This Girl’s a Killer has claimed a spot in my top reads of 2024. This book has a dark comedy vibe that had me laughing often, while the thriller aspect kept me on the edge of my seat and thoroughly engaged. If you’re looking to combine your reading loves of comedy and thriller, this book is a must read!

I absolutely loved the main character of this book. Her personality and internal dialogue are captivating. Her growth is relatable.

Emma C. Wells has stolen my heart, and if ever she needs a CP or Beta, I’m here for it. I’m also here for reading all her books!

I also listened to the audiobook version of this story, which had a fantastic narrator. It was incredibly well done. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x).

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Dreamscape Media for this advanced copy.

PS - The ONLY reason it took me so long to read this book, then review it, was because I was on vacation and couldn’t stay hidden to finish it from start to finish.

This book was one of my favorite books of the year..

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I could not put this books down. I have never cheered for a killer so much in my life. Rooting for her through every challenge that came her way.

Cordelia is fiercely loyal and will do anything to protect her chosen family and really the women of the world. While maybe she wasn’t ethical she was getting villains off the street. I mean we all know the justice system does not always serve justice. Predators put back in the street every day. Victims not being believed.

In this book though she gets a feeling and can’t shake it off. She has to protect her people. This extremely polished woman goes from having her shit together to (what I picture near the end after the hair salon, devil dog and grumpy neighbor encounters, finding hidden cameras, nice AND hot cop, etc.) looking like Emma Stone at the end of Cruella. And while she is on her unhinged, downward spiral, she still shows heart. And can make you laugh.

I don’t know. I loved her and the book.

And yes. Cordelia is definitely cast in my head as Emma Stone, the vengeance serving Cruella to the Cruella in her downward spiral at the end. She embodies this character.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

𝐒𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆. 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟐𝟒 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫/𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞? 𝐀𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭, 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍’𝒔 𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲—𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬!

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝐸𝓂𝓂𝒶 𝒞. 𝒲𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓈, 𝒫𝑜𝒾𝓈𝑜𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝒫𝑒𝓃 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈, 𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒶, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What a fun dark comedy! I’m so happy I picked this up, and I love our anti-hero Cordelia and her mission to rid the world of bad men. When things start to go awry for her you just keep on cheering and hoping that she will make it out of this one. It was so good!

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I love a strong, morally grey female lead, and *This Girl's a Killer* nails it. From the first chapter, I was swept into the storm of Cordelia's world, unable to stop until I reached the end. The relationship she shares is deep and heartwarming, showing how they’re there for each other no matter what. Cordelia might make questionable choices, but she’s driven by good intentions—even as her life unravels because of them. One plotline around the pharmaceutical company she works for remains open, so fingers crossed we’ll get another book to see what unfolds there!

The narrator truly brought Cordelia to life; I can't imagine anyone else capturing the intensity and emotion in the same way.

Amazon review pending approval.
Instagram, Facebook & blog scheduled for 11/2/24.

A violent delight! A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

Originally, I wasn't sure about this one but I'm so happy I continued listening. This one is dark, twisted, but very good!
Cordelia isn't your typical pharmaceutical rep, she also hunts bad men. I loved the dark humor in this book. It just all worked. Some moments can be a bit gruesome and Cordelia is a very meticulous person. Everything has to be just so but not everything can be perfect...especially with a dog walks all over a murder scene.
The ending seemed like there would be another book coming, and I hope that's the case because I cannot wait to see what happens next in Florida. I really enjoyed Stefanie Kay's voice. I felt like she was perfect for Cordelia and was able to portray the character’s quirks very well.

'Cordelia and Diane. We were vintage'

If you like the fast pace of Finlay Donovan books (minus the awkward and cringy romance) and really miss Dexter, you will love This Girl's a Killer. Not only is she a killer, but you won't mind. She's the new antihero. She will do anything for the people she loves and a lot for people she doesn't even know. I really hope this is book 1 of many.

"When I held a blade and stared down at the bad man tethered to my table, stress melted away--it was only me and my monster, and a single goal: justice."

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press & Emma C. Wells for my gifted copy and Dreamscape Audio for the audiobook. All opinions are mine.
____

Cordelia Black kills bad men, delivering justice to those who have escaped it. She’s a serial killer and enjoys killing, even making paintings with her victims’ blood, but she has a code similar to Dexter’s. (IYKYK!) Before she’ll kill, she must see “smoke” in their eyes which indicates they’re no good. When her best friend’s new guy sets off Cordelia’s alarm bells but she doesn’t see the telltale smoke, she doubts her carefully curated system of identifying men who deserve to die.

Being inside Cordelia’s thoughts is a lot of fun given her unique outlook and snarky attitude. She LIVES for designer shoes, her best friend Diane and Diane’s daughter Sugar. They’re her chosen family and what’s MOST important to her, to the point of obsession. I enjoyed Cordelia’s POV, but wish I had gotten some glimpses of Diane’s POV too.

Cordelia makes an impulsive mistake after losing self control and begins to unravel. As the situation spirals out of control, things get a little ridiculous (which I LOVE!) with Cordelia making some nonsensical decisions which make for humorous moments. I couldn’t predict what would happen next! She’s a ball of inner conflict as her normally confident and controlled sense of self wars with old doubts and insecurities.

The audio definitely takes everything up a notch due to the emotion infused in Stephanie Kay’s voice. She sounded exactly how I imagined Cordelia would!

THIS GIRL’S A KILLER is comical AND gruesome with an utterly likable main character who is a toss up between an anti-hero and villain. I was unsure if I wanted her caught or not! I DO know I’d want Cordelia to have my back. She’ll definitely help you bury the body, and then afterwards take you out for gourmet cupcakes!
____

Potential spoiler content warnings below.



























⚠️Content warnings: language, trauma, stalking, gore, violence, knife violence, murder, Mention of: rape, CSA

Wow...what a ride! This book was so intense, I could not look away. Had to stay up until 1:30am to finish it last night. So good!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C. Wells
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 400 / Genre: Serial Killer Thriller
Audiobook Narrator: Stephanie Kay
Duration: 10 hours 51 minutes
Release Date: October 29, 2024
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Cordelia Black is a serial killer. She’s also a hero. She only kills bad men who hurt and abuse others and she’s really good at it. Everything is going great until the day it all starts falling apart and once it does, it snowballs in a major way.

I loved this book. The amount of things that go wrong is a bit out of control but that’s what made it so incredibly addicting. Every time something happens, you have to read one more chapter and then another and another. If you want a bingeable, entertaining read, this is it for sure.

I absolutely loved Cordelia. When things got tough, she just got tougher. She didn’t break down, she figured out what she needed to do and did it. I love characters like this. I also appreciated her dedication to her bestie Diane. Five stars from this Diane. 💁🏻‍♀️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I got advanced copies of the ebook and audiobook so I alternated between reading and listening on this one. Stephanie Kay did a great job narrating. I think her voice was a perfect fit for Cordelia.

Thank you, @Emma.C.Wells.books, @PoisonedPenPress, @Dreamscape_Media, and @NetGalley for my gifted copies. I loved it!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMediq for the book #ThisGirlsAKiller by #EmmaCWells. What a fun, dramatic murder filled book! Cordelia is a serial killer among bad men. She calls it karma. Now her best friend, Diane is dating a man that doesn’t sit well with Cordelia. Now she feels like everything could go wrong.

Audiobook Review 🎧📖🔪🩸

This Girl's a Killer
by Emma C. Wells
Narrated by Stefanie Kay

thank you so much partner @dreamscapemedia @poisonedpenpress for the gifted audiobook.

About the book 👇🏽

Ask Cordelia Black why she did it. The answer will always be: he had it coming.

Cordelia Black loves exactly three things: her chosen family, her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip), and killing bad men.

Soon enough though, Cordelia has to come face to face with the choices she's made. The good, the bad, and the murderous. Both her family, and her freedom, depend on it.

🔪 My thoughts:

Um yeahhhh this was an easy five stars! This audiobook was binged and listened to in one go! It’s ridiculously fun and addictive. I love Cordelia, even if she’s stabby… but it’s only if you’re a bad man… so I get! kiiiiiiding. I’m just kidding. Stefanie Kay did the narration and was FLAWLESS. The book’s content will keep you reading and Stefanie was a major plus. I 100% plan on getting myself a finished physical copy because this book is one I want to keep forever. I can’t wait to recommend it to everyone I know! This Girl’s a Killer is out TODAY!! Make sure you secure your copy stat.

Happy reading 📖🎧🔪🩸

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!

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!

I do highly suggest the audio version of this book. The narrator was REALLY good!

❗️Of Note
Death

Themes
🫣 Suspense
🔪 Murder

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

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

This was such a great audiobook. 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. I think the narrator did a really great job. I recommend listening to the audiobook! Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media. All opinions are my own.

thought I would like the female vigilante story, yet it was no Dexter. The main character tried to have rules, but didn’t follow them. Kept making mistakes while constantly talking about how smart she is. Good idea, but execution (pun intended) fell short.
The pace was ok. Narration good.

Female serial killers always pull me in and I loved this take on a female Dexter. Cordelia was a wonderful MC full of depth. I enjoyed her sass, gumption and overall badassery. This has everything I love in a story - drama, tension, hijinx and even a romantic side plot. This does dark humor well and still pulls at the heartstrings. This was an excellent debut!

Nothing better than a feminist vigilante serial killer! This debut will have you hoping for a series run of this fun, bloody novel!
Cordelia Black is the best friend we all need. She has a way of seeing into the hearts of really bad guys and then ridding the Baton Rouge area of them. Her actual job, as a pharmaceutical rep, even helps with this "hobby". But almost as soon as her day job is threatened, Cordelia starts to lose her careful control. Can she reign it back in before she loses her bestie and her freedom?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio e-arc.*