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SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Kiss Marry Kill by Yemi Dipelou

Published April 23rd, 2026 by Faber & Faber
Psychological Thriller, Crime Ficiton, Suspense, Domestic Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

It’s Ife’s dream wedding – until her new husband Ade is arrested for murder.

His missing ex, Cynthia, has been found dead on the Dorset coast.

Case closed: it’s always the ex, right?

But did Ade kiss, marry – and kill? One person hopes the truth never comes out.

‘Fast-paced, wickedly witty, and brimming with Nollywood-level drama. An unforgettable story that pulls you in and refuses to let go.’ LIZZIE DAMILOLA BLACKBURN
‘Rich in character, smart and pacy. Yemi Dipeolu brings a brilliant new voice to the thriller genre.’ L. V. MATTHEWS
‘A deliciously twisty debut thriller that adeptly explores the lethal margins of love, with compelling characters and a fiendish ending.’ ISABELLE GREY

A pulse-racing, bingeable thriller about love, marriage and obsessions that fans of Adele Parks and The List will LOVE

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MY REVIEW:

Ife and Ade’s wedding day is the day she’s always dreamed of. Until her groom is arrested on suspicion of murder at the reception. Ade’s ex, Cynthia, has been missing for months and now her body has turned up on the Dorset coast. Ade is their prime suspect. But did Ade really kiss, marry and kill?

What a wild ride! I did not expect the crazy, messy and heart-stopping rollercoaster that this story took me on when I opened the book. Well written, cleverly plotted, witty and fast-paced, Yemi Dipeolu has crafted a debut that had me hooked from start to finish. It sizzles with tension and I suspected them all, though there were times my suspicions about certain characters was stronger and I did have a strong primary suspect at the end. But I was never sure who did it and Yemi Dipelou kept me guessing until that final page. And when the truth was revealed my jaw dropped! It was the kind of ending you don’t see coming and I am still reeling!

The characters are dynamic, relatable, chaotic and deeply flawed. The story is narrated by Ife and Cynthia, the two women in suspect Ade’s life. His new wife, Ife, narrates the current timeline while his deceased ex, Cynthia, tells her story leading up to her disappearance. Moving between these narrators and timelines kept the tension high and helped create suspicion on many of the characters. I loved how I could never be sure who had killed her or what really happened between her and Ade at the end of their relationship. From the start Ife reveals she has a secret, making her an unreliable narrator who we second-guess the whole time. I loved this as it increased the suspense and made her as much of a suspect as everyone else. The character I really couldn’t stand though was Mama, She is the mother-in-law from hell and a vile woman. I was raging every time she was on the page and she made their family one that is toxic, dysfunctional and full of drama.

Unpredictable, mysterious and totally bingeable, this is a debut you don’t want to miss.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thanks to Faber for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Yemi Dipeolu is a British-Nigerian writer from South East London. She studied English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Surrey and has an MFA from Kingston University. By day, Yemi works as a copywriter, using her passion for storytelling to help businesses connect with their customers.

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