A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage

‘Scintillating … a zany guide, not just to marriage but to parenting, friendship, everyday middle-class battles and getting away with crime. It’s really a sardonic social comedy cunningly disguised as a psychological thriller’ Sunday Times

‘A blackly comic delight […] it’s both sharply sardonic and unputdownable’ Financial Times

‘Told with gusto, plus wonderfully twisty plotting and lashings of lifestyle porn, this satirical thriller is the perfect antidote to the winter blues’ Guardian

‘Lalla is a wonderful creation, utterly appalling and wholly irresistible’ Literary Review

‘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, Sunday Times bestselling author of Famous Last Words

‘Deliciously dark, clever satire. Lalla Rook is a genius creation. I absolutely loved it!!’ Shari Lapena, Sunday Times bestselling author of She Didn’t See it Coming

‘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’ A. J. Finn, #1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

‘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. An exciting new voice in the genre. Utterly brilliant’ Alice Feeney, author of Beautiful Ugly

‘Deliciously dark and hilariously funny; this book is original, unpredictable, and highly entertaining’ Jackie Kabler, author of The Revenge Plot

‘Amusing… a sly and satirical caper that will leave readers grinning’ Publishers Weekly

‘Sharp and funny, and the mystery that drives the story is pleasingly twisty … A terrific entertainment for readers who love an unlikable heroine.’ Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

M. K. Oliver is a former teacher and headteacher originally from Liverpool. He long dreamed of becoming a writer and after many years of working in schools took the exciting decision to put down his whiteboard marker to 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 a talkative cat in North London, which provides the inspiration for the location but thankfully not the characters of this story. Inspired by the lengths to which parents would go to ensure their child’s happiness, M. K. Oliver created his protagonist, the uncompromising Lalla Rook.