Hitwoman

by Elsie Marks

An action-packed, hilarious enemies-to-lovers thriller for fans of Butcher & Blackbird, The Fall Guy and Hitman.She always gets her man … but has Maisie Baxter met her match?*****

Maisie Baxter has a particular set of skills honed over a very successful career.

She’s determined not to let her job at a boutique, ethical assassin agency get in the way of her social life, but it's tough when your hours are extremely unpredictable and you can't share any details of your day.

So she can't tell her friends about the guy that keeps showing up on her missions. Will. He's cute – really cute – and he's desperate to speak to her.

Maisie is sure Will works for the competition but it soon becomes clear that a much greater danger stalks them both. And they're going to have to put aside their professional rivalry and their budding sexual tension if they have any hope of uncovering a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top.



Enemies to Lovers

Rivals to Lovers

Forced proximity

Morally (very) grey characters

Found family

Caretaking

***

'Hitwoman is funny, sexy, and strangely relatable. I cheered for the protagonist even as she committed multiple murders and loved the rom-com style romance.' Tasha Coryell

‘Who’d have thought murder could be such fun? … A wonderful not so cosy crime masterpiece.’ Graham Bartlett

‘Hitwoman is the most fun I’ve had reading a thriller this year! Elsie Marks has created a fun, funny, and fast-paced romp that’s pitch-perfect.’ Kellye Garrett

***

Readers are OBSESSED with Hitwoman …'Incredibly addictive… It's fast-paced, exhilarating and I was totally there for every last word'

'Totally bonkers, and that is a such a good thing'

'The perfect balance of romance, espionage and murder'

'Fresh and cinematic… perfect for anyone who loves a fast-paced spy story with a charming lead'

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Adventure

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Iqra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rival Assassins that have to work together — it sounded so good in theory but it kind of fell flat for me.

It felt a little rushed and disjointed. Maybe it was because I was in a slump the entire time I read this but this didn’t capture my attention the way I wanted it to.

The romance was very bland and felt forced. The plot was more interesting and the only reason I stayed till the end.

ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and HQ for the ARC! ♥︎

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you HQ stories and NetGalley for this early audiobook copy for review!

4⭐️ | Out Nov 6th

I really enjoyed this fast-paced story about two rival assassins that coincidentally meet on a job and try to resist falling for each other.

However they are soon forced to work together to uncover a conspiracy that threatens them both.

It was fully giving Mr and Mrs Smith vibes!

This book is absolutely bonkers but you know what, the narration style really worked for me and I was whizzing through this.

Definitely a good one for a quick and light-hearted read and not to be taken too seriously! 😜

Tropes:
🔫 Enemies to lovers
🔫 Forced proximity
🔫 Morally grey characters

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m all for equality, and if a gal decides to unalive (bad) people for money, who am I to judge?

Maisie, a bit accidentally, joins an agency in London and finds herself working as a hitwoman. On one of her missions she meets a hot guy… who later turns out to be her competition.

The plot was very predictable, and I didn’t love the author’s writing style. Maisie didn’t exactly convince me in her new line of work - but hey, fake it till you make it, right? 😂
I also wish there’d been more spark between the two love interests/rivals, because the romantic tension felt a little.. tepid?

Overall, it’s a fast-moving story and I flew through it. If you do pick it up, I’d say the audiobook is the way to go.

⭐ 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Francesca Tarpey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Main babes slept with a guy one time and become obsessed with him, bit of a character flaw for a spy. Anyway this was a yawn.

[Stephanieeee.R · Rating 5 out of 5]

BIG SLAY

[Susan J. Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super-pacy story from Elsie Marks, about Maisie, a young woman who’s found herself in the role of an ethical contract ki…, uh, person. Maisie only unalives the really bad people, though, thanks to the very thorough research she and her boss conduct before they decide whether to take on a case.
When Maisie bumps into a member of the competition on a job, things get complicated. Not least because he’s pretty hot.
As their worlds grow ever closer, Maisie begins to wonder how accurate her version of the truth is, how much she can trust those around her, and how honest she’s really being with herself.
This was a thoroughly entertaining audio, nicely narrated by Amy Cameron.
Five stars from me, with thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK audio for the chance to listen to an ARC.
Hitwoman publishes on 6 November.

[Alanna Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and lighthearted with a good narration style; I enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review

[becs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This action packed, fast paced, rival assassins to lovers is the perfect palate cleanser. It was full of twists and turns that had me eager for more. The romance was not too heavy, with the mission taking full focus of this book to spur the story long with a happy ending.

I personally have not read anything like this but its blossomed something for me, I loved the thrill & suspense aspect. Id love to read more in this world, maybe even novellas of different jobs the couple (Maisie & Will) takes on in the future as a pair! that would be so exciting.

This is a 3 star for me as for a book stating rom-com, I would of liked more of a humour laced throughout but for the author’s debut, I think this was a good start and will attract a lot of lot of interest.

♥ info ♥
single POV (FMC)
1st person

♥ tropes ♥
Enemies to lovers
Professional Rivalry
Secret Identity

♥ other ♥
Characters - 5/10
Atmosphere - 5/10
Writing Style - 5/10
Plot - 5/10
Intrigue - 6/10
Logic/Relationships - 4/10
Enjoyment - 5/10
Spice - 0.5/5

Thank you to HQDigital, Elsie & NetGalley for sending me an ebook ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

‎[ This book review reflects my own views and is based on my personal reading experience. All opinions provided are my honest evaluation of the book ‎]

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good fun book. It foes have a more sitcom feel to it than an action book. However there us more than enough action to go round.

Maisie is an "ethical" hitwoman. This means she only takes jobs on people she knows deserve it. However, it is getting harder to balance life outside work with her friends, (especially her best friend Beth), who have no idea what she actually does for a living. On paper she works for a legendary celebrity/philanthropist. A chance encounter will force Maisie to question everything and everyone she knows.

A good book with great characters and good character development/manipulation. This book is if one of the cast of Friends was secretly a hitperson. An enjoyable book and I would like to see what happens next.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! I got this book as an Amazon First Reads - and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was page turning, quirky, with a smattering of romance added. Gave me Mr & Mrs Smith vibes!

[Jessica Davern · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm, it was like a really shit totally spies with an awful love story included. The long chapters made the book feel way longer than it was as well. Also the main mission whatever you wanna call it felt so rushed

[LX · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to HQ stories / Harper Collins for sending me an ARC!!

3 stars!

I really loved the premise of this and tbh I really did enjoy the story but I just wanted more better and a bit more chemistry between Maisie & Will.

The first time they met I was ready. I was ready for things to just FEEEEL electric, it was cute and funny to imagine Cotton EYE Joe blaring, but I just wanted that lil bit of something✨️🤌

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t quite knew what to expect with this book, but I found myself hooked. It’s very focused on the hitwoman angle, with some corporate / political scandals and full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes the whole time. The romance angle was nice, adding a little bit of fun but came second to the mystery. Even when I became suspicious alongside Maisie I couldn’t figure out exactly what was happening until the big reveal. This really hit the mark (pun intended).

*I received an ARC of this book, this is my honest opinion*

[Julie Friar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maisie Baxter has been trained to be a Hitwoman and she is very good at her job, but she only kills those she deems to deserve it. She lives a double life until the day she meets Will. She discovers he works for a rival company and their lives become very complicated.

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Excellent characters in a fast paced novel basically about murder. They want a normal life together but will their jobs get in the way? Enjoy.

[A Low Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read. More mystery than romance, with most of the driving emphasis being on the dawning realization that a change is needed in the life of ethical hitwoman Maisie. Pretty transparent mystery, no spice, but solid writing and character development. Could have been a shade or two darker, especially around the characterization of Will. Makes me think fondly of the Miss Melville mysteries.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of the audiobook for this one and I’ve raced through it. I raced through this and I really enjoyed the whole thing. The characters were great, the storyline was interesting and I looked forward to listening each time I picked it up. I really liked Maisie and I loved the narrator who brought her to life too. A great book - I hope it does well when it’s published!

[Sarah Dobing · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. I was so engrossed in this book I totally zoned out around me 😂😂
I loved it. Maisie is an ethical Hitwoman and only carries out hits on people that deserve it. She’s surprised when she keeps seeing the same guy carrying out the same hits. 💁🏻‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️
The betrayal, the ethical reasons, the same guy appearing. I totally loved this book 🥰

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! This was such a fun and fast paced read! I loved our main characters, their personalities and the tension between them! What a book

[TheGood ByeGirl]

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was good, I like the characters. I do hope there will be a second book.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author and type of book for me, but I found it quite enjoyable and entertaining. Hopefully it is the first of a series.

[Raj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maisie Baxter is a typical twenty-something, who enjoys spending time with her friends, and worrying about meeting Mr Right. Except that she's also a hitwoman, working for an "ethical" assassin agency, who only takes on a job if she's convinced that the world would be better off without her target. Then she finds a guy from a rival agency starting to steal her kills, and what starts off as a flirting rivalry soon brings them together against something bigger than both of them.

Despite being the kind of book where the protagonist gets her guy and saves the day, there's something a bit bleak about this book, the underlying message being that for the rich and powerful, our systems and institutions fail to prevent them using their wealth and power to abuse others (basically the first half of Wilhoit's law), and that there's no way to make them accountable except through extra-judicial murder.

To be fair, Maisie is hardly a reliable protagonist, as we discover throughout the novel, but it's a view of the world the permeates the book and the end implies it's not getting any better. That rather than elect good people and build strong institutions, the only way to fight back is through violence and murder. I can see the appeal of this point of view, but I don't like it.

On the positive side, I enjoyed the relationship that Maisie has with her best friend, Beth. Similarly struggling with work and trying to find love, the deep friendship between them is teased out naturally. I'm also going to call out the authors for getting guns in Britain right. The authors are actually British and make it clear that carrying guns in Britain isn't normal and this is a challenge for Masie (well, we're told it is, not really shown that). It can get quite frustrating when you read Americans writing in Britain where guns are everywhere. We had our school shooting and decided, unlike America, that one was enough.

So an interesting book that didn't quite work for me. The romance was fine, the thriller aspects pretty good, but I'm not convinced by the book's message.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because nothing says romance like mutual attempted murder.

Maisie Baxter has it all: killer instincts, a morally flexible job title, and the kind of social life that really thrives when you can’t tell anyone what you actually do for a living. She’s employed by a boutique ethical assassin agency—which is apparently like regular murder, but with better branding and compost bins.
She just wants to have a normal week: cocktails, Pilates, not being shot at. But no, some annoyingly hot guy named Will keeps crashing her missions like he's auditioning for The Bachelorette: Assassin Edition. He’s cute, mysterious, possibly trying to kill her... and somehow still less stressful than her manager.
Maisie’s pretty sure he works for the competition (because of course he does), but things take a turn when a bigger, shadowy conspiracy shows up—like a bad Tinder date, but with more explosions and fewer escape routes. Now they have to team up, ignore their overwhelming urge to make out and murder each other, and save the day. Or at least survive long enough to file their expense reports.
It’s enemies-to-lovers-to-potentially-dead in a world where assassins are ethically sourced, secrets go all the way to the top, and nobody ever texts back.

I had an ALC of this book and was fully prepared to be distracted by a wildly inappropriate narrator doing an “English” accent that sounds like they learned it from watching Downton Abbey once, half-asleep.
But no! The narrator actually sounded English. Like, genuinely. With regional accents and everything. Honestly, I nearly cried.
Each character had a distinct voice, and it was always clear who was speaking — which shouldn’t be impressive, but given the state of some recent audiobooks, is basically a miracle. The reading style was smooth, engaging, and best of all, didn’t feel like the narrator was trying to win an Oscar with every sentence.
It actually let the story shine, rather than turning the whole thing into a one-person stage show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

[Mare · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️/5

I would recommend this book if you enjoy:
- Strong FMCs
- Fast-paced plots
- Spy movie x rom-com
- A dash of fake dating

Thank you for the ALC Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio & HQ Digital - all opinions are my own.

This book follows Maisie Baxter, a hit-woman, who unalives people while working for a boutique assassin agency. On a mission she meets this man called Will who she flirts with and doesn't think he's a competitor until he keeps showing up.

The author did a great job at making this a fast-paced, compelling book with a wide cast of characters that was so bingeable, I read it in one night. I liked that there were scenes of the missions Maisie was employed to do and that they were different. They reminded me of spy movies but with a rom-com twist that would make a great movie/TV show adaptation. I liked that it was set in the UK and appreciated the nods to British culture.

The romance was cute, well developed and the characters were well suited for one another. I liked Maisie and the way she continued to be a strong FMC, and even though she had Will, that strength didn't dissipate. Also, Will was the definition of "looks sort of like a cinnamon roll but could kill you".

The audiobook narrator did a great job at bring this book to life by excellently performing the range of accents portrayed by each character and making them memorable throughout. I would listen to another audiobook narrated by them.

Overall, I would recommend this book. Even though at times I was puzzled by random character names being thrown into conversations and the plot being a bit confusing, I enjoyed the author's writing and would pick up another of their books.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this audiobook for free from Netgalley & HarperCollins UK Audio.

I read the description, and it had me at "ethical assassin". I liked the concept and was intrigued. I did find it a tad funny that she stumbled into that profession. Obviously, not the actual incident that led to it, but the relatable struggle when you barely passed uni and you're expected to have everything sorted to go into adulthood.

Personally, I enjoyed the romance being in the background, but I understood why others were disappointed with that, since it's marketed as a rom-com. I'm fine with what I got, a surprisingly relatable protagonist, who ended up being a competent assassin in a fun, funny, and fast-paced action romp with a side of romance. Oh, and I guess she got a fit boyfriend out of it. I only included that last part because Maisie really wanted that, and it felt off if I didn't mention it.

On to the narrator, Amy Cameron delivers! Her delivery was immaculate, and it certainly elevated the story. Plus, I love hearing proper regional accents. The more I listened to this, the more I wanted a TV series or film out of it. If the author decides to write more books in this universe, please continue to use Amy Cameron for your audiobooks. I know authors don't always have a say in this, but please try. In my defence, I've been spoiled by the Dynamic Duo of Lee Winter & Angela Dawe.

Sidebar: I really like the cover, and every time I see it, I end up playing Archer's opening theme music in my head.

[The Cookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.0/5

I suspect that Elsie Marks is likely to be a new name for most people - it certainly was for me. "Elsie Marks" is actually the pen name for the writing partnership of Louisa Burden-Garabedian and Neil Weaving. I have read novels by writing duos previously and the results have been mixed. Some have worked really well, while others have resulted in a real train smash. I am pleased to say that "Hitwoman" falls into the former category.

Maisie Baxter has a secret career. As far as even her closest friends are concerned, she is simply the personal assistant to well-known television personality, Gabby Hawthorne. However, in reality, Maisie is a contract killer ... a hitwoman. That said, she is not your everyday assassin, but an ethical one. This may sound like something of a contradiction in terms, but after reading "Hitwoman" you may change your mind - or at least be more open to the concept.

Both stylistically and content-wise, "Hitwoman" put me in mind of the books written by Asia Mackay ("Killing It", "The Nursery", "A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage") and I was equally impressed by this offering from Elsie Marks. The term "page turner" is ridiculously overused in marketing blurb, but it genuinely applies to this novel. There is no slow-burn in the scene-setting opening chapters and the pace is maintained throughout. The novel has action, espionage, humour, romance and graphic violence. Combining this mixture of elements could so easily have gone very wrong, but the authors manage to make it work, with the juxtaposition of the stark brutality against the softer comedic and romantic elements adding to the overall impact of the storyline.

"Hitwoman" has been crafted in such a way that it opens up the potential for this to be a series opener. If that does turn out to be the case, I will definitely be coming back for more.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a bit of everything- mystery, humour, romance! It was very readable and I rather enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of a “Hitwoman “
Maisie is the narrator of the story- she has a job most would find rather scary- she’s a hired assassin but only works for clients who are ethical- her targets all deserve to die and the world is a better place without them.
However when she encounters Tom on one of her jobs and it becomes clear that he works for a rival agency, one that is not so picky about its clients, Maisie’s life takes on a sinister turn and she is not sure who she can trust. Even her beloved boss becomes suspect. Nonetheless the attraction to Tom is strong although complicated due to their shared profession which adds a frisson to their relationship.
This was a quirky, humorous read with a great female lead. Maisie is just an ordinary twenty something with a normal life but she has an extraordinary job!
Although I liked Maisie, I found some of the other characters a bit two dimensional, particularly her boss Gabby and the other agency employees but maybe this was deliberate. The plot was also quite complicated although the end brought a lot of action which was fun.
The humour came from having a normal person going about their daily existence but having a completely secret life that cannot be discussed. Birthday outings with friends are fitted in between kills!
I definitely would like to read more about Maisie in the future if this is going to be the first in a series?
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

[MizzyRed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast paced audiobook to listen to. Maisie is one entertaining hitwoman for hire! Joining an ethical company that only targets people who are "bad" whether by being an arms dealer, running an unethical business that poisons the land, or even guys who take advantage of power to get their own way over women. I could get behind a hitwoman who operates by those guidelines. Of course that doesn't make for an interesting story so much. You have to add in a mysterious handsome guy who may be from a rival company, secrets found out, assassinations going awry, a best friend who may be too nosy, and learning who to trust with your life and can help you get out of the mess that you end up in. It was entertaining, light and just what I needed as a break from high fantasy.

So, if you are looking for an entertaining audiobook with laughs, love found in the dark corners between unaliving bad guys, and finding the ones you can trust with such a unique career while holding on to morals that others may or may not be using to decide who lives and dies, then you will enjoy this lovely tale of Maisie and her dashing new love (who goes by Will and other names, you know, just part of being an assassin for hire!)

The narrator, Amy Cameron, did a great job in bringing Maisie and all the other characters to life in this world of assassins, love, friendship, and taking out the bad guys who really deserve it! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the giving me the chance to be entertained by this audiobook.

[GemsLiteraryGems · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maisie Baxter is a personal assistant for a celebrity eco-warrior and presenter, as far as her flatmate Beth is concerned. Only she also happens to also be an ethical assassin who only contract kills people who truly deserve it, all coordinated by the aforementioned celeb and their team. When Maisie gets sent on a job to knock off a man who is selling pesticides to warlords who can turn it into a nerve agent, she gets pipped to the post by a hitman from their competitors. Unfortunately he also happens to be very attractive! Does Maisie really want to take out the competition when he's the best one night stand she's had in forever?!

This was a fun action/crime/romcom (please someone coin a name for this genre!), which reminded me a lot of the film Mr and Mrs Smith but they weren't actually married this time. It's fairly predictable in that it was pretty obvious who the bad guys actually are and the way that most of the plot was going to go down, but that made it a fun and fast paced read. There's chemistry between Maisie and Will, although most of the action is off page. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Amy Cameron, and she does a fabulous job of bringing the characters to life. I also loved the references to the romcoms that Maisie and Beth watch throughout as I think I’ve watched them all!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a free ALC in return for an honest review.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was a fast-paced, easy read that I couldn’t put down.

I really liked Maisie as a character. The whole book is told from her perspective and it was fascinating being in her mind – understanding how she justified her career and the lengths she would go to when protecting her friends and family. Getting that insight into the relationships she had with her team, and her boss Gabby in particular, and seeing the dynamic shift with the introduction of rival and love interest Will was really evident and it felt like I was experiencing those emotions alongside her as her understanding of her purpose and morals was really put to the test.

The book kept me on my toes throughout and very successfully wove together action, humour and romance. The combination of serial killer story and love story has the potential to go in a very dark direction, and while a lot of the plot was serious, there was also a real light-heartedness to that I appreciated. This was the perfect combination for me although I can understand why a reader might want it to lean towards one or the other.

This wrapped up in a very satisfying way for me, but I would be equally delighted to come back to this world and am looking forward to seeing what Louisa Burden-Garabedian and Neil Weaving writing as Elsie Marks come out with next.

With thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC ahead of publication.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was incredibly addictive. I had been very much enjoying it, sat down to read a bit more with lunch, intending to finish the book when I went out later that day, and instead the next thing I knew about an hour had passed and I was over 9%. So well I had to finish it at that point.

And I had been totally oblivious to the world around me as I was reading. I was hooked on Maisie who is an ethical hitwoman, and was surprised at just how messy her life was about to become.

It starts off gently, getting the reader used to the fact that you are essentially siding with a killer, although she only agrees to kill people that really deserve it, and then a man keeps showing up who she may have an attraction to, and suddenly things are complicated.

As the story ramps up, I was becoming less sure who I was supposed to believe and who is actually on the side for good and who was just pure evil! It's thrilling and what a journey it takes you on.

It's fast paced, exhilarating and I was totally there for every last word of it. This is the first book I've read from this author and based on this it definitely won't be my last. I am absolutely a massive fan of this new type of thriller that seems to be emerging and long may it continue.

Thank you to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.