Title: How to Kill Your Family
Author: Bella Mackie
ISBN: 9780008365912
Publisher: The Borough Press
Pages: 355
Source: Private copy
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.
When Grace Bernard discovers her absentee millionaire father has rejected her dying mother’s pleas for help, she vows revenge and sets about to kill every member of his family. Readers have a front row seat as Grace picks off the family one by one – and the result is as gruesome as it is entertaining in this wickedly dark romp about class, family, love… and murder.
But then Grace is imprisoned for a murder she didn’t commit.
Outrageously funny, compulsive and subversive, perfect for fans of Killing Eve and My Sister, the Serial Killer.
Official Summary
27 January 2023
This book is the story of Grace Bernard, a girl who decided to kill off her father’s entire family. Grace is a product of her mother’s affair with a wealthy man. After finding a note her dying mother wrote to her absent father pleading for help and seeing how her father ignored her, she decides to seek revenge.
The book is told from the perspective of Grace writing in a journal while she is in jail. She is in jail for a murder she did not commit and feels the need to brag about all the murders she did get away with hoping that one day someone will find it and see everything she got away with.
About fifty per cent of this book sadly feels like filler which is slightly disappointing as the idea of this book is amazing. However, in my opinion, it could have been cut by a couple of hundred pages.
Grace Bernard is such an interesting character, there are times in the book when you are completely rooting for her to kill someone. She is very sarcastic and funny yet she is very cruel and has no problem using people to her advantage. Seeing things through her perspective really helped with this character as she had you laughing and then had your skin crawling with her thoughts.
Considering this is Bella Mackie’s first novel, it was good and I look forward to seeing what else she does in the future.
I am glad I finally got to see what all the hype was about with this book and I suggest anyone pick this book up who loves feminine rage as this book truly mastered the art of it.
Also by Bella Mackie
Jog On
Divorced and struggling with deep-rooted mental health problems, Bella Mackie ended her twenties in tears. She could barely find the strength to get off the sofa, let alone piece her life back together. Until one day she did something she had never done of her own free will – she pulled on a pair of trainers and went for a run.
That first attempt didn’t last very long. But to her surprise, she was back out there the next day. And the day after that. She began to set herself achievable goals – to run 5k in under 30 minutes, to walk to work every day for a week, to attempt 10 push-ups in a row. Before she knew it, her mood was lifting for the first time in years.
In Jog On, Bella explains with hilarious and unfiltered honesty how she used running to battle crippling anxiety and depression, without having to sacrifice her main loves: booze, cigarettes and ice cream. With the help of a supporting cast of doctors, psychologists, sportspeople and friends, she shares a wealth of inspirational stories, research and tips that show how exercise often can be the best medicine. This funny, moving and motivational book will encourage you to say ‘jog on’ to your problems and get your life back on track – no matter how small those first steps may be.
About The Author
Author Bio from the Author’s Site
Bella Mackie is a former journalist who previously worked for The Guardian and Vice News. She writes a twice monthly Vogue column. Her first book, Jog On, was a memoir about mental health and running. It was a number two bestseller (just underneath Michelle Obama, which is a hallowed spot).
Since then she’s written an accompanying journal to encourage others to try exercise more for their minds than their bodies. Bella’s first foray into fiction, How To Kill Your Family, came out in July 2021 and ended up in the number one bestseller spot. Bella lives in London and spends a lot of time wrangling her large stupid dog.
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Goodbye…..
