Dark Humor, Retail Rage, and Murderous Inner Monologues: Why These Books Hit Too Close to Home

My journey into dark humor books started with a bang ‘How to Kill Your Family’ by Bella Mackie. I was absolutely floored by how something so twisted could be that funny. There I was, reading about someone plotting the murder of her family, laughing. Not in horror, not in shock, but actual laughter. Bella’s chaotic inner monologues unlocked something in me, and suddenly, I’d found my genre.

That book led me straight into a world where murder wasn’t just suspenseful or tragic, it was hilarious, unapologetic, and slightly therapeutic.

Everyone has a genre they gravitate toward. Some love fantasy, others go for romance or smut, and then there’s me. I want to laugh while someone’s planning a murder. That combo of following a killer and snorting through their unhinged thoughts is unbeatable. I’m not here for poetic descriptions of gore. I want chaos, mess, and a killer with a wicked sense of humor.

Books like these don’t always rely on plot twists because when you’re following the killer, the surprise isn’t who did it. It’s how far they’ll go and what they’ll say to themselves while doing it. And honestly, that’s enough to keep me hooked. These characters are often walking, talking intrusive thoughts, and I’m so here for it.

Take The Murder After the Night Before, for example. I related so hard to the main character waking up after a drunken night and having no idea what went down. Haven’t we all had a moment like that, minus going viral and maybe minus the dead body (hopefully)? It hit a little too close to home and made me think twice about my tequila shots.

Then there’s Katy Brent. Her books — How to Kill Men and Get Away With It and I Bet You’d Look Better in a Coffin, didn’t just entertain me. They helped me process actual rage. The audacity of some men? Please. Watching her protagonist handle it with unapologetic vengeance and pitch-black wit? Healing.

What sticks with me most isn’t even the murders, it’s the chaotic brilliance of the inner monologue. The kind that makes you wonder what’s going on inside everyone’s head, not just the protagonist’s.

Sometimes, these books don’t even need heavy gore or complex plot twists. They’re not there to traumatize, they’re there to entertain. The murder is often just the excuse for a wildly satisfying rant.

And honestly? That brings me to retail.

If you work in retail, you already know: you can never say what’s actually on your mind. You can’t tell a customer to get the hell out, even when they absolutely deserve it. You can’t raise your voice, roll your eyes (too hard), or throw their beer can back at them when they forget their ID for the third time this week.

All those unfiltered responses? They stay in your head. Meanwhile, your mouth is busy saying, “No problem at all, have a great day.”

So if you want to know what it looks like when those thoughts are finally set free? Read a dark humor thriller. Because when we don’t smash a bottle over a customer’s head in real life, the protagonist in a book probably will.

And it’s glorious.

Think your customer service voice deserves its own crime novel? You’re not alone — dive in and tell me your favorites in the comments.