Woah, what an absolutely amazing debut novel.

I'm reeling from what I've just read, and it really will make you think too.

At no point was I completely sure what I could believe, I suspected there was information being concealed, but had no clue as just to what extent, or why or what!

We have Kelli who is fascinated by true crime, has a "friendship" as such with a serial killer she helped catch, and regularly reads and watches things on the most depraved people on the planet. There is nothing she doesn't know about murder.

Her friends and family are concerned about her interest in the macabre, but it takes for a new series of murders in the woods near her house, for her to starting being concerned herself. For she is even wondering did she do it.

There is a lot going on in this story, loads of interesting character dynamics and lots of secrets to be revealed. There are twists and turns, and it really was the most compulsively brilliant of reads that I just couldn't get enough of.

I am already excited to see what this author's second book will be like, as I loved this one so much. This feels quite different to other books that I have read and its feels like a fresh take on a thriller.

It's just superb and I was totally hooked from the first to the last page. Brilliant!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This read was a fun ride! good for thriller lovers looking for a break from some of the more edgy and dark thrillers or for those who are looking for a lighter murder mystery.

I'm afraid I struggled with this one. It wasn't a long read but I didn't really feel gripped by the story. The description sounded really interesting, but I found the characters to be really hard work to like and I struggled to focus on the story development. I am sure the book will do really well and the ending was good but I'm afraid it wasn't a great read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early release of this novel.

The closest you can get to true crime in a hugely fun and fictional way. Easily devourable in a few hours.

⚠️
Animal death / cruelty



It was fine until it reached the part about the cat around 66%. It was random and unexpected and should have just left the poor thing alone. Unlikeable and morally gray characters? Fine. Unnecessary murder of pets especially cats? Not for me. Though it is fiction, it is still upsetting and triggering.
✖️🙅‍♀️✖️🙅‍♀️.

This is a quick, easy read thriller with a few lighthearted moments on the way.
The characters are a bit basic, and honestly, not very likeable. This isn’t a dealbreaker when it comes to enjoying the story, but in this instance it didn’t help it.
I would say, give this a go. I finished it, it was ok, but it’s probably not one that’ll stick with me in the future.

a twisty, wild ride that kept me guessing and insanely confused. overall it was a quick, short read that was a bit creepy, scary and insanely entertaining, I wlll definitely be tuning in for the next one!

Kelli Amari is obsessed with true crime, so obsessed she solved her own serial killer case and now wants to solve another right on her doorstep.

But there is something not quite right with Kelli. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was to start with but as I got to know her better, I understood more about this true crime obsessive. The more Kelli told me, the more I frowned at her so to speak.

There are most definitely some comic, even laugh-out-loud, moments. Kelli has some really fun entertaining friends around her – Polly’s comment about Postman Pat made me snort! But as the book went on, it got darker with less comedy and more of me catching a breath as Barnett threw an extra twist in my direction.

How To Get Away With Murder is a cracking thriller. Barnett has written an excellent debut novel with a questionable narrator who at times I doubted but I’d immediately liked so didn’t want to question her (needs must). This author is one to watch based on this first offering!!

I found this book an easy enough and decent enough read, however unfortunately for me it was rather slow for the most part. There was not enough to grip me with the storyline until right towards the end of the book. If the while read had been as good all way through, it would have easily had me on tenterhooks! Worth a read? Maybe if you like this genre.

Fantastic premise and there were plenty of twists and turns. A very quick read with a few too many unlikeable characters for me. I love that the killer was a surprise to me.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC ebook.

How To Get Away With Murder by Tam Barnett is a novel that certainly takes the reader for a ride. Our FMC, Kelli, is both unreliable and very unlikeable. It’s always interesting to root for the main character’s downfall. Kelli, a former journalist is obsessed with serial killers, actually rose to fame for catching Dick, the White Widower. Down on our luck, she’s befriended him and is writing a book about the case that started it all for her. Now there’s another killer on the loose in her neighborhood and Kelli is determined to solve the case.

I split my time between the audio book (very well narrated—Kelli is a bit unhinged, and the audio book does a great job capturing her personality) and the e-book. The pacing was consistent, and the characters that were needed to drive the story were developed enough. There is some backstory for Kelli, who witnesses her father murders a pedophile that attacked her. For most of the book, she states it was Danny (her brother) who was attacked, not her—almost until the last quarter of the novel. I don’t think there’s much development/emphasis on her backstory because the reader isn’t meant to root for her or feel for her. She’s obsessed with serial killers—to the point that she’s close with a serial killer (and at times there are some very uncomfortable bits of sexual tension between her and Dick – gross). She watches violent porn, takes intense sleeping pills to sleep, and when the murders begin and she’s convinced she’s doing it—she gets rid of evidence! She even kills her neighbor’s cat who she doesn’t like (to see if she can kill in cold blood).

The final quarter of the book gets craziest with the arrest of Kelli’s boyfriend, Ben, subsequent discovery: the framing of her boyfriend (the killer is her best friend). Then the plotting with her best friend to get Ben out of jail and frame Polly’s abusive partner, Todd for the murders. AND finally, Kelli’s determination to commit the murder and make it to where her best friend is discovered to be the true murder. There are so many times that Kelli is unbearable throughout the book—not compassionate/caring, and is very self-absorbed. The ending was *delicious* however, because Kelli seems to be getting the happy ending (she doesn’t deserve) and then she sees Dick one last time and confesses everything (on tape)! The ending for me is what wrapped the book up perfectly—I initially didn’t enjoy it, Kelli just…sucks. I didn’t care about her very much and didn’t like how she viewed characters that were so supportive of her (her mother, Ben, former colleague Rob Grayson). So, when Kelli loses it all so ironically—absolute perfection and brought my rating up a star.

This was such a gripping story! The mystery, the eeriness, and the plot twists were all amazing. I was hooked right from the beginning, and even though the main character isn’t likable, the plot is great!

Unlikeable characters made this difficult to get into. It was slow to start and I wasn’t quite sure what exactly this was about. Add in my dislike for journalists and how they are portrayed and this just isn’t for me. It does pick up towards the end and gets interesting but I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters so the ending is somewhat lost on me. Without the connection, I don’t get the need for the crimes or the blind loyalty that is portrayed. Fans of thrillers and true crime podcasts might enjoy this but there wasn’t enough character development for me.

This story was very intriguing, I liked the premise a lot and it keeps you on your toes, guessing and failing again and again.

Sadly, after a few chapters I kind of lost interest, it felt like a forced relationship, where you go out with someone cause in paper they’re perfect, but the spark is not there, you know what I mean?

I couldn’t find myself enjoying the characters. They were all insufferable, especially our MC. That’s the risk with an unreliable narrator I guess, I rolled my eyes a few times and wanted the plot to go on without being in the protagonist’s head.

The twists were great, I was fascinated by her relationship with Dick, a serial killer whom she helped trap and then kept visiting in jail. The ENDING, OMG that was crazy! But yeah, all in all I don’t think I would reread this one.

I loved this book, it was the perfect amounts of comedic and darkness that made it a very addictive read.

This book was unusual, witty, dark but clever

A very easy to read book and a few surprises for sure

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books

Thank you to Tam Barnett, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The cover instantly grabbed my attention. But there was something about it that I just didn't like. I found myself reading and having to reread what I was supposed to be reading because it wasn't holding my attention.

But with that being said, it did surprise me to find out who the killer was.

The first bits with Kellie and her obsession with serial killers and murder shows and taking the test to see if she qualified as a psychopath were quite entertaining and had the right comedic touch. Even her continued communications with the serial killer she caught awhile were good. However, when the new killer came on the scene, it got a bit darker than I was ready for, with Kellie trying to figure it out and rise again in fame over that awful Dick Grayson who was always spouting headlines at her (so annoying he was!) and deal with the possibility it was someone she knew, or even herself.

It was a fast read and different than I was expecting, especially that ending and the twists but I liked it, even if I wasn't really a fan of the main character (she did have some interesting thoughts though).

As someone who loves a book that will keep me engaged until the very end, this book did exactly that. Every time I thought I had figured it out, the author put in another twist that I did not see coming. It was interesting having the main character not be a hero of the story, and I did have some mixed feelings about them, but I also think that is why I enjoyed this book as much as I did. It was fun, entertaining, and the perfect amount of mystery.

I found this book really easy to get into. Also a huge plus that the main characters name was Kellie (my name is Kelli), I almost never read a book with that name. I’m not usually a huge fan of serial killer books but something about this book, I just found it very interesting. There were some really great twists and turns, I found myself guessing and asking myself questions throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this book.