A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage/M.K. Oliver
Atria Books/February 17, 2026
In M.K. Oliver’s A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage, housewife Lalla Rook feels entitled to–nay, owed–the ideal existence. She murders, extorts, blackmails, cheats, threatens, and lies to get what she wants; and never once does she question her actions. This is because she is–as the title of the novel implies–a sociopath.
When a strange man attacks Lalla in her home, she stabs him to death and prepares the body for transport via wrapping skills honed by Christmas gift-wrapping. Without even a shred of reflection, Lalla pressures her malleable friend Cait into assisting with the disposal of the body by convincing her that not doing so could result in Cait herself being implicated. Lalla then sets about framing Cait for the murder of her abusive estranged husband, which is just one item on a checklist that reflects Lalla’s multi-tasking skills.
And thank goodness Lalla can multi-task. In addition to dodging criminal prosecution, Lalla has many pressing items to accomplish. These include reviving her marriage with Stephen, with whom she’d fallen head over heels in love the instant she’d realized how rich he was. Unfortunately, he has not appreciated Lalla for some time now, despite her having provided him with a gorgeous home and two healthy children. It’s only too bad that Nelly took such clear delight in drowning the class hamster, and that Nathan has such an obsession with worms.
Then there’s the matter of raising the down payment on the dream home Stephen doggedly insists they can’t afford. Perhaps this is true, but Lalla is resourceful. She convinces an executive in Stephen’s banking firm to recommend him for partner; and a close friend ponies up the rest needed for the down payment. All Lalla had to do was seduce a younger man, light someone on fire, and engage in blackmail. That’s no problem for a woman so diligent in maintaining and completing a to-do list.
When Lalla realizes that the dead man in her home was tailing her with purpose, her perfect existence seems to be slipping from her grasp. The ex-policeman was hired by Lalla’s first husband, whose current existence would void her marriage with Stephen if word gets out. Even worse, her mother-in-law survived the foxglove Lalla put in her tea and could expose the identity Lalla shrugged off long ago. Right before she’s about to get everything, she might end up with nothing.
That is, unless Lalla is willing to be more devious and resourceful than she ever has before. And, of course she is.
Author M.K. Oliver has somehow managed to create a main character in a Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage who may be both less likable and less self-aware than Humbert in Lolita. With its dry, dark humor, this crime novel featuring a psychopathic antihero is great fun.
About the reviewer: A writer of dark comedy thrillers, Sarah Reida is currently seeking representation for her sophomore novel, Murder Boat. Her debut, Neighborhood Watch, received a Kirkus Star and was honored as an Amazon editorial pick as one of the Best Books of the Year So Far 2024. Join Sarah’s elite group of Instagram followers here.
