Interview with Katy Brent

The Gloss Book Club: What can you tell readers about your novel How to Kill Men and Get Away With It?

Katy Brent: How to Kill Men and Get Away with It revolves around a disillusioned social media influencer named Kitty Collins who turns into a vegan serial killer, seeking revenge against men who escaped the justice system. But she decides to hang up her boning knife when she falls in love.

It’s my debut novel and something of a passion project that I started in 2018, coming at it through a post #MeToo lens. It’s a bit of a fairy tale. You certainly have to suspend disbelief while reading it, but that’s intentional. It was never supposed to read like it’s steeped in realism or a How To guide.

TGBC: Tell us a little bit about yourself – what was the journey like that brought you to publish this book?

KB: It’s been a ride, that’s for sure! I started writing the first draft way back in 2018, which seems like a lifetime ago now, as part of an online writing course with Faber Academy. It was initially meant to be more light-hearted than it turned out, but the landscape changed so much after the #MeToo movement that it felt right for it to take a darker turn. My original pitch line was “a stabby Sex and the City.”

TGBC: How did you come up with the title?

KB: Coming up with the book’s title wasn’t an easy feat and caused us the most stress! The original idea was very much a comedy, and I had the working title of Kitty The FuckBoy Slayer. This changed to How To Kill Men and Influence People during the first draft. Then, we decided that this didn’t quite capture the mood of the book and my publishers did a few focus groups to determine the right fit. How To Kill Men and Get Away With It came out as the favorite, but we were quite nervous about it because it’s quite contentious! I was keen to keep the How To Kill Men aspect of the title because that’s what I’d been calling it for two or so years by this point and it would’ve felt a bit like changing the name of your two-year-old child. In the end, we decided to just go for it.

There’s been a few comments such as, “If this was called How To Kill Women and Get Away With It, there would be riots.” This is true, but globally hundreds of men do kill women and often get away with it. As a friend of mine said, the book is a spin on the norm of male violence against women and girls in the real world. That’s the whole point. The stories of the men Kitty unalives are based on real news stories where men got away with hurting women whereas Kitty’s murders are very much fiction.

TGBC: Where did the inspiration for How to Kill Men and Get Away With It come from?

KB: The inspiration for the book was multifaceted. In 2018, I’d fallen in love with Villanelle’s character in the popular TV show, Killing Eve, and wanted to write an equally kickass woman main character. I had this vague idea about someone like Carrie Bradshaw just flipping out and murdering the men who hurt her friends. That was the seed.

I was also influenced by the movie American Psycho and wanted to explore modern-day yuppie culture, which I related to social media, particularly Instagram. I don’t think it’s quite as rampant now, but prior to the pandemic, there was a proliferation of accounts, primarily featuring young white women, who would post images of themselves in designer outfits, posing on distant shores, and promoting questionable products. I was drawn to this trend and wanted to capture that vibe.

It all finally came together when I was watching an episode of Made in Chelsea, which is a British reality show along the lines of The Hills and Selling Sunset. I thought how funny (in a dark fictional way!) it would be if one of these super glossy people had a basement full of bodies.

TGBC: This is your first book and the genre is crime fiction. Is this your happy place or will you likely explore other genres? What appeals to you about writing crime fiction?

KB: While the book involves crimes being committed, I wouldn’t categorize it as traditional crime fiction. There are crimes in it, but there are also lots of elements of other genres too. Some people have called it a thriller. It’s certainly a satire, a bit of social commentary. There are also elements of rom-com and even a bit of spice.

I enjoy blending different tropes of genres, which is something I’ll continue to do. The seriousness of the subject matter combined with the rom-com style of the narration makes it palatable. Without the humor, this would be just a very bleak story about male violence.

TGBC: What did you edit out of this book?

KB: There were quite a few scenes that didn’t make the final cut for various reasons upon careful reflection.

TGBC: What was the most challenging element during your writing process?

KB: The challenging aspect of the writing process was balancing the fine line between comedy and serious subject matters. I was worried that I might appear too flippant.

TGBC: What can you tell us about your second book?

KB: Well, my second book is not a sequel to How To Kill Men and Get Away With It, which is something I’ve been asked a lot. Rather, it’s a cozy murder mystery, but still focuses on violence against women and girls. The main character, Molly, wakes up after her work Christmas party to find an explicit video of her has gone viral. It’s quite the hangover. I can’t reveal any more, but I’m pleased to say it’ll be out next year.

TGBC: Any authors or books you’d like to share with us that you’re particularly passionate about?

KB: Gosh, there are too many, but I’ll try to keep it succinct! First is Spilt Milk by Amy Beashel, a modern, honest take on motherhood that explores grief and being a messy human. It’s wonderful, and no one dies, so a good antidote to How to Kill Men! The Comeback by Ella Berman is a fascinating read that has similar #MeToo themes and shows the movie industry through the eyes of Grace, a former child star. For all consuming, keep-you-up-all-night thrillers, Sarah Clarke never disappoints— she really nails that genre. Currently, I’m into non-fiction books and recommend Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women by Victoria Smith, an eye-opening read that explores the societal view of middle-aged women.