I am trying hard to explain without reveling details. I think my opinion will make more sense after you read the book.

This is the first book I have read by Vaseem Khan. I loved most of the book. I loved Orianna attempting to solve her own crime. However, at one point she just starts throwing out multiple theories and accusing whomever she can. I found that was annoying for her to be so set on someones guilty and then flip to someone else so easily after she was possibly wrongly accused.

Towards the end it reminded me of the movie the sixth-sence. If it were a movie I would have rewatched the whole thing to see where the clues were to the change in plot.

The very ending was deeply annoying.

For those reasons I gave it 4-stars instead of 5.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

I just finished a good book. The Girl in Cell A by Vaseem Khan is available now and is one you should put on your list.

The premise of this book is *so good* that I really, really wanted to love it. And I think other readers will! But the writing style is very specific (though well done), so if you're like me and are looking for a fast-paced thriller to zip through, this might not be for you. If you're willing to really commit to a longer book with a unique narrative structure, you'll probably love it.

This standalone thriller is a departure for one of my favorite authors.

At 515 pages, The Girl in Cell A needed some editing. There were too many twists, too many turns, too many about-faces, and the book's length gave me plenty of time to tire of them all. If I'd warmed up to Orianna, I might've enjoyed the book more, but she left me cold. So did the rich and powerful Wyclerc family. (I think I've reached my saturation point on entitled rich folk.) The only reason why I kept reading was to find out the truth. In that, I was just as stubborn as Orianna.

Thanks to möbius books and NetGalley for this arc!

I reallllly wanted to like this but it took me forever to get through. I don’t know if my head just wasn’t in the right head space for it or what. But it was a good book I just think maybe it wasn’t the right time for me.

The Girl In Cell A
by Vaseem Khan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a fantastic read. Fast paced with a jaw dropping twist! I look forward to reading more by this author

Vaseem Khan's The Girl In Cell A plunges into a high-stakes psychological thriller centered on the infamous Orianna Negi, a true crime celebrity convicted of murder at seventeen. Despite the world knowing her as "The Girl In Cell A," Orianna has always maintained her innocence, a claim complicated by a crucial blind spot: she can't remember what actually happened on that fateful day.

Enter forensic psychologist Annie Ledet, tasked with the daunting challenge of unlocking Orianna's fragmented memories and uncovering the truth. As their sessions delve deeper, Annie is drawn into Orianna's past, particularly her upbringing in Eden Falls, a town dominated by the insular and ruthless Wyclerc dynasty, led by patriarch Amos.

Through their sessions, Annie uncovers a shattering realization, revealing a hidden history steeped in scandal, sex, power, race, and murder. Khan crafts a gripping narrative that explores the murky territory between guilt and innocence, suggesting that Eden Falls itself was a fallen paradise hiding a deadly secret. The Girl In Cell A is a compelling read for those who enjoy intricate mysteries and psychological suspense, where the past holds the key to a terrifying present.

This book was ADDICTIVE!!! I’m a fan of fast paced, twisty thrillers (I get bored if stuff moves too slow), THIS BOOK MET ALL MY EXPECTATIONS!! I couldn’t stop reading this, total page turner, stayed up way past my bedtime, but I got it done and I finished this in under 24 hours. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for the opportunity to read it early!!

Release: July 8, 2025
Author: Vaseem Khan
Publisher: Mobius Books

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

The world knows Orianna Negi as the notorious "Girl in Cell A"—a teenager convicted of murder who became a true crime sensation. At just seventeen, she was found guilty of killing Gideon Wyclerc, yet she’s always insisted she didn’t do it. The catch? Orianna has no memory of what happened that day.
Now, years later, forensic psychologist Annie Ledet is brought in to uncover the truth. As Annie digs into Orianna’s past and the dark history of Eden Falls—a town ruled by the powerful and secretive Wyclerc family—long-buried scandals and shocking truths begin to surface.
What really happened that day? If Orianna didn’t kill Gideon, someone else did—and they’ve gotten away with it all this time.
The Girl in Cell A was a gripping and mind-bending psychological thriller that completely messed with my expectations—in the best way possible. The story follows Orianna Negi, convicted at 17 for the murder of Gideon Wyclerc. Now, 18 years later, she's being evaluated for parole by forensic psychologist Annie Ledet. Orianna still insists she's innocent but can’t remember what happened the night of the murder. As the story flips between the past and present, we follow both Orianna’s return to her hometown and Annie’s deep dive into her psyche.
The atmosphere in this book is incredibly tense—set in a small American town full of secrets, scandals, and a powerful, creepy family dynasty. The author does a great job weaving in heavy themes like trauma, memory loss, power, and corruption without making it feel overstuffed. There’s definitely a Shutter Island vibe with the unreliable narrator angle, and at times I questioned every single character (even myself!). The twists were genuinely shocking—I had my theories, and I was so wrong.
That said, the book could have been trimmed down a bit. Some parts dragged, and the number of characters made it a little hard to keep track of everyone at first. I'd recommend reading it in large chunks to stay grounded in the story.
Despite a few pacing issues, this was a clever, well-written debut in the psychological thriller genre. The dual perspectives of Orianna and Annie kept the narrative layered and engaging. The ending? Let’s just say I’m still recovering.
If you enjoy dark, twisty thrillers that make you question everything, definitely give this one a try.

Favorite Quote:
"the truth has a funny way of twisting itself, like a snake that sheds it's skin only to reveal something darker underneath."

I felt this book was way too long and could have definitely been shorter. There was also way too many characters to try to remember which made it difficult to follow at times.

Wow! What a book! This is my first book by this Author and the suspense did not disappoint! A very complex and intriguing book. I highly recommend this book!!

Orianna is accused of murdering a man that she states she doesn’t remember committing. Is she holding something back or did she really disassociate? A psychotherapist is brought in to determine her fate. What will she find out?
This book was very difficult to get through as I felt that it dragged in many places. I had high hopes as the plot is very interesting. I did think the ending was a good twist. I felt that it was way too long at 500 pages for a psychological thriller. I felt like I was never able to get into the stories or characters in it.

This one cut deep. It was compelling, mind bending and complex. This was the first time I’ve read a book by Vaseem Khan. I was impressed by his sophisticated writing style and well researched narrative.

The Girl in Cell A was a sharp, multilayered story that revolved around Orianna Negi who was convicted of murder at seventeen and claimed innocence despite suffering from amnesia about the crime.

There was a series interconnected circumstances uncovered as the story unfolded through Orianna's and Annie's perspectives. The interplay between the truth, lies, and false memories, as Orianna struggled to remember what happened on the night of the murder and as Annie attempted to separate reality from distorted recollections also portrayed the truth verse perception through the alternating point of views. Therefore keeping the narrative intriguing and moving along at a steady pace.

I most loved how this story explored the complexities of memory, trauma and guilt. Orianna’s amnesia was the central focus and the way Khan drew on this uncertainty had me trying to piece the everything together. Even more, the way Khan explored the secrets, scandals, and prejudices of the Wyclerc family was unearthing.

In addition to the deep themes addressed, I also loved the small town setting. Eden Falls exuded a claustrophobic and tension filled landscape. I liked how the small town mirrored the family dynamics and Orianna’s return.

Overall this was a compelling psychological thriller mystery that had me guessing until the very end. And speaking of the end, that was one twisted culmination. It had me questioning everything that I had been led to believe.

Thanks to Net Galley & Mobius Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 20%

Orianna Negi became a star within the world of crime when she, a servant’s child, was convicted of killing Gideon Wyclerc and, likely, his daughter, Grace when Orianna was only seventeen. She can’t remember anything about the night Gideon died and Grace disappeared.

Now she’s served her time in prison and she’s returning to her home town of Eden Falls, where the Wyclerc family rules, because she’s a masochist. Oh, no, wait, because she wants to find out what really happened. Girl, they stole half your life and they hate your guts, that’s what really happened. Take the L and try to salvage something. But because no one ever listens to me she goes back.

I had a horrible POTS flare followed by an equally fun round of bronchitis when I was trying to read this so I literally was reading maybe a couple of pages a day and just couldn’t get into it, plus, at nearly 500 pages I didn’t feel like I was making any progress at all, so I gave up on this one, so I’ll never know the real truth. Maybe it was good, but I wasn’t loving what I had read up to the point I stopped. Didn’t hate it, just wasn’t enthralled.

This was my first book by this author and it didn't disappoint.

Newly released from prison, Orianna returns to the place where it all happened. She can't remember what happened and sets out to prove her own presumed innocence.

Nobody wants Orianna back in town and many do things to scare her away. Her resolve deepens the closer she gets. Did she do it? Or does she figure out who might have?

This was a pretty fast paced read, despite being a longer book. Highly recommend it.

Psychological thriller that will blow your mind! Page after page full of dangerous secrets and lies and the truth. The family or the enemy...

A dark and addictive psychological thriller with a chilling edge. Orianna, convicted at 17 for a brutal murder, doesn’t remember what happened—but she swears she didn’t do it. As forensic psychologist Annie digs into her past, secrets buried deep in Eden Falls begin to surface. Think true crime meets power, privilege, and manipulation.

This book does an incredible job balancing suspense and social commentary, and the tension builds with every chapter. A couple of the twists were a touch predictable, but the atmosphere and character dynamics more than made up for it. If you love complex women, buried secrets, and slow-burning reveals, this one delivers.

Thank you Netgalley, Vaseem Khan, and Mobius for this ARC in exchange for my review!
Though it is lengthy for a thiller, this story in its whole was extremely fast paced and attention grabbing. This story swaps points of view between teenage killer (now adult) Orianna Negi and forensic psychologist Annie Ledet.
Because of the length of this book, Annie's chapters felt unnecessary at times, but overall did create the sense of Orianna being an unreliable narrator. Her chapters are necessary in tying the end of the story neatly together however.
The last fourth of the book had me back and forth trying to figure out 'who-dunnit' and the last 2 chapters had me shocked! I still don't know what I believe in the end!
This story is full of religion, rape, incest, old money, and racism, and will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew.
Overall I truly loved this book and will be recommending it to others!

This had an intriguing setup, a true crime celebrity accused of murder with no memory of the night it happened. As a forensic psychologist digs into her past, secrets tied to power, race, and family slowly unfold.

It’s definitely a slow burn, and the book felt longer than it needed to be. There are a lot of characters to keep track of early on, which can be confusing, but once you get the hang of it, the story becomes easier to follow.

The themes are strong and the mystery kept me curious, but the pacing dragged and some moments didn’t hit as hard as they could have. Still, it’s a layered story that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers with a deeper focus.

The Girl in Cell A is my first read from this author, but certainly won’t be my last.The story centers on Orianna Negi, the titular “girl in cell A,” who has spent 18 years in prison for the murder of Gideon Wyclerc—a crime committed when she was just 17. Adding to the mystery, Gideon’s daughter, Grace, disappeared that same night and was never seen again. Despite serving nearly two decades, Orianna has always maintained her innocence, though she has no memory of what truly happened. Throughout her incarceration, she’s been under the care of forensic psychologist Annie Ledet, who’s determined to break through Orianna’s amnesia and uncover the truth—no matter how devastating it might be. Annie’s reports give us insight into their complicated relationship and Orianna’s fragile mental state.

This is one of those books you’re better off going into as blind as possible, so I’ll tread carefully. Told through a dual timeline, the narrative shifts seamlessly between the past and present, each timeline carefully placed for maximum impact. Various plot threads start out separately but gradually intertwine as the story builds toward its dramatic conclusion—delivering twists, shocks, and surprises along the way.

Eden Falls, the novel’s setting, feels like a character in its own right. The town’s secrets, atmosphere, and dark undercurrents are integral to the story’s haunting mood. It’s a place you’ll want to explore (warts and all) without spoilers. The characters themselves are well-drawn, flawed, and deeply human. I was immediately drawn to Orianna, eager to follow her journey as she fights to prove her innocence. I also appreciated the cast’s complexity—many were frustrating, morally gray, and not particularly likeable, yet completely believable. It’s one of those stories where you find yourself loving to hate them, unable to look away from the emotional wreckage unfolding on the page.

The novel’s structure, with alternating perspectives between Orianna and Annie, took a few chapters to fully settle into. Initially, I found it a bit disorienting shifting between “then” and “now,” but once I adjusted, the narrative’s rhythm pulled me in. My one criticism is that the book felt a little too long at times—some parts dragged or felt repetitive—but overall it moved at a steady enough pace to keep me hooked.

What impressed me most was how authentically the author captured two strong, believable female voices. Honestly, I was in awe that these characters were crafted by a male writer—they felt so genuine and fully realized. The psychological depth and emotional nuance were compelling throughout.

This is a twisty, intricate thriller, one that loops back on itself: just when you think all the pieces have clicked into place, the author re-scrambles the puzzle. The ending is clever, unsettling, and left me questioning everything I thought I’d figured out. Even after finishing, I was still piecing things together—which may frustrate some readers, but I appreciated the lingering uncertainty.

All in all, The Girl in Cell A is a dark, smart, and twist-filled read. I’d recommend it to fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.