Not Like The Other Parents by Asia Mackay

 

Haze and Fox really are not like the other parents at the school gates. While trying to juggle family life and work, they also have a side hustle, eliminating sexual predators. Unfortunately, it looks like they are now being hunted themselves.

Readers were introduced to the serial killing duo Haze and Fox last year in The Serial Killer's Guide To Marriage (you can read my review here). I really enjoyed the satirical take on suburban life, so I was really pleased to see a return with Not Like The Other Parents by Asia Mackay. 

The story has moved on a couple of years, and the couple now have two children, four-year-old Bibi and four-month old Reggie. Haze is coping better with the suburban lifestyle than she was in the first book, mainly due to her friend Jenny. This time around, it's Fox who's struggling. There are references to an incident the year before, which has really dented his confidence.

From the opening pages, the tone is set. I just loved the idea of a pair of serial killers driving around in a minivan containing a dead body, while simultaneously trying to deal with the poonami of a four-month-old. This style continues throughout as the couple tries to deal with the playground mafia, accidentally killing people, and preventing an inquisitive four-year-old from eavesdropping.

The situation isn't helped by the shadowy Corporation putting a target on their backs and sending in The Chameleon, Europe's most successful hitman, to kill them. It is the completely wrong time for Fox to have a breakdown. The dark humour continues with Fox practicing yoga and seeking therapy, although trying to talk to a therapist without telling the whole truth proves difficult.

A variety of subplots keep the pace flowing, and the reader on their toes, as you never quite know where danger is lurking, particularly with The Corporation having such a wide reach. Everything builds to the climactic showdown, which many readers will probably have guessed at. I do hope we see more of our serial killer couple in the future.

Not Like The Other Parents by Asia Mackay will be published on 2nd July 2026 in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

Author Details

Asia Mackay is a Chinese Scottish author and mother of four based in London. Asia studied Anthropology at Durham University and began her career in television. She moved to China, presented and produced lifestyle programmes in Shanghai before returning to London where she worked for the likes of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, and subsequently completed a Faber Academy course. A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage was shortlisted for The Radio 2 Book Club Award 2026 and her debut novel Killing It was the Runner Up in Richard and Judy’s Search for a Bestseller competition and Runner Up/ Exceptionally Recognised for the Comedy Women In Print prize.