I really enjoyed the way this was written and how it worked in this story, it had that crime thriller element and had that overall feel of this storyline. The characters worked well overall and was glad everything had that feel to them. Tam Barnett wrote this perfectly and was invested in what was going on.

This is truly for thriller and true crime readers. This is twisted, dark, gripping & unputdownable. Author has shared such a sharp insights and observations. The Killer’s weapon was so mind blowing. Loved the investigation and all the little details. A true crime obsessed journalist tries to get to the bottom of gruesome murders. There is a serial killer on loose and the investigation brings not only the journalist’s life at stake but their loved ones too. The mystery gets tangled and suspects get passed on until the real killer is being revealed. Some people were just victims while the serial killer was hiding behind a good facade and bodies count was increasing. Suspense stays till the end, twists are unpredictable and the ending was jaw dropping. The is a mind blowing and thought provoking book.


Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

How to Get Away with Murder follows Kelli, who is a true crime obsessed journalist who recently caught a serial killer (that she still visits and feels a deep connection to) as she tries to find a new serial killer in her backyard. Kelli was a fascinating character, very human in how she was written (to say she has flaws, good characteristics, and can be a cluster) and she was a good guide through the mystery. I was curious to see where her rivalry would go with Rob, another journalist who had helped suss out the serial killer who had already been caught (and resented Kelli for getting the majority of the attention for it), and I wasn’t let down. The mystery of the still at large serial killer kept getting murkier and murkier, the twists that were thrown in (specific to that mystery and why Kelli is the way she is) absolutely made sense but also floored me.

The end is of course the absolute best part, and bravo for that very last down to the last page twist.

How To Get Away With Murder - Tam Barnett
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The genius of the psychopath is in absorbing the ordinary behaviours of others to convince the world that they themselves are also ordinary.”

How To Get Away With Murder follows Kelli, a true crime obsessed journalist, best known for catching a prolific serial killer. However when another killer is discovered in her own village, Kelli finds herself captivated again. Does she have an unhealthy fascination, or is she a deadly psychopath?

HTGAWM is told from Kelli’s perspective only across one timeline. I enjoyed the simplicity of this, as it allowed me to get completely absorbed in the complexity of the characters and the plot. Kelli is a deliciously twisted, witty, unreliable female main character who I wholeheartedly rooted for until some of her more unsavoury talents came to light!

I loved the dark gallows humour and true crime references throughout as this built up the psychological suspense exceptionally well and cleverly cast suspicion across a few characters, which definitely kept me on my toes and turning the pages.

I did not expect the killer to be who they were, and the twists were delivered powerfully and deliberately to emphasise the horror and tension in them. Then the ending packs a final blow both to Kelli and the reader, and left me shocked but satisfied. I am looking forward to reading more by Tam Barnett as this was a brilliant debut and a credit to the genre.

Thank you so much to Tam Barnett for reaching out to me, and to Boldwood Books for sending this advanced copy of How To Get Away With Murder via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4/5⭐️
First - thank you to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book ahead of its January 27th 2025 release!
Wow! Witty, dark, mysterious, and clever - this book does it all!
It honestly took me a minute to get into this one but once it got going, it flew by!
How to Get Away with Murder is the tale of crime journalist Kelli Amari. Riding a career high & basking in the glory of her 15 minutes of fame from catching a famed serial killer in the act, Kelli is stunned & intrigued when a serial killer begins a rampage right in her backyard. But what happens when she begins to suspect everyone around her.. even herself?
Like I said, the story took about 40-50pgs to really get started in my opinion, but once it did, I was hooked! Coming up with my own theories, questioning EVERYONE - everything you’d want from a good mystery/thriller!
Witty opening & an attention grabbing prologue - both ingredients for a great mystery.
The FMC is relatable in her true crime obsession but slowly becomes detestable as you begin to see her more ~unsavory~ personality traits.
This book kept me intrigued & while I started to suspect the initial twist about 50% in, the twists & secrets kept spilling right until the end! Ending on a note you won’t see coming! It also felt like the perfect length for a good thriller/mystery.
My only complaint comes to personal preference, and that’s the choice to use single quotation marks (‘) for dialogue versus the traditional (to me anyway) double quotation marks (“). It made it a little difficult to follow the dialogue vs the MC’s internal monologue but I eventually was able to follow.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book & definitely recommend all grabbing a copy when it releases January 27th 2025!

A twisty crime thriller with some funny moments but not in the same league as Katy Brent.
Over all an ok quick read.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

3.0

Setting: UK
Rep: n/a

A pretty bogstandard addition to the genre of dark comedy crime, this will appeal to fans of Katy Brent and Bella Mackie. It's quite basic but it's a very quick read that I finished in a couple of sittings.

Twisty and addictive, murder and obsession, secrets and longing, and ultimately putting your trust in the wrong place. And some secrets should really stay secret ...

Pacy, Dark, Rather Delicious..
True crime obsessed protagonist gets rather too close to gruesome crimes for comfort in this pacy, dark and rather delicious tale of comeuppance, revenge and psychopathic tendencies. But, is she a victim or a perpetrator or, maybe, even both? With a well drawn cast of eccentric and eclectic characters and a plot bubbling over with often disturbing twists this is a one sit, compulsive read with never a dull moment in sight.

This was a banger of a debut novel! I loved the writing and it kept me turning pages. It truly does have that 'true crime podcast' feel to it. I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author!