As a lover of true crime podcasts, this grabbed me from the very beginning. This was a very well written & amazingly paced story that I devoured. Elle makes a true crime podcast and this season is about TCK, The Countdown Killer. The killer was never brought to justice so she's using her podcast to try and do just that by reexamining old evidence and pursuing new leads. As new girls go missing, is TCK back or is there a copycat? This story moves quickly and doesn't let up which I really appreciate in a mystery/thriller. I highly recommend this one and will be checking out more from this author.

This was an excellent heart-pounding cracker of a thriller.

True crime podcast format combines with the narration of one of the toughest heroines. Elle Castillo is a true protector of young women who were victims of violence. She is such a likeable character and I was instantly hooked and invested in her story. Years ago she was a social worker and now she’s one of the most popular hosts to host a true-crime podcast. She specializes in cold cases of missing girls and her main subject is the Countdown Killer who is presumed to be dead. But Elle thinks otherwise. She is sure that he is out there waiting to kidnap his latest victim.
The killer is obsessed with the numbers. He ritually killed three girls each a year younger than the previous, he captured, kidnapped and then kept them for seven days and whipped them twenty-one times after taking their lives. When he takes his 11th victim’s life, he suddenly stops. Nobody knows what happened despite all the theories floating.
After 20 years later another child is kidnapped, with exactly the same ritual The Countdown Killer used. Is it a copy cat or is the serial killer back from death?

This is a thrilling ride and I was invested from page one. The author has done an excellent job with the story. The plotting, the pace and the characters are great.
I would definitely recommend this gripping thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ooooohhhh what a joy of a read!
A serial killer? Tick!
Podcast? Tick!
Mystery? Tick!
Tense and a great twist? Double tick!
A great first novel!

So great to start a new year with a 5-star read straight away!

Sometimes certain things trend in crime fiction - e.g. social media influencers. In this case, there came a trend of thrillers about true-crime podcasts. The immediate comparison title for me is Eliza Jane Brazier's IF I DISAPPEAR. While I recommend both, they are different beasts. IF I DISAPPEAR has a better voice, but for sheer attention to detail GIRL, 11 wins. It also contains a crucial element that the other book lacks - a stronger back story for the protagonist.

Twists revealed in GIRL, 11 won't shock readers who pay attention, but they nonetheless pack a punch. This novel is an absolute standout amongst serial killer stories, and will leave readers eager for whatever the author has next in store. (NOBLE WIFE, due out in 2023 - mark your calendar.)

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

This is one of the best podcast crime books ever! This is a perfect blend of mystery, thriller and action. I loved the fact that part of the info was given in the form of podcast transcripts which was really unique and definitely added to the story. The twists and turns in this novel were very unique and I didn't see a lot of them coming and I read a lot of thrillers.

Definitely a case of its me not you with this book. Unfortunately this one just didn't hold my interest and I kept putting it down and picking it up to try and finish it. Not what I was expecting I guess.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book. All opinions are my own.
While this wasn't my favorite book, it may hit the right tone for fans of true crime and/or true crime podcasts! Including podcast transcripts as part of the narrative, some may find the unique storytelling appealing.

If you're a true crime lover like me, you'll LOVE this book. After finishing all episodes of Crime Junkie, Morbid Podcast, Anatomy of Murder, I turned to Clarke's book about Elle Castillo, a social worker-turned-true crime podcast host. 

After two successful seasons, Elle decides to tackle the case that's haunted her for more than 20 years-- The Countdown Killer. Two decades ago, TCK abducted and murdered three girls over the course of 7 days. First, a 14-year-old. Then, a 13-year-old. Next, a 12-year-old. And then, he stopped. 

She follows the tips, stopping at nothing to prove TCK is still alive and bring him to justice. But perhaps she should have just let the case fade away because, under Elle's scrutiny, the killer's restarted the clock. I couldn't put this book down. It was suspenseful and well-written, and I loved the twists and turns!

Are you a podcast listener? Are you a true crime podcast listener? I’m listening to a podcast and I have heard about true crime podcasts, but I have not listened to one, but I have watched the tv-show about making a true crime podcast about murders in a building :). And now I have read a book about true crime podcast.
It’s a well written psychological thriller, where secrets, trust and survivor's guilt play a big part. And as you can quess, when the secrets are revealed the trust flies out of the window and the survivor tries to justify being alive.
Elle, whose childhood was not the happiest one, has all her adult life been involved with kids who have been victims of violent crime. Now when she is not a social worker any more, she helps them and their loved ones with her true crime podcast, where she tries to solve the long forgotten lost cases. But her last season gets to close to her own history, when she is trying to prove that a serial killer known as the Countdown Killer did not commit suicide.
One comment under her podcast read “Be careful what you wish for” is a good way to describe this story - you may want to find answers, but be prepared for the consequences, when the wolf really comes out of the woods.

Fascinating read.

I had been looking forward to this book for a long time. But I just couldn’t connect.

After only a few chapters I felt this storyline became extremely predictable which took away from my enjoyment. I ended up skimming to the end.

Just wasn’t a good fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

I love the cover and the premise. The rest didn't work for me.

I enjoyed the scenes written as podcast transcripts much more than the rest of the book.

I didn't like Elle's character at all. I found her self-centered, way too high-strung, and excessively driven in regards to her own self-interest to the point of ignoring the needs of everyone else in her life. The word "callous" fits her well. I got the impression I was supposed to empathize with her, but I didn't.

Her husband has absolutely no personality. His role is solely that of the overly understanding husband who lives for and dotes on his wife to the point of being a doormat.

No other characters stand out in any way. They just exist to move things along.

The plot starts out well, but devolves into something convoluted and implausible but predictable.

This is all just my opinion, though, and you might love this book.

I absolutely couldn’t put this book down. It was such a tense and exciting thriller which kept me guessing right to the end. Harder to believe this is a debut author!! The characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed getting to know them. I loved the podcast format! While the story is fiction, the amount of research clearly done by the author made it seem so real. Would definitely recommend this book to any murder mystery fans!

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending this advanced reader's copy in return for a fair and honest review.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was such a tense and exciting thriller which kept me guessing right to the end. The characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed getting to know them. The podcast part was a little difficult for me in the beginning, but that is about my understanding, not in a detrimental way to the author. Some of the ritualistic aspects of this book were a wee bit unsettling for me but they definitely added to this dark thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A serial killer who seems to have stopped.
A social worker {Elle} turned podcaster who looks into cold cases of missing children.

Elle is convinced that serial killers do not stop, she knows he is still out there and decides to use her podcast to lure the killer out.

I especially enjoyed the podcast parts of the book, but enjoyed the book also in its entirety.


This is a fast moving dark thriller. The writing is good and as thrillers go it was well written and kept me reading and wondering. I was surprised to see it is a debut book for Amy Suiter Clarke and certainly hope we see more from her. Elle, is a well developed and strong character with a determination that is unwavering.

I would high recommend to anyone looking for a smooth reading thriller,

If you're young and some serial killer is targeting people like you, you might become obsessed with solving that mystery. Elle Castillo is one of those people, currently hosting a true crime podcast that gets many tips from listeners. One of those tips refers to the killer that struck when Elle was young... and who appears to have started again. Of course, Elle is going to investigate (whether or not police want her to, although luckily for Elle they do seem to want her input).

There are some seriously disturbing scenes of rituals and murders, and flashbacks to TCK (The Countdown Killer)'s life that somewhat explain what happened to create the killer. The reason for only three stars is that there are a few characters that just felt too much like an adult when they were a child, and the plotting towards the end really falls apart. Possibly the author tried to edit it down lengthwise?

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke.

Now that the book has been released, I should tell you, the audiobook is awesome! Full cast, music, great acting, my favorite kind of listen.

For fans of shows like Mare of Easttown and podcasts like Serial, this is a great adventure/suspense/thriller. Podcaster Elle is revisiting the past to examine what ever became of the TCK, or The Countdown Killer. Known for using numbers very specifically during his captures and kills.

But Elle takes this case very personally, leading her a bit too close to the fire. Will her involvement in reopening the public interest in this case lead her to danger?

Full truth, I had to start this book several times, switching from reading, to listening. I can't even blame the book, it just really took me a minute to nail down the plot and characters. I was hoping for a slightly spicier climax to the story, but overall it was a very fun "true crime podcast" novel.

🕵️‍♀️ BOOK / REVIEW 🕵️‍♀️

I just discovered a gem this weekend!! #girl11 by @asuiterclarke is a solid 5 🌟 read that every single #truecrime aficionado needs to put on their #TBR!

I throughouly enjoyed this immersive and chilling story about #serialkiller TCK, aka The Countdown Killer. While this was a fictionalized story written in #podcast format, it was done so well (meaning research, criminology, victimology, etc.) that it felt real. I found myself constantly grabbing for this book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and anxiety inducing cat and mouse chase!

This was so good! I’m not sure why we haven’t seen it publicized more, but this story was engrossing and had me guessing until the very end. I loved the writing, the characterizations felt very real and it was so atmospheric.

Elle hosts a true crime podcast, and while she's not a police officer, she's got some great investigative instincts. This season she's covering The Countdown Killer, known as TCK. Her podcast is growing in popularity and she's been on the receiving end of some appalling online harassment. One night Elle receives a tip from a terrified caller claiming he knows the identify of TCK - soon Elle goes from covering the case to being a part of it. Well-paced and good character development.