How To Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson

 

Britain's most prolific uncaught serial killer has written a "How To" guide for aspiring murderers, and the country is obsessed with it. When a young girl is murdered, everyone assumes Denver Brady has struck again.

Author Rebecca Philipson has written a unique take on the serial killer thriller with her debut novel, How To Get Away With Murder. Someone claiming to be a serial killer who has operated undetected for years has written a guide for would-be murderers to help them carry out their dastardly deed and avoid being caught. The chapters written by the killer, Denver Brady, are alternated with a real-life murder case, one that everyone is convinced should be attributed to Brady.

Involved in the real-life murder investigation is DI Sam Hansen, a police officer struggling to return to work after an incident. Sam is a sympathetic character; in a male-dominated profession, she doesn't want to be seen as weak. She also has a gut instinct that has served her well in the past. Something about the case is niggling at Sam; she's not sure the murder can be attributed to Brady. Sam is convinced a copycat killer is at work, but no one else shares her view.

There is a lot of dark humour, particularity from Denver Brady. Early on, I was almost rooting for him. Seeing the story from two different POVs is an eye-opener though, Denver's version of a murder he carried out is a complete contrast to the actual events, and really made me change my opinion of him. The more I read, I began to wonder if Denver really was a serial killer or a fantasist.

The narrative keeps the reader on their toes. Subtle references have you wondering if they are clues to the identity of Denver, or simply the author playing with us. Thoughts were pinwheeling around my brain as I kept guessing who the murderer could be. The deeper I got into the story, the more I was expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me, or one of those "sixth sense" moments, where it's impossible to guess, but once it's revealed, everything makes sense.

A satisfying conclusion ties everything up very nicely; you really do feel that karma has been served. I'm also hoping that there is potential for more from Sam.

How To Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson will be published on 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for a review copy.

Author Details

Rebecca Philipson grew up in a mining town in County Durham, where she still lives. Educated in a small convent, she set up her own business at 21 and won both the North East Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Artemis Award for inspirational women in business. Rebecca was inspired to write How to Get Away with Murder after starting a True-Crime blog during the pandemic, and becoming fascinated by the ways in which serial killers are treated like celebrities.

In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys all things book-related, netball, travelling and spending time with friends and family.