This one definitely took some time to get into, and I think the problem for me was my surprise at how unlikable the character was. She had a relatively easy, normal life of comfort with her daughter, yet all she did was complain about how she couldn't kill people anymore. Her husband insisted they think of her daughter now, so instead her venomous thought and violent impulses were curtailed, and we were left with this seething, brooding mass of malcontent. Here I was expecting her to be likable.

I did see the humor later, that instead of dealing with the changes one faces with parenthood and marriage, instead Hazel and Fox had to come to terms with not going on killing sprees anymore.

One of the things that resonated with me the most was Hazel's friendship with Matty. Her friend in college, the one man who'd never let her down, who understood her and the way she needed her art. The way his suicide affected her, the messages she continued to send him. For something so bluntly written, it nearly broke me.

It might have started slow and steady, but this one was a wild ride! I enjoyed it thoroughly, and it was definitely a different take on a killer comedy.

A deliciously twisted thriller that is darkly comic and razor sharp. Hazel and Fox are definitely not your normal couple. Hazel is bored and her descent creates chaos. A great read with a dark sense of humor.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this novel so much! This story follows a married couple trying to enjoy suburban life after retiring from their globe trotting life of killing bad men-as they see it, the despicable men in life that deserve to be killed. The plot was unique and the characters were not your typical thriller or mystery personalities. As such, I could not predict where this story was headed. I never thought that I would find myself rooting for serial killers lol, but as the story went on, I found that I was hoping that they would have a good ending. This story was fast paced and I recommend it to all thriller fans. Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing a digital copy in return for my honor review.

This was such a fun and thrilling book! It put me on the mind of a Jesse Quanto book. It was well paced and hilarious!

Fox and Hazel aren't your average married couple. Serial killers who worked together, they now have to protect their family and their daughter. But Hazel still has that itch to scratch, and after an unexpected murder tries to cover her tracks. The more they try to keep secrets from one another, the more trouble they both get into. Their marriage may not survive it.

I loved the beginning of this book and Hazes’ quotes scattered through out the book. I wish there had been more of that to make it more of a guide and less of a diary. It was like Mr and Mrs smith meets domestic thriller.

The epitome of miscommunication or lack of communication. Two former serial killers, get married and have a baby. When Hazel gets pregnant, Fox wants to put their serial killing days behind them. The day to day mom life starts to wear on Hazel. She can't get inspiration to do her art, and she finds herself bored. She befriends one fellow mom from her baby and me class. Hazel kills someone without telling Fox, and due to the proximity, the cops show up at their door asking anyone if they have any information. At this point Hazel realizes she has put everything at risk and sets about trying to cover her tracks to keep Fox from finding out and the cops from identifying her as the killer. It all starts to spiral, and I did find the ending pretty satisfying. The miscommunication/lack of communication was frustrating.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but this wasn't it. It just wasn't for me and I can't really articulate why but I hate kids. So maybe that's it.

Story was intense and was full of so many secrets. Fast paced and will have readers hook for the beginning. Humor was top notch!

This serial-killer read is definitely on the lighter side with the focus primarily on the topic of the art of killing than on the kills themselves.

I do prefer my thrillers on the darker side but every once in a while I need something mild as a palate cleanser. This fit the bill.

Will this book be the beginning of a series? Or is it a one and done? Stay tuned…

What a fun combination of dark humor, romance and thriller!!

Hazel has a very snarky wit that will make you laugh out loud. She is so cute when she attempts to make mom friends - it's not really her area of strength!
The thriller portion of the book - was just the right amount of tension and unknown.
Foz's family - felt like I wanted to run away them as quickly as possible.

The pacing of the book - was a little sluggish in the middle and I wanted more of Hazel and Fox together as they were the best when together!

Fun read and very cleverly done!!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via Net Galley

In theory I should have devoured this book. I mean a couple that kills together, stays together right? but it really just fell sooooo flat for me. You get both perspectives of Hazel and Fox in the story and the occasional article and test message snap. Normally I wouldn't mind mixed media but this feels very choppy and disconnected.
The one good t hing I can say about this is that it is funny.
It's a fun premise but other books with the same kind of story have been better.

This is a case of a book that after I finished I kept thinking about it more and more. and ended up bumping it up to allll the stars. It was such a fun escape read for me just when I needed it.

I was hooked from the start and loved getting to know what life Hazel and Fox had before becoming mired down in the domestic life they now have. Love a vigilante storyline!

The book and audio paired together were a pure delight, and I would recommend both reading formats.

*many thanks to PRH Randomhouse and PRH audio, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Now don’t let the title scare you off—A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage* by Asia Mackay is less about gore and more about the wild ride of love, identity, and what happens when two people try to leave their pasts behind. Hazel and Fox are a married couple with a baby, living in the London suburbs, trying to be normal. The twist? They used to be vigilante killers who only targeted truly awful men. Now Hazel’s bored, Fox is trying to be a model dad, and their old habits start creeping back in. It’s a dark comedy with heart, and surprisingly, it’s really about the ups and downs of marriage, compromise, and the struggle to stay true to yourself—even when you’ve changed.

What makes this book so fun is its sharp wit and emotional honesty. Hazel’s voice is fierce and funny, and her journey from chaos to domesticity is oddly relatable. It’s like Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets Desperate Housewives, with a splash of British charm. If your grandma enjoys stories with strong women, a bit of cheeky humor, and a plot that keeps you guessing, this one’s a treat. Plus, it’s not just about murder—it’s about motherhood, marriage, and the messiness of trying to do the right thing when you’ve got a very unusual past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for this funny ARC!

I got an ARC of "A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage" by Asia Mackay, and while it definitely promised a dark, wildly original thriller, it ended up being a pretty mixed bag for me. The idea of two former serial killers, Hazel and Fox, trying to embrace suburban domesticity with a baby after a life of "vigilante justice" definitely sounds like a wild ride—kind of a mix between Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets Dexter, if those two concepts had a very edgy, dark baby.

The book explores what happens when Hazel, finding her new mom life terribly dull, starts to feel that murderous itch again, especially when Fox seems perfectly content with diapers over daggers. Things naturally spiral when Hazel makes a kill without telling him, bringing the police right to their doorstep. The setup has all the ingredients for a truly dark comedy or a deeply unsettling psychological thriller.

However, where the book really fell short for me was with the characters and the overall believability. Honestly, none of the characters were particularly likable, which made it hard to root for anyone or care much about their predicament. Hazel’s boredom felt a bit one-note, and Fox's "planner" personality didn't make them any more endearing. Beyond that, the story just became too unbelievable for me to fully invest in it. The plot twists and turns felt increasingly far-fetched, to the point where I struggled to suspend my disbelief. It started out with a clever, edgy concept, but the execution eventually stretched into territory that just didn't hold together realistically, even for a thriller trying to be darkly humorous.

Despite that original premise, the lack of likable characters and the wildly improbable story developments ultimately made it a struggle to connect with. It had its moments, but overall, it just didn't land for me.

★★☆☆☆

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This book was a weird one to rate for me. I really liked the blurb and premise, but a lot of the actual story had pacing issues and was also predictable? But I would love to read more with the same idea, if that makes sense. 3 stars.

This was such a fun read! It was like Dexter meets Desperate Housewives. I’d read 100 more or these books!

This book had a really fun title and premise, but I thought the execution was fairly average. My attention faded in and out a lot in this one. It did really grab hold of me a few times though and was pretty entertaining overall.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a copy of “A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage”. Rounded up from 3.5 stars. I was hooked by this book pretty quickly. It was fast paced with a lot of short chapters which I love. The premise felt very original and fun. It had me rolling my eyes at Fox being a “good father” and not letting Haze murder anyone. I will say the climax felt rushed and awkward. Especially just having Fox be cagey and weird and then a big reveal and having to believe that’s what had been going on the whole time. I liked the ending though and felt like it was a fun way to end the book. Overall, if you love thrillers and want something a little different, I think this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

From beginning to end, this book doesn't stop to let you breathe. This is literally Mr. and Mrs. Smith....I loved it. I've also seen a lot of comparisons to Butcher and Blackbird, so if you're a fan of either of those, definitely give this a read!