I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. For some reason, it gave me “Maeve Fly” vibes, and that was one of my top books of 2023. While this one was much different from “Maeve Fly,” it was still wickedly entertaining.

At the top of the book, we meet a young Seraphina “Saffy” Huntley-Oliver. Her mother died, and she and her younger sister Susie live with their a-hole of a stepfather in his mansion. Within the first few pages, we learn that stepdad has sexually abused Saffy and has recently set his sights on Susie. Saffy isn’t about to let that happen, so she does what any overprotective big sister would do – she kills him. Years later, Saffy is a charming and charismatic socialite living in London. Oh, and she is a serial killer by night. But don’t worry, she only targets the bad guys – rapists, murderers, domestic abusers. You know, the real scum of the earth. However, her double life has left her feeling a bit lonely in the dating department. I mean, it’s hard to find love when you’re hyper-aware of a man’s behavior – especially if you decide you need to off him when he shows signs of being a bad egg.

Enter Jonathan Desrosiers, a true-crime podcaster with a heart of gold and an ex-wife who left him because she didn’t understand his obsession with solving crimes. When a headless body inexplicably shows up on Jon’s doorstep, he naturally becomes the prime suspect in a murder he swears he knows nothing about. And who better to help clear his name than Saffy, Jon’s number-one fan? The only problem is that Jon has no idea who Saffy is, but when Saffy wants something, she gets it. All it takes is a perfectly orchestrated meet-cute, and it’s not long before she convinces him that he needs her help.

As Saffy dives headfirst into the investigation to find who left the body on Jon’s doorstep, chaos, hilarity, and a few dead bodies ensue – some at the hands of Saffy, but hey – she refuses to change who she is simply because she’s in love. But as Saffy and Jon close in on the culprit, and Saffy falls harder for Jon, we can’t help but wonder how safe her secret is. With a mix of dark comedy and heart-pounding suspense, this book kept me turning pages well past my bedtime while rooting for a serial killer.

The characters in “Bad Men” are quirky, eccentric, and downright lovable in their own twisted ways. I loved how easily Saffy moved through the world. She was clever, loyal to those she loves, always one step ahead, always dressed to the nines – and to balance it all out, she’s just a little psycho (hey – nobody’s perfect!) Jon, on the other hand, was a genuinely good guy with good intentions who just couldn’t seem to catch a break. I thought it was funny how he finally let his guard down and accepted his feelings for Saffy because she convinced him he was safe with her (yeah, right!). I honestly rooted for this ragtag couple to end up together, hoping they could somehow find their happily ever after in a situation that seemed less and less likely as the book progressed.

While I loved the characters and the concept, and I thought the story was fun, I really wished it had focused more on Saffy and her murders, but as it was, the book focuses more on Jon trying to clear his name and catch a different serial killer. When I started the book, I was under the impression that Jon would be looking into the murders that Saffy had committed, but that wasn’t the case. My other gripe was that the epilogue seemed rushed. A few surprises are revealed in the final pages, but they were casually thrown at us and didn’t hold the impact they could have. I was honestly left with more questions than answers and would have liked a little more explanation. My only hope is that this book is the first in a series. I would love to see Jon and Saffy eventually have to go head to head.

While this didn’t end up being the book I’d imagined it to be, it was still a lot of fun, and I would recommend it to those who like a dark comedy thriller. Who said murder and mayhem couldn’t be this much fun? Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.