Getting Away With Murder
Jill and Ted’s New York brownstone isn't just a house—it's their identity. They’ve perfected every expensive inch. But when a bad investment threatens their sanctuary, they panic.
Their solution is simple and shocking: murder.
To save their home, they plan to kill a wealthy relative and secure the inheritance. It’s the perfect crime... provided they can trust each other, make no mistakes, and avoid any surprises.
- Jill - Ted’s wife, 35
- Ted - Jill’s husband, 40
- Greg - Ted’s brother, 42
- Nadya - Jill and Ted’s cleaning lady
- Peter - Nadya’s son
- Konstantin - Peter’s friend
- Minerva - Greg’s ex-wife
- Ben and Lara - Friends of Ted and Jill
- Paul Ramirez - Special agent investigating Greg’s death
- John - An old acquaintance of Ted
- Jill and Ted go sailing with Greg on his boat.
- They push Greg into the water and leave him to drown.
- Two months earlier: Ted’s inheritance from his father is nearly gone.
- Ted decides the only solution is to kill Greg, knowing he is Greg’s sole heir.
- Now: The coast guard searches but can’t find Greg and they call off the search.
- Ramirez interviews Jill and Ted and suspects they’re hiding something.
- Greg’s lawyer tells them Ted will inherit $30 million, but the estate will take a year to settle.
- John pays a visit to Ted and offers him an investment opportunity but Ted declines.
- Ted begins receiving anonymous texts saying “I know what you did.”
- When Ted changes his number, the texts start going to Jill.
- Jill finds a hidden camera in their bookshelf - someone’s been watching them discuss the murder.
- Ted meets with John who takes credit for the cameras and the texts and demands $4 million.
- There are cameras that Jill and Ted missed - he’s still watching them.
- Jill and Ted begin to suspect John lied about being behind the cameras and texts.
- Ted confronts John, who decides to find the real blackmailer so he can steal the footage and blackmail Ted himself.
- John breaks into Lara and Ben’s house demanding the footage, but they deny knowing anything.
- As John leaves, Ben lunges at him. John throws him over the railing, killing him.
- The next day Lara confronts Jill and Ted, accusing them of sending the intruder.
- Lara threatens to tell the police about the camera footage unless they pay her $5 million.
- Jill and Ted visit Minerva, who reveals Greg was dying of cancer and had only months left to live.
- Peter admits to Nadya that his friend Konstantin planted the cameras in Jill and Ted’s house.
- Peter says the footage goes to Konstantin’s phone.
- Nadya and Peter meet with Konstantin and Nadya tells him she deserves a cut since he got access to the house from her.
- Eleven months after Greg’s death Ted and Jill meet their attorney to sign for the money.
- Four days later they receive a text demanding $1 million in bitcoin.
- Ted and Jill refuse to pay the anonymous blackmailers or Lara because the footage was obtained illegally and can’t be used in court.
- Konstantin mails copies of the recordings to three newspapers and the police.
- Jill and Ted are brought in for questioning but neither confesses.
- Jill is fired, loses Lara’s friendship, and Nadya quits.
- Minerva calls and says she didn’t plant the cameras.
- Konstantin gives Nadya the phone with the video feed, and she keeps watching Jill and Ted in their bedroom.
Shari Lapena has done it again! "Getting Away with Murder" is a fantastic, medium-paced thriller. The characters are so well-developed and the plot kept me guessing the entire time.
This book is a page turner with little reveals throughout that kept me fully engaged.
I loved watching Jill and Ted spiral as they desperately tried to control their own destiny. It was so enjoyable seeing the chaos and waiting to see how Jill and Ted would handle it.
The plot has such depth compared to a typical, shorter thriller and the ending was satisfying. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a compelling thriller that really lets you sink into the story and enjoy the ride.
- Greg - Dead - Drowned
- Ted - Alive - Content with his wealth
- Jill - Alive - Bitter after losing her job and friendship with Lara; left with only Ted and the money
- Minerva - Alive - Furious that Ted and Jill got away with Greg’s murder
- Nadya - Alive - Resentful that Jill and Ted never paid her and she’s still cleaning for the wealthy
- Ben - Dead - Killed by John
- Lara - Alive - New mother to Ben’s baby; Ben’s parents promised to support her and the child
- Murder
- Pregnancy
- Stalking
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
ISBN: 9780593832479
Publication Date: June 28, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
