How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways | Eve Kellman
REVIEWED BY LINDA HILL
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways opens with a compelling first-person prologue that feels as though protagonist Millie Masters is speaking directly to readers, making us complicit in the action. And what action there is!
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways is a dramatic, entertaining and riveting read, but it does contain themes related to the #MeToo movement that some readers might find triggering, and it occasionally has some very strong language, so this review comes with a sensitivity caveat.
That said, the dynamic plot races along, but thankfully short sections are interspersed where Millie catches up with her friends, allowing us to catch our breath. It’s impossible not to be swept along in Millie’s story, which is made even more compelling as the novel is told from the killer’s perspective.
How To Kill A Guy In Ten Ways: Review & Synopsis
The strong language is not gratuitous and fits Millie’s sharp, sassy, feminist personality and sense of humour. The dialogue is modern, realistic and fresh. As a result, Millie feels like that rather aggressive and unsettling friend many of us have whom we can’t help but love and admire, especially when the full details of her upbringing are revealed.
Her developing relationship with James adds a delicious edge of danger to the narrative too, and when her killing spree begins to spiral out of control, the reader is all the more on her side because we gradually learn the reasons behind her actions.
However, despite Millie being the protagonist, her more vulnerable sister Katie engenders the most emotional response because her experiences have such an impact on her life. Her mental and physical health are so affected that under the entertaining story is a profound and moving exploration of how lives can be ruined by the actions of others.
Alongside these deeper elements is a breezy, witty, romp of a read that has the reader cheering for Millie even as she’s murdering her selected men. I began How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways with some concerns – but ended up loving it!
How To Kill A Guy In Ten Ways by Eve Kellman is out on March 28, 2024 (Avon, PB, £8.99) and available from Amazon.
Read more fiction reviews by Linda Hill including Every Move You Make by C.L. Taylor, Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson, The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson, The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins and The Due Date by Niki Mackay.
