Buckle up, because Asia Mackay's A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage is a wild ride through the most unconventional of "till death do us part" scenarios. This isn't your average rom-com; it's a razor-sharp, darkly hilarious thriller that asks: what happens when two former serial killers try to settle down into domestic bliss?

Meet Hazel and Fox. They're married, they have a baby, and they used to have a penchant for eliminating Very Bad People. Now, they're navigating playdates and PTA meetings, but the murderous itch is proving hard to scratch. When Hazel breaks their pact and old habits resurface, their suburban dream threatens to unravel in a spectacular, blood-splattered fashion.

Mackay masterfully blends laugh-out-loud humor with heart-pounding suspense. The story zips along with crackling dialogue, unexpected twists, and a deliciously twisted premise that feels both outrageous and utterly compelling. It's Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets dark domestic satire, with a dash of something wickedly original.

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage is a thrill-a-minute read that will leave you gasping, grinning, and questioning everything you thought you knew about love, marriage, and the suburbs. It's audacious, addictive, and darkly delightful. You won't be able to put it down.

📖I was instantly grabbed by the title of this book. It was more of a fun thriller than a suspenseful one. I did enjoy the ease and flow of the story.

Two former serial killers settling down and starting a family together, trying to live a normal life. Laying low and adjusting to a mundane routine doesn’t work out so well! Once a serial killer always a serial killer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia McKay

This story is told from the perspectives of the husband and wife duo of Fox and Hazel, shifting between past and present timelines. Interspersed throughout are magazine articles about Hazel’s art and text messages she sends to her late friend Matty’s phone. Fox and Hazel first meet and fall in love over murder. Once they accidentally become parents, they “agree” that murdering is no longer an option. But apparently secrets are still on the table.

The monotony of daily life begins to strain their marriage, and Hazel makes a deadly mistake that she keeps secret from Fox, making the strain in their marriage much worse. Hazel isn’t alone in keeping secrets as Fox has some of his own, which causes Hazel quite a bit of paranoia. The things she does are a bit implausible and how it plays out at the end isn’t much more believable, but it wasn’t bad.

(I really do like Fox and Hazel when they are happy together.)

Overall this was a solid thriller, but not one I’ll think about again.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

I went into this expecting a dark and funny thriller, but the story shifted early on to be much more about the evolution of the characters marriage after parenthood. As the characters drifted apart through miscommunication and changing identities the thrillers aspects definitely took a backseat. I didn't finish the book because of the change in tone, and as a new parent I just wasn't in the headspace or mood to continue on this way. I think this is more for someone who wants a character driven story about relationships rather than a thriller about married serial killers

Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam for this e-arc that I chose to read and review

Darkly funny and undeniably original, this twisted take on domestic life imagines what happens when a pair of reformed vigilante killers try to settle into suburban parenthood. Hazel's snarky narration is entertaining, especially as her restlessness grows and the tension between knives and nappies starts to crackle. The premise is clever, and the satirical edge works—up to a point.

Where it starts to lose momentum is in the execution (pun slightly intended): the tone sometimes wobbles between cheeky thriller and earnest domestic drama, making it hard to fully buy into either. Still, for fans of macabre humor and antiheroes trying to adult, this is a quirky, chaotic ride that offers something different—just maybe not a book that lingers long after the final page.

With razor-sharp wit and a wicked sense of irony, Asia Mackay returns with A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage—a genre-defying thrill ride that blends domestic life, deadly secrets, and unexpected laughs into one brilliantly twisted narrative.

In a world where love and murder walk hand in hand, Mackay dares to ask: What does it really take to make a marriage work—especially when one of you is a trained killer? With her signature blend of black humor and pulse-pounding suspense, Mackay crafts a heroine who is as lethal as she is relatable, navigating the complexities of partnership, parenthood, and past lives she just can’t quite bury.

This novel is both a sharp satire on the expectations of womanhood and a genuinely gripping thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. Mackay’s prose is fast, funny, and fearlessly feminist, delivering a story that feels like Mr. & Mrs. Smith collided with Killing Eve, then sat down for a couples’ therapy session.

A bold, compulsively readable tale of secrets, sacrifice, and spousal survival—A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage is not just a story about staying together; it’s about staying alive.

Perfect for: Fans of sharp-tongued female leads, subverted domestic thrillers, and stories that are as hilarious as they are haunting.
Rating: ★★★★★

Hazel and Fox, former serial killers, marry and live lavishly. When Hazel becomes pregnant, they try to spice up their suburban life with playdates and “Mommy Friends.” But Hazel misses the thrill of murder. When she gives in to her murderous urge without Fox, their old and new lives clash, risking everything.

This narrative bears a striking resemblance to the film “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” However, I found the plot to be rather implausible and somewhat challenging to complete.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine - Bantam for the advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the parallels between Haze and Fox trying to be the perfect parent & spouse. Both are keeping secrets that could destroy their marriage, and have underlying fears that their marriage will be their downfall, either individually or collectively. The characters, even the side ones, all struggled with something and no one had a perfect picture life…at least not one without the cracks starting to show under their disguise. This was just a fun read overall!

Thank you to the publisher Bantam for providing me with an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an entertaining read with a very different storyline. Well written, with nicely developed characters. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

Mackay’s writing is witty and dark, and the tension between Hazel and Fox is palpable. The dynamic of their relationship, grounded in their shared past and the dark secrets they are trying to keep buried, adds layers of complexity to the plot. Fox’s unwavering commitment to fatherhood contrasts with Hazel’s growing restlessness, and the tension between them escalates as Hazel acts on her murderous instincts without consulting Fox, setting off a series of dangerous events.

This was a unique book! I love a thriller and think that the FMC in this was written well. I like the nuance and dark humor. It was a cool book if you like criminal minds etc!

I had high hopes for this one, but it fell flat for me! The plot sounded fun, a murderous couple with a wife that “cheats.” However, I feel like the couple was so distant from one another (I mean.. even considering them being murderers) but it just didn’t really capture me and was so boring.

I think I will be only one of a few that says this, it feels like it would be very popular, especially during the summer for a beach read!

DNF - I attempted to start this book and it just did not hold my interest. This may be a book I come back to in the future but for now even the audio did not hold my attention.

Hazel feels trapped in her new motherhood role. Forced to live a new life on the straight and narrow and do everything for their baby; Hazel and Fox have put away their jet-setter lifestyle. They have also committed themselves to no more killings. Until one fateful night when Hazel is confronted by a man and defends herself, forcing her new life and old life to collide. She was never the one hiding their murders, that was always on Fox - but she can't let him know she broke her promise. I found A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay to be an entertaining thriller. There were totally relatable moments about marriage and parenthood and others that were more far-fetched with the murders and crime but overall it was a new concept and I would recommend this book. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

A little bit Dexter, a little bit of Mr and Mrs Smith and a whole lot of entertainment! I loved A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage and am desperately hoping for a sequel.

There was alot going on in this book and too much back and forth. It did lose me as I got halfway though.

Two serial killers renounce their life of crime to start fresh in suburbia — but is a normal life really possible for people like them? For Hazel, the monotony of mommy-and-me groups, morning runs, and shallow small talk with neighbors is suffocating. Meanwhile, Fox, a trust-fund kid playing at normalcy with a mind-numbing 9-to-5, doesn’t mind the illusion. But when temptation creeps back in, the real questions emerge: What happens if one of them wants to return to their old ways? Can their marriage survive? More importantly, can they?

The book opens with an intense, gripping prologue that sets the stage for a high-stakes, tension-filled narrative. However, the rest of the story unfolds quite differently. Instead of a pulse-pounding thriller, much of the novel explores Hazel and Fox’s internal struggles — what they want from their new life, their marriage, and, ultimately, from each other. But instead of openly addressing these conflicts, they avoid them, leaving much of the tension to simmer in silence.

For me, the reliance on miscommunication as a driving force in the story was frustrating. While I appreciated Hazel’s introspective musings on motherhood, marriage, mental health, and justice, the plot often meandered through the mundane. Hazel’s struggles to be a mother, Fox’s family baggage, and their general dissatisfaction with suburban life felt so… normal. Too normal, in fact, for a premise built around two former serial killers who lived this life of glamour and horror oh so recently. The slow-burn storytelling lacked the urgency I expected, and while the final chapters finally delivered some excitement, the journey there often felt sluggish.

That’s not to say the book isn’t enjoyable. It offers sharp reflections on identity, reinvention, and the ways people try and fail to change. But the issue with this book lies in its identity — it's not quite a thriller, not exactly a mystery, and not entirely a domestic drama either. It’s simply the story of a couple who happen to be serial killers, grappling with the same struggles as any other couple. That ambiguity makes it difficult to recommend — though readers who enjoy character-driven narratives with a dark twist may still find something to appreciate.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this copy of A Serial Killer's Guide To Marriage. I really did enjoy the relationship between the two. My only issue for me is really a me thing. It wrapped up a little to neatly. I wish the story was a little longer when it came to the cooperation of the detective. Overall though it was a solid enjoyable read that I will definitely be recommending to my fellow readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

The premise of this book immediately grabbed me—think Dexter with a little RHO…. While the concept was strong, some aspects of the execution fell a bit flat, particularly Haze and Fox’s relationship. The dynamic was meant to be tense and complex, with Haze suppressing her urge to kill, leading her to doubt the authenticity of her love for Fox, while Fox played the role of the ultimate savior. But something about their connection just didn’t fully click for me.

That said, the ending? Absolute perfection. Jenny is that girl, and honestly, maybe—just maybe—bringing a third person into a marriage can save it. 😂

A Serial Killers Guide to Murder by Asia McKay was so good!! If you like morally gray characters, secret identities, serial killer spouses, different timelines, dark humor, and domestic suspense then you will love this book.

This is my first book by Asia McKay and I enjoyed it. Told from multiple POV’s, Fox and Hazel are serial killers who happen to fall in love, get pregnant, and start a family. They work hard to keep their identities hidden and have use their own codes. Their lives went from an action movie to living a suburban life, taking mommy and me classes, and working corporate jobs. They are struggling with the ups and downs of their marriage because what originally brought them together they are no longer doing and they kinda resent each other for it. This book was full of twists and turns, alternating chapters, bad people, secrets, and lies. What more could you ask for?? Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and options.