Benson’s Lucia novels and the genre of village mysteries. The millieau of Miss Buncle’s Book is familiar to readers of E.F. Stevenson wrote a warm, funny book about village life. Being a single, overworked lawyer with clueless, demanding parents presents real issues, and while the average person wouldn’t resort to Fiona’s fierce tactics, it’s hard not to bond with her, one way or another. Underlying all the fun and mayhem, is the story of Fiona’s frustrations with the expectations and tedium of her life. Hello Kitty Must Die happily shares the manic zaniness of Arsenic and Old Lace and craziness of the best screwball comedies from the 1930’s.

This very fun book reminded me of Arsenic and Old Lace, without the buffer of sweet characters with good intentions. It is always impressive when an author can make the reader care about what happens to a truly appalling protagonist, and Choi does it with great zest. The first person narration of Fiona’s frustrations and utterly amoral nature gleefully pulls the reader into a bizarre, macabre tale.

The disconnect between her parents’ traditional expectations and her own rogue intentions is massive, and yet they all live together. A Big Law lawyer, Fiona lives with her parents and has no love life. Fiona Yu is a youngish, hilariously twisted Chinese American woman with a take-no-prisoners attitude toward life. Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela Choi is one of the stranger books I have read recently, and I do recommend it.

Hello kitty must die