Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Well-written book, it just didn't follow the mystery enough for me. I tried a few times, but this book is mostly concentrated on the mental problems of the protagonist - not the primary mystery.

This book has gotten great reviews from others, we can:t all be fans, and for me, I struggled to about halfway through the book, my interest was still not piqued enough to continue.

Not my cuppa, but very well could be yours, read other reviews as this book might be what you are looking for.

Compelling..
Dee has had her own personal tragedies and demons to battle but when she discovers that a serial killer is on the loose she sees an opportunity for not only a new career but an opportunity to help. Finding that link that may set her on the right path, she begins. Compelling serial killer thriller with a deftly drawn cast and a propulsive plot with a rollercoaster feel and leading to a quite unexpected ending.

This book was a bit unrealistic, I found it be a bit repetitive in places. It was hard to connect to the characters so therefore my rating was low.

The 13th Girl

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“My darling, would you do me the honour of being… my first official victim?”

Well, with a question like the above, you can’t help but to be absolutely hooked from the off… this was only like a page or two into the book as well🤯

The story follows Dee who has just been let out of the hospital, admitted for her mental health after a traumatic experience of having an “exorcism”. But during her time there, a prolific serial killer has been wreaking havoc on her town, named The Righteous Wraith.

Dee becomes obsessed with the killer and the case, and decides to create a True Crime documentary, using evidence she finds and interviews with people somehow that are somehow involved. She is determined to prove people’s innocence and prove the evil of others, because she knows exactly what it’s like to be blamed for something she did not do.

But the ultimate question is, will she be able to save the 13th girl?

The premise of this story is incredible and has all of the potential to be a mind-blowing thriller! The prologue had me HOOKED, I was not expecting it at all, and sent it to all of my thriller loving friends who were just as shocked!🤣

However it fell a little flat for me. It seemed a bit too drawn out, and just didn’t entice me in the way that other thrillers do. I just didn’t connect with any of the characters…

I will say though that I was shocked at the ending and the big twist! I had a liiiiittle feeling as the book was coming to the end, but I wouldn’t never have been able to guess the full extent of what happened! And for me, an unexpected twist is hard to come by!!

I highly recommend this for people that are wanting to start reading the more “darker” side of thrillers, and the more gory types as this isn’t one for the faint hearted!

Great story of a girl s struggle to be normal again after terrible things had happened to her…and trying to solve a serial killer case and film a documentary. I was riveted not knowing if she was having delusions, or was functioning well. The epilogue I don’t think was necessary.

Recently discharged from a mental health facility Dee is struggling to adjust to life at home with parents who thinks she is still a child and treat her as one, people in her work place who think she is strange and avoid her so she seeks comfort in documentaries and decides that to fulfil her life she will make a true crime documentary on the killer in her hometown who is taking young girls

At times this is quite unbelievable in the plotline but on the whole enjoyable

Dee has recently been released home after being in a mental health hospital and becomes fixated on local murders. This started out good and went downhill. The ending was just too much. I kept thinking maybe Dee was going to wake up in the hospital again, having hallucinated the entirety of the book's events, which would have been kind of cheap but at least believable. 2 stars, being generous

This is a gripping thriller that delves into the dark where secrets and lies lurk around every corner. With its atmospheric setting and compelling storyline, this novel is sure to captivate readers.

What you have here is a first person narrative, from the perspective of Dinah, Dee, whose past history is littered with trauma, and who is in a recovery phase having been released from a secure mental health hospital. Her history is revealed slowly, she has infamy hanging over her as the subject of a 'documentary' where she is made to undergo an exorcism following a change in personality after a traumatic head injury.

Her parents, the ones who initiated this process , are tip toeing around her which is not helping, and she is reminded at every meal time of her mental health by the plastic cutlery which they lay out for her, making it impossible for her to eat. Instead, she nourishes herself with the sweetness of cakes and biscuits , a neat counterpoint to the lack of nourishment, physical and spiritual that her parents give her-or don't.

One of her conditions of leave is to hold down a job, and here she struggles to fit in, is viewed with suspicion, and all the things which rightly make her feel uncomfortable, are seen as another barrier to her being part of a team. This makes it easy for her co-workers to throw her under a bus when it comes to some creative accounting...

So you have a vulnerable young woman who has spent her formative years recovering from a traumatic head injury and unwittingly famous for being publicly traumatised, learning to adapt int he real world, where a serial killer is on the loose. She is absolutely an unreliable narrator yet the first person narration puts you in such close quarters to Dee that you cannot help rooting for her in spite of this.

In trying to pull some measure of control back, she tells her parents she is making a documentary on recycling in the local area, but what she is really doing is investigating The Righteous Wraith. He is fully taunting and using the press and social media to undermine public confidence , and creating an atmosphere of terror. So Dee sets out to hunt him down and reclaim her voice, and the journey she goes on is completely unforgettable.

Yes this is a murder mystery but it is so, so much more than that.

It really holds a mirror to the way that social media has given so many people a voice without them ever feeling accountable for what they are saying in a public space. The ghoulish nature of co-opting the Wraith's killings into a personal narrative is seen in so many quarters now, from online vigilantes and 'sleuths', to a sense of ownership over the victims, it's stripped bare and makes a very disturbing picture. What is worse, the clamouring ghouls or the righteous wraith?

Dee's motives are dubious but you can understand what she is trying to do, and as she throws up suspect after suspect you become increasingly worried about her safety , and I really was so wrong footed time and again about who was responsible.

And as well as creating an intriguing mystery, it's a character study in the way we treat and support those with mental health issues, Dee has very little support, she is put in a job which she has to keep or be returned to St Alda's but is being exploited by that team and not really listened to by her psychiatrist. The only person who genuinely listens without condition is her priest, he puts time and space aside for her and only has her best interests at heart, Which is interesting given her experience with exorcism as a young woman and the religious connotations to that event.

N.V Peacock has created this wonderful , empathic novel with a serial killer as the hook, but Dee is the one who makes you stay up after bedtime, turning page after page after page...immediately after reading this, I hunted down a copy of her other book, 'The Brother' (review coming soon)and read it at white hot heat.

Thank you for helping me break my book reading slump, I don't know what to do now I have read all 3 of your books....more please!

It's unusual, twisty, dark and gripping. The main character is quite original and it could also be an unreliable narrator.
There's a lot of surprising twists and a very well done plot.
I found the solution satisfying and liked the storytelling
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Totally exceptional. This book made me pause for thought on so many occasions and I never truly knew who I could trust and I absolutely loved it

The 13th Girl by N.V. Peacock  is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Hera and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Dee (Dinah) has spent decades in a mental health hospital, and although she is really trying to fit in, she knows that most people find her creepy. 

Thanks to her psychiatrist, she has been working, but no one at the firm likes her, and they either laugh at her or put her down.  She loses her job when one of the other girls accuses her of sending out incorrect invoices, and she gets no real chance to stand up for herself.

Everyone seems to know that she was the rather reluctant star of a documentary that resulted in her years in the asylum.  But that's okay, she's going to do her own documentary.  A number of girls have gone missing, and three days after their abduction, they are found mutilated.  A serial killer calling himself The Righteous Wraith is claiming responsibility, and Dee has selected this topic for her documentary.  Can she save the next one?

 
My Opinions:
Okay... I admit to struggling with this book.  Early on, I felt sure we must be dealing with an unreliable narrator, because I could not see so many people being so rude and behave so unkindly to a young woman who was struggling with a mental illness.  I thought she may be making this up.  Then I wondered if she could possibly be this naive, and have this many awful acquaintances.  Either way, this truly bothered me.

Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the characters.  I didn't even like Dee.  Most were repulsive in the way they treated Dee.  I definitely disliked her parents, who seemed to ignore what they had put her through.  Yes, THEY had put her through.  Her mother in particular rankled.   I didn't really trust anyone, which is probably what the author intended.  There were far too many suspects that fit the bill of the serial killer, that it became mind numbing.  After a while, I didn't care who was doing the killing.

Now, around the 70% mark, I actually started enjoying it.  Unfortunately, that ended too abruptly.  By the 75% mark, I was back to dislike.

I am not saying the writing was bad...it wasn't.  The premise too, was good.   It was a really unique take on the serial killer theme.  Those are the reasons I gave it 2 stars.

Bottom line, others will probably enjoy this.  I didn't.

Peacock's narrative grips readers from the start, weaving a web of suspense that keeps you guessing until the final page. With well-crafted characters and unpredictable plot twists, The 13th Girl is a thrilling ride you won't want to miss!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dee knows what it's like to have everyone believe you are capable of doing evil, even if it's not true. After years of being confined to a psychiatric hospital, she's not going to let the police convict an innocent man of the murders he didn't commit. She's positive he didn't commit them. With this background story, we meet Dee, the not quite stable woman who will investigate and solve the murders of 12 girls by the Righteous Wraith. NV Peacock has taken a unique story line and captured her audience in Dee's investigation. With every clue, we must decide if Dee's suspicions are right or if she will be a victim too. I'm not telling, you'll have to read it for yourself.

This was an amazing book. I highly recommend it to everyone. Great characters and a great plot. I will be looking for more books by this author. The book is superbly written. Lots of twists, turns and shocking turns of events. Quickly becoming a go to author for me!!!!

A good story not many likable characters especially Dee's parents overall not a terrible book but not one I'd rush to read again. Will definitely look for this author again. Liked Thier earlier work. I received this book from Hera and Netgalley for a review.

This was a good psychological thriller/mystery. The author did a great job keeping the killer’s identity a secret. The religious aspect was rather interesting, and the epilogue was fantastic. Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance and I am recommending this to other thriller readers.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I found myself doubting everyone and seeing that any of the characters could have been the wraith. Definitely a great time!

I seem to too often write in my book reviews that I liked the concept but was disappointed by its execution and this is a prime example. Unlikable or rather un-relatable lead character and a stream of very unlikeable add ons. I skimmed through most of it just waiting for victim 12 to be identified but even that was clouded in vague dialogue.

I really enjoyed the previous NV Peacock novel, so I was looking forward to reading this latest by the author. The premise sounded promising- thrilling with a twist of supernatural and horror.

I have such mixed feelings about this entire book though. Overall it was an interestingly fun read. Nothing about it was boring and I had a good time trying to figure out who the killer was. It was a fast read and I like Peacock's writing style.

The down side was, I feel this should have been labeled more of a young-adult book. Every character, though they were adults, seemed highly immature. The way they behaved was so hilariously unbelievable. Also, the entire aspect of Dee having once been possessed could have been left out of the story- there could have been another way to go about the mental health aspect other than a demonic possession. For some reason that bothered me.

There were characters that were introduced in the story that I felt could have been omitted completely. They added a bit of mystery, but in the end the explanation of their involvement was annoying, confusing and nonsensical.

I felt the ending was wrapped up too quickly and without any real planning or thoughtfulness. It seemed messy and I would have liked more explanations and closure to some of the characters.

All in all this was a 3 star read for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Hera for allowing me an advanced e-copy.

"The 13th Girl" is available today in the U.S. so get your copy now!

Happy Reading!