How to Kill Your Family
Paperback Published on: 14/04/2022
Price: £9.99
Bookseller Reviews
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I LOVED this!!
This is such an amazing novel! Dark, furious, and very, very funny, I absolutely LOVED this!
Grace is a wonderful anti-heroine, and even as she tells her ... READ MORE
Like Adults but with murder.
This, quite frankly, is one of my favourite books of the year. It is dark, hilarious and filled with pitch-perfect social commentary. It's like Adults, cro... READ MORE
Clever, Dark and Witty
I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this and I'm so glad I did! Grace is a fantastic character, and the novel is written so wonderfully you feel l... READ MORE
This book got me out a reading slump!
This book got me out a reading slump!
How to kill your family and get away with it follows a woman called Grace as she annihilates her family one by one. ... READ MORE
Fantastic debut
An astonishing debut piece of fiction writing from Bella Mackie and one of my favourite books of 2021. Funny, sharp, intelligent and incisive, I couldn't p... READ MORE
Interesting Anti hero
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie is a brilliantly dark and humorous novel that captivates from the very first page. The unconventional premise is bo... READ MORE
Dazzling, Dark & Hilarious
It has been a long time since I've read anything akin to Patricia Highsmith's classic "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and Bella Mackie did not disappoint!
The... READ MORE
Deliciously brilliant
I mean, it’s a naughty title, isn’t it? And it deserves every head turn it gets. HTKYF lives up to its billing, and then some! We probably shouldn’t root f... READ MORE
Sharp,
I cannot rate this book highly enough! Mackie is probably one of the wittiest authors I've ever read. Dark comedy at its finest, and to think this is a deb... READ MORE
Synopsis
I have killed several people (some brutally, others calmly) and yet I currently languish in jail for a murder I did not commit.
When I think about what I actually did, I feel somewhat sad that nobody will ever know about the complex operation that I undertook. Getting away with it is highly preferable, of course, but perhaps when I'm long gone, someone will open an old safe and find this confession. The public would reel.
After all, almost nobody else in the world can possibly understand how someone, by the tender age of 28, can have calmly killed six members of her family. And then happily got on with the rest of her life, never to regret a thing.
A wickedly dark romp about class, family, love... and murder.
Publisher information
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- ISBN: 9780008365943
- Number of pages: 368
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 28 mm
- Weight: 320g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allDisappointing comic novel
I was really excited to read this novel when I received a free preview copy from NetGalley, having enjoyed Bella Mackie’s articles and her Instagram storie... READ MORE
I can't work it out
It's hard to know who this character (Author?) Actually likes. It is such a miserable read. The most unlikable main character I have encountered and makes ... READ MORE
It’s terrible
This is the most overhyped book ever. It’s dreadfully boring and I can’t believe the people who have reviewed it on the cover have read it. So many wonderf... READ MORE
Lost its way
This book had promise but unfortunately lost its way. It was like being at uni and trying to reach your wordage on an assignment by filling it full of unne... READ MORE
Wow wow wow
This book was something else. I have been recommending this book to my bookworm friends and they have loved it too. This book threw me a curveball I was no... READ MORE
Not great
I was really disappointed by this book. I liked the premise but I did not like Grace. The ending was disappointing and very unsatisfying.
It was a great i... READ MORE
Kind Hearts and Coronets
If you've watched Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) which was based, loosely, on a 1907 novella, you'll know what to expect with this book which is essential... READ MORE
Unexpected and thrilling
Think it goes without saying but it's insane how calm she is about everything she did. I love seeing it all in her perspective and seeing every side of it ... READ MORE
Darkly hilarious and a fun and gripping read!
Grace isn’t exactly the most loveable character ever given her hobby (!) but she has a twisted, sarcastic humour to her narration and that it was a grippin... READ MORE
Slightly disappointing
Perhaps the genre is not my cup of tea, but while I liked this book enough to finish it, I can’t say I’ll thoroughly enjoyed it, if it was meant to be a da... READ MORE
From entertaining to laughable
Bought for a holiday read, not the free copy as most reviewers. Started off inventive and entertaining although not quite believable but that’s novels for ... READ MORE
Brilliant summer read!
Took me a while to get round to reading this book but as soon I picked it up I couldn’t put it down!
I’m not normally into ‘murder’ stories but this one ... READ MORE
I tried to read this book ...
I tried to read this book, I really did. But in the end I couldn't finish it. It's hard to care about the main character, Grace, or her story. Which is ess... READ MORE
4****
I enjoyed How To Kill Your Family more than I thought I would, Grace is a fantastic protagonist and the writing style is great. The only thing that let's t... READ MORE
Witty, dark humour
I really enjoyed this book and loved Grace as a character. I found myself weirdly rooting for her on her murderous journey hoping that it would all go to p... READ MORE
A darkly funny thriller
This darkly witty novel throws you into the mind of a killer who isn’t sorry for the six murders she did commit—just the one she didn’t. With a sharp, almo... READ MORE
PSA: THIS IS NOT A HOW-TO GUIDE
We’ve all had those moments when we’d quite happily throttle our nearest and dearest, right? But they’re moments, brief passings of fury that dissipate as ... READ MORE
Not a DIY manual
I think 99% of people who bought this book did so purely because of the title. Genius!
I have a very small family, and have no desire to kill any of them.... READ MORE
Dark, funny and overall really enjoyable
I really enjoyed reading this book. I had read Bella Mackie's non-fiction book "Jog On" and was really interested to see how she would write fiction. She d... READ MORE
Brilliant
A very funny read with an unexpected twist
Witty and intelligent
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. I found it very empowering (not as in a confident in my ability to kill) but to read abo... READ MORE
Dark and Funny
As soon as I saw the cover of this book in my local Waterstones, I knew I had to read it, and I haven't put it down since.
When Grace Bernard's mother dies... READ MORE
Extremely enjoyable
A very enjoyable read! Grace is a narrator you try to hate but I really loved her sarcasm, humour and the way she guides you through her story. Also a fant... READ MORE
Gripping Story… so mad at the ending!
I loved this book, it was a good thriller, but in a kind of comical way. I just hoped for a different ending!! Still a good book, long chapters though so i... READ MORE
Addictive
To keep it short & simple, this is one of my favourite books EVER. If you like gothic literature, dark humour and topics surrounding death & torture, you’r... READ MORE
Nowhere near as clever as it wants to be
As a premise, this had potential but in execution, this falls very, very flat. Our protagonist Grace should be someone to root for, the hard-done underdog ... READ MORE
Amazing book
This book was fantastic from start to finish, I read it all in one day. The writing was brilliant and the way the characters were portrayed were outstandin... READ MORE
Funny and surprising
When Grace Bernard learns that her absent father is a prominent millionaire who willingly abandoned her and rejected her dying mother’s pleas for help, she... READ MORE
Amazing
Really loved to read this book and loved the final twist. Totally recommend if you like crime/mystery books
Very interesting book, but didn't feel the certain points of the book worked well, and were as enticing as the rest.
The first thing, and the one that is the hardest to miss, is the cold and emotionless voice with which Grace thinks. She is in prison, for a crime that she... READ MORE
What a page turner
I am quite hard to please but this has to be my favourite book of all time. Was gripped the whole way through. Cannot wait for her to release her new novel... READ MORE
Craziness!
.I gave this book 5 stars, I loved it. It was a bit far fetched at times but I think that added to the excitement. I realised I was rooting for the main ch... READ MORE
Disappointing end
I quite enjoy an antihero and some dark humour and reading the reviews for this book I was hoping for something a little Darkly Dreaming Dexter, but Britis... READ MORE
Amazing
This might literally be one of the best books I’ve ever read
Overrated
It begins with the gripping story of Grace, our anti hero who is on a mission to murder her entire family following her bio father’s cruel impregnation and... READ MORE
Amazing book
This book was so brilliantly written, i was hooked from the three page prologue. The novel is a fun and unique idea with a fast pace and brilliant detail. ... READ MORE
How to Kill you’re Family
I’m not sure what to write regarding this book beautiful written and enjoyable from the first page too the last and I would definitely recommend it is both... READ MORE
A BOOK THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN!
I LOVED this book, its compulsively dark and twisted with humour. Mackie portrays Grace (the main character) as a protagonist with flaws that mirror an ant... READ MORE
Horrible
I hated this book. It was borderline incestuous which made it extremely difficult to finish.
Completely compelling...
Not the kind of book I would normally gravitate towards, but I really enjoyed How to Kill Your Family. Told by the incredibly dry Grace Bernard as she syst... READ MORE
More please
A great debut that had me up till 2am finishing to the end. Engaging right to the end, and just like a Dorothy Kooomson novel the twist you never expect a... READ MORE
This makes me very excited.
This book honestly has me SO EXCITED!!!! Put simply: I need more! Mackie reinvents the modern murderer with skill, with a plot which thickens like good gos... READ MORE
A wonderful feminist Jaunt!
A thoroughly witty, murderous ride with some exceptional feminist quips. Covers interesting themes of class and femininity . The ending left a slightly bit... READ MORE
Poor writing
Really struggled to get through this, story was okay but just poorly written
I hated it
I was looking forward to this due to the good reviews but found it predictable. The ending was so disappointing, not surprising the author hasn’t wrote man... READ MORE
Good Plot, Bad Writing
The plot in this book is amazing and very dark, but the way it is written does no justice. It's messy and not chronological. I think it would be better if ... READ MORE
Hate the main character but LOVE the book
Funny, well written and gripping. The main character borders on anti-hero/psycho/saint, which gives a really interesting dynamic. Absolutely loved it and i... READ MORE
A very light, out of this world funny book
The plot is obviously how Grace killed her family… and how she did it was so unthinkable! How it ended was beyond what I imagined as well. Bravo to Bella M... READ MORE
Really enjoyed this book
Its an easy to read and get in to book definately a poolside read. The plot is great(I wont dive in to it as others have) and makes you want a murderer to ... READ MORE
How to kill your family by Bella Mackie
How to kill your family by Bella Mackie is a very entertaining book, full of dark humour and an intriguing way to spin a tale of murder. I listened to the... READ MORE
Hilariously Dark
This is the first book I've been able to read since birthing mini-me 9months ago and I have not been able to put it down.. the book not the baby, she has t... READ MORE
How To Kill Your Family
I absolutely loved this book, so gruesome but so funny too.Great ending.
Got some strange looks reading this on a train
Made an account just to write this
I absolutely f***ing hated the ending. Completely ruined it for me. If it’s gearing up for a sequel, I won’t be buying it.
A recommendation...
I picked up this book after reading a review by Yours Chloe. It had been sitting on my TBR pile for a while. I knew, not only the plot, but the ending of t... READ MORE
A brilliant debut
"I have killed several people, some brutally, others calmly, and yet I currently languish in jail for a crime I did not commit..."
Grace Bernard is cur... READ MORE
How To Kill Your Family Book Review
How To Kill Your Family had a strong start but it is too drawn out and repetitive for my liking. The book has an excessive amount of self-dialogue and unne... READ MORE
A shallow exploration of themes such as class, privilege, and the nature of revenge.
I had high hopes for this wickedly dark romp about murder and revenge. This book is marketed as twisted humour and subversive storytelling, but falls very ... READ MORE
A fun read, nothing spectacular
A funny, dark, revenge story with a twist absolutely no one will see coming.
At times the narrative felt too choppy, with lots of separate "murder stori... READ MORE
Funny bit physcho but funny
Found this book really funny and harsh at times you really have to not put it down otherwise you can get lost , but really liked the story and plot
Plenty of ideas
This book genre isn’t something I would usually read, but oh my goodness I couldn’t put it down! It was well written, funny yet dark, with some interesting... READ MORE
How To Kill A Book
This book is all over the place and poorly written, the timelines are confusing and the characters are flat flat flat. I finished it out of curiosity.The a... READ MORE
Unlikable main character - but stick with it!
Grace Bernard, our 'damaged heroine' is taking revenge on the father and super-rich family who never acknowledged her. You try to see things from her persp... READ MORE
Incredible
I couldn’t put this book down, it was so funny and brilliantly written. I’d heard good reviews about it and finally gave it a go and I’m so glad I did. The... READ MORE