*Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of "This Girl's a Killer" by Emma C. Wells.

I've almost never met a thriller I didn't like...until this one. I was mostly bored while reading and forced myself to finish it because I had gotten too far in already. It truly drones on. As another reviewer states, "I generally love a vigilante lady but very much did not love Cordelia," and I couldn't agree more. We know nothing about Cordelia's past, but it's such a massive, yet vague, focal point of why she is the way she is now. All of that to say, the plot was poorly executed, and I'm shocked so many people actually liked this book, but alas!

“This Girl’s a Killer” by Emma C. Wells is a riveting debut thriller that introduces us to Cordelia Black (a female Dexter), a character who is as complex as she is captivating. By day, Cordelia is a pharmaceutical rep with a flawless reputation and a wardrobe to match. But by night, she becomes a vigilante, doling out justice to the men who have managed to slip through the legal system’s grasp. The novel is a masterful blend of suspense and moral ambiguity, forcing readers to question the lines between right and wrong. It was so interesting to read about her motives and changes in herself due to her past. Also, learning about her intense need to be loved by her best friend was well written. Cordelia’s double life is a thrilling ride, with each chapter peeling back layers to reveal the depth of her character. She’s a woman with a cause, a protector of her chosen family, and a person who demands control in a world that often feels uncontrollable. Wells’ writing is sharp and precise and the book is fast-paced. I was laughing out loud at Cordelia’s dark humor. The plot twists are clever and unexpected, keeping readers on their toes until the very last page. The supporting cast of characters, particularly Cordelia’s best friend Diane and her goddaughter, Sugar, add a rich layer of emotional depth to the story. The relationships between the characters are intricately drawn, and their interactions provide a counterbalance to the darker aspects of Cordelia’s life. The way the book ended, hopefully this is not the last we see of Cordelia Black. Thanks to Netgalley, Emma C. Wells, and Poison Press for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. Emma C. Wells is an author to watch and I look forward to her next novel.

I keep seeing people refer to Cordelia, the MC, as a "feminist Dexter," and I am here for it! A dark twisty thriller full of feminine rage, a woman who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty to take down the patriarchy and the way women are victimized. I highly recommend if this sounds like something you'd like!

I was drawn into this book right away. Cordelia is a very endearing character and the author did an excellent job creating a character that is likable, but flawed. The book was well paced and kept me interested until the very end. The only reason that this was not a 5 star read for me was that the ending seemed very rushed. Otherwise, the ending did a good job tying up the multiple storylines.

I was hooked from the start! The humour and the drama were honestly done so well. I can go behind serial killers who have good intentions of killing bad people. This girl ruined her own ritual and started getting so paranoid and anxious about everything and when I’ll tell you my anxiety went through the roof reading that. The way people kept showing up at her house out of nowhere made me so anxious.


: ̗̀➛ Cordelia
She’s such a badass for all the trauma she went through in childhood. She is fiercely loyal to her best friend Diane and her goddaughter. The relationship she has with her goddaughter is honestly so adorable!






Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If Taylor Swift is feminine rage: the musical, Emma C. Wells is feminine rage: the author and Cordelia Black is feminine rage: the character.

I knew this was going to be a huge hit for me and boy, was I right. Full of rage, a bit of humor, and a whole lot of heart, this book has everything you're looking for.

If you consider yourself a fan of the tv show Dexter than this is the book for you. Cordelia our FMC is a female version of Dexter. I feel like a strong FMC in rare in books. I just love a strong woman who rids the world of bad men. How can you not want to read about that?!?!?

This is Emma C Wells debut novel is just magnificent !! It is so much fun to read and had me feeling a variety of emotion’s so many times. Yes it is a dark story but told so well. Cordelia was a fierce vengeance seeking badddie ! A successful pharmaceutical sales rep with amazing taste in fashion. She loves her best friend and her goddaughter and will do anything to protect them…Anything at all. No matter the cost. And that is when things start to go wrong, and keep going wrong.

This book will keep you turning those pages well into the night, who needs sleep when there are bad men to be disposed of!

Cordelia Black is the picture of success. She is a pharmaceutical rep with an enviable designer wardrobe, perfect hair and manicure. She has her “family” - her best friend Diane and her goddaughter Samantha (Diane’s daughter). She has a secret life also, one that involves trying to rid Baton Rouge of men who do horrible things. She reminds me of the series Dexter. Things start unraveling for Cordelia - the main drug she sells to health professionals is suddenly under investigation and Diane is dating a guy named Simon who raises all kinds of warning bells in Cordelia’s mind. How she handles all the difficulties in her life is quite an adventure! The story moves at a quick pace and it’s an interesting blend of suspense and humor. This is a debut novel from this author and I look forward to more of her writing in the future. I give the book 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published October 29, 2024.

Instant Dexter vibes.
When it comes to Cordelia Black, she is not all what she seems. Successful businesswoman, who is sociable and well liked while looking darn good doing it by day. Vigilante by night riding the city of bad men. She loves her family, looking good and her extracurricular activities. Things get complicated when her family and her night work mix together, and her friend gets involved with someone she does not trust.

Interesting premise. The storyline kept me interested. Overall, the story was a little slow to start but picked up eventually.

What a fun surprise this book was! The fact that it’s from a debut author makes it even better. The dialogue was so smart and flowed effortlessly. The story was fantastic. It was morbid but in a fun way. I loved Cordelia and Diane’s friendship and how Cordelia would do anything for her best friend. Just an all around great book. Truly enjoyed and would recommend!

I think this will do well at libraries, but it was not to my taste. Not funny enough to be "black humor".

I really wanted to like this book because the description made it sound very much in my wheelhouse. A thriller with a female serial killer who doles out her own form of vigilante justice? Sounds like fun! Unfortunately, this book felt very young and underdeveloped in its writing. I feel like this book needed another pass or two with a better editor.

Cordelia Black is supposed to be meticulous, put together, in control. The book tells us that, repeatedly. Except the character is a hot mess from the beginning. She never appears to be fully in control and makes many mistakes, some careless and preventable, throughout the story.

The characters are mostly one dimensional and the emotional beats of the story felt superficial. There were so many interesting possibilities for where the story could go but nothing was fully developed. It felt like things were mentioned because they were useful for the plot but then it’s not needed anymore and we’ll never discuss it again.

Cordelia didn’t have any self-awareness or introspection and was filled with self-loathing. The pharmaceutical rep job was just convenient to get the sleeping aid to knock out her victims. The scandal related to the sleeping aid was only used to create a hurdle for her in covertly accessing the pills and never really relevant to the story at large. It was never dealt with except in a trite blackmail scheme with a doctor’s office manager. The characters aren’t remotely likable mostly because they’re so underdeveloped. The relationship with the cop was interesting for a moment, but that also didn’t go anywhere. Cordelia spends the whole time lying to her best friend and that doesn’t really have any severe consequences in the end. And Cordelia is kind of dumb for someone who’s supposedly been killing for a long time.

The plot line with Mango the dog was one of the highlights and I very much enjoyed that. This could have been such a good story but it felt juvenile and disconnected. I’m sorry I can’t be more complimentary of a debut but after thinking about this for a while the book just really fell flat in so many ways.

This is the most satisfying crime/thriller book that I've ever read!
My first reaction of this book was nervousness.
My ass is iterally at the edge of my couch with my hand in my mouth because so much shit is happening. I was literally so scared for Cordelia.
But at the same time I was smiling because of what Cordelia was doing.
She is a hero!
Crazy, right? I don't care because I freaking love her!

The past few weeks I’ve been having a lot of trouble focusing through my pain enough to sit and read. However, I devoured this book in under two days so I think that alone should say a lot! The writing was exactly the kind of style I enjoy; straight forward, no flowery superlatives or over explaining unnecessary details, and written like you’re simply telling a story to a friend. Cordelia, the main character, is morally grey and mildly unhinged. Yes, she’s a murderess, but in a vigilante sort of way that makes it hard to sympathize with her victims and even harder to hate her. Her relationship with her best friend Diane and her goddaughter Sugar is so wholesome that it makes you root for Cordelia even more. The plot itself, while not wholly unseen before, is written in a quirky way that adds humor to the darkness at just the right times. I think that’s what gave the story a more original feel and kept me guessing on what was coming next. By the end of the book I was pretty sure I knew how it would play out but it still felt like it could be a coin toss. Upon finishing, I immediately searched for other tittles from Wells and was surprised to see this was a debut novel. I won’t be surprised if she has a very lengthy writing career because she has a true talent for it!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy!

3 stars

Content warnings: murder, violence, blood, mentions of: pedophilia, sexual assault, domestic abuse, etc

Note: the author actual has a lovely note at the beginning about content warnings and where to find more details about them

Conceptually this book is entirely intriguing, but in execution, I found it to be on the disappointing end. Fortunately, Cordelia has enough likability to counteract some of the most disappointing and irritating facets of the novel, but I ended up feeling like this could have been more.

The plot hinges on the wild and, frankly, psychotic actions of Cordelia Black, who herself hinges on meticulousness planning and methodical action. Things, of course, go off the rails, in spite of her attention to detail. What ensues is Cordelia's attempts to right the ship, which she does by making a bigger mess in an effort to clean up the first mess. And then another bigger mess. And another. And another.

It's actually a lot of fun in concept and I generally enjoyed reading about her and the other characters in the novel. Where it all falls down for me is the author's general <i>lack</i> of attention to detail. For instance, very near the beginning of the book, Cordelia talks up her goddaughter Sugar's love of video games, and then proceeds to tell us about how Sugar is playing Zelda... on an Xbox. This seems like a very easy detail to get right, and yeah, sure, this is small and nit-picky, but it doesn't stop there.

There's a character by the name of Doctor Ezell (Ezelle? Ezzel? Ezzelle?) and the spelling of the name changes nearly constantly. From page to page, her name changes.

In regards to the plot, there is at least one major detail that rubs me the wrong way that should be considered a mistake on Cordelia's part.

There is also something that happens in the resolution of the book that I think lacks attention to detail involving cell phones and Cordelia's apparent lack of sense about them. Without (hopefully) spoiling too much, it seems like a rookie mistake to not pay attention to when a phone is turned off or on or where that phone might ping cell towers.

Cordelia also never shuts up about her clothes and her shoes and her makeup. I get it. She wears designer. (This actually will be plot relevant, but the mentions of her designer wardrobe could be toned down. The reader doesn't need their hand held every step of the way.)

All the negative aside, this is a fun romp through Thriller Land. A little Dexter, a little Thelma and Louise. I think a lot of people are going to enjoy this, even with drawbacks, and for someone looking for a thriller that actually feels suspenseful at times, that's a little break from the usual thriller fare, this might just be the book for you.

Oh my goodness, this was FANTASTIC! I cannot believe this is a debut. I had a feeling this was going to be a 5 star for me very early on and I’m so happy it proved me right!

Cordelia Black is a business woman in pharmaceutical sales, she’s blond and fabulous, and she loves designer brands. She’s a godmother Samantha and the definition of a ride or die to her best friend Diane. When she’s not breaking monthly sales, shopping for her newest LV or spending time with her family, she hunts and kills bad men.

This book had me hooked from start to finish. It is fast paced, and gives you that “on the edge of your seat” thriller vibe, which I always LOVE! I had not read a thriller like this in so long. I truly could not put it down. Emma Wells did such an amazing job writing Cordelia as a hero and a villain. Cordelia has a complex past, and I enjoyed getting to know more about her that shed light into why she kills bad men. I lost count of times I said “oh my god” while reading. Things just kept happening in like a snowball effect and I could not predict the ending at all. The way everything was wrapped up at the end was so so good.

I loved
🔪Cordelia’s humor and inner monologue
💊Samantha’s sassiness
🔪The found family aspect with Samantha and Diane
💊A tiny dog named Mango who loves cheese
🔪Cordelia’s paintings - so creative!

I’m really hoping this is the start of a continued series because I would love to read more about Cordelia’s shenanigans!

If you enjoyed Blackbird, from Butcher & Blackbird, Joe Goldberg from YOU, or Dexter, you definitely need to pick this up!

Thank you NetGalley, Emma Wells and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Meet Cordelia Black: by day, she’s a pharmaceutical rep, and by night, she’s a vigilante serial killer taking out the trash (aka men who really deserve it). Talk about a twist on the classic antihero! 💀✨ The dark humor sprinkled throughout definitely keeps the vibe lively, and if you loved the *Finlay Donovan* series, this one's right up your alley!

The premise had me hooked from the start, and while it mostly kept my attention, I did find Cordelia to be a bit obnoxious at times—like, girl, what are you doing!?! 😂 There were some loose ends that left me scratching my head, and the ending? Well, let’s just say it fell a little flat for me. 😕
That being said, it’s still a fun and entertaining read that had me laughing and cringing in equal measure. If you’re looking for a quirky thriller with a side of dark comedy, give this one a shot! Overall, I’d rate it 3.5 stars! 🌟✨

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical rep by day and a killer at night. She targets bad men who deserve what’s coming to them. She meticulously plans her kills, but when something goes wrong, she needs to figure out how to fix her problem.

I really enjoyed this book! It reminded me a lot of Finlay Donovan is Killing it, which I also liked. Cordelia is a fun character, and I appreciated her dark humor. The middle of the book got somewhat slow, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment, and I liked the ending!

Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical sales rep by day, avenger by night, taking out the bad guys with intricate planning.

This book was a quick read and the characters were interesting and well developed, especially Cordelia. We meet Cordelia, her best friend Diane, and Diane’s daughter Sugar. From there, the story takes twists and turns as we figure out if Diana’s new boyfriend, Simon, is one of the creeps Cordelia usually watches.

The story is dark but also filled with some comical moments that lighten things up a bit. The tension build was excellent and the conclusion was one I didn’t see coming.

This is Emma C. Wells’ debut novel and she killed it! Definitely recommend this book if you like dark mysteries and strong friendship stories. I would read more about Cordelia’s story if this becomes a series.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I believe that Emma C. Wells is a debut publisher author. This book absolutely blew me away. In the perspective of a woman who escaped her own monsters, she becomes a killer, only dispatching the world of monsters who go after women and children.

Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical sales rep in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her best friend Diane is an accountant at the local hospital and mother of a 6th grade girl, Samantha, who is Cordelia's goddaughter. Cordelia calls her Sugar and is very protective of her. We learn that Diane is dating a new guy who rubs Cordelia the wrong way. Simon appears to be a nerdy, cool guy, traveling nurse, but Cordelia knows better. There's something off about him.

Meanwhile, Cordelia is ready for her latest victim, or monster. She has a blind date with a cop. Her orderly way of killing and disposing of the bodies makes sure that there's no evidence leading back to her. She relishes targeting and hunting these monsters. Until complications arise.

Every moment of this book was simultaneously entertaining and horrifying, impossible to put down. Cordelia works hard to keep her lives compartmentalized and separate. The writing was immensely satisfying. At no point did the plot or pacing slow down. Right up until the end.

TW for mention of pedophilia/child p0rn but nothing graphic, along with other things that go along w disposing of bodies. 5/5☆ October 29th just in time for Halloween. I'll be looking for future books by this author.