We introduce an effective theory for quantum critical points (QCPs) in heavy-fermion systems, involving a change in carrier density without symmetry breaking. Our theory captures a strongly coupled metallic QCP, leading to robust marginal Fermi-liquid transport phenomenology, and associated linear in temperature “strange metal” resistivity, all within a controlled large-N limit. This is contrasted with the conventional so-called “slave boson” theory of the Kondo breakdown, where the large-N limit describes a weak coupling fixed point and nontrivial transport behavior may only be obtained through uncontrolled 1/N corrections. We compute the weak field Hall coefficient within the effective model as the system is tuned across the transition. We find that between the two plateaus, reflecting the different carrier densities in the two Fermi liquid phases, the Hall coefficient can develop a peak in the critical crossover regime, consistent with recent experimental findings. In the parameter regime of strong damping of emergent bosonic excitations, the QCP also displays a near-universal “Planckian” transport lifetime determined only by the temperature, the Boltzmann constant and the Planck constant.