This Girl's a Killer by Emma C. Wells is a sharp, refreshing twist on the thriller genre. The story follows Cordelia, a quick-witted serial killer with a need to kill men who aren’t brought to justice. Her dark humor and razor-sharp instincts make her a compelling protagonist, and the plot is both unpredictable and exhilarating. Wells masterfully balances high-stakes action with poignant moments, allowing readers to root for a character who's far from morally perfect yet deeply relatable. A thrilling, fast-paced read with wit and heart.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Dreamscape Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the debut book by Emma C. Wells, with the audio perfectly narrated by Stefanie Kay. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

Meet Cordelia Black. By day she's a successful pharmaceutical rep with a pristine reputation and a designer wardrobe. But there are the nights where she rids the world of monsters – those men who have escaped justice. She has rules – she must see the smoke in their eyes to know they are truly evil. She has everything meticulously planned out and has evaded capture herself. However, the news has caught on that there are missing men in the area and some have thrown around the words “serial killer.” Things become worse when her best friend, Diane, starts dating a man that Cordelia is convinced is bad. And he might just be the end of her too.

This book was amazing! And a debut? Sign me up for anything that this author writes in the future, please. It was that perfect blend of dark, snarky humor that I just love with a suspenseful story line. Cordelia was an amazing character – always trying to stay one step ahead in both her professional life and her personal passion. She’s the best friend and godmother yet has a secret life no one would ever guess. When everything starts falling apart, you just can’t look away. There were twists and turns and lots of crazy, over-the-top adventures which made this one of the most fun books I’ve read in a while. And the narration was top notch as well!

Solid start for a debut novel. I would love to see this series continued so we get more answers and building on the characters. Very bingeable, even if slightly lagged in a few places. Would read more by this author.

Tysm for the ARC!

Woman serial killer that gives Dexter vibes? Sign me up. This book had me excited from the synopsis. In this book we meet Cordelia Black. By day she’s a pharmaceutical rep but by night she’s taking bad me off the street. From the beginning, this story had me hooked. I loved that we were able to see into all aspects of Cordelia’s process. As the story progresses she has more and more unfortunate events happen, some were believable and some just made the story a bit cheesy. Even with the unbelievable factor this story had me in suspense of finding out how the story was going to end. Overall, it was entertaining and thrilling. I give this one 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

For fans of female rage comes a book about a vengeful serial killer who will do anything for her friends.

Cordelia Black has worked hard to create the perfect life, a high paying job, expensive clothes, found family and a secret habit, of killing predators. Everything is working as it should, until it all starts to unravel. From her job becoming a mine-field to losing her black-market connections, to the police closing in, things are getting tense!

This book is an absolute page-turner, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The action comes faster and faster until the end. My only complaint being that such a large portion of the book was taken up by a series of very bad decisions made by our supposedly meticulous MC.

Happy Pub day! And thanks to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for the early read.

3.5/5

Love me some good ole fashioned feminine rage and revenge!

This was a very unique thriller, where our main character goes around at night and kills men. (They're bad men, so she's technically doing a good thing here. Just sayin.' I support women's rights and wrongs.) Unlike male serial killers, this killer has very close bonds with the people in her life. She cares deeply for her friends and feels like a very normal and real person because of that. Her found family is very important to her, so she gets very suspicious of her friend's boyfriend...and things happen from there...

Since this is a thriller, I feel like I shouldn't say more so that don't spoil anything. I really think thrillers are most enjoyable when you go into them knowing as little as possible.

This was very fun but also a little slow at times. I just wish it had a little more oomph to it. But overall, I had a good time reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is Dexter, except with a designer clothes loving pharmaceutical rep who kills men who do bad things. This Girl’s a Killer was right up my alley. I think this one is going to be super popular and rightfully so. I took stars off because it took a bit for things to get going at the beginning. And I felt the ending was maybe rushed. But this book got me to exclaim out loud and not a lot of books accomplish that!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley for the ARC!

I'm not sure what to think. I loved the writing style, pace of the book, and humor, but do I agree with a serial killer getting away with murder even if the victims were criminals? I guess if you were a huge fan of the TV show Dexter, this book is right up your alley. I alternated between listening to and reading this one, and the narrator does a fantastic job. She drew me into the book immediately and had me glued. When I couldn't listen, I'd read because I was hooked on the story. I'm also not sure how I feel about the codependency between Cordelia and Diana. It's not healthy and leads to crime, of course. This novel gave me such mixed feelings and was thoroughly thought provoking, you should read it and make your own opinion!

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Pub Date: October 1, 2024
How I Read It: 📱

Synopsis
Cordelia Black is a pharma rep who loves her best friend and daughter, her hairdresser, and killing bad men. At night she searches for monsters in South Louisiana. She’s been on TV more than once, but nobody knows who they’re talking about because nobody knows she kills men. The news calls her a serial killer, but she doesn’t see herself that way. She thinks she’s saving women, that these men had it coming. She’s very controlled with her kills, until a possible monster hits close to home. That’s when things start falling apart, Cordelia gets sloppy, and starts losing control.

My Thoughts
This book was so good! Cordelia is a person you should hate, but you end up rooting for her to get away with murder. It’s so twisted, but makes you crack up too. Once I really started getting into this book, I couldn’t put it down. Seeing Cordelia in so many different lights emotionally was interesting, considering she’s a killer. The suspense was up there because of this; I really didn’t want her to get caught and not just caught by the police, caught by a lot of people, because at one point, it seemed like anybody could have found out who she really was! I loved Emma C. Wells’s style of writing and cannot wait to read more from her!

❗️Of Note
Death

Themes
🫣 Suspense
🔪 Murder

Ratings
Characters: 4 ⭐️
Pace: 4 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 5 ⭐️
Narrator: 5 ⭐️

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eARC.

Just read this. Read it now. Female rage. Revenge. Women doing bad things to men who do bad things. Ugh. So good.

I had a lot of fun with this book. What could've been a dark and deeply disturbing read turned into a comedy of errors of sorts as Cordelia's carefully constructed world slowly starts to unravel. Scenes of unspeakable horror become hysterical and over the top comedic, as one misstep after another causes Cordelia to juggle to keep all the balls in the air. It takes a deft hand to keep all this on the keen edge of believability and it's almost hard to fathom that this is a debut novel. I can't wait to see what shenanigans the author gets up to next, with or without Cordelia, in subsequent books.

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to receive an Advanced Copy to read and review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is an amazing revenge story!
#ThisGirlsAKiller #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress

This book had me holding my breath. Will Cordelia get caught for ridding the world of horrible men? Fast paced, didn’t want to put it down! There were a couple twists in the book that kept it interesting. The characters were great. I was rooting for the killer. Loved it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

You know how you just connect with a book every once in a while?

Well, I feel a real connection with "This Girl's a Killer"
Not that I'm a poison pill wielding sociopath, but neither is our FMC, Cordelia Black. Well, not all the time at least.

Yes, she has murdered men, and yes she keeps "trophies", but they all deserve it. She's like a female Dexter, but with more empathy and wit, not to mention a killer wardrobe.

Cordelia Black, a pharm rep by day, has a habit of "un-aliving" Louisana's rotten men. She's organized and plans these kills to T. But, when her method of killing becomes the focal point of local news, Cordelia's organized little life turns upside down.

I don't want to give too much away, but unraveling this is part of the fun. Cordelia is my favorite anti-hero of 2024. This hits the stands TODAY! So if you love morally grey, well dress women with occasional serial killer vibes, go check this out immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for the opportunity to read and review prior to publication.

I loved the idea of this and even though there were many instances I felt it was a bit unbelievable, I still really enjoyed it.

This Girl’s A Killer was a book I could not put down! Cordelia may seem like your normal girly girl, loyal friend, etc but she has many secrets. Those secrets blurred the line between hero & villain- giving true female Dexter vibes! I was cheering her on the entire book. It left me guessing and truly surprised!

If you like bada** FMC’s, this one’s for you!!

Emma- you blew me away with your debut novel! I cannot wait to read more from you!

When the word serial killer is tossed around by the media and your side gif is to unalive bad men, the pressure is on!

Let’s just add newly getting to know one of the local police officers to the mix and the temperature dial is ticking hot!🥵

Cordelia Black’s day job is that of a successful pharmaceutical rep. By night, she rids the south of Louisiana of those she deems deserving.

A killer with a moral code and some Dexter vibes going, this was a good read with some dark humor. The friendship and found family of Diane and Cordelia’s relationship and how she cares deeply for Sugar was sweet. The devil poodle obsessed with Kraft cheese singles will drive you mad!🐩 You’ll be on the edge of your seat waiting to see if this is the one that gets Cordelia caught??

It did take me a bit to get settled in but I’m glad I stuck it out.

Thank you to the author, Emma C Wells and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read to this book. I received an epub for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Happy Pub Day !! 🔪😬🩸
This one’s gonna be a GREAT book club pick…so much to unpack here! &&& if you’re a lover of morally gray, this is for you 🥵🩶

Cordelia is a serial killer…but, she only kills BAD MEN 🤷🏼‍♀️ Everything is perfect. She has BFF & her goddaughter. It’s all good, just how she likes it…that’s until her bestie brings home Simon, her new BF. Cordelia isn’t sure he’s all that good…& things suddenly start to unravel…

Emma C. Wells had me hooked from the very first chapter. I LOVE #morallygray & while Cordielia could very well be #morallyblack you’re still rooting for her. I found some of her antics to be #lol funny, not sure they were supposed to be, but it worked for me. No big twists but the suspense had me til the very end! & as a debut @emma.c.wells.books did an incredible job! Enjoy my friends 🫶🏼

This was such a great book. It grabs the reader’s attention immediately. The main character is named Cordelia, and she is such a quirky character! She is living a double life, one in which she has a best friend named Diane and a goddaughter named Samantha, and she will do absolutely anything for them and the other is a life in which she “eliminates” bad men who have done unthinkable things in their past and who still pose a threat.

I immediately liked her character and kept rooting for her. She eventually finds herself in a very bad predicament and as the reader you can’t help but feel the anxiety that she is feeling. Overall, it was a great book with a very good and entertaining storyline. Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press. All opinions are my own.

Cordelia Black joins the likes of Lana Myers and Dexter in disposing of humanities worst monsters. Cordelia’s a pharmaceutical rep by day and serial killer by night. Leaving her previous life behind, Cordelia only needs her high end designer clothes, her best friend Diane and Diane’s 12 year old daughter, Samantha. Life is going well as long as she lives by a code and doesn’t stray from it. That is until the unexpected happens and her life is turned completely upside down. Cordelia could lose everything including her freedom and best friend if she doesn’t figure out a solution.

I enjoyed this debut from this author and thought it was a thrilling and fast paced read. There were similarities between Cordelia and Lana but the vibe of this story was more of a dark comedy with a good dose of gore and mystery. There were a few plot holes that didn’t add up and loose ends that I wish were tied up but overall it was a strong debut for this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.