Editor’s Note: This doesn’t happen very often, but two of our reviewers read this one and enjoyed it enough to review it!
As a reader, if you find yourself rooting for a serial killer, donโt be surprised, Sienna Sharpe makes it disturbingly easy.
Lily Lennox is a seemingly ordinary businesswoman from Cincinnati. But every summer, she takes a darker turn, spending her time at Riovan, a luxurious wellness resort where she works as a lifeguard and goes on a killing spree.
At first, Lily appears composed, and fully in control. But as the story progresses, her complex personality emerges. She convinces herself sheโs doing society a favor, ridding the world of toxic people. For five summers, she has carried out this grim mission without interruption. Not until this year, when Daniel, a handsome journalist investigating the resortโs string of deaths, starts asking the wrong questions.
What begins as a suspenseful thriller takes an unexpected turn into romance. As Lily and Daniel develop feelings for each other, the novel shows us a more vulnerable side of its anti-heroine. Their chemistry also introduces several spicy scenes which is rare in the mystery-thriller genre but surprisingly fitting here.
Structurally, the book opens with a striking second-person prologue before shifting into Lilyโs first-person narration. This switch pulls readers closer into her mind, forcing us to wrestle with her twisted justifications.
Beyond the suspense, A Killer Getaway also grapples with deeper themes like grief, the loss of a loved one, body shaming, eating disorders, and even suicide. These layers make the novel not just a chilling page-turner, but also an exploration of how pain and trauma can distort oneโs worldview.
While the book does a great job of pulling readers into Lilyโs world and even making us question our own morals by rooting for a killer, itโs worth noting that there isnโt a huge plot twist to shake things up. The ending leans toward the predictable side, which may not satisfy readers looking for a shocking finale. Still, the character-driven narrative and the dark-romantic undertones make it a memorable read.
Stephanie is a writer, avid reader and movie lover with great love and passion for thrilling, suspenseful and mystery stories. When sheโs not writing a traumatic character or reading through a gripping thriller sheโs definitely watching a dark psychological thriller movie.
