How to Get Away with Murder – Rebecca Philipson

Published By: Bantam
Pages: 336
Released On: 12/03/2026

Denver Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time – and that’s precisely why you’ve never heard of him.

But with the publication of his manual for aspiring serial killers, How to Get Away With Murder, that’s about to change.

When a copy is found at the home of a girl who was tragically murdered, DI Samantha Hansen is given the job of tracking down the elusive author.

As Denver and Sam’s stories unfold and converge, it becomes clear that there’s more to both than meets the eye. And once Denver’s book goes viral, the pressure to find and bring him to justice brings Sam close to breaking point.

But who is hunting whom?

*****

Thanks to Bantam for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review. I was lucky enough to receive a proof of this at the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Festival 2025.

Oh this is just FABULOUS! It’s so addictive, I started it one morning and didn’t go to bed until I’d finished it.

It’s got everything I expect from a thriller but it still feels fresh and new, which will make it standout among a busy field. Thrillers are my most read genre and it’s lovely to find something familiar but original.

It is quite an unnerving book to read, this sort of how-to guide for murder, it all seems so easy and frightening.

I may have read this in January but it will definitely be featuring on my “best books of 2026” list, I guarantee it. Not only will it be on my list of best books, I can see it finding its place on “best thriller”, “best debt” and “best books” of 2026 lists up and down the country – it is unquestionably epic.

There was a moment about halfway through which peaked me interest, was it a twist? I won’t say yes or not but my brain latched on this one little sentence that I had to read it twice and rearrange what I thought was happening.

The characters are great. Sam is troubled, struggling, and vulnerable. But she’s also powerful, caring, and bloody good at her job. She’s so human and I was with her the whole way. There are quite a lot of other characters – police, suspects, witnesses – and whilst some have bigger roles than others, they all work well in their own story as well as pushing through the main story.

We have two stories going on at the same time: find Charlotte’s killer, and find out who is behind this book. And they run parallel to each other and there are some very interesting similarities.

And that ending! Just when you think you’ve got everything tied up then BAM, Rebecca turns everything on its head and you’re sad there with a closed book and your jaw on the floor.

This is Rebecca’s debut I believe and what a debut it is. She’s got such great promise. I’ve had this book since July 2025 and now I’m sad that I don’t get to read it for the first time again. It’s not even published yet and I’m already looking forward to what she writes next, be it thriller or otherwise, Rebecca Philipson is going to be a big name.

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