I am in fact a Murderino. The podcast My Favorite Murder is one of my favorite things. I only discovered it at the beginning of 2019, and I am nearly caught up to their weekly releases (over 300 episodes!). I am fascinated by true crime, love to learn new things, and comedy—and this podcast is great for all of these.
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Harstark were new friends when they started their podcast in January 2016. They bonded through their love of true crime and comedy. While the topic of true crime can be hard to discuss and is definitely a sensitive topic, these ladies are wonderful at telling the stories of the victims, treating them with respect and care, while also condemning the perpetrators and criminals. Through the years, the podcast has expanded to discussing other interesting topics such as Stockholm Syndrome. They also bring a sense of brevity to the dark conversations, which it is needed when discussing serial killers.
When they announced they were releasing a book, Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered, I expected it to be an extension of the podcast. I wanted Georgia and Karen telling me about the crimes that shaped their lives. What I got was a classic memoir.
Such a great disappointment.
It was interesting but it wasn’t what I needed. The stories told by the ladies were great for bringing a bit more of themselves to their loyal listeners, but it was more of “how I got here” stories than an extension of their podcast. It also reads very informal and bloggy; leaning towards advice and self-help in the form of a memoir. Their comedic timing also doesn’t translate well to writing. These ladies are comedians by trade, and more often than not, their jokes fell flat. I believe this is due to their type of comedy than the overall writing. Their introduction of My Favorite Murder inside jokes (angles=angels) was wonderful because it was a direct call out to the podcast listeners and encouraged the connection to grow.
Overall, I think Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered is a wonderful book for readers wanting to connect to the authors and understand their backgrounds. However, I don’t recommend the book for listeners of the podcast who want an extension of that content.