I didn't expect to like this contemporary mystery thriller as much as I did. I’m not a fan of vigilantism and I hate books that usually glorify those types of killings such as Dexter and others. But for some reason, this was fun and entertaining, and I enjoyed it. Rated 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Saffy Huntley-Oliver is rich and beautiful, runs a couple of charities, and is a fashionista. She also has a secret hobby -- hunting down and killing bad men. The pedophiles, abusers, rapists, etc. This makes dating and finding a mate difficult when you can't find a good guy. But finally, Saffy is in with a chance after meeting true-crime podcaster Jonathan Desrosiers. When the police name him as a suspect in a murder he did not commit, Saffy is determined to help Jon seek out the real killer and give her the opportunity to have her own romance and fairy tale ever after.

This was darkly humorous and fast-paced making it a great one-sitting read. Saffy is meant to be a feminist but she's not a man-hater per se, she's just not been exposed to many good guys that aren't super boring. She does do something that I didn't like (trigger for animal mistreatment) and she is fairly intolerant of most people so she's not going to be anyone's BFF. She does love her younger sister and is very protective of her. Once you get past the fact that she loves her hobby and is a stone-cold serial killer, she's kind of likeable. Or at least you understand part of why she's who she is. The narrative is told from the points of view of both Saffy and Jonathan (Jon). Suspend any disbelief and go along for the crazy ride.

I listened to the audio while reading along in the e-book ARC (both provided by the publishers) and I enjoyed the experience although I must say that I prefer the book to the audio. Quite a bit of vocabulary was changed using American expressions in the book compared to more typically English phrases or terms in the audio. The narrator had a British accent as well. ( )

I loved this book! Despite the disturbing prologue, "Bad Men" was a very entertaining and funny read. It made me smile all the way through and I absolutely adored Saffy, a stylish heiress who freely admits (to herself) that she is a sociopath and an efficient serial killer. However, she only kills bad men, thus helping to make the world a better place.

Life is lonely for Saffy as she attempts to keep her secret and it becomes harder for her when she falls in love with Jon, an author and podcaster who has made money from exploring murders. Girl, the dog Saffy, rescued from a shelter was a character in herself and her antics, especially towards Saffy, were humorous.

I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book, except my colleague said she loved it. I was hooked from the first page and binged on it until I reached the end.

With twists and turns, romance, likeable characters and dark humour, "Bad Men" has become one of my favourite reads for 2023. ( )

I devoured Bad Men in two days and enjoyed every minute of it. It was fresh, energetic, funny, dark, violent and clever.

It has severed heads, multiple serial killers, multiple bad men who, for once, get what they deserve, a cute dog in great peril and two engaging main characters: Saffy, smart, beautiful, single and wealthy, who killed her first bad man when she was twelve and now hunts and murders them as a hobby and Jonathan, a true-crime podcaster whose obsession with murder has destroyed his marriage and is about to put his life in danger.

I won't go into the details of the plot because that would spoil the fun but I will say that it has so many twists that even when I reached the epilogue my ideas of what had been going on and who had made it happen and why continued to be reset.

Bad Men is a wonderful mix of violent thriller and RomCom which gleefully twists the conventions of both genres to do surprising things, many of which involve attacking the patriarchy with wit and sharp blades.

This book made me laugh and it kept me guessing. Saffy is a killer who may or may not be a sociopath yet I found myself cheering her on in her endeavours both to win Jonathan's affections and to rid the world of some despicable men.

I recommend the audiobook version, narrated by Nathalie Buscombe

https://soundcloud.com/bonnierbooksuk/9781804183540-sampleaudioclip

If you'd like to hear how Julie Mae Cohen came to write Bad Men, listen to her interview with Zoe Ball on the BBC Radio 2 Book Club (you will have to sign in to BBC Sounds) ( )