Shailee Thompson is a writer and educator based in Brisbane, Australia. She's always had a penchant for women with smart mouths, soft hearts, and strong wills going up against extraordinary odds. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates is her debut novel. Find her on Instagram @ShaileeWrites.

"Fresh, funny and criminally addictive. I couldn't put it down!"
--Hannah Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker

"Leading Lady or Final Girl? That's the question in this delightful debut . . . Thompson does an admirable job of keeping the reader guessing--and second-guessing--right up until the end. A delightful celebration of rom-coms, slasher flicks, and the women who love them."
--KIRKUS REVIEWS (STARRED REVIEW)

"Propulsive and cinematic, Shailee Thompson's How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates kept me guessing until the very end. Reading this book was like hanging out with a friend who has the most perfectly curated movie references and witty commentary on both the horror and romcom genres. The only thing that could make a speed dating event worse would be to turn it into a killing spree, but from the safety of my own couch I had a blast with this slasher-romance mashup."
--Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers

"Alternating romance, peril, chemistry, and gore, this is an absolute romp through movie trivia Easter Eggs and fan-favorite tropes."
--Alexia Casale, author of How to Bury Your Husband

"Like a rom-com twist on Scream, debut author Thompson's unputdownable slasher-romance mash-up is a gripping and often gory high-stakes drama that leaves room for romance to blossom. It's pure entertainment."
--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW)

"I laughed, I cried, I screamed. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates is the slasher-rom-com we never knew we needed in our lives."
--L.M. Chilton, author of Swiped

"This thrilling debut romance, with touches of humor, is well-written and excellently plotted, and the many twists and turns keep the killer's identity hidden until the very end. Thompson's unexpected, engaging, horror-romance mash-up will keep readers on the edge of their seats."
--LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED REVIEW)

"This one reads like if your favorite rom-com and your most unhinged true crime binge had a chaotic little baby."
--Indie Next

"Fast, funny, and shockingly romantic at its core, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates is a truly killer love story."
--Apple Books

"How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates should be read by anyone who enjoys horror movies, romantic comedies . . . or has a pulse . . . 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 by the revolutionary Scream."
--Crimespree Magazine

"A slasher-happy Final Girl story wrapped around a high-pressure and time-sensitive love triangle."
--Goodreads

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pub date: 2026-02-03

Length: 368 pages