fab read full of wit and whip smart plot points. the characters were a delight to get to know in probably all the wrong ways and reason, ha. i definitely had the laugh out loud or openly smiling moments along the way.
the books is set in an real estate office. and i think most of us have heard or think we know what kind of people(sometimes) take up those spaces and im certainly aware of the competitive side of it to the level of max plus!
for this book we have a host of woman who are all working it hard to get to the top. and they might just stop at nothing to get there. but will they stop at killing?
weve got Bella who got the power stance and moves and shakes like she is here to do business with a capital B. she will get to the top this isn't a question for her. but this means others in the office arent going to like her standing on their toes with her sharpened heels. Hannah was top gal and she isnt liking Bella coming and threatening where she sees her place is in the office. Olivia is trying to contemplate a life that doesn't seem to be keeping itself or her together. then there is Claire who is stumbling over and through doors at this point instead of walking through a sale for them. but is she more flustered by the pressure and attitudes upon her?
do i have my favourite(or least) of these. ermm, i think i did but it changed as sometimes the messiest times got me liking a character more!
but then something happens. just a small case of the murder of one of their own. yup, Bella is dead.
the wit and humour behind Kate's writing was on point all the way through and i loved this darkly lit book was captivating me from start to finish. shes got a way of writing that just delights. and i love that her characters are for me taking the mic out of a culture that deserves it. a culture that i wish i could see being over but with writing like this it helps dealing with it a lot. i love how Kate subtly reveals that all that shiny on the surface or on socials might be just tarnished dirt underneath.
the mystery was an added bonus and never felt like it didn't belong amongst all the other parts we are gripped to in the book. its all woven together and it keeps you guessing right until Kate wants it to be.

Great book. Easy read, Gave me selling sunset vibes only with a dark twist. It kept me guessing, loved it.

Brilliant book full of dark humour and so many unlikeable characters which actually makes it more engaging and entertaining.
I really like this book, I hope the author writes more. She’s excellent at dark humour. I love it,

Harrington's Estate Agents was founded by Amanda Harrington, a woman who wants nothing but the best from her team of women who are employed by her to sell high end properties in the area.
Best friends Hannah & Olivia have a rivalry with Bella, and to a lesser extent, Claire who hasn't sold a anything yet this year. Who can sell the most properties, and make an impression on Amanda? They are all wanting to become manager of the business, and to bask in Amanda's praise.
However, Bella has been found dead in the fountain at one of the most prestigieous properties, owned by Tom, a man that the women admire for his looks.
Did one of the women kill Bella to remove competition, or is something else going on? As the body count rises, and accusations fly, Hannah & Olivia have a massive fall out, and life isn't good for any of the the girls.

This is the first book I have read by Kate Weston, but it certainly won't be the last. I loved the pace of the story, and her style of writing. A1

Crikey! Who knew the world of real estate was so cutthroat? And we're not talking little two up, two down, terraced houses either. Oh no, this is high end real estate. 🏠
Welcome to Harrington's Estate Agents. Founded by Amanda Harrington, this is an all women team of estate agents. There's Hannah, Olivia, Claire, and Bella. They claim to be one big happy family, but really they bring a whole new meaning to the term back stabbing. 🗡
I adored How to Make a Killing. With its dark humour, catty women, the mounting body count and the twists and turns that led to the final reveal, it was a most enjoyable read. The characters were so unlikable, I actually liked them, if that makes sense. 🗡
Many thanks to Headline Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

If you love a female-led thriller packed with high-stakes office drama, sharp dialogue, and a killer twist, then How to Make a Killing should be on the top of your TBR. Set in the world of luxury real estate, this murder mystery novel is a perfectly pitched blend of savage ambition, dark comedy, and twisty suspense.
Welcome to Harrington Estates an all-women, high-end estate agency where everyone claims to be “one big happy family,” but the truth is far more deliciously dangerous. These are catty women at their most glamorous and cutthroat, selling multimillion-pound mansions by day and fighting to survive office politics by night.
From the moment new arrival Bella struts in the dynamic shifts. She's ready to climb her way to the top, no matter how many Louboutin-clad toes she tramples. Bella is the kind of character you love to hate in the best possible way. And then? Bella turns up dead. At an open house. In a £10-million mansion. Cue the chaos.
In true whodunit fashion, everyone’s a suspect and Kate dials up the suspense with a clever mix of red herrings, secrets, and shifting loyalties. Think classic murder mystery meets corporate drama, with a pinch of influencer satire and just the right amount of rivalry.
What sets this book apart is Kate’s pitch-perfect voice. Her writing is loaded with biting wit, moments of laugh-out-loud absurdity, and a keen understanding of the messy, competitive lives of women in high-pressure work environments. The mystery is tight, the pace electric, and the characters are as flawed as they are fascinating. Each one is hiding something and like you'll have numerous different theories before the final reveal.
This is the kind of weekend thriller read you devour in one sitting. A psychological thriller with humour, heart, and high heels . If you enjoy your fiction with dark humour, female-driven suspense, and a glamorous setting where no one can be trusted, How to Make a Killing is the book for you.

A good whodunnit and given that pretty much every character was hugely unlikeable, there were many candidates. It kept me gripped. I'm new to the author but would read more based on this one.