A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage - by Mk Oliver Hardcover

Book Synopsis

A whip-smart and darkly funny crime novel--perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Maid--that follows a wife and mother with a deadly secret that she must suppress if she wants to maintain her picture-perfect façade.

Meet Lalla Rook. Lalla has a lot on her plate: She needs to guarantee her husband makes partner, secure her dream house in Hampstead, and get her daughter into a prestigious prep school. And on the afternoon she stabs a stranger seven times after he breaks into her living room, she has a four-year-old's birthday party to host.

With an unambitious partner, two demanding children, and a barely adequate large house in a nice (if not quite fashionable) part of town, Lalla's life isn't quite perfect yet. And she can't pretend she hasn't missed the adrenaline rush that comes with transgressing. Besides, as a wife and mother, she's already an expert multi-tasker. So, disposing of a body, framing a friend, and being the world's best mother can easily be managed alongside the usual domestic minutiae.

It's just that her husband Stephen seems distracted, her daughter's drowning of the class hamster is affecting her academic future, and then there is the unexpected intruder. Who is this man and what does he want from her? Because Lalla has a past she'd rather keep hidden--and the sudden appearance of the police means that avoiding them will be yet another task to cross off her to-do list.

Funny, calculating, hypercompetent, and ambitious, Lalla is your next favorite antiheroine. Just don't mention it to her mother-in-law.

Review Quotes

"Deliciously dark, clever satire. Lalla Rook is a genius creation. I absolutely loved it!"
--Shari Lapena, bestselling author of She Didn't See It Coming

"One of the funniest and paciest novels I've read in some time with twists aplenty to boot. Straight-talking Lalla Rook is uniquely fascinating and strangely endearing and I've been missing her witty commentary since I finished reading."
--Kit Conway, author of Cat Fight

"A cracker! Lalla is a brilliant creation, there are plenty of twists and turns you'll never see coming--and a lot of laughs."
--R.S. Burnett, author of Whiteout

"What a debut! I devoured this razor-sharp, darkly funny thriller. Murder, ambition, and domestic perfection collide in a wickedly wonderful way. Look no further for your new favourite anti-hero."
--John Marrs, author of The Family Experiment

"[A] hilarious first-person account of a woman who will stop at nothing to win the earmarks of a successful marriage and family... Lalla's maneuvers lead to an unguessable, satisfying conclusion."
--Booklist

"What a tightrope M.K. Oliver walks in A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage, the most wildly entertaining novel you'll read this year: suspenseful but funny, shocking yet stylish... and sophisticated, too--a story with cold blood in its veins and bright ideas in its head. Part crime, part comedy, A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage introduces Lalla Rook, a name fated to be widely known in our world, if not in hers. You wouldn't want to be Lalla's enemy. You probably wouldn't want to be her friend, either--but you'll definitely want to be her audience, as she raises a family, commits murder, disposes of corpses, and prepares the perfect birthday cake (or does she?)... all with wit, imagination, and good taste. This is that very rare novel that's fun enough for a binge read but provocative enough for book clubs. May Lalla return soon, please, with more messes to be sorted, more bodies to be buried, and more cakes to be baked (sort of)."
--A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

"Lalla Rook is ruthless, unapologetic and shamelessly murderous, you're going to love her. This is a gripping and hilarious read, full of razor-sharp wit."
--Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time

"Oliver's debut is sharp and funny, and the mystery that drives the story is pleasingly twisty. The author's most impressive accomplishment, though, is crafting a protagonist who slowly becomes relatable even if she never quite becomes sympathetic... A terrific entertainment for readers who love an unlikable heroine."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"[A] story of social climbing and domestic intrigue, where extreme self-interest and casual violence are commonplace... This bold and provocative psychological thriller will appeal to readers who appreciate grim humor and unreliable narrators."
--Library Journal

"[A]musing... a sly and satirical caper that will leave readers grinning."
--Publishers Weekly

"A wickedly dark and hilarious debut. The writing is witty, wise and wildly entertaining, with well-drawn characters you will love to hate. Motherland meets Killing Eve. Utterly brilliant."
--Alice Feeney, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ugly

"Does being a sociopath make you a bad wife and mother? Not necessarily! But when everything and everyone that Lalla has been (really trying hard) to hold dear gets threatened, what's a sociopath to do? Defend herself, that's what! And maybe (just maybe, if necessary, but only then), plan a couple of homicides. I mean, they started it, right? The twists and turns will leave you questioning right and wrong, in the best way."
--Catherine Mack, USA Today bestselling author of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

About the Author

M.K. Oliver is a former English teacher and headteacher originally from Liverpool. He long dreamed of becoming a writer and after many years of working in schools, he took the exciting decision to put down the whiteboard marker, take up the keyboard, and give it a go. He enjoyed writing courses at Curtis Brown, Faber & Faber, and the Royal Court Theatre and now lives with his family and talkative cat in North London.