We chat with author Asia Mackay about A Serial Killer’s Guide To Marriage, which follows two former serial killers trying to keep their past buried and realise that old habits die hard.
Hi, Asia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m an author and screenwriter and I live in London, England with my husband, four children and two chihuahua pugs (chugs!). My name, Asia Mackay, is a fitting nod to my heritage (Chinese Scottish).
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
At the age of six when my brother really annoyed me and I wrote a story about how he got eaten by a tiger.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Tiger Who Came to Tea
- The one that made you want to become an author: I can’t remember the name of it. But it was terrible and made me think if that got published, maybe I have a chance?!
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: All The Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Your latest novel, A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Killer couple living in suburbia
What can readers expect?
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they’re ex-serial killers. They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder. Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal. But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox’s back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family. This could save their marriage – unless it kills them first.
Where did the inspiration for A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage come from?
It’s difficult to admit that spending copious amounts of time with my children is what inspired me to write a book about two serial killers. For the sake of their future therapy bills I hasten to add that this is no reflection on their delightful personalities. As a mother-of-four I have spent many years hanging out at soft play and in playgrounds. Few would consider cries, screams and plastic matting an inspirational setting, but whenever I was suffering through these very ordinary parenting activities, I started to wonder what it would be like doing them if perhaps I was not ordinary. I pictured a hardened killer gently pushing their kid on a swing. I tried to imagine if they would use a baby voice when speaking to their toddler, or how tightly they’d grip the handles of the baby’s pram at a perceived threat. Above all I kept thinking – how would they cope with the compromise and sacrifice that came hand-in-hand with marriage and parenthood?
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I particularly enjoyed writing Haze as I love how she’s a woman who doesn’t care what anybody thinks and is unapologetically herself.
Did you face any challenges? How did you overcome them?
The main challenges are getting through the days when the words just won’t come. Overcoming feeling stuck usually involves caffeine, chocolate, going for a walk, working in a different location. Sometimes a full reset is needed.
What are some tips for when it comes to writing a thriller?
If in doubt blow something up?! Plot twists and turns can keep momentum going. Have fun with it. If you’re bored writing it, readers will no doubt be bored reading it.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just finished writing the sequel to A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage. Next I’ll be working on a TV project.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister, Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang and Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
