Cordelia is like Dexter Morgan. She kills bad people.

I found the writing style easy to read. It’s first person and not overly wordy. The story kept my attention. I liked the ending.

This Girl is a Killer
Emma C Wells
2024-53
❤️❤️❤️3.0
To be published September 2024
📚 📚📚Cordelia has a killer hobby. No, really, a killing hobby. She stalks and hunts bad guys who underestimate her given her blond bombshell status. And they wind up dead. All of them are killers themselves, so really she’s just making Baton Rouge a better place. But local authorities are starting to notice a lot of missing men. And now her best friend’s new boyfriend is taking an interest where he shouldn’t. And Cordelia’s new boyfriend is a cop. Next thing she knows, there’s a dead body in kitty litter in her bathtub and a poodle covered in blood. Can she get rid of the body before the cops knock on the door?
📖📖📖 The concept was there and it was almost magic. But somewhere got lost. Wasn’t quite right. There was too much background story that didn’t actually get to front ground. It was a like we got glimpses of an origin story that then got muzzled. I get it’s supposed to be a series but a lot of loose ends just left there. I doubt I pick up the next one. I almost cleared but then didn’t.
❤️❤️❤️JJ’s last words.Eh. It’s not Dexter. I would skip it.
Thank you to net galley for the ARC.

At first glance, Cordelia Black is a charismatic pharmaceutical sales representative living a polished life in South Louisiana. She is meticulous in her appearance, fiercely loyal to her chosen family, and harbors a secret nighttime persona: a vigilante who targets and eliminates men she deems deserving of punishment. Wells masterfully blends thriller elements with dark humor, presenting Cordelia as both a vigilante and a character grappling with her own sense of justice.

The novel hooks readers from the start with Cordelia's unapologetic approach to dispensing what she sees as karmic justice. Wells navigates this morally ambiguous territory with finesse, painting Cordelia not as a cold-blooded killer but as a vigilante driven by a twisted sense of righteousness. The tension escalates as Cordelia's meticulously crafted world begins to unravel, especially when her best friend's romantic entanglement threatens to expose her double life.

The strength of "Cordelia Black" lies not only in its thrilling plot but also in its character development. Cordelia is a compelling protagonist—an enigma who simultaneously captivates and challenges readers' sympathies. Wells skillfully peels back the layers of Cordelia's psyche, revealing vulnerabilities beneath her steely exterior and posing profound questions about morality and justice.

The narrative is propelled by Wells' sharp prose and knack for suspenseful storytelling. Each chapter unfolds like a well-crafted puzzle, with twists and revelations that keep readers guessing until the final pages. The supporting characters, particularly Cordelia's chosen family and those she encounters in her dual lives, add depth and richness to the narrative, serving as foils to Cordelia's complex personality.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The plot was a bit messy sometimes but I still thought it was entertaining. The main character would have been more likeable to me if she was not so egocentric. But she was unhinged and I enjoyed that. I did like he little touches of humor very much. And I did appreciate the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

4 stars.

Oh wow this one was super fun! I loved the whole vibe. Morally grey FMC. Yes please.

I had A lot of fun reading this one

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The premise of this was great and I enjoyed the start, but it just got chaotic. Way too many story lines going which left plot holes and a completely unrealistic ending.

What happened to her job?
Her relationship?
Samantha was a constant character in the beginning then phased out?
Cor was so calm, cool, and collected but suddenly lost all of that?
The guy buying the bodies made tens of thousands off of them and she was fine with $500 a pop?
Were her hallucinations related to her using the drug she had been selling?
Simon was wanted for multiple murders, but Di and Cor were never interviewed about their connection with him? Because Di would never have kept her cool and Cor had his head in her freezer.

When she began dating the cop, I was excited to see how she worked him to keep herself from getting caught. She so did not. And what cop enters a house with a freshly dead body and tons of blood spatter but doesn’t smell it?
And the head in the freezer for around a month? Really…

It started out fun, but the middle and end got way too muddy. I’m left frustrated.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and allowing me to leave an honest review.

This book is a wild ride. I thought we were headed one way, and then towards the end it just totally veers in another direction. I was kept intrigued and invested in the story all throughout the chapters. There’s nothing lighthearted about it, but for fans of suspenseful thrillers, this is for you!

Dexter, but with a much better wardrobe.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thirty-three year old Cordelia Black has it all: a successful job as a pharmaceutical rep that allows her an exquisite wardrobe and a comfortable lifestyle, a close friend and a goddaughter whom she adores, and a killer hobby: ridding the world of bad men. So basically, she ist Dexter Morgan (of the highly recommended TV show "Dexter"), except younger, female, and with much higher maintenance and better clothes.

Sure, maybe calling her a "girl" in the book's title is a bit much, but other than that, "This Girl's a Killer" is a well-written, fast-paced read full of wonderfully dry humor. The book started to fall a little flat in the second half, as Cordelia's life begins to unravel and she makes one impulsive decision after another, not all of which are in line with her character and her intelligence (and has she never heard of Amazon Prime to order a card reader?), but overall, I highly enjoyed the book and am kind of hoping there might be a sequel, as Cordelia Black is very much a character I'd like to spend more time with. Hard to believe this was a debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"This Girl's a Killer" is slated be released on October 29, 2024.

I was really looking forward to this book based on the title and the description. But I found it a little lack luster. It took a very long time to get into anything to do with the main plot of the story. it wasn't until about 50% in that the book really started t pick up. After that it kept me on my toes. This didn't really give me the "thriller" feel. I enjoyed the last half of the book, it has some heartfelt and laughable moments.

Coming this August
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You MUST get to know Cordelia Black! She is so many things…

A loyal friend, a loving god-parent, a faithful Mango-caregiver, and a (mostly) diligent pharma-rep… also, she moonlights as a serial killer (with a conscience). There is no one else like her!

I adore Cordelia. I also rather enjoyed the rest of the cast—except those I was meant to hate. The story was gripping!

Great job Emma C. Wells! Cannot wait to see what comes next!!!


Special thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the amazing digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.


#thisgirlsakiller #thriller #netgalley #thrillerdebut @poisonedpenpress @emma.c.wells.books @bookshell_f

this was a fine enough thriller, wish it had been more compelling, the main character was annoying overall good enough

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC! What a killer debut! I love a story of feminine rage where the woman goes after bad men. I was rooting for the FMC the entire time. There were a few parts that were kind of slow, but overall I really enjoyed this thriller. There was a good mix of darkness, humor, and suspense. Would recommend!

What a killer debut, Emma C. Wells! 👏

While the media is questioning if there’s a serial killer on the loose, Cordelia scoffs and insists karma is being served. With a dangerous smoke behind their eyes and truly evil intentions, every man she kills deserves their fate.

This book took a little bit to get into, but once I did - I was completely hooked! Cordelia is a sassy, fearless female. Told from her POV, the reader gets to experience a deliciously dark and completely hilarious insight into a woman who’s no longer OK with evil men being allowed to roam freely. It gives off female Dexter vibes but with much more dark humor!

This story had literally everything I love about thrillers - suspense, stalking, murder and icing on the cake… a badass female taking justice into her own hands! The cast of characters were so well developed. There’s even a crazy ‘devil dog’ miniature poodle obsessed with Kraft singles. 🤣🐶

Saying I loved this utterly bingeable thriller is a vast understatement! I cannot wait to read more from this author. 📚

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! Thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this amazing digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

📜This Girl’s A Killer
✍️Emma C. Wells
📠Poisoned Pen Press
📚 Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: October 29, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @poisonedpenpress for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Cordelia Black is a hard-working businesswoman with a penchant for a designer wardrobe and nice things. She’s also a killer of bad men who deserved their fates.

✨The media may be throwing around the term “serial killer”, but Cordelia prefers to use the word “karma” instead.

✨ When Cordelia’s best friend starts dating a man whose motives are questionable, this forces Cordelia to determine the difference between what’s right, wrong, and justifiable.

✨With the vibes of How I’ll Kill You and How To Kill Men And Get Away With It, This Girl’s A Killer is a sharp and wild ride, perfect for fans of Dexter!

#netgalley #thisgirlsakiller #emmawells #poisonedpenpress #fallreleases #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #ivegotbooks #killmewithwords #idratherbereading #thrillers

This book gave me the ick . This Girl's a Killer is reminiscent to Dexter , but female led and if unhinged female characters with some satire and loves to kill then this is a book for you !!

I am really seeing a pattern with the similar synopsis such as How to Kill a Guy in 10 Ways, How to Kill Men and Get Away with It , My Darlings by Marie Still and Finlay Donovan and I think what 2024 has taught me is I just don't really yearn for this type of book setting.

I must say for a debut novel the author did an excellent job and I truly think fans of this type of concept will absolutely devour this book , it is not the books fault I did not love this , It is all on me and now I know , so I thank Emma for my awakening .

Read this if you like :
* First person Narration
* Serial Killers
* Books that give you the ick
* Satire
* Friendships

Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical rep and is one of the best , she also loves to kill men and is also very good at that.
When Cordelia is not selling and killing she is spending time with her BFF Diane and her god daughter she calls Sugar .

When her best friend starts dating Simon, ( yes we all know what's going to happen here) Cordelia has instant red flags and starts planning her kill , but we slowly start to see Cordelia unravel and with the news all talking about a "Serial Killer" she really can't seem to get a handle on herself.

Will she gain control of herself ? Will she spiral so out of control and will she be exposed ? Or will she end up the next victim? Well you must read to find out for yourself .

This Girl's a Killer just did not work for me , I found it repetitive, with no dimension and unoriginal and very flat. I do think that readers that have not dabbled in this story setting will really find this entertaining , same as fans of Dexter and Finlay Donovan !!

As I have said before I am a bit of an outlier so don't let my review stop you from picking this one up .

Many thanks to Netgalley , Poisoned Pen Press and Emma C. Wells for this digital crazy ARC!!

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

The premise and cover really intrigued me but it really fell flat for me and I have ultimately DNFed it at 30%. I found the writing to be dry and boring and nothing really pulled me in. I think I was expecting something a bit darker and more gripping but I realize that is not that book. I could have pushed on but life is too short to try and read books you are just connecting with.

Thank you to Emma C Wells and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

I'm very lukewarm on this one.
I generally adore serial killers. Fictional ones atleast. This one? Not so much.

Where do I even start?
What about the mystical imaginary fog that Cordelia sees in peoples eyes that confirms they're predators? A peculiar trait that seemed a little supernatural but is probably only an extreme case of delusion from Cordelia's part. The first half of this book was so hyperfocused on this, just for it to completely vanish and not even get mentioned in the second half.

How about how Cordelia keeps repeating the same key points about her past? The book could easily be 100 pages less if we just cut that fat. I don't need to be told three or four times that it was "Mama's boyfriend Tim.." that taught her how to use a knife.

Or how about how incredible inconsistent this story was? Cordelia was set up as being super focused on being in control, and in planning everything down to the last detail. And being smarter than the monsters. And, obviously, the story is about how everything unravels when things start not going according to plans. But the things that were going wrong seemed so obvious. Like, of course the single person that deals with your dead bodies might get compromised. What do you do then? It's bizarre to me that Cordelia never considered it. You might add this to Cordelia being delusional but it felt more like a plothole.

I'm also pretty sure that Joanie's identity was meant to be a twist but it was rather obvious who Joanie was from the start.

There is also a whole relationship with a cop that was investigating her murders that just vanished toward the end. They kiss, and then done. No calls. No text. Not even an mention of ghosting or anything. He just vanishes from the story without any additional details. The last scene with him even had Cordelia being sad that the kiss wasn't-that-great because she still needed intel from him.

The only thing I really liked about this book is Diane and her kid. Okay, Diane should put more faith in her best friend and her kid. Neither liked her new boyfriend and she refused to listen or see that. But, she wanted her happy ending and that probably made her ignore some red flags. Who haven't been there?

I loved the friendship there. And I loved Diane's reaction at the end. But Cordelia was a story of someone who was extremely delusional yet the author completely ignored any opportunity to lean into an unreliable narrator plotline which made the entire thing feel bland, obvious and predictable.

I am here for a story about a woman who finds men behaving badly and takes care of it. Give me all the feminine rage. The story took a minute to rev up but once it did, it didn’t slow down until the satisfying conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C. Wells. If you’re looking for a fun read this is it, especially if you love serial killer books from the killer’s POV. I loved how loyal Cordelia was to Diane and Sugar. She was unhinged and scary but really thought things through.. I couldn’t stop reading this book because I had to find out what happened to her, and the writing was so good it just drew me in. Some parts were over-the-top, but I just took Cordelia’s lifestyle into account and accepted it as part of the fun of the book. I look forward to more books by Wells! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This was an interesting thriller, I'm always here for feminine rage stories especially when the fmc has a sense of morality and only goes after men who have done wrong. The fmc is a pharmacy rep by day and kills men at night and no one has been able to figure her out though there have been talks around town about a serial killer. What's interesting about this book is that the fmc has a lot of emotions and cares about her found family and best friend so much that that's the reason she started doing all this. The FMC's best friend starts dating a guy who she not only hates but finds out some secrets about him that in turn is used to blackmail her. An aspect I liked about this book is that it wasn't a really dark book despite the themes. There's humor and jokes that have comedy vibes at times, there's also a lot of drama between the MC, her best friends, and the guys they date. I did get confused with the past stuff and this was slow in some parts but overall I thought it was an interesting thriller. Thank you to the publisher for this arc.