A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage
The darkly funny and addictive thriller that's 'sexy, stylish and wildly original' (Chris Whitaker)
Published on 14. January 2025
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-0354-1966-1 (ISBN)
Description
A COUPLE THAT SLAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER
** A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK **
'If you liked Mr & Mrs Smith, you'll love this' CLARE MACKINTOSH
'Darkly funny and clever' KATY BRENT
'Sexy, stylish, thrilling. A razor-sharp tale of marriage and murder' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Your sassy, twisted must-read of 2025' JANICE HALLETT
'Huge fun. You won't put it down' HARRIET TYCE
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're ex-serial killers.
They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.
Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.
But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox's back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.
This could save their marriage - unless it kills them first.
READERS LOVE FOX AND HAZE!
'Believe the hype! Unputdownable, twisty, deftly written thrill ride.' ? ? ? ? ?
'I read it in two days, so engrossing!' ? ? ? ? ?
'Desperate Housewives meets Dexter.' ? ? ? ? ?
'If I could give more than five stars I would.' ? ? ? ? ?
'I honestly couldn't stop reading' ? ? ? ? ?
'Absolutely loved this book. I laughed out loud loads, an excellent dark comedy' ? ? ? ? ?
'I loved the short chapters, I finished this in one day' ? ? ? ? ?
'Huge fun' ? ? ? ? ?
** A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK **
'If you liked Mr & Mrs Smith, you'll love this' CLARE MACKINTOSH
'Darkly funny and clever' KATY BRENT
'Sexy, stylish, thrilling. A razor-sharp tale of marriage and murder' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Your sassy, twisted must-read of 2025' JANICE HALLETT
'Huge fun. You won't put it down' HARRIET TYCE
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're ex-serial killers.
They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.
Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.
But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox's back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.
This could save their marriage - unless it kills them first.
READERS LOVE FOX AND HAZE!
'Believe the hype! Unputdownable, twisty, deftly written thrill ride.' ? ? ? ? ?
'I read it in two days, so engrossing!' ? ? ? ? ?
'Desperate Housewives meets Dexter.' ? ? ? ? ?
'If I could give more than five stars I would.' ? ? ? ? ?
'I honestly couldn't stop reading' ? ? ? ? ?
'Absolutely loved this book. I laughed out loud loads, an excellent dark comedy' ? ? ? ? ?
'I loved the short chapters, I finished this in one day' ? ? ? ? ?
'Huge fun' ? ? ? ? ?
Reviews / Votes
Sexy, stylish, thrilling and funny. Asia Mackay rips up the rulebook in this wildly original, razor-sharp tale of marriage and murder, mundanity and mayhem. I loved it. * Chris Whitaker * An invaluable manual that I return to again and again * Hugh Grant * Certain to be your sassy, twisted must-read of 2025 * Janice Hallett * Murder has never been so funny. If you liked Mr & Mrs Smith, you'll love this original and darkly funny thriller. * Clare Mackintosh * Asia Mackay deftly exploits her outlandish set-up to view marriage, motherhood, middle-age and suburbia through a satirical lens. * Sunday Times * I absolutely gobbled up this darkly funny and clever thriller about one of the most dysfunctional marriages to ever make it onto the page. Loved it. * Katy Brent * Huge fun with a dark beating heart, a game of cat and mouse with sharpened tooth and claw. You won't dare to put it down. * Harriet Tyce * Sharp, whip smart, laugh out loud funny, I loved every page of this slick, witty thriller. * Andrea Mara * So razor sharp, it had me reaching for the plasters. A fresh and original voice in a genre we're all fascinated with. * John Marrs * Dark, daring and disturbingly funny, this tale of love, murder and second chances will keep you hooked until the very last, blood-soaked page! * Lesley Kara * A brilliant read! Witty, original and very entertaining. * Matt Coyne * A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage had me from page one. It was enthralling, exciting, and so totally badass. Asia's writing is so compelling and engrossing, and she writes characters that continue to live rent free in your head. * Lucy Vine * Deviously plotted and perfectly paced, A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage is a blood-spattered breath of fresh air that had me laughing on every page. Never has domestic bliss been such badass, anarchic, laugh-out-loud fun. * Emma Styles * Hugely original, gripping, and fun * Claire McGowan * I loved A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage, it's a sharp, witty and deliciously dark cliche-busting treat, a clever homage to Mr and Mrs Smith set in British suburbia. I can't wait for the next one. * Louise Minchin * Smart, funny and painfully relatable (the parenting woes not the serial killer bit). Will be a huge hit. * Sarah Turner (The Unmumsy Mum) * A really fresh take on the genre. Asia is clearly an author to watch - if only for your own safety. * C. J. Skuse * Sexy, stylish and sassy - murder never looked this good * Maz Evans * A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage is not only a page-turning thriller; it's also a witty and irreverent satire on middle-class heterosexual marriage and motherhood. I identified with Haze far more than I probably should have. * Julie Mae Cohen * I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. So new and different and refreshing. * Marian Keyes on Killing It * With a slick plot, pin-sharp prose and an authentic feel, this fiercely feminist and witty thriller will keep you gripped * Sunday Mirror * With dark humour, a twisty plot and a healthy dose of genuine emotion, this unique novel is a thrilling ride * Heat * Compelling * Daily Mail * Witty . . . fun . . . clever. BRILLIANT! * Sophie Ellis-Bextor on Killing It * A Serial Killers Guide to Marriage is a stylishly written, dark and humorous page turner. A definite must-read! * Karen Hamilton * What a killer idea! This is a laugh-out-loud page turner that has insightful things to say about modern motherhood and marriage. A dark, twisted riot just begging to be made into TV - loved it from cover to cover! * Ellery Lloyd * This is an absolute showstopper of a thriller - a darkly gripping tale of marriage and murder, told with ice-pick accuracy in prose as sharp as a blade. Asia Mackay is a genius! Five stars to Haze and Fox - in fact, I wouldn't dare give them anything less... * Alex Hay * I completely devoured it. A really original look at the trade-off of excitement that sometimes happens when women set aside careers for marriage and children. Very clever, very funny and very enjoyable. * Edel Coffey * Fast-paced and funny, this relationship-manual-turned-crime-drama is a new twist on an old classic. * Woman & Home * Sassy, twisted and bold, you will laugh at this stylish and explosive tale ... for those who loved Bella Mackie's How To Kill Your Family. * Platinum * This darkly funny story about a truly dysfunctional marriage will have you falling for a pair of twisted killers. * Heat * A fun, pacy novel * My Weekly * Clever, funny and inventive * Sunday Independent * Sharp and funny * That's Life * A whole lot of fun ... the characters are well drawn and the plot races on at lightening speed, making you eager to turn every page. * Daily Mirror * Razor-sharp and so good! * Sun on Sunday Fabulous * Following in the footsteps of Killing Eve's Villanelle, here are more murdering antiheroes who you can't help but love. * The I Paper * A diverting romp where romcom meets crime in a mischievous tale of crossed lovers with both an agenda and a sinister past ... Great fun and a most pleasing genre-combining debut, this will keep you smiling all through the joyful ride * Crime Time * Dark and funny * HELLO * Sharp and funny * Closer * Fearlessly written and cleverly plotted, A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage is a darker, bloodier and more satirical Mr & Mrs Smith with a central duo you won't always like or identify with but will find endlessly entertaining. * Culturefly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Headline Publishing Group
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 237 mm
Width: 158 mm
Thickness: 38 mm
Weight
618 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0354-1966-1 (9781035419661)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Asia Mackay is a Chinese Scottish author and mother of four based in London. Asia studied Anthropology at Durham University and began her career in television. She moved to China, presented and produced lifestyle programmes in Shanghai before returning to London where she worked for the likes of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, and subsequently completed a Faber Academy course. Her debut novel Killing It was the Runner Up in Richard and Judy's Search for a Bestseller competition and Runner Up/ Exceptionally Recognised for the Comedy Women In Print prize.