This book is a history of axe murder and the iconic tool in the name. Axes are one of humanity's oldest and most versatile tools, and we've been using it to commit violence for just as long as it's existed. The author explores different kinds of axes and technological developments, as well as a collection of murders spanning thousands of years. It's actually pretty interesting.

This book was vey interesting on how the axe’s usage progressed over time. I definitely wasn’t expecting this to be a historical book but overall I definitely learned more about the axe.

"Whack Job" is perfect for true crime fans, history buffs, and anyone intrigued by the strange ways violence gets woven into society's stories. Very similar to Mary Roach, author Rachel McCarthy James does a deep dive into... axes. And not just true crime but myths, language, and pop-culture. At times the writing felt intense with research but for the most part it is very approachable to all listeners.

Thank you NetGalley, author Rachel McCarthy James, and MacMillan for providing this audio book to NetGalley.

Not exactly what I expected, as I would have liked more recent axe murder stories, but this was clearly well researched and written.

As a librarian, I appreciate the effort that goes into creating engaging stories, but unfortunately, "Whack Job" did not capture my interest past the 25.4% mark. The premise had potential, combining humor and quirky characters, which initially drew me in. However, I found the pacing to be uneven, and the plot struggled to maintain my attention.

The character development felt somewhat lacking, making it hard for me to connect with them emotionally. I often found myself skimming through sections, hoping for a turning point that would re-engage me, but it simply didn’t happen.

While I can see that some readers may find joy in its offbeat style, it ultimately didn’t resonate with me. It’s always difficult to DNF a book, but as a librarian, I must prioritize my reading time—there are just too many great stories waiting to be explored! I hope others find it more enjoyable than I did.

The subject of this book makes up for the lackluster narration for me. I enjoyed the content and writing, but had a difficult time attending to the narration. I hope to get a hard copy of the book to re-read soon and have recommended it to several people because the concept and execution of the writing is so good it makes up for the narration that I didn't love.

What a fun and different concept. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me, but I did enjoy the writing and the narrator.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

Axe Murder - what a crazy history it has!!

This book goes beyond what you might know about the history of both the axe and some of the murders that were committed by the people who wielded one, and I will say here, that some of these stories and the history will both surprise you and, if I may, horrify you just a bit [or a whole lot LOL].

Well researched and written, this was an excellent [and again, slightly gruesome, or a lot gruesome depending on who you are] read that I enjoyed very much. I doubt that I will ever use the term "whack job" or "crazy like an axe murderer" as lightly as I have in the past!

Jennifer Pickens is an excellent narrator and she does a fantastic job with this book and all it's crazy [and again, gruesome] details and really brings these stories to life. I enjoyed her narration very much and I highly recommend this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel McCarthy James, Jennifer Pickens - Narrator, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick and interesting read. The author discusses the axe and how it evolved throughout history. At one point, the axe was a tool needed for survival and present day not many people own them. The author discusses murders throughout history that had an axe as the weapon of choice. It was interesting to hear about different cases- most famously the Lizzie Borden case. I didn’t love the title of the book in regards to what it was about. I feel as though it wasn’t a true history of axe murders but more a highlight of some interesting cases. Overall I enjoyed it.

This was an interesting look at the evolution of axe murder through history. I will say some of the early history information was less captivating compared to the newer. Good facts for those interested in this type of thing.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press #partner for the gifted copy and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

I enjoyed this one via audio, and thought the narrator did a great job. This is basically a historical look into the axe from its inception to the current day and how it has been used, including for murder. It is not specifically a book on axe murdering alone. There were pieces of this that interested me, including how it was used in executions back in the day, Lizzie Borden, and the Wylie, TX case that has been made into a couple of made-for-TV movies.

This was a mostly interesting and originally organized nonfiction/history/true crime title. I appreciated the style of writing and the length but I'm not sure how much will stick with me over time.

This was an interesting look into the history of the axe as a tool and how it grew into a murder weapon. Did I want more murder and less history? Yes, but as a history buff I still enjoyed this. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect the axe’s history and I learned about many things I had ever heard of. I went back and forth between reading and listening and found the audiobook to be well narrated.

When thinking of an axe, us thriller readers immediately would gravitate to it as a weapon. Murder, foul play, all of that. Maybe anybody else would think of it as a tool, something in the shed or garage. Whack Job, in which the audio narration was superb, dove into all aspects of the axe actually, especially how it played in history. Not that the axe was the main draw in these histories, but how it was used in certain times.

Don't fret - the book did dive into some crimes, notoriously Lizzie Borden (I think I would have been mad if she weren't included) and the case with Candy Montgomery, mainly because the title itself. For some reason I thought the book would simply talk about all the crimes that would make an axe notorious, but it didn't. The author widened the circle to include historic events, in which was fun to listen to and quite interesting. But I just wished there were crimes involving an axe because that was pretty much what the title promised. Mind you, I really appreciated all the historic stories. I loved listening to them, and I could see how much the author really did her research as well as her passion about the axe!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Something about Rachel McCarthy James's approach to her research did not sit right with me. From the start, I was unsure how she went about this for her book then felt as if each section was full of fleeting information that she cherry picked to write out on the page. If I were reading a physical copy of this book, I wouldn't have gotten through it. The Audiobook did allow me to tune in and focus on the narrative. The recording was clear and I could easily adapt the speed to my personal preference. It reminded me of a podcast where someone who might not be an expert on a project delivers information that makes viewers go, "That's interesting," then forget about it later.

The best history of axe murderers I’ve ever read … also the only history of axe murderers ever read!

Rachel McCarthy James wax this book out of the park! I absolutely loved the format. She used featuring a specific act in time, information about that tool, and then going into that time. And finding an axe murder scenario or victim to bring this history together. I think this was a great way to piece the history of not only the axe and the history of using that tool to murder along with the pop culture aspects into a cohesive timeline.

The audiobook narrated by Jennifer Pickens was easy to listen to and very addictive! Her voice work was delightful, and she added a lot of enthusiasm to the subject.

This is a perfect book for his history and true crime buffs alike!

This wasn't really what I was expecting.... I thought this would be about a singular axe murderer, but it's truly a collection of stories where an axe was present. Which is probably my fault for not reading the synopsis, but this just wasn't truly my jam. The idea is great, and I think this would be great for historical fiction fans!

(my error) - I thought this would be would be more about murder cases rather than the history of axes.

🪓WHACK JOB: A HISTORY OF AXE MURDER🪓 by @rmccarthyjames is both bloody and intriguing. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @macmillanaudio for the audio-ARC. #macaudio25

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I love a micro history so I was pretty excited to listen to this one. The morbidly fascinating history of axe murder connects axeings from the Pleistocene era, through the Egyptian empire, into the Tudor era through the civil war and ending with relatively more recent axe murders. All of these historical instances of axe murder lore created our reactions of both fear and sometimes hilarity to the subject today.

I especially enjoyed the coloquial and pop culture references such as the fact that "burying the hatchet" is an appropriation of an indigenous tradition, reference to the cult classic movie So I Married An Axe Murderer, and the sensational Lizzie Borden trial of the early 20th century. This book is an unraveling of how a common tool can spiral into a much darker legacy.

The audio for this one was quick, thought provoking and an easy listen.