Cordelia Black is a total vibe! What a fun and darkly comic thriller. I was hooked from the first page. Cordelia is the kind of anti-heroine you can’t help but root for—she’s ruthless, stylish, and hyper focused on her mission to rid the world of bad men. By day, she’s the picture of sophistication; by night, she’s a force of reckoning, and no one better stand in her way if they know what’s good for them.

Cordelia’s not your typical vigilante, and the tension between her perfect life and her shadowy “karma” mission kept me glued to the story. I loved the South Louisiana setting, which added an eerie atmosphere to all the drama.

The twists and Cordelia’s inner struggle were what set this book apart. If you’re into morally gray characters and fast-paced thrillers with a dose of dark humor, this one’s for you. If you love Dexter, Finley Donovan, or Layne Fargo’s They Never Learn, you’ll enjoy this one too!

"Rigor mortis had caught him with his mouth open, and when he’d been spending his days soaking in an ice bath, I’d thought he was stuck in an eternal scream, but now I realized that wasn’t the case. No, he wasn’t screaming at all. He was singing . Singing to wish me an amazing day."

This is a surprisingly fun a humorous read considering our protagonist is a serial killer. Cordelia is a rare female serial killer and something I enjoy reading, since it goes against the traditional idea of feminity.

Cordelia takes care of bad men and she really enjoys doing it. Like Dexter Morgan she has a day job, except hers is in pharmaceuticals. She's starting to make waves due to her bodies piling up. Her only friend is also dating a man she might have to take care of...

Fun read, 3.5 stars. Thank you netgalley for the advanced review copy.

LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH! A strong female character who doesn't care about what people think of her and KILLS bad men! YES PLEASE! I was hooked from the beginning and am so glad I requested this one. Who doesn't love a good serial killer? You will not regret reading this one!

Breezy Sex in the City meets Dexter mash up. Despite the body count, didn't have huge stakes, but a fun digestible book

Cordelia Black is a killer. But, not just any killer-she has a code. She only kills bad men, men who have hurt others.

This book reminded me a lot of the tv show Dexter. There were even some similar lines and themes to the show.

Overall, I thought it was good and entertaining enough. However, I didn’t like the constant name dropping of all her designer labels, it kind of put me off. I also didn’t really like her friend, Diana, I thought she was really naive.

The ending felt like it was left open for a sequel and I would read the next one to see what happens.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Cordelia is a ‘Dexter’ type serial killer with a code, though she somehow takes offense to the title. She Is also a pharmaceutical sales rep who is getting their number 1 sale items removed from market due to some serious side effects that her company attempted to cover up. As if that wasn’t enough to develop the plot of this book, she is also newly dating a cop (solid, reasonable choice) and is introduced to her BEST FRIEND’s (it’s a really important title which is why she says it appx 50 times) new boyfriend. And has to navigate letting her BESTIE continue to make truly terrible choices while also protecting her.


I usually try to front load a review with the parts that I found redeemable about a book. I’m disappointed to let you know that there are literally none.

Cordelia as a character reads as a caricature. She belabors how she’s usually perfect and so organized but literally from page one she is messing things up and making some wild and terrible choices. She is full of contradictions in this way. She is meant to be the grown-up caretaker of her best friend and her daughter and is able to keep a fancy job and read people really well yet from the offset she shows no aptitude for any of these things. She can’t get a read on a new man in her friend’s life but as you read him he is very clearly a terrible person but she is making excuses for him? Make it make sense. She’s the mature one who has it all together but reads like a maybe 18-year-old continuously using infantilizing nick names (take a shot every time she says ‘sugar’ ‘sugar bear’ or ‘bestie’). She just had zero redeemable qualities which made it difficult to follow her hijinks.

The other characters were just as unlikable. Her best friend is an idiot. She has an established terrible choice in partners but wants to go be a travelling nurse with a guy who is introduced like a week before this plot point is revealed. Also why did these two characters read like they were going to fall in love at the end. I thought for sure with how both characters were being developed they were in love. That felt like wasted potential and I honestly would have liked it more.

All in all there were just too many plot holes and terrible characters for me to find this an enjoyable read.

I love a good female serial killer book, and I will always be rooting for them but why are they more often than not, so truly terrible?

Thank you so much Poisoned Pen Press and @netgalley for the copy of this eARC!

This Girl's a Killer by: Emma C. Wells
Pub Date: OUT NOW
432 pages

QOTD: How far would you go for your best friend?

OMG! This book was amazing. I had so much fun reading it! I lost count of how many times I laughed.

Cordelia Black - I wish I had a friend like her LOL. She is charming as she is vengeful and tough.

This book is about friendship and what lengths Cordelia will go to keep her loved ones safe.
Cordelia is a killer who keeps it all together. Everything goes according to her plans. Until it doesn’t. She kills to protect and avenge.

I really loved this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat. If you are looking for a thriller that is provocative, smart, and wickedly satisfying this book is for you!

Favorite quote:
"No one would care that the men I killed were monsters. I'd be painted as a psychotic.
A psychotic man-hating b*tch”


I know we are into the holiday season, but if you are looking into a fall thriller wicked book look no more this one is for you!

Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical rep by day and a murderer by night. But don't worry, she only kills monsters. She has the perfect plan devised to rid the world of horrible people, rapists, pedophiles, abusers. She has a code. But what happens when her best friend starts dating a man that gives Cordelia a bad feeling?

If you liked the show Dexter, you will love this book. It is similar in many ways, but has enough differences to keep you interested until the end.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

A female version of Dexter in all its glory! I absolutely loved this book with its sharp, witty internal humor of Cordelia. Her thoughts about men are so relatable that many readers might find themselves having the same thoughts about men.
Cordelia’s loyalty to her best friend, Diane, and Diane’s daughter knows no bounds—even if it means breaking her own rules. When she decides to eliminate Diane’s latest fling to protect them, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel, spiraling her into chaos.
Cordelia’s inner dialogue offers fascinating insight into her character, making it surprisingly easy to empathize with her choices. I also enjoyed the mystery of her past and the mental anguish she experiences at the thought of losing her only human connection, Diane.
The big question remains: Is Cordelia a hero, a villain, or simply a killer? You’ll have to decide for yourself.


*Thank you to Emma C. Wells, ​​Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

This book had some great moments and good one-liners.

Cordelia is an unapologetic killer. She even embraces and enjoys it.

Self-tasked with ridding the world of bad people who seem to get away with it, Cordelia is setting things right. But when her best friend, Diane, starts dating one of the kind of guys she would usually kill, things get a little close to home.

Cordelia isn’t sure whether she can get rid of him without risking her freedom and Diane’s safety, or if she should try to break them up and deal with Diane’s broken heart.

What worked for me:
- The idea of a vigilante killer who is killing with a purpose.
- That Cordelia was killing bad people.
- Cordelia’s love for her bestie and her god-daughter.
- Serial killer satire

What didn’t work:
- It felt like the main character contradicted herself, and her criteria for killing people didn’t always seem very fool proof.
- How self-congratulatory Cordelia was.
- Cordelia’s focus. Heels and hair were talked about a lot, but I would have preferred more detail about who Cordelia was and her motivation, especially earlier in the book.

This story uses humor do dig into what really betrayal really looks like. If she kills her best friend’s boyfriend, is she betraying her friend, and if she doesn’t, is she betraying herself?
For readers of Finlay Donovan is Killing It and The Bandit Queens.
⚠ Be sure to check trigger warnings.

This book is Finlay Donovan meets Dexter! The book follows Cordelia Black's perfectly constructed life as it starts to unravel. She would do anything for her found family - her best friend and her goddaughter, so she never gives up protecting them. Such a fun read! Curious if there will be another book. There was one piece that wasn't addressed at the end and it was setup that it could continue! I hope it does!

Emma C. Wells’ “This Girl’s a Killer” was an anxious and a fun read. I thought the character’s drive for justice, was honestly a relief in the maddening world we live in. With so many rapist and pedophiles walking out of court rooms with a slap on the wrist or a presidency, it was nice to read about fictional pedophiles getting murdered. Cordelia is a great anti-hero and Officer McSmiley is the perfect mouse to Cordelia’s cat. (Very Yin and Yang for the Psych fans). The ending was a little anti-climatic but I’m sure we will be reading more about Cordelia’s murder spree in the next book so I’m willing to forgive the ending.

3.5 stars

Sometimes, people get what they deserve but other times, the worst people get to keep on living while they should get what they deserve. Until a woman stabs them. Thus, the basis of this book. Cordelia is killing men - bad men that are rapists, abusers, takers. Not only is she killing them, but she is making sure that their bodies will never be found.

Cordelia is an ambitious pharmaceutical rep with a designer wardrobe, childhood trauma, and a fierce love for her best friend, Diana, and Diana's daughter. She has strict rules and a routine when killing the men but they fall to the wayside when Diana's new boyfriend, Simon, triggers distrust in Cordelia. Something is not right with him and while she tries to dig deeper, news has broken in the media that a serial killer could be on the loose targeting "upstanding" men.

During all of this Diana pressures Cordelia into making a dating profile and finds herself on a date with a local cop, Christopher, who is investigating the serial killer. He also senses something off with Simon. As Cordelia gets closer to Christopher for the sake of the investigation, it all comes to a head with Simon and things start to fall apart.

I was rooting for Cordelia the whole time and I thought the ending was perfect for this fun, satirical thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC. This Girl's a Killer is out now.

Cordelia Black kills bad guys. Efficiently and with humor. This is a fun ride and I highly recommend it.

DP Lyle, Award-winning author of the Joe Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series

this was perfect if you loved the mindfuck series!! I was hooked from the start! The humour and the drama were honestly done so well. The characters are very unique and well fleshed out and I definitely rooted for the killer.

Vigilante or serial killer? Either way, I’d invite Cordelia Black to brunch.

Cordelia is no ordinary killer. Her hit list only includes rapists, child abusers, women beaters, the occasional murderer. Your average jerk has nothing to fear. Think Dexter, but with manicured nails, a sharper tongue, and a much more glamorous wardrobe. Because a cute woman in a killer black dress couldn't possibly be hauling a body into her car!

Cordelia’s story isn’t just about finding peace. It’s about protecting innocents, including the ones she loves in a world that has failed women, non-binary people and children repeatedly. She’s the vigilante that happens when the system is so broken that she has no choice but to become her own source of justice. Can we blame her? We’ve been told to stay patient, stay polite, stay palatable. But here we are, still fighting the same battles whether it's equal rights and freedom from discrimination, access to healthcare, education, safety, or the right to control our own bodies, all while the world shrugs and tells us to try smiling more.

If you enjoy sharp, thought-provoking thrillers with a snarky narrator and addictive, bite-sized chapters, this book is a must-read. Just be prepared to feel a lot because it's a wild ride. So much goes wrong, so fast, it spikes your blood pressure, shakes your faith in humanity, and somehow leaves you cheering by the end. Buckle up for a bloody, completely unhinged, glorious trip. Shoutout to Mango, the cheese-loving poodle.

This needs to be a movie or TV show immediately.

My thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Content warnings and author's note: While Cordelia's violence happens on page, the actions of the men she kills does not. Their crimes are mentioned but not discussed in detail, and are absolutely not glorified in any way.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. This is a great book. Cordelia (not Renee) Black likes to take care of bad men. When her best friend, Diane, meets a new man and introduces him to Cor, something feels off. Cordelia has her standards. She doesn’t just kill for fun. She is ridding the Baton Rouge area of predators. When Simon doesn’t have the telltale mark that she always looks for, she thinks she might be wrong. She’s not. After disposing of her latest victim, Simon knocks on her door. In a fit of desperation, Simon is dead. What follows next is a tense, fast paced story of what you will do for your friends. The book ends with the possibility of a sequel and I hope there is one. This would be perfect for Book Club. Its a great fast read, you will thank me later!

Cordelia Black is a force of nature! Fans of the show Dexter and books like Boy Parts or A Certain Hunger will love this debut novel from Emma C. Wells 🔪🩸☠️. As a strong supporter of woman's wrongs, I really loved diving into Cordelia's narrative and seeing how fiercely she loves her chosen family. I finished this book knowing that I'll keep an eye out for whatever Wells writes next 🥰

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma C. Wells, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I normally would love a vigilante story but I hated the main character deeply. For someone who talks so much about being so meticulous and detail oriented, she made so many impulsive and frankly stupid decisions. I try to suspend my disbelief as I’m reading these books for fun and not a believable plot. However, you’re telling me someone that’s scared they’re about to get caught, is dropping everything for their very expensive hair appointment or when their bestie wants to hang? Plus, some of Cordelia’s obsession with her friend was giving Single White Female.
I would still recommend this book as it’s an entertaining read, some parts can be funny, and I enjoyed the female friendship.

Cordeilia is our very own Diva Dexter!
Now I was rather sceptical how thos was going to go, with being obsessed with Dexter and both disposing of horrible people. BUUUUUT nope, Cordeilia is her own serial killer and she owns it!

From start to finish I was hooked, this book has it all and ticked all the boxes for me:
Sassy serial killer with a plan who also has a emseof humor and a hilarious inner monologue which makes her oh so relatable and even likeable, throughout I rooted for her! Slay girl... Literally!

Some stabby stabby killings... Yes! Without being too gory and unnecessary, I love me some dead guys that deserve it, just don't need to see it all.

A dog.... That is all.

All the ticks!

The story intentionally starts slowly I believe so we have time to get to know the character, build a relationship with them, understand the love Cordeilia has for them and how important they are to her and what she'd do for them. The slower pace gives a semse of calm, easy breezy vibe which reflects Cordeilia's vibe. When things start getting a bit frantic and panicky and all over the shop, the pace quickens... Adding to the sense of whaaaat theeee fuuuuuh! Of which I did shout a few times... And is what Im basing my reviews on from now on, this book was full of them, so many twists and turns that I never saw coming.

The story wraps up nicely amd doesn't leave any loose ends, even ones Id forgotten about were covered, everything relates and makes sense which makes for a lovely read.

One of my top reads for 2024 ,fantastic.




Huge thanks to Poiaon Pen for yet again publishing a fantastic book and to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC copy and most of all to the fantastic Author who allowed me the pure joy amd excitement of reading this book, Emma. C. Wells
Thank you