This book was fun! The concept of a killer of bad men was interesting and different from acting I’ve ever read. It did drag on a little on the middle, but the end was satisfying without being too predictable. I always enjoy dual narrators and liked the perspective of both main characters.

I don’t think this book is what it promises – a feminist serial killer thriller. The synopsis sells this as a female-lead American Psycho, but the plot is a lot different than that. But not in a bad way? You start with Saffy Huntley-Oliver, who leads a double life as a model by day and a murderer by night. Her meticulously crafted lifestyle is threatened by a horrible disaster – a crush. Her obsession with true crime podcaster Jon leads her to orchestrate a complicated meet-cute that only gets more complicated when she learns he’s being framed for a murder he didn’t commit. Now she has to help him catch the real killer or risk her new man being put behind bars.

One of the most unexpected things about this story is that it is half in Jon’s perspective. Saffy’s chapters are funny and ironic and her backstory is twisted and entertaining, but most of the plot is conveyed through Jon. He’s likable enough, but the story unfolds more like a fucked-up romcom than a true thriller. There’s definitely more dates than crime-solving and every conversation that involved two women revolves around the men that they want to date. This book just isn’t the “feminist thriller” that it is marked to be. It’s a romcom with blood.

That said, I had trouble putting this one down – it was fast-paced and it wraps up in a way that worked for me. So, I’d recommend this to anyone who is looking for something like that, but I do think the way this is presented could be a turn-off to people who would be looking for something grittier, but I still liked this for the light humor, mystery and romance.

3.75 stars

Saffy is a feminist, so she only murders men. Specifically, as you might guess from the title, bad men. But for the first time in her life, she's developed a more-than-passing interest in a not-so-bad man: Jonathan, a true crime podcaster and author. A bit of an awkward match for a serial killer, but the heart wants what it wants. Meanwhile, what Jonathan wants is for the police to believe him that he's not responsible for the dead body that turned up on his doorstep the same night that his wife left him. Lucky for him, Saffy is more than willing to help him find out whodunnit. After all, who better to catch a killer than...another killer?

This is a fun and snarky read, and any time a book involves a female serial killer I'm absolutely sold. If you're also this way then you'll have a good time here, but it's not my top rec in this subgenre. I liked Saffy's humor but I didn't connect to her as much as some FMCs, probably because this was dual POV and a lot of similar books I've read haven't been. I did enjoy Jon's POV, though, so I wouldn't change that. I did guess all the twists and reveals correctly, which was a bit disappointing, but I did have a good time reading, and in the end, that's all you can really hope for. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen was a light mystery with a female character that gets sidetracked by her crush.

This book was quite entertaining. I loved the humor mixed in with the serial killer's mind. I found the the characters compelling and likeable which helped keep my interest. The mixture of a true crime writer and an actual serial killer was spot on. I was intrigued by the premise of the book and it did not disappoint! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

The premise sucked me in and honestly should've been gold. Instead of a badass female serial killer out for revenge on women everywhere we get a love sick teenager unable to properly process emotions. The side characters were filler, the plot predictable and riddled with holes, and there's hardly any talk of her actually being a killer.

3/5 - This was very fun, surprisingly different and totally not my typical read. The premise was fascinating - a stunning socialite serial killer who targets *bad men* - rapists, adulters, abusers, predators…the worst of the worst - falls in love with a true crime podcaster who finds himself in a bit of trouble. I typically steer clear from thrillers and anything murdery, and while there was quite a bit of both it was also darkly funny. I wasn’t a huge Jon fan but Saffy was a riot and her running commentary on the patriarchy was 👌🏻Though stressful at times, the story was pretty predictable and the pacing was a bit off. I wasn’t floored, but had fun diving into something different!

Thank you to @netgalley, Overlook Press and Cohen for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. OUT TOMORROW!

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen is about a socialite named Saffy…who is also a serial killer of, you guessed it- bad men! She’s admired Jonathan from afar and thinks they’d be perfect for each other. The one problem? He researches and helps catch serial killers for a living. 👀

I LOVED this book and will be recommending it for ages. Saffy is truly unhinged and I love it! The ending wasn’t a complete surprise, but I didn’t mind being able to guess the twist. I think Saffy being a feminist could have been done better, but overall not what I read this book for.

This book is dark and funny. It has romance, mystery, and suspense. Honestly, the perfect mix of everything!

It’s just a FUN read! Also I’m obsessed with the ken doll heads on the US cover! 👱🏻‍♂️👱🏻‍♂️

It’s pub day in the US is tomorrow, 5/7, so go get a copy asap!! Thank you NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

TW: murder, blood, SA (including rape and pedophilia), stalking, kidnapping, abuse, torture
Do your research before reading!!

#BadMen #JulieMaeCohen #Mystery #Suspense #DarkHumorFiction #Fiction #BookRecs #BookRecommendations #BookReviews #Bookstagram #NewBook #GreatBook

I loved this book, even more than I thought I would just by the synopsis. Anything with the words "serial killer" in a thriller book is pretty much a guarantee for me, but Bad Men had me intrigued by more than just that. Saffy is a killer, but she's also falling in love. She's funny, unpredictable, and honestly someone I could picture myself being friends with. I loved the Dexter vibes, and the fact that there's a dog named Girl pretty much nailed this one for me.

A FMC who's a serial killer and only goes after cheating, lying, abusive men? Sign me up! I really didn't know what I was getting myself into with that first chapter. There are quite a few triggers in this book so I would suggest looking those up before diving into this one. The book was witty, funny, and wasn't at all what I was expecting.

This was such an entertaining story. There was a good amount of tension throughout with Saffy trying to hide her serial killer ways. Jon was also interesting and his breakdown after being victimized seemed very real. My favorite was Girl, the bestest pooch used as a pawn in Saffy’s games. Girl has got some good intitution about people! I am definitely going to be on the lookout for more from Cohen!

Bad Men is a fast-paced, dark, and humourous read! Saffy who is a sociopath that she thinks she's incapable of love. Jon is a true crime podcaster and author who seems to gets so wrapped up in his reporting that he loses everything he loves. I loved how fast-paced it was and the cheesiness of the relationship between Saffy and Jon being weaved throughout the book. Do I feel like some trigger warnings should have been mentioned in addition to the book blurb, absolutely! However, I'm not one who usually uses trigger warnings as a guide on whether to jump into a book, but I do know it probably is a good rule to follow since everyone is affected differently. Bad Men is out tomorrow, May 7th!

Thank you to Abrams and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Review is posted on IG and Goodreads.

Thank you @Netgalley for my free copy

Serial killers are bountiful in this stalker-ish mystery thriller. A female serial killer bent on righting wrongs and seeking justice on cheating, abusive men obsess over true crime podcaster and writer. She sets up the perfect trap to ensnare the famous writer and sparks a romance between the two. As they grow closer, the writer comes closer to the very unexpected truth that he's seeking. Will he discover her murderous secret or be her next victim?

Fans of Freida McFadden and Kirsten Modglin will LOVE this thrilling read!

Saffy Huntley-Oliver is a serial killer with a hobby of killing bad men. Saffy also happens to be madly in love with Jonathan Desrosiers - author and creator of a popular true crime podcast and someone who catches serial killers. What lengths will Saffy go to get her happily ever after?

Saffy is a joy. She's sharp, funny, and enterprising. She moves at a fast pace and the pacing of the novel also reflects that. Julie Mae Cohen does a great job writing formative moments of Saffy's life that inform the character's motivations - think Carey Mulligan’s Cassie Thomas in Emerald Fennell's 2020 Promising Young Woman.

This novel has some nongraphic mentions of different forms of abuse including childhood sexual abuse, sexual violence, domestic violence. I think this book could have benefited from a brief author's note contextualizing the book or a link to some content warnings. Just a growing trend that I’ve observed and that might suit a book like this.

I enjoyed reading from the different character perspectives a lot! There are shifts in the POV between first person (Saffy, narrator) and third person (Jonathan). Sometimes I felt a little thrown off with the switches between first person “I” to third person. But I really appreciated the chapters from Jonathan's perspective.

Overall, a fun and quick read that mixes romance and thriller.

This was so much fun!
In this title, we follow Saffy, a beautiful socialite who doubles as a serial killer (only killing bad and dangerous men, though) and has a small crush on a famous true crime podcaster, Jonathan. After a dead body shows up on Jonathan's front doorstep the day after his wife leaves him, causing him to drop his true crime life, Saffy takes it into her own hands to orchestrate a meet-cute with her crush. Their acquaintanceship soon grows as Jonathan is accused of being the murderer of the body and Saffy convinces him to work with her to find the real killer.

I really enjoyed this one! It was very easy to fly through, as it reads like a mystery mixed with a dark comedy with some romance thrown in. Saffy is a funny character and I loved watching the book go back and forth between her and Jonathan's points of views, especially when it came to the work she puts in to have them meet. The mystery portion was enjoyable as well, as it kept the book at a very good pace.

Overall, I had a very fun time reading this!

Pub Date: May 07, 2024

If you can overlook Saffy's tragic past, "Bad Men" is a darkly comedic thriller. I adore stories about serial killers, but Saffy isn't your typical murderer. For one thing, she has a code of ethics. She only targets men and only the truly evil ones. Additionally, she has a quirky sense of humor. She may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I found her to be a breath of fresh air in the world of serial killers.

After losing the rest of her family, her sister is all she has left. Recently, she's been considering settling down with a good man, and she's even found someone who fits the bill. She's beautiful and wealthy. Yes, she's a bit self-centered, but that's not what's holding her back. Her side hobby as a serial killer makes dating a challenge.

Thank you to RB Media/Abrams Books for providing these ARCs through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

I didn't expect to like this contemporary mystery thriller as much as I did. I’m not a fan of vigilantism and I hate books that usually glorify those types of killings such as Dexter and others. But for some reason, this was fun and entertaining, and I enjoyed it. Rated 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Saffy Huntley-Oliver is rich and beautiful, runs a couple of charities, and is a fashionista. She also has a secret hobby -- hunting down and killing bad men. The pedophiles, abusers, rapists, etc. This makes dating and finding a mate difficult when you can't find a good guy. But finally, Saffy is in with a chance after meeting true-crime podcaster Jonathan Desrosiers. When the police name him as a suspect in a murder he did not commit, Saffy is determined to help Jon seek out the real killer and give her the opportunity to have her own romance and fairy tale ever after.

This was darkly humorous and fast-paced making it a great one-sitting read. Saffy is meant to be a feminist but she's not a man-hater per se, she's just not been exposed to many good guys that aren't super boring. She does do something that I didn't like (trigger for animal mistreatment) and she is fairly intolerant of most people so she's not going to be anyone's BFF. She does love her younger sister and is very protective of her. Once you get past the fact that she loves her hobby and is a stone-cold serial killer, she's kind of likeable. Or at least you understand part of why she's who she is. The narrative is told from the points of view of both Saffy and Jonathan (Jon). Suspend any disbelief and go along for the crazy ride.

I listened to the audio while reading along in the e-book ARC (both provided by the publishers) and I enjoyed the experience although I must say that I prefer the book to the audio. Quite a bit of vocabulary was changed using American expressions in the book compared to more typically English phrases or terms in the audio. The narrator had a British accent as well.

Saffy and Jon alternately tell this tale of romantic suspense (of sorts)- with Jon doing most of the talking, Saffy is a serial killer of "bad men" but now she's fallen for Jon, a podcaster (of course) who is looking for a killer. She becomes obsessed with him. This is a fast read, one which manages to be both light and not so light at the same time. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Why aren’t there more books about female serial killers? Bad Men is dark and creepy, but simultaneously a lot of fun. A strange mix but it totally works.

Main character Saffy is a socialite serial killer with no patience for bad men (relatable). She’s a true feminist and only kills men that, in her mind, deserve it.

Saffy becomes obsessed with Jon — an author, true crime podcaster and one of the good guys. Though a bit unhinged, Saffy’s intelligence, sassy attitude and dark sense of humor make her likable and worth rooting for.

Bad Men is a quick, easy read. The pacing is a bit off at times, and I could’ve used a little more Saffy/a little less Jon. Other than that, no complaints.

3.7 rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams for the arc.

I am giving this book 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3.

I had a few qualms with this book...
1. It felt so long
2. The characters were all insufferable
3. It was extremely predictable
4. The female main character seemed like she should have been a boss bitch but she gave off big loser energy...

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone but I could see how someone would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I did not.

Thank you NetGalley & Abrams Publishing for allowing me to read the ARC!