The man-hating murderer is back! Author Katy Brent’s latest title To All the Men I’ve Killed Before, marks the return of Kitty Collins for the third instalment of the series. And this time, the anti-heroine is on a mission to avenge her best friend, who was left in a coma by her boyfriend, Adrian Ward.
Going a little deeper, one finds that Adrian has fled England but Kitty tracked him to Los Angeles, where she begins hunting him alongside her younger half-sister, Antoinette. The younger one is quickly developing her own taste for murder. While In LA, the sisters also cross paths with a serial killer targeting aspiring actresses who have turned to creating adult content, a pattern the police appear determined to ignore.
Amid such a narrative, Brent’s novel touches upon the spectrum of dangers that women face, from everyday misogyny such as catcalling, unsolicited advances, gaslighting and verbal abuse, to graver threats including rape, physical violence, and murder. But, instead of smashing patriarchy with high-minded proclamations, the heroine shapes as a Gucci-clad socialite on a messianic mission to rid the world of bad men. Not all men, of course, just the misogynists.
It's relevant to mention here that for those who haven’t read the first two novels in the series, it's not going to be a deterrent to pick this one. Kitty’s quick-witted and barbed, albeit frequently out-of-touch, narration is breezy and frothy to provide more than enough context to bring newcomers up to speed on her previous adventures. However, this also proves to be a double-edged sword. While reliable enough to orient a first-time reader, Kitty is deliciously delusional and painfully predictable, often failing to spot the plot twists lurking right under her nose.
{{/usCountry}}It's relevant to mention here that for those who haven’t read the first two novels in the series, it's not going to be a deterrent to pick this one. Kitty’s quick-witted and barbed, albeit frequently out-of-touch, narration is breezy and frothy to provide more than enough context to bring newcomers up to speed on her previous adventures. However, this also proves to be a double-edged sword. While reliable enough to orient a first-time reader, Kitty is deliciously delusional and painfully predictable, often failing to spot the plot twists lurking right under her nose.
{{/usCountry}}The protagonist's female rage lends an interesting layer to the novel, sitting at the intersection of comedy and violence. Kitty’s inner monologue brings humour to crime fiction; a genre usually treated with a seriousness that sometimes borders on preachiness. The fact that Kitty has unimaginable wealth at her disposal certainly helps her remain focused on what truly matters: indulging in luxuries the reader can only sigh over while continuing her violent rampage against misogynists who, in her estimation, “truly deserve it”.
For those worried about the number of pages must know that this novel will not have you burning the midnight oil. It's easy to race through and its climax also doesn't arrive as quite the revelation. It's a quick airport read or one to keep handy while sunbathing beside the pool. Also, it will not stay with you long after the final page! But, Kitty certainly puts her enormous stash of money where her mouth is, flipping the script on the patriarchy and delivering the juicy wish-fulfilment on which this feminist revenge fantasy rests.
Title: To All the Men I’ve Killed Before
Author: Katy Brent
Publisher: HarperCollins
Price: ₹599
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