Title: HOW TO MAKE A KILLING
Author: Kate Weston
ISBN: 9781035412495
Publisher: Headline Books
Pages: 432
Source: NetGalley
Meet the women of Harrington Estates. They’re one big happy family. At least, that’s what they all say…
New arrival Bella is determined to get to the top, and she doesn’t mind stepping on some Louboutin-clad toes to get there.
No-nonsense Hannah was the rising star, but now Bella’s stealing her thunder – and her agent of the year award.
Olivia wants it all – the glittering career, the picture-perfect family. But lately it feels like something – or someone – is trying to snatch it away.
Then there’s poor Claire, who has lost more keys than sold properties – and Bella makes sure the whole office knows it.
When Bella is found dead at the open house for a £10-million mansion, everyone’s a suspect. They’d all die for that listing, after all.
But did one of them kill for it?
Official Summary
21 May 2025
If Selling Sunset met Desperate Housewives and got wrapped up in a murder mystery, you’d land squarely in the scandalously sharp, hilariously dark world of How to Make a Killing.
Set in the cutthroat world of luxury real estate at Harrington Estates, this book is packed with high-stakes drama, biting wit, and enough secrets to fill every walk-in wardrobe in their £10-million listings. We meet a cast of women who are polished on the outside but each struggling with ambition, insecurity, and buried resentments.
Bella storms onto the scene with stilettos and sass, determined to climb her way to the top—no matter who she tramples along the way. She’s the kind of character you love to hate and can’t stop watching. Hannah, once the office golden girl, is fuming as Bella steals her thunder (and her trophy), and Olivia’s trying to juggle a perfect life that’s slowly unravelling at the seams. Then there’s Claire—sweet, unlucky, and perpetually flustered—who you can’t help but root for, especially when Bella sets her in her sights.
The murder of Bella at a lavish open house flips everything on its head. Weston delivers a perfect balance of dark comedy and classic whodunit tension, poking fun at influencer culture, corporate competition, and the chaos of female dynamics in the workplace. It’s part mockery, part thriller, with moments that had me genuinely laughing out loud—and others where I was flipping pages to figure out who had the strongest motive (hint: pretty much all of them).
What I loved most was how each woman was written with depth. They’re messy, ambitious, flawed—and entirely believable. The office politics felt real (if a bit fabulously exaggerated), and the mystery itself was tightly plotted with red herrings and sharp dialogue that kept things zipping along.
If you enjoy your thrillers with a splash of humour, a sprinkling of scandal, and a cast of characters you wouldn’t trust with your house keys, How to Make a Killing is the perfect weekend read. A smart, stylish murder mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously—and is all the more entertaining for it.
Also By Kate Weston
YOU MAY NOW KILL THE BRIDE
Their hangovers may fade, but this is a hen party they’ll never forget…
Lauren, Saskia, Dominica, Farah and Tansy have been friends since nursery. They wonder if that was the last time they all actually liked each other.
Reunited as bridesmaids at Tansy’s spiritual hen party in the woods, it doesn’t take long before old grudges begin to surface. Not to mention the secret they’ve been hiding for twenty years.
But what starts as a weekend of macramé and contraband vodka ends in murder when Tansy chokes to death on a poisoned cacao drink.
As the body count keeps climbing, the friends realise that one of their group must be the killer – and if any of them want to make it down the aisle, they need to watch their sash-covered backs.
Who will be left standing when the bouquet is thrown?
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Kate Weston is an ex-stand up comedian and the author of four YA murder mysteries, as well as her adult debut thriller You May Now Kill The Bride, which was published in 2024. Her most recent YA book, feminist thriller Murder on a School Night, was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2024. Kate has also been been a semi-finalist for Funny Women and New Comedian of the Year, longlisted for Comedy Women in Print and the Branford Boase, and nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
Kate lives in London with her partner and adorable cat Angus.
Thank you to Marta from Headline for suggesting this book. This was a brilliant read, I cannot recommend it highly enough. I am loving Kate Weston’s work and look forward to reading more from her. Have you read her books? I would love to hear if you are enjoying them too. Please leave a comment below. Happy Reading.
