A thriller that hits the target.

A HITWOMAN’S GUIDE TO REDUCING HOUSEHOLD DEBT
by Mark Mupotsa-Russell
Affirm Press, September 2024
(via Kaplan/DeFiore)

This darkly amusing and pacey thriller follows hitwoman-turned-suburbanmom Olivia Hodges, who used to do horrible things, back when she worked for a Spanish syndicate. She fled that life and moved home to Australia, building a loving family in a hippie, hipster community where she waits for her past to catch up with her.

When a small-time criminal gang accidentally kills someone she loves, superstitious Olivia thinks it’s the universe finally demanding payment for her crimes. If she wants revenge, she’ll have to get it without adding to her karmic debt—leading her to leverage her targets’ anger, ego and greed to kill them without actually killing them, all while trying to mislead the cops and her husband long enough to finish what she started.

Olivia’s voice is astounding: she’s cynical, witty and deeply human in a way that never feels forced. It’s quite a feat to write a novel that’s all-in-one package– a deliciously tangled thriller and a searing depiction of a marriage in crisis —and to make it so funny.

Mark Mupotsa-Russell lives in Australia. Before this book, he was a screenwriter, film reviewer cocktail columnist and PR consultant. He lives among the trees with his art therapist/superstar wife and hilarious son. When not writing, he obsesses about movies and martial arts.