Book Review: How to kill a guy in ten dates

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
Gallery Books/February 3, 2026

Shailee Thompson’s debut horror-comedy How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates should be read by anyone who enjoys horror movies, romantic comedies. . . or has a pulse. It is rollicking good fun from beginning to end, with so many clever movie references it will make your head spin. 

When movie-obsessed Jamie Prescott and her stoic best friend Laurie attend a speed-dating event at a labyrinth-like locale that was once a favorite club, they don’t expect much. Maybe they’ll meet a few prospects, and at least the drinks are included. Instead, halfway through Jamie’s worst ten-minute date of the evening, the lights go out and blink back on to reveal that the only reason her date has stopped offending her is because he’s dead. Total pandemonium ensures, followed by another blackout that takes out the staff of this speed-dating event that is totally getting zero stars on Google. 

Jamie and Laurie are left in a literal locked room (warehouse) with a killer, protected most by Laurie’s horror movie knowledge of what not to do. Don’t split up, double tap, hide for longer than you need to . . . and maybe you can make it to the end.

Okay, let’s focus on the general premise of this book. Remember how back in the day, the film Scream was such a huge hit because it turned the idea of horror movies on its head? There’s that great scene with Randy, the film buff, lecturing the partygoers in the final showdown location on everything you can’t do if you want to survive a horror movie. (And, it should be noted, they’re watching Halloween and paying proper homage to Jamie Lee Curtis, the greatest actress of all time). 

How to Kill A Guy in Ten Dates is the literary equivalent to the movie Scream, with a main character destined to be our Final Girl due to her extensive horror movie knowledge. She’s sarcastic, she’s clever, and she’s totally badass. How is she going to apply the rules to get out alive? And who can she trust? There’s Wes, the sexy man with whom there’s an immediate connection, but anyone not a body on the floor is a suspect. And we all remember that one of the major rules for surviving a horror movie is you cannot have sex. You have sex, you die.

This book also has a twist–Jamie has Final Girl material, but she also has Leading Lady potential. Our girl recognizes right away that her horrific situation has both horror and romance film elements. This may be why each chapter begins with a quote from a well-known romance film with words like “love” and “marry” substituted with “stab and murder.” It’s so much fun, as is the fact that literally every character is named after a horror movie character. (Halloween and Scream are particularly well-represented). 

Books like How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates often fail in execution (pun intended). Thompson’s debut completely delivers on a fantastic concept, with the overall experience of the set-up, the action, and the resolution as fun as what was pulled off for by the revolutionary Scream. And as a bonus, clever (and often subtle) movie quotes are inserted seamlessly and elevate the experience.

Perhaps its main character’s speed-dating experience gets zero stars, but How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates earns a rave review here.

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.