Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and the author, Amy Suiter Clarke. I really liked this book. I like books that have a podcast touch to them and this really had one. Serial killers are a topic that I like to read about too and I want to see them catch them as well! This book was well written and had a well flushed out description of Elle Castillo and along with her desire to get TCK,

This was a very well written novel and I will for sure read more from Amy Suiter Clarke.

Suiter Clarke's debut novel centres around the popular world of true crime podcasting.  And like others who have offered similar books Suiter Clarke manages to balance past crimes - revealed via podcast interviews and research - with the events of the present. Indeed here it's done particularly well as there's a lag in revealing the podcast episodes that have aired when we first meet our characters. They're referenced so there's some foreshadowing of what's to come but it's timed perfectly to offer readers only a little insight into the fate that's about to befall our characters.

I really liked Elle and her coroner husband Martin. I'd love to see more of them. Elle mentions that this is her fifth season of podcasting and I initially wondered if there'd been other books in the series. Of course there are reasons Elle picks the TCK case but there's something about the way Suiter Clarke has developed the (lead and supporting) characters that make them seem as if they deserve more bookish outings. I certainly liked the healthy relationship between Elle and Martin which isn't something I often see given the amount of domestic noir I read. The fact that Suiter Clarke builds a background for Elle with the police and her best friend (and neighbour) and their daughter also feels like it's an investment worthy of revisiting.

Anyway... I guess that's a slight spoiler that neither Elle nor Martin get killed off here, so... sorry about that. 

Events of the book unfold via podcast script and narrative from Elle's point of view. Later however, we do meet TCK and Suiter Clarke does a good job of not giving us too many hints as to their identity as they share their story. 

I felt Elle's motivation for her interest (or obsession) with TCK was kinda obvious but that didn't matter because Suiter Clarke times the 'reveal' well. And similarly the final  sequences of the book aren't drawn-out excessively which is often a frustration of mine. The pacing felt spot-on here.

I enjoyed this debut release by Suiter Clarke and hope to read more of her work. (Even if it isn't more in the podcasting series with Elle and Martin.)

YES, YES, YES! Everyone stop what you're doing and start reading this book right now (especially if you're a fan of true crime podcasts and ID shows like I am). Girl, 11 drew me in from the beginning and there was no way I was going to stop until I too discovered who TCK really was. I really appreciated the family aspect of the story as well. Elle is a force of nature. Sure, she makes some mistakes and gets herself into some sticky situations, but she's doing it for the good of families, and young women, everywhere. I really hope this isn't the end of Elle's story and hope Amy Suiter Clarke continues this story.


5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a dark and twisty thriller, and I was all in for it. It took me awhile to get through it, but once I did I was hooked!!

This has such a great premise, which made me want to read it. I absolutely loved this thriller. Took me out of a reading slump, highly recommend!

I like serial killer books. Serial killers fascinate me, maybe it's because i just can't believe someone is that evil. This book was written in the form of an investigative podcast, that's first time i've read a book like that and i liked it. I think this is Amy Suiter Clarke's debut novel, she did such a great job. I hope she writes more books.

In this debut thriller, Amy Suiter Clarke writes in the formula of a true podcast story. Girl 11 is the investigation into the Child Killer cases that police could not solve. Ellie Castillo is a former social worker with her own personal issues from a childhood incident. She now publishes Justice Delayed a popular podcast focusing on children who have been murdered. When a potential new clue is stymied, Ellie has to look for other means to pursue the serial killer and the twists and turns keep on coming. An exciting thriller from a new author with a four-and a-half star worthy rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

Social Worker turned True Crime Podcaster Elle Castillo begins her newest season on the infamous Countdown Killer, when a listener phones in saying he knows who the Countdown Killer is Elle kickstarts her investigation on their identity. When TCK remerges it's up to Elle to find the answers without hurting herself and the people she .loves in the process.

Just trust me when I say you NEED to pick up this book,

I am becoming a huge fan of the inclusion of podcasts in books and I think it really adds to the narrative, especially in crime novels. The book flips between the podcast episodes and Elle's real life as she works to uncover the identity of TCK, she begins to work alongside the police force and her podcast community as things start to unravel.

Honestly Girl, 11 will have you on the edge of your seat demanding answers as to who is The Countdown Killer and you'll probably be asking yourself what connection they have to Elle.

This is my favourite thriller of the year so far and I read the whole thing in less than 24 hours it was that enjoyable. Amy Suiter Clarke has written such an enjoyable and enthralling debut novel and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

Thank you again to Text Publishing for providing me the opportunity to read and review this book.

5 big stars from me!

Wow! This book was fantastic! I'm honestly a bit of a book snob when it comes to mysteries so I tend to stick with Agatha Christie and I don't stray from that much, but Girl, 11 sounded intriguing. I'm so glad I gave this book a chance. I was a bit unsure at the beginning because I'm not overly fond of the whole transcript/oral history style of writing, however this book is mainly prose and the podcast transcripts interspersed throughout are actually a great stylistic choice to help advance the story.

The story centres around Elle, the host of a true crime podcast investigating cold cases in Minnesota. The new season of her show is focused on TCK, The Countdown Killer, who had terrorized the Twin Cities in the late 90s but has been inactive for over 20 years. When an open police investigation begins to align a bit too closely with TCK's methodology, Elle must try to convince colleagues, friends and family that she's not merely projecting her podcast research onto a new case.

The book is very gripping and the tension that builds as Elle delves deeper and deeper into the mystery keeps the reader hooked and not wanting to set the book down. I read the book in one sitting (staying awake into the wee hours), because I simply had to know what would happen. There was a really fantastic twist, that I didn't see coming until halfway through the book. I highly recommend Girl, 11 to any mystery fans especially those like me who often find themselves frustrated by the predicability of many mystery stories. I really hope that Amy Suiter Clarke will write more novels in the future, I'm very eager to see what else she can come up with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing this eARC for review.

Elle Castillo is a former social worker who is now the host of a popular true crime podcast that focuses on the cold cases of missing children in her hometown of Twin Cities. After two seasons, she decides to tackle the "The Countdown Killer" or TCK.

The TCK had a pattern of killing three girls over seven days but stopped with his eleventh victim over twenty years ago. When Elle receives a phone call with a tip, she agrees the meet the man but instead discovers his dead body. Shortly thereafter, a child is abducted.

The podcast sections are the book were enjoyable, however I had a hard time keeping my interest in the rest of the story.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't have a whole lot to say about this one. It didn't blow me out of the water or keep me on the edge of the seat - perhaps to due the sheer incredulity of certain aspects such as seasoned detective requesting the help of a true crime podcaster to help solve a series of grisly crimes. Strikes me as more of an in-house kind of operation. That said, I did find it to be an entertaining popcorn thriller and I'll likely give the author's next effort a go.

This book kept me turning the pages. I wanted to know the outcome. I wanted to see what would happen. The story in and of itself is compelling. That said, if I am honest, I am not sure if I would have finished it if the story was not as compelling as it was. So I guess I have rather mixed feelings on this one although ultimately it had me hooked.

I think what leads to my fixed feelings are two things. The first being the main character, Elle. It bothered me greatly that she titled herself an independent investigator despite not having any credentials. This was covered a lot in the story, but I am not sure how I feel about the way that it was ultimately handled in the story. I think it slightly problematic. I wish she had titled herself an investigative journalist. She seemed to associate the title journalist with something bad but did not see a problem with titling herself an investigator? I just don't know how to feel about all of that. Also associating all of journalism with the idea that it is all negative is bothersome to me too.

Second, while I was committed to the story, I probably would not have picked it up if I had known the victims were going to be as young as they were. I should have read the synopsis more closely. Anything dealing with children tends to be a bit of a trigger for me so heads up if that bothers you too.

This is a lot of complaining and so you may be surprised that I landed on 3 stars. Despite all of my complains, the story itself is very engaging. While the main character is off-putting, I wanted to see the story through. The pacing of this one doesn't miss a beat. It is great at keeping you interested in the story and making it difficult to put down.

So...in summary, while this has some aspects to me that bothered me, I still think it was a compelling thriller. I don't think you will be bored with this one.

Elle Castillo once trained as a social worker, supporting young victims of violent crime. Now she hosts a popular true crime podcast that focuses on cold cases of missing and abducted children. Elle Castillo is living my dream life and this has been my favorite book of the year! Please read this if you love fast paced thriller that will keep you up past your bedtime!

4.5★s
Girl, 11 is the first novel by US-born author, Amy Suiter Clarke. Ten unsolved abductions that began almost a quarter of a century earlier, nine young women murdered, justice not done, a killer still free to roam the streets and pick off new victims: Elle Castillo has had excellent success with her true-crime podcast, Justice Delayed, and now she’s determined to apply the power of new technology, and tap into the vast potential resource that is the listening audience, to solve these crimes.

The murderer was dubbed The Countdown Killer when it was noted the age of his victims decreased by a year each time. Elle’s investigations uncover some new information, and serve to remind the public of the facts of the case. Between 1996 and 2000, ten females were taken, but the abductions inexplicably stopped after an eleven-year-old girl was taken.

When Elle goes to meet with a podcast subscriber claiming to know who TCK is, she is shocked to find him shot dead. He sounded genuine, but his fear was palpable during his phone call, and his mentions of concern for “her” have Elle worried: could this be TCK shutting down a possible lead?

When Commander Ayaan Bisha, head of Crimes Against Children, invites Elle to consult on the abduction of an eleven-year-old girl at the request of her parents, Elle does not hesitate: she has experience with abductions. She is soon convinced the girl was taken by TCK but a previous near miss on her part makes Ayaan wary. Until another girl goes missing, this one is much closer to home for Elle. Has the TCK started again? Or is it a copycat?

The story is told over several time periods, in straight narratives, flash-backs and transcripts of Elle’s podcasts which feature interviews with relatives and friends of victims, former police detectives, a medical examiner, a psychiatrist, and the only surviving victim. This format has been done before, but certainly not as well as Suiter Clarke does it.

Suiter Clarke slowly feeds the facts to the reader, building the tension up to a nail-biting climax, all the while keeping the reader guessing with distractions and red herrings, twists and turns. Her characters have depth and appeal enough to have the reader concerned for their fate and cheering them on. More of Elle Castillo and her investigative podcasts would be welcome. This is an excellent crime fiction debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. With a well-woven plot with multiple points of view, the transcripts, flashbacks, and the podcast, I was totally riveted. Did I mention that stories about serial killers fascinate me?

The pace of the story keeps you thoroughly engaged from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and Text Publishing for this advanced reader’s copy.

Elle Castillo left her job as a social worker helping kids who were victims of violent crimes to start a podcast investigating cold cases of missing children. After four successful seasons resulting in solving cases, she is currently working on her most challenging case, that of the man nicknamed the countdown killer (TCK) who murdered young woman and girls in the 1990s. His MO was exactly the same in all nine cases, with the girls carefully chosen according to a formula and killed in the same manner after the same period of time. Then he suddenly stopped, but Elle is convinced he is still out there and is determined to use her podcast to uncover new clues that will help to flush him out.

I enjoyed the author's writing style, moving fluidly between the podcast and Elle's home life. The story unfolds slowly at first, gradually building tension by the middle of the book, after someone who arranged to meet Elle with information is killed. I was pleased that the police were involving Elle in working on the case and respected her ability as an investigator, rather than shutting her out, although they seemed unrealistically tolerant of her later in the investigation, especially once there were clearly conflicts of interest in her being involved. However, she's a strong character with good investigative skills and it would be great to see her again in a sequel.

Amy Suiter Clarke tells a compelling story without really breaking any new ground. Elle has quit her job with CPS to ru a podcast about unsolved crimes. She has had a few successful seasons and gained a bit of a following. Her followers expand when she starts talking about The Countdown Killer. Twenty years before he had kidnapped and murdered women and girls in groups of three, counting down in age with each victim and adhering to a strict timeline. Until one little girl escaped. Most seem to believe he is dead. Elle does not.

We seem to have a lot of books coming out in the last few years about podcasts so the author has to give this one a little something different, which she does. There is a thing toward the end that seems to be treated as a big reveal but seemed pretty obvious from very early on in the narrative. It is almost annoying when there is a "twist" that is dragged out for no good reason. Vague mentions and hints get old.

Overall, if you like the podcast format and the cold case mystery/thriller, you will still enjoy the book, though. There are some great characters, even though it seems like some stuff is forced unnaturally into their descriptions and interactions.

This novel had a lot of potential but really is a different version of a different version of many other similar books. Maybe it’s me, maybe because I read mainly crime thrillers, the plots are all the same and have a read that before feel, but this genre really needs a new take on the story to be compelling.
Girl, 11 revolves around TCK, a serial killer who some twenty years previous kidnapped and ritualistically killed girls, each one he took was a year younger then the one before., hence The Countdown Killer label.
Former Social worker, Elle is the host of a true-crime podcast that looks into cold cases. After four successful seasons she looks into the TCK murders. But then a young girl goes missing and when her body turns up Elle is convinced that TCK has resurfaced.
I found the podcasts interspersed through the story to be quite unbelievable, that the information she shared with the public would actually be allowed to be made public, thus offering information to the killer.. Her being able to investigate and work alongside the police also didn’t have an authentic feel, but hey I guess after all it is just a novel. I feel this author will improve with subsequent books but just hope this one isn’t going to be a series.
#girl11 #netgalley

I don't know why it took me long to realize why the title was as it is. The author does a great job of making the reader focus on the quest to find the culprit that you don't even notice the obvious until the big reveal. It's a bit of a bittersweet read, one that reminds us to step back and consider how we treat people, both the innocent young and the scarred adults.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for this free ARC. This review is made of my own accord, with no monetary compensation from the names mentioned above, and/or the rightful owners of this ARC.

That was really well done and quite impressive for a debut novel. Elle Castillo is a true crime podcaster who puts cold cases under a microscope in an effort to get justice for the victims. In this, her fifth series, she is trying to make progress on a case that has been dormant for 20 years - the Countdown Killer or TCK. This elusive killer seemed to have an obsession with numbers. He killed 3 girls a year, abducted 3 days apart. Each girl was kept for 7 days before her body was displayed and each girl had 21 lashes on her back. And the reason for the TCK moniker - each girl was a year younger than the previous one. Numbers.

But girl 11, Eleanor Watson, escaped and broke the cycle. Eleanor was only half a mile from help and was able to tell police where she had been held. But by the time the police arrived there the place was a smouldering ruin. Three bodies were recovered - one of the recent girl victims and an unidentified man and woman. The general consensus is that the man was TCK but either way, the killing stopped. But Elle didn’t believe TCK was dead and was determined to unmask him during her podcast series. One night she gats an email from a listener which says “I know who he is!” Interesting. She agrees to meet the man, Leo Toca, late at night at his home (no, no, no) but by the time she gets there Leo has been shot dead.

Elle tries to work through the man’s contacts looking for anyone who might have a clue what Leo was thinking. But then another girl is kidnapped - an 11 year old. Elle is convinced it is TDK but the police are unimpressed. And that’s where we have to leave it.

It was really well written and hooked me in straight away. The format was interesting as the story was told through Elle’s third person POV and through transcripts of the podcast episodes which were really well done and worked well within the story. The pace was excellent, it just got bogged down a little bit in the third quarter but after that it sped up again and it was a race to the finish. Elle was a great character who was very dedicated to finding justice for the young victims of the cases she investigated. Of course her past was not a bed of roses so she is able to empathise with other victims. She was also very sensible and worked well with the police (mostly) without going rogue too often. Her husband Martín (pronounced Mar-teen) is the medical examiner for Hennepin County and is supportive and helpful.

All in all I enjoyed this vibrant story with great characters and enough suspense to keep you hanging. I did guess some of the major plot twists but I could never be sure until it actually happened. Thanks to Netgalley, Text Publishing and Amy Suiter Clarke for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

Elle does a podcast about a serial killer, the Countdown Killer because his victims in consecutive order are ages 20, then 19, then 18. I had a feeling of impending doom when I recalled the title "Girl, 11."
Chapters alternate between Elle's podcasts which also include sound effects and her life. We also read about the serial killer and his life.
I was absorbed in this story.