4.0 (1 rating)
A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage A Novel
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.
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.
Published: February 17, 2026
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781668096901
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Available in: Hardcover
See all editions (7)Reader Reviews
4.0
1 rating
Jolene C.
Feb 8, 2026
This book is a lovely reminder that with enough planning, ambition, and emotional compartmentalization, you really can have it all. A marriage to maintain, children to raise, a social ladder to climb and the minor inconvenience of stabbing a stranger in your living room before a 4 yr olds birthday party.
I had an absolute blast with this. I loved Lalla. Which says more about me than I’m ready to unpack. There were moments I felt a strong sense of kinship, like we might be related. Obviously joking. Definitely joking. Please don’t look into that.
The real joy here is the balance. Domestic chaos, marriage stress, school politics, and crime are all treated with the same level of urgency, which feels accurate if we’re being honest. The humor lands quietly and confidently, trusting the reader to keep up, and I appreciated that it never begged for laughs.
Four stars only because I wanted to stay in Lalla’s head a little longer, which again is probably something I should reflect on. A dark, funny, smart read that made me laugh, wince, and rethink my to do list. Highly recommend.
I had an absolute blast with this. I loved Lalla. Which says more about me than I’m ready to unpack. There were moments I felt a strong sense of kinship, like we might be related. Obviously joking. Definitely joking. Please don’t look into that.
The real joy here is the balance. Domestic chaos, marriage stress, school politics, and crime are all treated with the same level of urgency, which feels accurate if we’re being honest. The humor lands quietly and confidently, trusting the reader to keep up, and I appreciated that it never begged for laughs.
Four stars only because I wanted to stay in Lalla’s head a little longer, which again is probably something I should reflect on. A dark, funny, smart read that made me laugh, wince, and rethink my to do list. Highly recommend.