I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. It did keep me guessing the entire book. I would think I knew who the killer was and I most definitely did not!

I felt like there was a lot more that we didn't know about the relationship the FMC had with her former co-worker.

All in all it was an easy read that kept me guessing!

Thank you NetGalley and BoldWood Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #BoldWoodBooks #TamBarnett

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My experience with HTGAWM was incredibly humorous and addicting. Typically Thrillers/Mysteries fall short for me because of contrived or predictable plot twists. This book however had at least five different twists, which were all executed perfectly. Tam Barnett had me on the edge of my seat the whole time (so much so, that i read the whole book in a single day).

The main character and narrator of HTGAWM is Kelli Amari, a young journalist who is obsessed with true crime and serial killers. After having already caught a serial killer in the past, Kelli becomes personally involved when a series of murders unfolds near her home.
Even though Kelli shows some serious psychopathic tendencies I was rooting for her almost the whole time. The author did a great job at making her, and all the other characters, feel very real, complex and dynamic.

“How to get away with murder” was such a thoroughly enjoyable read that it is easily one of my top 3 Myster/Thriller books, alongside AGGGTM and Five survive. I will definitely be buying a copy once it hits the shelves, so that I can get all my friends to read it.

How to Get Away with Murder is a deliciously dark, humorous dive into true crime obsession, with a protagonist whose unreliable narration makes every page bristle with tension. This is a novel that revels in its ambiguity, keeping you on edge while blending humour, intrigue, and outright creepiness.
From the start, the protagonist’s voice is magnetic. Her fascination with true crime feels unsettlingly relatable—what crime junkie hasn’t wondered about the logistics of the perfect crime? But Barnett takes this obsession a step further, crafting a character whose genuine motives remain tantalizingly unclear. Is she a curious bystander caught up in a local murder spree, or is there something far more sinister lurking beneath her sarcastic, self-aware exterior? The doubt keeps you guessing until the end.
The plot itself is a slow burn but in the best way. The blend of small-town paranoia, escalating tension and cleverly placed red herrings makes for an enjoyable reading experience. The local murders feel close, personal and terrifying, but Barnett injects a mocking edge to the narrative, poking fun at the commercialization of true crime culture. It’s as much a commentary on our obsession with violence as it is a gripping read.
The side characters amplify the mystery. Neighbours, friends and even fleeting acquaintances are sketched in a way that makes everyone a suspect. The protagonist’s interactions with them add layers of suspicion and, often, biting humour that keeps the tone from becoming too grim.
The ending is where Barnett truly shines. Without giving anything away, it’s one of those rare finales that feels both shocking and inevitable. Every breadcrumb laid throughout the story connects in a way that feels satisfying, even if it leaves you questioning just how much of the narrative you can trust.
My only criticism would be that at times, the protagonist’s monologue can feel repetitive, particularly when reflecting on her true crime obsession. While this deepens her character, it occasionally slows down the pace.
How to Get Away with Murder is a cleverly constructed thriller with a wicked sense of humour and a narrator who will live rent-free in your mind long after you’ve turned the final page. I recommend adding this one to your TBR, it’s a quick fun read that’s sure to leave you smiling. This one is expected to be released on 27 January 2025

As a fan of thrillers, this book drew in my attention like you have no idea. From the killer's weapon to the crime scenes, everything is precisely detailed that it feels like you're putting a puzzle together. It's engrossing, clever, and twisted to the point that everything is suspicious enough. Since it is read by an unreliable narrator, it is even possible to suspect the main character. Kelli, who is a true crime obsessed journalist, delves into this investigation to catch a serial killer and solve the murders but at the same time, she descends into this spiral where her darkest desires come to the surface. This mystery becomes even more dangerous when those she loves and her past become entangled. Kelli was an endearing character despite her flaws. The way she thinks and analyzes, her indifference and her compassion at times shows how complicated she could be. Even more so when you know the root of what it all started. She was frustrating indeed with her ambiguity between good and evil, but that makes her character raw and human. On the other hand, I would have liked the serial killer's motives to be better developed, it's as if something was missing to be more compelling. Although at the beginning the pace of the book was slow, once it starts to pick up, the plot keeps on in a way that is hoardingly savory. The writing was on par with the plot, with a decent prologue and an exquisite but jaw-dropping ending that left me stunned. All the twists and turns that led to that ending were quite satisfying and thought-provoking.

This very much gave me A Good Girl's Guide to Murder vibes, and I really liked the concept of that book series.

The story of a true crime junkie who now gets to figure out a murder for herself and different ways to go about it. Great quick read!

I found this a little bit more of a slower burn than I first anticipated, but once it got going I couldn’t put it down! A great read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

The title, How to Get Away with Murder, immediately caught my attention and drew me in, promising a thrilling and mysterious read. While the story took a little time to build momentum, the intrigue and suspense quickly made up for the slow start. Once it got going, I found myself hooked, trying to piece together the clues and constantly questioning every character’s motives.

The premise of a crime journalist investigating gruesome murders while dealing with her unraveling psyche was both clever and engaging. The author did an excellent job weaving unexpected twists and secrets throughout the story, keeping me guessing until the very end. The tension was palpable, and the ending was as shocking as it was satisfying.

This book is dark, mysterious, and thought-provoking—a good read for fans of true crime and psychological thrillers!

I really enjoyed this one. It had a lot of twists and turns and I didnt see a lot of this coming. I will be reading more by this author as soon as I can!

Amari , is all of us who had to deal with significant trauma and thus had her childhood ripped from her and has been drop kicked into adulthood way too soon. This book promises an exploration of trauma and leads us on a journey through the eyes of an unreliable narrator.
She appears human , infuriating , frustrating but at the same time demands the reader's empathy. You try to understand why she is consistently questioning herself, but it feels like she is trapped by her own high self image.
The book has potential, it has a promising plot, however the promised element of "wow" runs the risk of becoming predictable when the plot relies too heavily on past trauma

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though it wasn’t without its ups and downs. The plot had me intrigued from the start, but I found the first half a bit uneven. The main character felt somewhat flat, and I struggled to get a clear sense of her motivations—was she good or bad? That ambiguity left me feeling disconnected at times.

However, the second half of the book completely turned things around. The pacing picked up, the character development improved, and the twists kept me hooked. The ending, in particular, was jaw-dropping—I actually said “no way!” out loud.

While the beginning wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped, the explosive conclusion more than made up for it. Overall, this is a solid read, and I’d rate it 4 stars.

How to Get Away with Murder by Tam Barnett is a mystery/thriller book about a reporter who brought a serial killer to justice and is looking for the next big break. The title is intriguing and made me request for the book, but I must confess that I was a little disappointed the first few chapters in. Luckily, the action picked up later and the suspense and twists made this an enjoyable reading. The ending was interesting but I not to my taste.
Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for the ARC. All opinions are mine

Kelli Amari is a walking embodiment of trauma who handles her past in ways that may lead her down a dangerous path (for her and for other people honestly). During her childhood, her father killed someone and died in prison—but as an unreliable narrator, she doesn't reveal the significance of this event until later in the book. Kelli works as a journalist and is obsessed with true crime, she has an unusual friendship with a serial killer she helped arrest, and finds herself questioning her own actions as bodies begin appearing around her while she's under the influence of sleeping pills she really shouldn’t have in her possession.
Kelli is both endearing and infuriating. She considers herself clever, but her actions suggest otherwise. For someone so well-versed in crime, she misses obvious red flags, especially regarding her questionable choices in the last scene of the book.
I liked the idea of this book more than the execution. The killer's motives feel underdeveloped, relying too heavily on past trauma without sufficient explanation to make it convincing.
I do love complicated women in fiction, and Kelli perfectly embodies that.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. The premise was intriguing and more interesting than a lot of novels have been recently. The only reason it's not got five stars is because I felt there was to much going on. The editors needed to cut back a little.

journalist, twisty, dark-comedy, crime-thriller, serial-murder, creepy, psychological-thriller, psychopath, PTSD, relationships, relationship-issues, friendship, friends, frustration, family-dynamics, family, family-history, British***

The journalist and the psychopath. The journalist is a little off since her father murdered the pedophile, and she actually witnessed the current psychopathic killer at the scene of one of his kills. Her life is kind of a mess, and yet she remains in contact with the killer. And yet there is a kind of snide dark humor about the whole thing. Unusual and interesting, but I gave up at the halfway point. Simply not my thing, but total fun for some others.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected advance proof from Boldwood Books via NetGalley.
Avail Jan 27, 2025 #HowToGetAwayWithMurder by Tam Barnett #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks #CrimeThriller #DarkComedy #British

Hated the prologue and was very grateful when the chapters after weren’t written in the same manner. The book cover is very cool, pulling me in from the jump just seeing it on the book page. Overall some very interesting character dynamics and although the characters (especially Kelli) aren’t perfect or even most times sympathetic, I found myself very curious what they would do next and how they’d get on as the story progressed. Although sometimes I did find the main character a bit annoying….
The main character's relationship with a serial killer is an interesting plot thread made even more interesting when it is revealed her father was also put in jail for a murder (Although it turns out to not be so cut and dry). One moment though, felt a little like “stop trying to make Fetch happen” and it was so distracting, when the main character shortens boyfriend to Boyf, No. As well as referencing recent media like The Bear or Gilmore Girls. Some of the authors descriptions and comments are quite nice though.
Laughed a little when the main character's partner says celebrities she shared a birthday with and she mentions a serial killer she shares a birthday with. Not funny but also very funny.



Interesting debut. Might check out the next books from this author.

This book is well written and kept me guessing from the start. The twists and turns in this book kept on coming right to the very end! A great read!

How to Get Away with Murder by Tam Barnett
Rating: 3.5/5

As someone who loves crime thrillers and true crime references, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of How to Get Away with Murder. The story follows Kelli Amari, a crime journalist with a fixation on serial killers, both as a career and a personal obsession. While it delivered some solid twists and an ending that caught me by surprise, the overall execution left me with mixed feelings.

Where to begin...

Okay, so this was a good idea. However, the execution was atrocious. This review may be a bit spoilery, but I can't actually review the book without mentioning some details.

What I liked:

I didn't peg the killer. The author included a very good Red Herring and I fell for it.



What I disliked:

Too much telling and very little showing. For instance, we're told the MC is intelligent but we're never shown she's capable of basic reasoning. Honestly, I can't remember a single intelligent thing she did throughout the entire book.

The MC abuses sedatives. The explanation is that, due to her obsession, she sees reminders of horror everywhere. But that doesn't make sense. She's drawn by the horror, familiar with even the most mundane details of famous murders. Her kink is torture for goodness sake. But I'm supposed to believe she can't sleep because of a window?

I would like to know if the narrator is unreliable before I start a book. In this case, we aren't given any advanced notice. So mundane facts are taken for granted until the author decides to reveal the truth.

Not enough details!! The serial killer she "caught," (whos name I can't remember) he was interesting, he made sense. But we aren't told anything about why he killed, how he chose his victims, etc. That was a massive missed opportunity. Oh, and how did Greyson know he was going to commit his next murder at a lumber yard of all things? The story we're given heavily suggests there's a method to his madness, a pathology, but we aren't told any of it.

The ending was nothing short of stupid. Really stupid. She's supposedly so smart when it comes to psychopaths and narcissists. But she's never once suspects? Like really? I saw that coming from a mile away and it was asinine she fell for it.

This was an okay thriller if you don't mind plots that are a little on the predictable side. The writing was good but I just didn't connect with the main character and didn't really find anything fresh or intriguing with the plot.