Book Review: How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson

Author: Rebecca Philipson

Title: How to Get Away with Murder

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Format: Paperback

Pages: 368

Published: February 24, 2026

Where I got It: My shelf (Goodreads giveaway)

Summary: 

This fresh debut thriller finds a Scotland Yard detective trying to find the author of a self-help book that promises quite literally to teach readers how to get away with murder, which seems to have inspired London's newest murderer.

Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has been on leave for six months, recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work, but when a fourteen-year-old girl is murdered in a local park, Sam jumps at the chance to return to the job and prove that she's still got what it takes to be the Yard's most successful homicide detective. One of the cases only leads is a copy of a self-help book found in the victim's backpack called How To Get Away With Murder by a man named Denver Brady.

Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's ever heard of him. Chapter by chapter, he details his methodology and his past victims, and as Sam's investigation progresses and the details of the book go viral, Sam begins to suspect that there’s more to the author than what he’s revealed. But in order to find a killer and get justice for young Charlotte, Sam must learn to trust her instincts once again, before Denver Brady--or someone else--really does get away with murder.

Review:

I was a lucky duck and won this book in a giveaway! I never, ever win, so I was excited! I think for all the ones I have entered...my number of books I've won is at 2% hahaha. But yes, happy to see this pop up in the mail. 

Note - even though I was given this in a giveaway, my review will be honest and unbiased. 

Here we follow Sam Hansen, who has been on leave for a while recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work. When a 14-year-old girl is found murdered in the local park, Sam knows she has to go back. This case leads this team down a dark road when a copy of a self-help book called 'How to Get Away with Murder' is found on the victim's body. The author claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's heard of him. Sam is put in charge of finding this author and finding out if there is a connection.

I'll admit...I struggled with the first couple of chapters. However, I grew to love our main, and things were a huge tangle. Who, what, why...so many mysteries afoot but somehow all tied together. I loved watching Sam and her team untangle everything. 

The ending was phenomenal. I really was on the edge of my seat. I purposely woke up early to finish the last half of the book. I HAD TO KNOW. 

This would make a great book club book. I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ENDING SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did want to scream with all the times someone was interrupted right when a vital piece of information was about to be shared or thought. Once...okay....twice...errr...more than twice? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? *shakes fist*

But yes, the mystery was good, and I didn't trust anyone except our Sam and her dog, which she saved. THAT ENDING?! I NEED TO TELL SOMEONE!!

I'll give this 4 stars. 

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association

Format: 368 pages, Hardcover

Published:  May 27, 2025 by Titan

Urban fantasy/own

Well this was different, and it really has a lot to do with the PTA.

Vivian´s daughter is horribly mutilated and bit by a werewolf...and now she is one! Wtf to do?! The werewolf clan gets them into a magical school, but life is hard.

Everyone has powers. There are sirens, wizards, you name it. And Aria stands out, not everyone is all shifter friendly. And who knew kindergarten was a cut throat business? You have to do well in 3 trials cos else you are kicked out of school.

Vivian navigates trying to prepare her child for kindergarten, the trials, a scary prophecy going around, and even scarier PTA ladies. It is hard to know who your friend is.

I liked it, but it took a few chapters, mostly cos we were as thrown into this world as Vivian was.

Two parents and their recently-bitten-werewolf daughter try to fit into a privileged New England society of magic aristocracy. But deadly terrors await them – ancient prophecies, remorseless magical trials, hidden conspiracies and the PTA bake sale.

When Vivian’s kindergartner, Aria, gets bitten by a werewolf, she is rapidly inducted into the hidden community of magical schools. Reeling from their sudden move, Vivian finds herself having to pick the right sacrificial dagger for Aria, keep stocked up on chew toys and play PTA politics with sirens and chthonic nymphs and people who literally can set her hair on fire.

As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors and demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society – shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents’ WhatsApp group.

And looming over everything is a prophecy of doom that sounds suspiciously like it’s about Aria. Vivian might be facing the end of days, just as soon as she can get her daughter dressed and out of the door…

Best of April

It's gonna be MAAAAAAAAAY.

Here are our faves for April. 

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - This Kingdom will not kill me by Ilona Andrews

"Best book, cos omg amazing."

Carole -  The Reunion by Meghan Quinn

"So dang good. I want to re-read it!!!"

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole -  Hamnet (2025)

"I was in awe. So good. Beautiful."

Blodeuedd - Thrash (2026)

"Best movie, because sharks are scary."

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Mentalist (s1) & Ena: Queen Victoria Eugenia

"I finally watched s1 of The Mentalist, I also watched Ena, which I really enjoyed."

Carole - St Denis Medical (S2)

"I'm really liking this show. Love the cast. Sooo funny and oddly heart-warming."

Best Cover of the Month:

Carole's - "Creepy and cool!"

Blodeuedd's - "Cute!"

Honorable Mention:

Blodeuedd - Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

"People were right! It is even better in audio!"

Carole - The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

"It was so nice re-reading this! So dang good."

Book Review: Schemes and Scandals by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Title: Schemes and Scandals

Series: A Rip Through Time #3.5

Genre: Mystery, SciFi, Historical Fiction, Novella

Format: ebook

Pages: 159

Published: December 3, 2024

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

It’s Mallory Atkinson’s first Christmas in Scotland. Victorian Scotland, that is. Also, as the twenty-first-century detective learns, Christmas really isn’t a thing in Victorian Scotland. It’s all about Hogmanay. But her boss, Dr. Duncan Gray, treats her to an early gift of tickets to the event of the a Charles Dickens reading. There, they bump into Lady Inglis—the lovely widow who has sent Gray sexy letters trying to entice him back to her bed.

Lady Inglis introduces Mallory to Dickens—the meeting of a lifetime—but in return she wants their help. She’s being blackmailed. Someone stole letters she wrote to another lover and is threatening to publish them.

Mallory isn’t sure what to make of Lady Inglis, but no woman deserves that, so she insists on taking the case with or without Gray’s help. Growing tension between them soon tells Mallory that Gray is hiding a secret of his own. She has until Hogmanay to uncover the blackmailer…and, hopefully, to put things right with Gray so they can enjoy the holiday together.

Review:

I am simply LOVING this series. I can't get enough of it! The next book is already downloaded and ready to go ;)

We are back in time with Mallory. This is her first Christmas season in Victorian Scotland. Scotland still doesn't really celebrate Christmas, but instead Hogmanay. Dr Gray, her boss and friend, gets tickets to a Charles Dickens show. Mallory LOVES his works and is excited....until a mystery lands in her lap. Lady Inglis is being blackmailed. The letters she wrote to her lover have been stolen, and now she is being threatened with having them published. Inglis was Dr Gray's former lover, but Mallory won't allow this blackmail to go unpunished. She has until Hogmanay to figure it out. 

Sadly, my library didn't have the audio of this, but the ebook was JUST as good. At this point, this narrator's voice is the voice and only voice I hear when I read this story. The ebook did fine enough. EEEE. I should just buy all the audios at this point. I see myself revisiting this series in the future. 

But yes, there is a nasty blackmailer out and about. It's up to Mallory and Dr Gray. We didn't get to see much of the other cast during this. Just a little bit of the one sister and Jack. We did get to meet Charles Dickens and it made my heart happy...but then sad because we know his time is limited before he passes. *cries*

The mystery was easily solvable...maybe a bit too easy. But it is a novella, and we didn't want it too long and stretched out, I suppose. 

I can't wait to get started on the next book. 

100% recommend. 

4 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Library Love #10