DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

How to Kill Your Family

A darkly comic tale of family and revenge

Bella Mackie author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers

Published:14th Apr '22

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

This paperback is available in another edition too:

How to Kill Your Family cover

In How to Kill Your Family, Grace Bernard embarks on a chilling quest for revenge, blending dark humor with sharp social commentary about family and dysfunction.

In How to Kill Your Family, readers are introduced to Grace Bernard, a complex character who embodies the darkly humorous and twisted themes of family and revenge. Grace, a daughter and sister, faces the loss of everything dear to her, which propels her into a chilling quest for vengeance against those she feels wronged by. This debut novel expertly blends elements of comedy and horror, presenting a protagonist who is both relatable and deeply unsettling. As Grace navigates her path of retribution, the narrative offers sharp social commentary, making readers question the nature of family ties and the lengths one might go to reclaim control over their life.

The book is not just a tale of murder; it is a satirical exploration of family dysfunction and society's obsession with crime. Grace's emotional detachment and her ironic observations provide a unique lens through which the reader can engage with the story. The humor is dark, yet it serves to highlight the absurdities of modern life and the expectations placed on individuals within familial structures. Readers will find themselves both laughing and cringing as Grace's actions unfold, making her a captivating anti-heroine.

Critics have praised How to Kill Your Family for its addictive storytelling and brilliant execution. The novel's witty, caustic dialogue and engaging plot twists ensure that it remains a compelling read from start to finish. Grace's journey is not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, leaving readers to ponder the complexities of love, loyalty, and the darker sides of human nature.

‘Funny and furious and strangely uplifting. Grace is a bitter and beguiling anti-hero with a keen eye for social analysis – even in her most grisly deeds, you never stop rooting for her’ PANDORA SYKES

‘I loved this book’ RICHARD OSMAN

‘I’ve struggled to recover my reading mojo since lockdown. This turned out to be the thing that sparked it back to life… Funny, sharp, dark and twisted, Grace is a character I found myself rooting for even as she committed the most vile misdeeds’ JOJO MOYES

‘Addictive… one of the most intriguing and bewitching protagonists I've read in years’ EMMA GANNON

‘A funny, compulsive read about family dysfuction and the media’s obsession with murder’ SUNDAY TIMES STYLE

‘You’ll be gripped… Grace’s emotional detachment throughout will give you chills’ Rated 5 stars by COSMOPOLITAN

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Hilarious and dark’ ELLE

‘Ironic twists and caustic commentary on everything from liberal guilt to the consumerist con that is “selfcare” sharpen this debut novel’ OBSERVER

‘Brilliantly tongue-in-cheek stuff from the Vogue columnist’ IRISH INDEPENDENT

‘Original, funny, unique and such a refreshing read’ PRIMA

‘A deliciously dark debut novel’ RED

‘This smart revenge comedy is told through the eyes of the Villanelle-esque anti-hero Grace Bernard… Chilling, but also laugh-out-loud funny. Another corker of a debut’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

‘Deliciously addictive… brilliantly executed’ i PAPER

‘Witty, waspish satire of a murderer with no regrets’ GRAZIA

‘Darkly hilarious’ IRISH TIMES MAGAZINE

‘Deliciously dark and twisted’ You magazine, MAIL ON SUNDAY

‘Bella Mackie’s debut novel is by turns pitch-dark and laugh-out-loud funny, with an outrageous final twist’ DAILY MAIL

‘hilarious… skilfully plotted’ Adele Parks The Sun

ISBN: 9780008365943

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 28mm

Weight: 320g

368 pages