Camilla is BADASS

Yes, she is a serial killer, but in her defence, she only kills the absolute scum of the earth

Pretty Evil was a very fun read, I hope we get some more with Camilla in the head role

Update: I was harassed by the author on Goodreads for my fair, balanced and honest 3-star review. She deleted her comments after being called out by other reviewers but I have screenshots that I'm thinking of sending to the publisher. I will think twice before reading a book by her again.

Original review:

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It meets the Mindf*ck Series, but make it yawnz. This lacks the wit and humour of the former, the gutsiness and darkness of the latter, as well as the compulsiveness and likeable protagonists of both.

I love a good girlboss story, especially when there's murder involved but Pretty Evil felt like just a standard thriller. It was okay overall but I have to admit my apathy towards this book might be because of how much I enjoyed its aforementioned counterparts e.g. lots of been there, read that, but with much less emotional investment.

The first 2/3 of the book was weak with all telling and no showing, lots of diary-style prattling on and let-me-tell-you-all-about it. But things do pick up and get better with the introduction and fleshing out of characters. Camilla also won me over eventually. Her moral ambiguity and inner turmoil made her a more sympathetic and believable protagonist.

Although the ending felt rushed, it took me by surprise and left me feeling more positive about the book. I prefer more depth and detail in thrillers but those seeking a entertaining, no-frills read might enjoy this better.

Wow...... this was sooo much more than I had expected! I was just thinking a wee vigilante type domestic noir type range thing but it went above and beyond. It felt very much the film promising young woman. Which was amazing and I absolutely loved so if you liked that then you'll like this. It is an interesting concept though about what would it look like if there was someone avenging the many wrongs done to people where conventional justice is never seen. It's very dark and a bit graphic for some but it's well worth a read

Fantastic book! Fast paced, loved the main character the excellent writing made you sympathize with her. I wanted her to find love in the end. Love a vigilante !story

Pretty Evil has been described by author Zoe Rosi, as a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and American Psycho. Despite her very public profile as a top fashion magazine editor Camilla Black has a secret sideline as a vigilante, hunting down and killing sexual predators in very imaginative,and quite disturbing ways.

This is an excellent book, what could easily have been an exploitative story given the subject matter explores many important societal issues, not least events that "made" Camilla what she had become and fuelled her need to dish out retribution. Unlike Brett Easton Ellis's Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) Camillia isn't a cold-hearted monster and I'm sure more than a few readers will find themselves sympathetic with her choices of target and somewhat extreme methods of meting out justice.

A good story ,but one not for the more sensitive reader, there's violence, some pretty extreme swearing , subjects many might find upsetting and a couple of quite explicit sex scenes. Hopefully that doesn't give the wrong impression of what is actually a well-written and thoughtful book.
Zoe Rosi is a new author for me so i had no idea what to expect,this is very,very good .

The world is full of very bad guys and Camilla Black is taking things into her own, very manicured, hands.

Name dropping magazine editor by day and vigilante pedo/rapist/bad guy killer by night, I loved her. She embraced her own sexuality, had surprisingly good self-awareness and was often funny.

Very satisfying read!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

4-5 stars
By day, Camilla Black is a glamorous fashion editor and by night something entirely else.
In a bar a predator meets a predator with opposite results to what one of them expects as tables are well and truly turned. Here we have a justice seeker, a righter of wrongs, an avenging, vigilante angel and it’s a chilling tale.

This is not an easy story to tell or to read by any stretch of the imagination as it’s certainly a twisted story but it’s one heck of a gripping experience. I loudly applaud the concept of the novel, of fighting back against those who have the advantage of greater strength especially as it’s very sobering how few rapes and sexual assaults end with successful convictions.

However, it’s definitely not for the faint hearted as nothing is sugarcoated. It’s very dark and graphic in places, not just of violence but there is a big dose of hot and steamy too.

The author has created an unforgettable character in Camilla. Through the developing plot, you learn about her background and her raison d’être. She’s a very complex woman and dare I suggest a fascinating one? I really like how during the day Camilla dons the Ferragamo, McQueen or Burberry and clads her feet in Jimmy’s, the tone is lighter, brighter and there’s humour. However, nighttime Camilla contrasts starkly with Primani outfits and the matching, appropriately black tone and intense scenes. I would have preferred a stronger ending as it feels abrupt although that’s not to say I don’t like it.

Overall, this is well written, the message and the storytelling is powerful and it’s genuinely hard to put down. The pace is fast, there’s never a dull moment, you hold your breath in anticipation of what might come next and it pulls no punches.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Amazon Publishing for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Loved this book so much! Kept me gripped all the way through, I couldn't put it down and I loved the twists. Looking forward to more from this author!

Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi was one heck of a wild ride!
Sharply written with characters that keep you guessing, and immediately drew me into Camilla's life.
This is a super fast-paced thriller, with characters who drew me in almost immediately.
Well written, grabbed my attention from start to finish. Fast paced.
Rosi's writing was captivating. And now I'm on my Kindle getting Someone's Watching Me!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Amazon Publishing UK,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

Camilla Black, Couture editor by day, serial killer by night, although, some may say she is a vigilante. Being inside the mind of a woman that is at the top of the fashion world while she wears a mask for those around her, you feel Camilla’s raw emotion throughout the book. Some of the details may be too graphic for some as Camilla targets predators and in her own mind, brings them to justice. Zoe Rosi’s writing is absolutely amazing throughout the story, as you embark on a wild ride through Camilla’s everyday life in her office at Couture, down to Camilla talking about her first murder. So for all my fellow thriller fans, Pretty Evil is for you because Camilla Black is always two steps ahead.

Wow! I really really enjoyed this. It was a real treat. I love books about women getting revenge against men, especially if it’s done by killing.

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, I seriously loved this book! The acknowledgements in this book described it as a cross between American Psycho and the Devil Wears Prada - this is so spot on! As someone who absolutely loves designer fashion, I loved all the outfit descriptions and name drops for high-end brands. And then mix that with a mind-bending thriller and you have an excellent read!I was immediately roped in. This book is extremely fast-paced. There is no boring filler content. I found it incredibly hard to put it down!

Our main character, Camilla, is a well-calculated, stylish, and rich vigilante. She hunts down pedophiles and rapists, taking the law into her own hands. I ended up really liking her character. The dark humour interlaced throughout the novel killed me (no pun intended).

Zoe Rosi did an excellent job confronting such difficult issues. It was well-written and left me wanting more! Cannot wait to read more from Rosi.

Oh, my days!
When asked whether I may be interested in reading an ARC of Pretty Evil, I read the blurb and thought, “Why not? Sounds like an intriguing read.”
Well, intriguing is perhaps not quite the word to describe it.
Hugely dark and (excuse my language, but) bloody fantastic!
Camilla, our protagonist, is a woman with a past that is ingrained so deep within that it’s almost hollowed out any other emotion in her body.
Wronged as a child, growing up, and abused as a young woman, she casts herself in the role of vigilante for womankind, wreaking havoc, and her version of revenge, upon unsuspecting predators
I found myself strangely aroused, a bit disturbed, and definitely sympathetic towards the woman with what appeared to be no emotion but whose heart is beginning to feel again.
Laced with sex, gore, and all manner of suspense, I was kept on my toes, reading the book almost in one sitting, and I truly didn’t predict the ending, either.
What a dark, kinky web the author has weaved…
You definitely kept this reader guessing!
Fab read. I can’t wait to get my hands on another book by Zoe Rosi.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an ARC.

I just finished this book two minutes ago and WOW! I couldn't wait to sit down and write my review. I read this book in less than a day. I absolutely devoured Camilla's character, she's totally wild, larger than life, and yet I sort of found her believable. Camilla is a vigilante on a mission, and she will stop at nothing to get her own version of justice. I appreciated that Rosi made sure that even though Camilla is evil, she has depth. This book felt really different than a lot of the thrillers I have read recently, and not only because it was a flipped perspective (from the perpetrator instead of the victim). Camilla may be ruthless, but she has a dedication to her own code, and some of her internal reasoning is so well written that by the end, I was rooting for Camilla. The writing itself was balanced, not to heavy on either description or dialogue and I felt like the story moved at an appropriately fast pace for a thriller of this kind. I appreciate that even though there is obviously some violence and depravity, the gore was kept to a minimum and didn't feel overly gratuitous.
I could have used more of her backstory and would have enjoyed her digging into her totally twisted psyche, but that would make a great sequel ;)

Sex and debauchery, murder and mayhem, evil manipulating men preying on women, evil predators preying on children and finally REVENGE. Zoe Rosi has combined them all to script an explicit and frightening story that is hard to put down. Well written with strong characters and a surprising finale.

4.25-4.5⭐️

Gore score 3/5

This is a book that has re titled from Predator, and the author has changed their last name.

Camilla Black a fashion magazine editor/ vigilante serial killer. Although she enjoys her mission a bit to much for a vigilante 😳

As you would expect from a fashion editor there’s lots of mentions of couture names(which were lost on me 😂) there’s also some graphic sex scenes with men and women.
There’s good detailed character background, so we understand not only Camilla’s driving forces, but also those of detective Wheelan.
It’s got a cracking good pace, with lots of interest from the outset, it kept me hooked throughout. It’s quite dark and gritty with some gore.
Camilla isn’t really likeable, but she did grow on me. I was rooting for her in the end 😂 between the demanding job, side line/ hobby and busy sex life I was exhausted just following her exploits.

It’s certainly one of the best female killer thrillers I’ve read, and it’s one I’d recommend.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

3.5 rounded up

One sentence review: A passionately written tale of revenge

SYNOPSIS

Camilla Black is a rich bish with a penchant to kill r@pists and pedos... but can she keep getting away with it?

MY OPINION

Ight so I'm gonna be a lil messy (tbh when am I not?) but THIS is everything How to Kill Men and Get Away With It was trying to be. I gave How to Kill Men 2 piddly ass stars because the plot had more holes than a cheese grater and was more a PETA ad than anything else. Now, keeping in mind that Pretty Evil was originally indie published in 2020, it seems How To Kill Men was VERY, VERY inspired by this book........................ but it ended up being the Great Value version.

If you've read How To Kill Men, I implore you to read Pretty Evil to see the similarities yourself. Pretty Evil is head and shoulders above How To Kill Men for two main reasons:

1. Ironically, How to Kill Men and Get Away With It was more about how to NOT get away with it. Homegirl said forensic countermeasures? Never heard of her. In Pretty Evil, our fashionable serial killer has more sense than to use her personal cell phone to track down killers. Zoe Rosi clearly took her time to research how to cover her tracks, which a h0e like me always appreciates.

2. In the author's acknowledgments, Rosi says she wrote this book after a traumatic experience. And you can tell. It's passionately written and comes from a place of hurt, of confusion, of loss for one's former self. Instead of pandering to the boss babes with lines like "men have nothing but the audacity", Rosi shows how Camilla's childhood trauma and personal experiences leads her down this path. You can feel her character's anger, distrust, and brokenness. With all this said, know thy triggers.

I wouldn't classify this book as a "popcorn thriller". It's very character driven with more windup than action (if this makes sense). Also it is SURPRISINGLY SPICY (another aspect that How To Kill Men seemed inspired by......................). There's two graphic sex scenes: one f/m and one f/f. I was clutching my pearls LOL. I know thrillerheadz don't like spice in their books, but you can easily skip these parts and not "lose" anything. And yes, there is a romance storyline as well (f/f). This is more prevalent and is key to Camilla's character arc.

I gave this a 3.5 because the ending was VERY rushed. I was at 94% on my Kindle and homegirl was just getting on the bus to the final showdown. It had me thinking there was either gonna be a crazy cliffhanger, or maybe the file got cut off? But nope, Rosi wraps it all up in the last 6%. I think if Rosi had cut down on some of the inner thoughts and filler scenes and given more time for the big twisty twist, it would've had more of an emotional impact and "wow" factor. Instead it felt like when you're giving a presentation at work and realize you had 6 slides left with only 5 minutes remaining so you bum rush through the rest.

I rounded up because I appreciate the message of the book and how she didn't pander to the audience. Rosi actually looks beneath the surface to uncover the whys and hows of the power imbalance between men and women, whether that be in the office or in the bedroom. Also, despite being published nearly 3 years ago, it is still relevant and fresh.

All in all, I recommend to those who like revenge stories and bougie living, but also want to get a lil deep with it.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: passionately written ("write what you know" really applies here), funny at times, strong character voice

Cons: ending is very rushed, filler scenes

I love a good vigilante / revenge thriller. I've seen some great reviews for Zoe Rosi's other book so was excited to try this.

Camilla Black is a fashion magazine editor by day and a serial killer targeting rapists and child abusers by night. Described as The Devil Wears Prada meets American Psycho I was hoping this was going to be at the darker end of the scale...

There's plenty of fashion brand name dropping early on, but as it progresses the story and the portrayal of Camilla gets deeper and darker. The kills get grittier and the tension rises as Camilla fears arrest while still having targets on her radar.

I loved it, it ramps up the tension very nicely and Camilla's character is nicely self aware with some great introspection and reflection on her 'shadow self' identity.

It ticks all the boxes, sets up the character and her world really well, before delving deeper and darker for a very compelling character thriller.

One of the best, most satisfying vigilante vengeance thrillers I've read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK

Woahhhhhhhhh
Well here is a book you wont forget after reading
Camilla
Successful top fashion mag editor by day
Stalker and killer of those who have raped and sexually abused by night
Camilla is complex, narcissistic and powerful but that is in her day job 😁 as a predator she serves justice to London’s most heinous and depraved and she does it with relish, double helpings
She had me wincing and yet cheering her on and also at times she made me LOL with her rye dark as night humour and observations and also her description of Hayes ( where she commits one act of retribution )
She has a full sex life with men and women and I was exhausted reading these assignations, goodness only knows how she felt
I liked her brand snobbery and googled a few things to add to the picture of her flat in Mayfair (I had in my mind) and her wardrobe of top designer clothes
Yet she had a heart, a feeling of righting very bad wrongs, it’s just she enjoyed righting them so much!
I meet many characters in my book week but Camilla will stay in my mind as will this book
A good, if maybe very quick ending and I wasn’t sure if glad or sad at the ending
Bravo to the author for tackling such issues and creating such a character

10/10
5 Scary Stars