Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C Wells.

This book gave me Dexter vibes but with a female main character. Definitely did not expect the ending.

Definitely a must read!

Once I started "This Girl's a Killer", I could not put it down. I absolutely loved this book and I am shocked this is a debut novel. Cordelia Black really knows how to draw you in & make you support her, despite her actions. I was thoroughly intrigued in what Cordelia could possibly get into next. She is a fierce businesswoman, solid best friend & loving godmother, but these three parts of her shift once the sun goes down. She researches men in the area that have down wrong things to women & children and she will not stand for it. Her character is likeable and relatable; which draws you in and root for her to succeed. You feel her anxiety - I felt I was 100% in the room with her through all the different events, meetings & difficult conversations. It is so well written, witty and relatable. I can't wait for "This Girl's a Killer" to be released so others can enjoy this debut novel as much as I did.

This book held my intrigue from start to finish! Cor is a survivor and she has made it her life's mission to eliminate the monsters she sees. On the surface she is sweet, beautiful and stylish! She is a very successful saleswoman with the wardrobe to show for it. Underneath, she is deadly! She has a routine and she has a code. Everything is going great until her top selling item is recalled for deadly side effects. While this book has dark themes, it was not dreadful and dark like most killer books. I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down! I am extremely thankful to have been an ARC reader.

I enjoyed the general premise of the book about a self-appointed vigilante dispensing justice to deserving individuals who beat the “system.” This appears to be a book that will lead to a series, but works fine as a standalone. However, it sort of felt like I was jumping into the middle of the series. Many of the missing details were doled out in flashbacks, etc. , but I think I’d still like to see a prequel to show how she began her murder hobby, and her motivations. Somehow backward glances with the benefit of hindsight isn’t the same.

It seems many of the problems she had to resolve were self-inflicted, which I found frustrating, like failing to quickly dispose of a body. Also, it seemed there were a lot of words about ordinary things or activities that did not drive the plot (though I do realize the whole point is that she is living a “normal life” the whole time she is killing people).

This Girl’s a Killer is a fun premise with a poor execution. This book really dragged for me. I did not enjoy Cordelia’s character with her constant attention to her clothes, her code, and her family. It felt redundant throughout and even skimming to move more quickly left me annoyed. I appreciate the NetGalley, but do not recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book!

I had a BLAST reading this book. Cordelia Black was such a fun yet flawed character and the humor was a perfect balance to the more gory aspects of this book. Would definitely recommend to any thriller lovers!

This book had an interesting concept and I wish it had been executed a little differently! For the book to be about a female serial killer, one would expect more of it to be about the hunting and killing of the men she targets but the majority of this book felt repetitive and did not really follow her stalking and killing, it felt more like following an obsession with her best friend’s new boyfriend. I did like the way it turned out with the best friend so that salvaged it a bit but I almost dnf’d at around 30% when nothing was happening for a while. Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for this copy in exchange for my free review!

Woah. I have very,,,, complexed feelings about this one. I don't know where i didn't like it or i don't care.
But first! Let me introduce you to this book :))
This book is about a female serial killer (though she doesn't like being called a serial killer) who kills bad men. Outwards, she is a badass girl who knows her brands, always dressed perfectly for the occasion and cares deeply for her best friend and her kid. But wait wait, what she actually is a girl who was treated badly in the past and now that girl had come for revenge. Cordelia Black (our MC) is practical and follows her plans religiously but when her bff's new boyfriend seems to be the kind of guy she hunts and she starts dating a police officer, things go awry. With not enough time or resources on her hands, would she be able to keep this side of her hidden from her chosen family? Read it to find out!!

My thoughts-
Things I liked-
1. The writing- Author kept it simple yet good. And the information provided was just right. No extra detailed descriptions of the colour of the tiles in the bathroom or something like that.
2. The pacing- I guess this was what actually kept me going even when i wasn't liking the story. Sure it took me some time to get into the book but then the pacing was good. I'd say really good for a thriller. Not too fast not too slow.
Things I didn't like-
1. That being said, I... didn't enjoy this book. It is not about writing or pacing, it was actually the plot. The introduction seemed intriguing but it took me some time to get into it and when i thought- Ok maybe its not so bad after all, it became bad. there were some characters introduced just because they were important for the plot at that time but then they just go poof? I won't divulge any information here because i don't want to give spoilers to those who wanna try it out. But it wasn't good. I kept thinking oh maybe THAT character would now show up and things would get messier or a bit crazy but no they just Ehhh....
2. Next thing i wanted from this book was details about Cordelia's past. We got to know that why she is what she is in the present was due to a tough past but all we hear about it is she put it behind her and no going back or whatever. But it would have been good if her past was touched. And then again,,, there were mentions of some... people (or one person in particular) and it seemed kinda big but it was never explored??? So yeah back to the point that characters came and went as convenient which didn't sit right with me.
3. The Ending 😭OMG i can get past the breezy mentions of seemingly important characters but not the ending. What WAS that?? and why was Diana acting like a bit sus? All that to happen just for a light good for all ending? Nah man i ain't accepting that. Also what Mr. Percival? that just happened?

All in all the story had potential but it wasn't executed well in my opinion. But kudos to the author to keep me reading bc of the pacing.. i guess???

At last, Thanks to Net Gallery and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest reviews :)

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Emma C. Wells for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed this one overall and could not wait to see what happened. The tension is HIGH in this one and each chapter upped the stakes.

This book follows Cordelia Black - and she has a secret. She kills men who have done horrible things and is suspicious of her best friend’s new boyfriend. She loves her best friend and her daughter so much, which is sweet to read about. Her plan doesn’t work as expected, though, and there are so many things that could go wrong, possibly leading to her getting caught.

My only complaint about this one is that the pacing seemed a little odd sometimes. I’m not sure why with how much is going on, but it did take me a lot longer to read than most books.

I think that this one will do really well when it comes out and I’ll be sure to recommend it to others! An excellent debut.

Fast paced, dark and stabby. The thrill and anxiousness come not from the acts themselves but from the main character's insecurities and meticulousness about her past and deep love for her family. What a ride - you cannot help but cheer her on while questioning her morals (and yours) I see this as a new TV series- I hope

An absolutely incredible/killer debut that makes me curious about what’s next for this author! The main character is like if Elle Woods only wore red bottoms, drove fast, liked pastries, and knifed men versus taking them down in the courtroom. If you have a soft spot for people doing bad things for good reasons (like Dexter), friendship soulmates, and edge-of-your-seat “Will she get away with it?” plots, and the Finlay Donovan series, this book is for you. And just think, this could be your Halloween read when it’s released!

I read about half of this and just got mad at the whole thing. Cordelia murders bad men and can't believe it when things start catching up with her. SHe was really irritating and I just couldn't finish it.

I gave this three stars but it should probably be two stars.
I wanted to enjoy this book but struggled due to Cor, the main character. She is very full of herself. She was written as a horrible person - selfish and self-serving. For example, her best friend has a boyfriend, so she has to be mean to him (as she is with all of the other boyfriends). When her friend attempts to say anything about Cor's date, no one is allowed to speak about him.

I struggled with the consistency and the flow of the story. The flow was like a river that is overflow its banks; it was all over the place.
The story had great potential but did not live up to it. The ending tried to be tidy but a few issues were left out (for example: in the company of the macarons and the cop date which was just dropped).

I had mixed reactions to this novel about a woman who kills men who abuse women and children. I liked the premise, but ultimately I only continued reading to see how it would end, rather than because I was enjoying it.

The main character could be both endearing and annoying. I was amused to realize that my occasional dislike of her was based more on her Botox use and fashion obsession than on the fact that she killed people. I could understand how her damaged childhood turned her into that person, but understanding didn't make me like her more. On the other hand, her unwavering support of her friend and goddaughter, and her interactions with a dog she thinks she dislikes, were admirable.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advance copy.

As I was reading, I couldn't decide how I felt about this book. The plot was very reminiscent of the television series, Dexter, albeit with some important distinctions. But I knew I was hooked when Cordelia's (main character) antics were giving me stomach aches from anxiety and yet I couldn't stop reading. I ended up staying up until 2 am to finish because I had to know what was going to happen!

Wells writes with that style that just flows effortlessly. I was shocked that this appears to be a debut novel for her. I'm hoping there will be a follow up to this book - Cordelia is a fascinating character.

Definitely one I would recommend, but also seems worth mentioning some trigger warnings for this one (love how Wells handled that too!).

A fast-paced, humorous, easy-going thriller.

Synopsis:
Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical sales rep by day and a female vigilante by night. When her best friend Diane starts dating a controlling man who gives major creep vibes, she needs to decide if she'll deviate from her code in order to protect her best friend and goddaughter.

Plot/characters/pacing:
When we meet Cordelia, she's mid crisis, trying to deliver cupcakes to her goddaughter's school while taking multiple phone calls and being late for work. This chaotic drama continues thru out the story. Dont get me wrong, it's entertaining. But, I have a difficult time believing she could get away with her vigilante gig while being such a hot mess.
There are also several storylines that don't seem to go anywhere, The only purpose they serve is to add to the chaos. The problems with work don't seem to get resolved. The love interest Christopher seemed unnecessary to the story. If anything, I would've liked to see him end up with Diane.
Cordelia is likable and relatable, and I enjoyed the dark, humorous undertones. I also enjoyed the sassy goddaughter and the friendship with her ride-or-die bestie. I would've liked a different ending, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Vibes:
This is an easy-going thriller, light on violence and gore. I would describe this book as more drama than thriller. The beginning of the book gives off female Dexter vibes but quickly transitions to Finlay Donovan hot mess vibes. The friendship between besties and the drama is reminiscent of Dead to Me.

Recommended to readers that enjoy fast-paced thrillers, humor, found family, high fashion, drama

Thank you to @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the ARC.

Title: This Girl’s a Killer
Author: Emma C. Wells
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pub date: October 29, 2024

This one drew me in immediately. If you like the show Dexter, this one is for you.

Cordelia might be a pharmaceutical sales person by day but, it’s what she does in her spare time that will have you flipping through these pages. She hunts bad men (a skill she’s perfected in her mind anyway).

You know what they say about best laid plans…

#Engrossing thriller

Thank you #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for the opportunity to read something that kept me up late into the night.

I devoured this book in two days! It was great and perfect reading material for sitting outside and enjoying the weather where the stabby people can't get you! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a little bit of dark humor and appreciating someone who is having a really bad hair day! I really hope this gets picked up for a movie or series because I think it would be hysterical! We all have had those days where everything goes wrong - but most times we aren't committing a murder! Thank you for the advanced copy!

I adore feminine rage stories. This book, despite its dark themes, is full of humor and surprisingly doesn't feel that heavy. I read it in a couple days because I had to find out what happened next. At times, it did feel a little slow, like building up to Simon's demise, and I do wonder what happened with "McSmiley" after the encounter at the hospital, and what Cordelia ultimately did with Simon's decapitated head. However, over all a great read. I'd recommend it and would read it again.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. At the start of the book, I thought I was really going to enjoy it- a Dexter- like female character. Unfortunately, I felt that it fizzled out by the end.