With A SOCIOPATH’S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE, M.K. Oliver delivers a shining example of a novel that is so clever and filled with really funny lines that we can't help but root for the main character, who also happens to be a sociopath. 

Lalla Rook is not ashamed to admit that she’s a sociopath. Her first-person narrative delivers punch after punch as her daily to-do lists often include tidbits like refinishing the floors after a murder, putting testosterone cream on her husband Stephen's arm to increase his libido, and “Allow him to be a hero --- Break the toilet flush, so he can mend it.” Her most humorous chore might be “Remove dead body from living room,” but by no means is that the only funny one.

"The writing is spot-on.... It's what Lalla is willing to do that makes her a very impressive character.... A SOCIOPATH’S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE is a fabulous novel."

When a strange man accosts Lalla in her home and tries to strangle her, she kills him. From that point, the game is on. Her attempts to figure out why he had been targeting and following her, her efforts to hide his body, her ability to draw in her friends for assistance (and framing), and the hijinks that ensue keep us rapt and reading. 

Lalla has no shame, morality or limits on what she will do --- and how far she will go --– to get what she wants. What she wants is a house in Hampstead, a ritzier neighborhood than where she currently lives. She wants Stephen to make partner at his investment banking job so they will have the lifestyle she craves. She wants her daughter, Nelly, to gain admittance to a prestigious private school. And what she'll do to attain her goals guarantees laughter and a thrilling ride.

When a face from the past shows up, which she had been sure was permanently disposed of, Lalla's problems increase exponentially. Now she has bigger issues than ensuring that Nelly, who seems to have sociopathic tendencies, gets accepted into the posh school and helping her good friend out of a blackmailing situation. 

It's Lalla's commentary on life and her family and friends that makes for interesting introspection. Does her determination to provide her family with all the accoutrements of success demonstrate her love for them? Or is it all about Lalla and her needs and desires?

With the police on her trail, one friend charged with a murder she didn't commit, a snobby and wealthy mother-in-law who hates her and is actively trying to break up her marriage, a mansion that she must have in Hampstead, and struggling to figure out who has it in for her, Lalla is one busy lady. 

The writing is spot-on. Oliver makes Lalla a woman who truly does what she wants. She'll deal with the consequences later. It's what Lalla is willing to do that makes her a very impressive character. We are rooting for her as we cover our gasps and disbelief. Lalla juggles all the different problems on her plate with the flair of a prima ballerina as she makes bodies disappear, shops for her new home, finagles getting the money that entails, and comes out looking like a hero. 

A sociopathic hero. What a novelty. A SOCIOPATH’S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE is a fabulous novel.