This was a very interesting plot, as we followed Cordelia through her plans to make the world a safer place! Her plan takes a turn, though, and she finds herself in quite a predicament. I thought this was a very good debut for the author!

This Girl's a Killer follows Cordelia Black, a successful pharmaceutical rep by day and killer of unscrupulous men by night. Her best friend Diane and goddaughter Samantha (aka Sugar) are the most important people in her life. When Diane starts dating a man Cordelia gets a bad vibe from, she loses control of her carefully crafted life.

I loved the idea of a female Dexter but wasn’t very fond of Cordelia. Between the Bosephan recall, the missing men making the news and Diane’s new boyfriend, she starts making a lot of mistakes. Understandable considering everything was unravelling at once but for someone who believes herself to be so meticulous about planning, it bothered me.
I kept wanting her to get her priorities straight - the dead body literally stinking up her house should have been concern #1 especially after a few close calls but, it wasn’t.
While I liked the focus on strong female friendships, her thoughts did border on creepy obsession toward Diane.

Mango stole the show though and I’m so happy with the way that particular subplot worked out!

The pacing was good and the suspense kept me reading. With everything going on, I just had to know how Cordelia was going to get out of the mess she found herself in. It felt like the ending wrapped up a little too neatly though and there were a few loose ends I was hoping would be cleared up.

“There was something beautiful about death - something so calm. Something so final”

What better could your read for spooky season than a thriller book with an FMC, who’s little murdering monsters? And by monsters I mean all kind of worst evil men on the planet? All to keep her loved ones and all the other innocent people free from them and safe? This book was great!!! I had an amazing time getting through it and Cordelia was one of the funniest serial unaliver I have ever had the pleasure to meet in my reading experience! Is she a troubled, traumatised, morally grey character? Absolutely !! After all, who said it has to be only men? But she is amazing to read and amazing to love and obsess over!!! Getting through her head and following her story was fun and thrilling and intense and her family (because we’re talking about found family here too) was the best! Every interaction was analysed in detail and every glance was possibly problematic but at the end of the day if there’s grey in the eyes, she knows !!! And she will do something about it!!! I’ve never had more fun reading about a thriller book!!!

I loved this book simply because the storyline was so different from every other mystery/thriller I've read lately. This was easily one of my favorite books this year!

First of all, female serial killer as the MC (although Cordelia Black would never call herself that)?! Say less. Cordelia is very likeable. She is very protective of her best friend and goddaughter, and she kills bad men for the greater good.

This book very much reminds me of Dexter, as Cordelia is very planned and careful. She works as a pharmaceutical rep by day and killer by night. She even dates to keep up appearances. But her problems arise when her most popular drug at work is recalled, she rushes her process, and her best friend's love life crosses with Cordelia's own nighttime activities.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Such a fun spooky season read, perfect for those who enjoy books/shows like Dexter. I quickly became invested in the MC and ate through the second half of this book. I couldn’t put it down, needing to know what happened next, and stayed up well into the night to finish. I felt the MCs emotions thought the book, and loved her sass and wit. The drama of the story and the MCs relationship with her family was really well done, and I LOVED the ending. Cant wait to see what this author does next!

Another in a series of “good for her,” “I support women’s rights AND wrongs.” This was a quick read, probably would be a good slump-buster for people who like the female vigilantes. I really appreciated that one of the big moves happened early in the story, instead of the plot being a long game of cat and mouse. It made it more interesting, to me at least, to see how Cordelia dealt with THAT situation instead of what is the typical stuff (can’t say much, as it feels like a spoiler).
I will say, I was expecting and hoping for more out of the Bosephan plot line; it wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. And, while I understand WHY the author did this, constantly referring to herself in third person (“Cordelia Black would never do that” or “Cordelia Black is the type of woman who…”) got really obnoxious the 83rd time she said it.
Overall, solid story, and nicely set up for a series!

This Girl's a Killer tells the story of Cordelia Black, a pharma sales rep with a side hobby of using her product to help her kill off horrific men. Cordelia is extremely devoted to her best friend, Diane and her goddaughter, Sugar (aka Samantha). While Cordelia is usually a methodical planner when it comes to her...disposals, things go haywire when she has an off encounter with Diane's new fling.

I think folks will really enjoy the female Dexter - Cordelia is smart and also cares deeply for Diane and Sugar. She is also though very materialistic, which started to grate on me while I was reading the book. The book on the whole didn't quite work for me, but potentially for different reasons than other folks might have. I work in pharma and so was particularly frustrated by some of the characterizations and particularly the quote that "bad medicine is part of the process" when it came to some terrible side effects for the drug that Cordelia was responsible for selling. It made the company/some of the things Cordelia was touting feel a bit too close to Purdue Pharma and made it harder for me to feel endeared toward her as a character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy of this book.

"But I also could thank her for my grit. The kind of grit you don't get from having things handed to you. The kind of grit you can only obtain through overcoming."

Wow, this book took me on a ride I was not necessarily expecting but really enjoyed. Cordelia is one of those women many of us wish we could be if vigilante justice were legal. I was not expecting to relate to her as much as I did but dang, did I. The grit referred to in the above quote can only come about from being a victim and coming out the other side. After attempting to bury her past, vulnerable self who was victimized, Cordelia becomes a protector she needed but didn't have as a child. One who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect the innocent when the justice system won't.

I love that the author wasn't afraid to bring address the multitude of sexual crimes individuals of all ages face and even go as far as referencing real situations that have happened where justice did not prevail. I'm sure most victims in the real world have fantasized about some vigilante justice or karma reaching their abusers in some way, shape or form. The injustices victims continually face is truly appalling. But I digress.

As a victim myself, I really did find this book oddly healing and cathartic. And to put the icing on the cake, not only did horrible people get a real dose of karma, but the story of friendship through it all was also very relatable. I am blessed to have a village of my own who would respond the way Diane ultimately did. Hypothetically speaking of course.

I really liked this one. It starts slow in my opinion, but even then it has a good amount of tension that holds and then keeps building. And then becomes compulsively readable.

And the story is smart. It’s generous with details that feel well-researched. There are moments that border on the implausible, and yet there is an explanation or development that allows you to stay with the story. And watching the unraveling of the main character’s perfectly constructed and maintained life is both stressful and entertaining. Both dark and funny, this book has strong Finlay Donovan meets Dexter vibes.

And the main character herself? Cordelia Black is fascinating – ruthless and driven and scary in her complete conviction that her actions are justifiable. She’s fiercely loyal to her chosen family. She’s perfectly controlled…until she isn’t, and her devolution is captivating. And her relationship with her neighbor, and his dog, is my favorite minor plot point in this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC (available October 29, 2024) for review.

Cordelia Black is the antiheroine I didn’t know I needed. Bold, razor-sharp, and unapologetic, she’s part avenger, part loyal best friend, and one hundred percent unforgettable. Wells draws you in with Cordelia's dark sense of justice and keeps you hooked with suspense and wit.

Cordelia’s "bad men" list was chillingly satisfying to read, and watching her carefully crafted world start to unravel was pure, edge-of-your-seat suspense. As she wrestles with the lines she’s crossed, you can’t help but root for her every step of the way. A must-read if you’re into thrillers with a powerful, morally complex protagonist who’s on her own terms.

Thank you Emma C. Wells, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#ThisGirlsAKiller #NetGalley

The premise is great - a female Dexter, with fashion sense! There was a focus on Cordelia’s dislike of the word serial killer to describe the probable outcome of the men she unalived. After I got through the fluffiness of the first few chapters, I really got into Cordelia and how she was going to deal with the bad men in her life. And the body in the bathtub! Overall, if you like a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor, a feminist FMC, and lots of revenge, this one’s for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance reader’s copy.

Cordelia is a highly paid pharma rep by day, with a best friend and goddaughter she would, and has, kill for. Cordelia won't kill just anyone though, just men she knows are bad after stalking and accumulating proof.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I think if it were about 30 pages shorter It would have been a much higher rating, but the story got a bit redundant in the middle and some parts got a little too silly.

SPOILER ALERT I do wish her best friend figured things out sooner because I think that could have been a more enjoyable dynamic early on. I also wish we got more closure on her Chris and if they really would not have worked or if she just did not want them to based on her need to kill.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This Girl's a Killer
by Emma C. Wells
Pub Date: Oct 29 2024

This book is a must-read for fans of female serial killer thrillers and anyone looking for a suspenseful, entertaining read. It's an easy read with many twists and turns, a little dark and violent!

Synopsis: Meet Cordelia Black. Cordelia loves exactly three things: her chosen family composed of her best friend Diane and her goddaughter; her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip); and killing bad men. By day she's a successful pharmaceutical rep with a pristine reputation and a designer wardrobe. By night she's culling South Louisiana of unscrupulous men—monsters who always seem to evade justice, until they meet her. It's a complicated yet fulfilling life that requires complete and total control at all times.

Many thanks to #thisgirlsakiller #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for providing me with a copy of this E-ARC.

This is one of those books where if I think about it for too long I'll start to pick it apart and dig into all its flaws (and there were a bunch! I have notes!) but I also just...liked it. So I'm not gonna.

What really got me here was the fierce dedication to female friendship at the heart of the book. The most important relationship in Cordelia's life is her friendship with Diane and being a godparent to Diane's daughter, which reeeeally appealed to the part of me that loves a character who's a total uncaring sociopath...except for the one person they truly care about for whom they would move heaven and earth to protect. Hell yeah. HELL YEAH. And this sort of thing has to be really skillfully done for me to not be like what if they just kissed though 👀 and Wells pulled that off expertly, even with one of them being actually bisexual. Sometimes the love of your life is a friend and that can actually be platonic and still just as meaningful. Did I mention hell yeah???

Three objective quality-based stars plus one completely subjective bonus star for being For Me.

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cordelia is having a bad day. Then the bad day continues as her perfect life of killing it in her job and her killer workshop starts to implode. What’s a killer to do other than keep on track by killing and self-correcting until it all goes boom.

I just love this book. I was laughing hysterically. I was shaking my head so hard when I shouldn’t because my dislocated discs were saying, “Girl, STOP!!!” I’m in love with Cordelia and Emma C. Wells.

Do you remember the movie Serial Mom (Dir. John Waters 1994)? This Girl’s a Killer kind of reminded me of it. Not so much in the silly reasons that Kathleen Turner’s character killed people, but in the humor of being a serial killer. Hmmm…did that come out right? (chuckle) No, I’m not a serial killer and serial killing is not funny (gotta make sure I put a disclaimer in just in case my humor does not come across (face palm)). It’s just really funny how Cordelia thinks when all of these obstacles appear in the midst of what is originally one crime of the day (chuckle). Gotta read the book, people.

Now, I have to admit I am really suspicious by nature, kind of like Cordelia - though I don’t stare into people’s eyes. My Mom just raised me on horror movies instead of cartoons. So when Cordelia bumps into people, there is always something more that is going to happen. Duh. This is kind of where I feel Cordelia (not the author) drops the ball. I wanted to slap her upside the head. BUT, then we wouldn’t have a story.

I love the friendship between Cordelia, Samantha, and Diane. Girl code is a real thing. In saying that, I totally agree with Cordelia about her perceptions about Diane and forget about girl code. There is a scene in a restaurant that happens, that once again I’m all like, why didn’t you take out your phone and get evidence? Like, there is some logic missing sometimes with Cordelia. I just want to smack her upside the head. (chuckle…yup, I channel Gibbs on occasion.)

As you can see, I was totally invested in this book. I love it. Cordelia is a hot mess and I’m totally there for it. This is the humorous thriller that you didn’t know you needed for the spooky season.

I really enjoyed this book, it was thrilling and thoroughly entertaining. Claudia is a dark and slightly twisted character who will do absolutely anything for those she loves. She is also extremely likeable! If you’re a fan of Sweetpea then you will love this!

Cordelia- a very sympathetic character- is also a killer. She's got her life tightly in order: she works, she spends time with her BFF and she kills men. Now, though things are falling apart because a cop has come into the romantic mix. Can she hold it together? This is a quite entertaining page turner (no spoilers from me!). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling made this a good debut.

This book sounded so entertaining to me and perfect for October. I did enjoy it, however I didn't love the writing style. I found myself getting bored with the repetitive inner monologue of the FMC. She kept having the same thoughts and I just wanted to skip over them after awhile. It was a bit predictable, but still a fun and quick read. I would recommend as an easy popcorn thriller with a fun twist of a femail serial killer. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing be an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book overall. I was completely invested in the first 75% of the book then my interest was slightly lost. Everything wrapped up a little too tightly for me. I liked the authors writing style and would definitely read more from her. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting psychological thriller that gives Dexter type vibes. Follow though the mind of a serial vigilante killer as her life begins to spiral out of control.