First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for an honest review

As a debut novel this was absolutely brilliant! It has good pacing and kept you guessing until the very end. I kept thinking I had it all figured out but kept being proven wrong. I do have to admit though I had to push through the first few chapters as I really hate the main character but understand that this just adds an extra depth to the story.

Looking forward to seeing what is coming next from this author.

"How to Get Away with Murder" by Tam Barnett is a delightfully twisty and darkly comic crime thriller. The story follows Kelli, a true crime-obsessed journalist who is best known for catching a prolific serial killer. However, when another killer emerges in her own village, Kelli finds herself captivated once again. The novel explores whether Kelli's fascination with true crime is merely a hobby or something more sinister.
Tam Barnett's debut novel is a deliciously dark and humorous dive into the world of true crime obsession. Kelli, our protagonist, is a witty and unreliable narrator who keeps readers trying to understand and speculating. Her perspective is both entertaining and unsettling, keeping me on the edge and having fun.
The book delights in its ambiguity, blending humour, intrigue, and outright creepiness in a way that keeps you speculating until the very end. Barnett’s writing is sharp and clever, with plenty of gallows humour and true crime references to delight fans of the genre. The twists and turns are delivered with precision, ensuring that the suspense never wanes. Just when you think you've figured it out, Barnett delivers another twist that changes your supposed conclusions. The ending packs a final punch that is both shocking and satisfying.
In short, "How to Get Away with Murder" is an excellent read for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller with a darkly comic edge.
It’s highly recommended and I thank Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for this digital copy, all opinions are mine

What the cats think:

Harry: "Andry, have you heard about this book called *How to Get Away with Murder* by Tam Barnett? It's a twisty and darkly comic crime thriller."
Andry: "Oh, Harry, does it have anything to do with food? You know I love food!"
Harry: "Not quite, Andry. It's about Kelli, a journalist obsessed with true crime. She's famous for catching a serial killer, but then another killer shows up in her village, and she's hooked again."
Andry: "Wow, that sounds intense! Is Kelli just into true crime for fun, or is there something more to it?"
Harry: "That's the intriguing part. The novel explores whether her fascination is just a hobby or something darker. Kelli is a witty but unreliable narrator, which keeps readers guessing."
Andry: "I love a good mystery! Does the book have lots of twists and turns?"
Harry: "Absolutely, Andry. The story blends humor, intrigue, and creepiness, keeping you on edge. Just when you think you've figured it out, Barnett throws in another twist."
Andry: "Sounds like a rollercoaster! Is the ending good?"
Harry: "The ending is both shocking and satisfying. It's a great read for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with a darkly comic edge."
Andry: "I might give it a try, but only if there's a snack break in between chapters!"
Harry: "And maybe a bit of catnip to keep things interesting!"

This was a fun read. Which seems like a weird thing to say when you're talking about a book about a serial killer, but what can I say? Tam Barnett made it easy to feel that maybe Kellie's insecurity about whether she was capable of murder was something that grew because of her obsession with serial killers. And she was very obsessed. She could name almost all of the most historical killers in Europe and the US.

Kellie is edgy in all the right ways. She's friends with a prisoner. She lives in her boyfriend's mansion, but despite listening to all the true crime podcasts (or maybe because of them) she's afraid to go up the stairs in the dark. She's got a hate/hate relationship with a fellow news reporter ("...you're a runt with a capital 'C'."). She can't cook ("It's not that I can't cook, but I do often end up using the smoke alarm as a timer." - a girl after my own heart!).

There are some clever twists and witty repartee as the book careens toward the inevitable ending. This was a solid debut thriller by Barnett.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader's copy.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

A good read, took me a bit to get into the story and follow along/feel it out. I did not expect the twist and the ending was what really grabbed me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is what I would consider to be a great quick beachy read. Coming in at less than 300 pages, I was able to finish it rather quickly, and the chapter lengths helped attribute to this. I will say that the end 40% or so seemed to move a bit quicker than the first portion, which at times felt a bit lost in the details until everything came together. Told from one POV, I did struggle at times to care about the MC, as some of her actions/justifications seemed over the top for the situation. Despite this, I did in fact fall for the red herring for the whodunnit aspect and was pleasantly surprised with the last chapter. Would recommend this one if you are looking for a campy whodunnit for your next beach read.

i had a really hard time with the perspective on this one, the first person pov made the language seem more basic and hurt the story for me

thank you netgalley for an arc of this in exchange for my honest feedback!

Thank you Boldwood books for providing me to read on Netgalley in advance.
It was a really nicely done thriller with twists, turns and an amazing ending. The book was a delightful thriller read.
The story hooks you from very early on and doesn't let go. Tam Barnett lets us guess along the way who the killer might be and is it the MC which is falling apart on her own?
The atmosphere was great - sometimes a little eerie and then quirky and lighter but again tense.
All-in-all a great debut by Tam Barnett. Looking forward reading more from the author.

This book seemed to be having an identity crisis. I thought the premise sounded good but the book struggled. The first half showed glimmers of the dark humor promised, but by the second half the book seemed to just be a bit messy…..and predictable.
Perhaps this book should have been titled how NOT to get away with murder…..

A must-read for fans of the true crime genre, this dark yet comic story is told from Kelli's viewpoint. She is a crime journalist, obsessed with true crime since her father's arrest. Kelli was instrumental in the arrest of a serial killer. Kelli is a flawed and unreliable narrator, but as you get to know her, she has many redeeming features. The cast of characters is diverse, vibrant, and relatable. The ethos is dark but kept upbeat with Kelli's irreverent humour. It uses sensory imagery well and makes imagining the characters and events easy. Whilst this is not my favourite genre, this was an entertaining read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This novel, while not without its flaws, ultimately proves to be a captivating read. The intriguing plot immediately hooks the reader, though the first half feels somewhat uneven. The main character, unfortunately, lacks depth and her motivations remain unclear, making it difficult to connect with her. This occasionally creates a sense of distance from the narrative.
However, the second half significantly improves. The pacing picks up considerably, and the character development deepens, holding the reader's attention throughout. The twists and turns are cleverly crafted, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. The conclusion is truly surprising and unforgettable, leaving a lasting impact.
Despite a slightly weak beginning, the powerful conclusion more than makes up for it, making this a worthwhile read for those who enjoy thrilling and unpredictable stories. Recommended for readers who appreciate suspenseful plots and surprising twists.

Thank you Netgalley for this one! It sounded so like something I would enjoy reading and i bloody loved it!! I loved how intense it was and also the relating to previous serial killers being a crime fan myself i related to Kelli! So good and you never see it ending how it did!

Journalist and true crime fanatic Kelli is the narrator of this story and what a story it is!
Kelli has previously helped to put a murderer behind bars , and now there is another killer on the loose in the local vicinity.
Can she help to track them down?
Does Kelli know more about the murders than she’s letting on ?
This story is full of twists and turns and the main character is a very complex and at times down right odd!
Loved the twist at the end !
Really enjoyed this book a bit of a different read!
A promising debut !
Looking forward to reading more from the author .
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books.

A fun and entertaining read!

Having already solved a murder, journalist Kelli has become a true crime addict; now, she discovers there's a murderer on the loose in her area, her excitement is off the scale! Then, she begins to wonder if the murderer could actually be ... well, herself! She certainly has the knowledge, but does she have the daring?

If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust? That thought sprung to mind on several occasions while I was reading this one. Well-plotted and cleverly written, it's a fun read and quite an achievement for a debut novel. Well worth reading as long as you don't take life too seriously. For me 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

If there’s one thing I adore, it’s a novel with an unreliable narrator—and this book absolutely delivered. From the very first page, I was hooked and had so much fun unraveling the twists and turns. It’s a relatively short read, perfect for finishing in just a couple of sittings, and even though I had a few key elements figured out by the halfway point, it kept me entertained from start to finish.

Even with an unlikable main character, this was a blast.

HTGAWM follows journalist and True Crime enthusiast Kelli, who’s riding the shaky wave of her 15 minutes of fame after cracking the infamous White Widow murders. But fame comes at a price—she burned bridges with her ex-journalist partner, keeps a weirdly toxic friendship with the actual White Widow killer, and has been mostly ousted from the industry. Determined to claw her way back into the spotlight, Kelli becomes laser-focused on unmasking the next serial killer—and lucky for her, one has just surfaced practically in her own backyard. But when danger starts hitting closer to home, the question becomes: how far is she willing to go for the scoop?

This isn’t the most groundbreaking or clever thriller in its genre, but it’s still an enjoyable ride. If you love a messy, unreliable narrator and a fast-paced plot with a touch of *Scooby-Doo* energy, this one’s worth checking out.

Thanks t Netgalley and Tam Barnett for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very solid thriller that includes a lot of 'true crime' without the requirement for the reader to be heavily involved in that community.

The clearly unreliable narrator offers multiple layers to the story, both in terms of her memory lapses and her moral ambiguity. The pacing is solid and, while some of the twists are a little obvious, many of them are entirely left-field and keep the reader on their toes. The characters are all awful in their own way but not so insufferable that it detracts from the story itself.


This would probably rate closer to a four star normally but there is something about the book that keeps the leader hooked and left me unable to put it down. This solidifies it as worthy of a higher rating than many other titles in the genre.

one word: wow
okay, actually quite a few words...

kelli, the fmc, has a fascination in life of true crime and murder after catching a serial killer years back, so when a murder goes down in her own town, of course she is front and centre to get all the gossip and catch that killer. watching the plot unfold from kelli's point of view, as we meet other characters (potential suspects) starts like a classic whodunit, but this murder investigation starts hitting just too close to home and her world is turned upside down, in more ways than one.

i think i read the second half of this book in one sitting!! once we got down to the plot twists and the juicy details...i just couldn't stop!! and that is what i love in a good old murder mystery style book, and tam absolutely smashed this debut!!

a good thing about a murder mystery is the guessing as you're reading, of course i am never right, and so the curiosity gets me hooked for more.

THE ENDING!!!! are you joking me...im furious in the best way possible.

if you like a good, fast paced and exciting murder mystery, you need look no further than right here.

thank you to netgalley, boldwood books and of course tam barnett for my early copy!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down, I just had to find out who the murderer was. When I did it was definitely a surprise, but when I discovered more later on then I wasn’t.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you like a good mystery.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first 5🌟 read of 2025! Tam Barnett's debut novel is simply brilliant 👏 The title obviously was the reason why I picked this book, but as I read, I couldn’t stop thinking about how fitting the title might be—who’s getting away with murder, and how? That curiosity kept me hooked till the very end!
I really liked this book, the pacing is perfect, keeps you guessing till the very end. There aren't many reviews on Goodreads yet, but I hope more people read it once it’s out. It features an unreliable narrator and twists you won't see coming. Some might not love the ending, but for me, it was perfect. I love it when authors surprise me, especially when I think I've figured it all out.

This book got better and better and the ending was fab! As a true crime nerd, the references were awesome and really added to the story.

Loved the pacing, a really well written book!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review :)