STAY SEXY & DON'T GET MURDERED

Timely advice and personal anecdotes
from the My Favorite Murder
true-crime podcast duo.

In an effective combination of
in-your-face realism and plucky humor, sitcom writer Kilgariff and former
Cooking Channel host Hardstark deliver the details on navigating life with a
tough skin, providing nuanced autobiographical stories and familial memories.
In alternating segments, they share the details of their up-and-down pasts, which
helped to shape them into the formidable and successful women they remain
today. Kilgariff contributes anecdotes from a youth scarred by her mother’s
premature death from early-onset Alzheimer’s; later, she dealt with an
escalating drinking habit. Sharing the wisdom they’ve collected, the authors
offer hard-won truths about themselves as well as timeless reminders about
self-care, life balance, relationships, substance abuse, and the restorative
power of “kindred spirit” friendships like the one they share. Hardstark writes
that though the humanitarian need to help others might come naturally, it
should never be done at the expense of one’s personal safety, especially for
women: “The politeness that we’re raised to prioritize, first and foremost,
against our better judgment and whether we feel like being polite or not, is
the perfect systematically ingrained personality trait for manipulative,
controlling people to exploit.” She connects this wisdom with memories of her
rebellious adolescence observing her divorced mother’s toxic dating life while
fully embracing the staunch Riot Grrrl scene (“feminism…delivered in a punk
rock package”). A lack of self-esteem led to a sketchy encounter with a
lecherous photographer and future psychotherapy sessions to process issues and
reboot her psyche. Infused with personality, charm, and clever banter, the
narrative effectively reflects both authors’ separate histories, and they
helpfully dispense plenty of worldly advice on how to survive with a
street-smart attitude and a fierce sense of self-preservation.