Book: Getting Away With Murder by Shari Lapena
Reviewed by Rie
Rating: 3.5/5
Well… okay then. I went into Getting Away with Murder expecting a mystery thriller, because I love a good one and this book kept popping up on different lists. What I got was something I’m still not entirely sure how to classify, let alone how to feel about. I enjoyed parts of the experience, but I also spent a lot of it feeling shocked, angry, and increasingly discontent. And honestly? I suspect that was at least partly the point.
Shari Lapena clearly put a lot of thought into this story. The writing was strong, the plot was thorough, and the pacing worked well for me. I was never struggling to get through it or feeling like the story was dragging. I listened to the audiobook, and January LaVoy did a fantastic job narrating it and keeping me immersed. The confusion I felt wasn't because I couldn't follow what was happening. It was more that, as the story unfolded, I kept realizing I had no idea what I was really getting into.
The characters certainly didn't make things any easier. I found myself frustrated with just about everyone at one point or another. Ted was, quite frankly, an idiot. Jill's greed and willingness to go along with things drove me up the wall, while Lara's loyalty and Ben's naivety had me questioning their decisions, too. Even when I could understand why someone acted the way they did, that didn't necessarily make me any less frustrated with them. Ben was probably the character I liked most, with Agent Ramirez getting an honorable mention. And Greg? I wouldn't necessarily call him a favorite, but at least he was honest. Lmao.
I also didn't find myself particularly invested in the character relationships, though I don't think they were necessarily meant to be enjoyable. Instead, the choices people made and the consequences that followed were what kept me engaged. The story repeatedly left me shocked or angry, sometimes both, and there were moments when I couldn't help thinking that a terrible outcome might have been prevented if someone had simply made a better decision. I know those moments served a purpose in the plot, but that didn't make them any less frustrating to read.
And then there's the ending. Without getting into spoiler territory, let's just say I have feelings about it. Did it work for me? Not really. Do I think it was necessarily poorly done? Also no. I'm still trying to reconcile my reaction with what the story was doing, and the best way I can put it is that justice comes in many different forms. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. There was a certain sense of karma along the way, but whether that was enough to satisfy me is another question entirely.
Ultimately, I think that's what makes this such a difficult book for me to rate. I can appreciate the writing, the thought that went into the plot, and the fact that the story made me feel something so strongly. But I can't say I came away feeling particularly satisfied, either. I don't regret reading it, and I can see why it might work for other readers, but I also wouldn't know exactly who to recommend it to without knowing what they want from a thriller.
I'm landing at 3.5 stars because a 3 feels a little too low for a book that was this well written and kept me engaged, but I can't quite bring myself to go higher when I'm still sitting here thinking, "Well… okay then.” I think I'll leave it at that.