Since completing his Creative Writing degree, Mark Mupotsa-Russell has worked as a film-reviewer, freelancer, PR consultant and communications adviser in the suicide prevention sector. His debut novel, A Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt, was published by Affirm Press in 2024 after he won the 2023 Affirm Press Mentorship Award. The book has since been longlisted for the 2025 Indie Book Awards and optioned by a major network.
Mark’s second novel, The Wolf Who Cried Boy, will be published in 2025 by Affirm Press.
Mark has been shortlisted for the Text Prize, had two screenplays optioned and was awarded a screenwriting development grant through Screen Australia.
Praise for A Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt:
‘I love it. The writing is sharp, smart and suffused with an irresistible energy; the premise is fresh, and the characters larger than life from the word go. It’s the kind of book that has you invested from the first page: the tone and pace is so snappy and confident, you just know you’re in extremely safe and clever hands.’ – Anna Downes
‘Fresh, fast, uniquely awesome. The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt is devilishly good.’ – Candice Fox
‘The plot is wickedly clever-every time I thought I’d reached the climactic scene, the story just kept going, the action getting bigger, the stakes getting higher. Best of all, The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt is gleefully original. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything else quite like it. I started having fun about halfway through the title and it just kept getting better until the final page. Simultaneously relatable and shocking, this book made me both giggle and gasp. Finally, a worthy successor to Dexter.’ – Jack Heath
‘A winner on all fronts.’ – Dinuka McKenzie
‘An enticing reversal of a familiar crime-fiction formula, The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt sports mordant wit and psychological depth’. – The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald
‘This debut from Melbourne-based Mupotsa-Russell manage to be funny and dark and thrilling all at once’. – The Weekend Australian
‘Mark Mupotsa-Russell’s debut novel is impressive, but not for the faint-hearted’. – Good Reading
‘A fun, fast and refreshing debut for all thriller fans.’ – Truly Aus
‘This is a cracker read that will keep you glued to the couch’ – Meredith Jaffe
‘It’s a hell of a ride’. – Aust Crime Fiction
‘Deliciously dark with a good helping of tragedy and comedy’. – The AU Review
‘A gripping and enjoyable read, and a solid choice for anyone looking for a thrilling, high-octane escape’. – Novel Feelings
‘The best debut novel I have read in a long time. Part thriller, part crime caper, Mupotsa-Russell’s narrative crackles with dry wit and features incisive commentary on everything from gym-bro culture to grief to child-rearing’. – Kylie Moore Gilbert
‘I laughed and gasped’. – Kate Mildenhall