Member Reviews
I do love a good female psychopath on the warpath against the vilest of male predators. Camilla Black is a fashion editor by day, donning impressive designer clothing but by night she hunts sexual predators. This book is cleverly written and well thought out and highly entertaining. If you loved Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone or the Mindf*ck series then you will love this! Do be aware that there are a few super steamy scenes in this story, we thriller readers don’t usually expect that, but you can choose to skip right over those without missing a beat. Thank you Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase on January 17, 2023
Wow! Great debut thriller from Zoe Rosi! So fun to discover a new author. This story was so well done and kept me turning pages long after bedtime. Really great characters that kept me totally invested in the book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book
I found this crazy little thriller tested the limits of the credible - seeming to forget that London has more CCTV than anywhere else in the UK. I liked the idea behind this novel - of a sleek fashionista mmasquerading as a vigilante. The novel was pacy and enjoyable overall.
If you liked Dexter, you’ll probably enjoy this evil little book as well. A female serial killer needing to satisfy her bloodlust by killing off creeps. Although I enjoyed it, I thought the author set the bar too high by being reminded of an unique tv-show. Sometimes I even missed Dexter and wanted to know how he would have thought and acted instead of Camilla. This aside, the book was well-paced and I was drawn in from the start. There was an underlying tension, perfect for feeling that delicious chill down my spine. I found the ending a bit abrupt and it left me with questions. There was really no hints as to what Camilla was thinking, so I was totally baffled by what she had figured out. But it was also interesting that the author just didn’t reveal all her thoughts.
The book was well-written and it flowed along easily.
Overall a decent read, but it didn’t blow me away.
Thanks to netgalley and Amazon publishing for the arc
Thank you for providing me with ARC to read for an honest review.
Camilia is working in the fashion industry as an Editor. She has the life she's always wanted. She has a fabulous job as a fashion editor at Couture magazine and she's financially comfortable. There's one small hitch - she is a serial killer who has penchant for reducing the population of male predators that drug and rape women and children. She is on the prowl to seek them out and has been quite successful on a few occasions. She's good at and has no plans on getting caught.
This book captured me and I felt like I was reading about the female version of Dexter. I found the book captivating and hooked me in. I know some people felt the book was tied up and ran a bit short near the end but I didn't feel that way. I am hoping this almost turns into a series so I can read another book about Camila's adventures. There were parts of the ending that I was able to guess and put together so it wasn't a complete surprise. I would recommend this if you are looking for a fast paced psychological thriller to read in an afternoon. I highly recommend this book as it's a solid 4.5 stars for me.
UPDATED RATING AND REVIEW - Review for new edition - Pretty Evil! I freakin loved the ending! That's how it should have always ended. Now I can upgrade my rating to 5 stars! The old ending just didn't make sense considering the Camilla's personality and her track record. I liked the subtle romance happening in the book as well! Really fun read!
Review for previous edition - Predator - Wow! This was fun! I loved being in the mind of a serial killer, more so when it's a vigilante! I loved the strategies used by Camilla! I have to admit the ending wasn't something I was expecting or wanted to see... That disappointed me slightly, which is why I can't give the book 5 STARS and will setlke at 4 stars.
thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this before its official release in exchange for an honest review.
THAT ENDING OMG!! to say i didnt expect it would be a lie, but im super glad it played out exactly like i hoped it would!
i looove camilla. what a badass. 5 stars for her alone!!!! her character was so well written and consistent.
i wish this book was longer and i wish that the warehouse scene at the end was dragged out a bit more. i feel like it was cut a bit short and almost rushed?
despite that, 5 stars!
Based on the synopsis, I had high hopes for this book. It did not deliver at all.
I am a big fan of stories with women going absolutely feral, but Camilla is not a protagonist who can make you support her rights and wrongs.
I was unable to root for her, and I certainly wasn't able to find any big thrills in the novel. She is an unreliable narrator and a murderer who believes what she's doing is justified... and I absolutely love to read about that kind of psycho character... but unfortunately, Camilla just does not give me the thrill that such characters usually do.
There is absolutely no need for a grey character to be sympathetic, but (s)he should have at least something in his/her perspective, that a reader can connect with or understand his/her twisted logic (not accept but at least understand) but that simply wasn't present here... that je ne sais quoi that a character like this needs was not found in Camilla.
PS: the amount of name-drops for big brands in this book... way, way, way too much.
I love this intense, climactic thriller. I was incredibly invested in the characters and plot. Readers are going to love this incredible novel.
I wanted to love this book,.. but somehow the writing did not grip me at all. And although the plot was interesting, I struggled to keep reading. for me, it was too much emphasis on the character's main job, her clothes, etc. It did not have the feeling I wanted from a thriller.
Woo hoo! You go girl! Ahhh if only! What a crazy read! I loved it! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, serial killer, and plenty of really bad guys to go around! The storyline was very interesting and if it was actually a true story I would be all for the main character! Someone needs to protect certain people! The justice system does not get it right always! This book was definitely a page turner and I was glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!
This was a great book! It definitely leaves you wondering if people you know are really who you think they are. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat needing to know what was going to happen next. The twist was amazing! I can't wait to read more by this author.
Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi is about Camilla Black, an affluent, respected, influential fashion magazine editor. But Camilla’s glamorous life is a lie. Behind her poised exterior beats the cold dark heart of a vigilante killer, a murderer hell-bent on wreaking vengeance upon bad men.
I almost did not finish this book. I might be in the minority regarding this story, but I just could not get into it. I did not like the main character. I've read other vigilant justice books before, but this one was hard to get through. I thought this was going to be different than it turned out to be. For me, there was just too much narrative and "explaining" rather than showing the action.
Be forewarned there are explicit sex scenes and swearing that may trigger or upset some readers. I'm not a prude, but some of the language in the book is a bit much.
The writing was fine; this book was just not for me in how the story was presented. At the end of the book, the author states she channeled some of the trauma she felt, and it shows in the story. The scenes just seemed so angry and were hard to get through and feel any connection to any character.
I give this book a 2.5 stars rating (rounded to 3).
#PrettyEvil #NetGalley @AmazonPub
#PrettyEvil #NetGalley
A good read.
Meet Camilla Black: an affluent, respected, influential fashion magazine editor, who lives it up in her beautiful Mayfair apartment. But Camilla’s glamorous life is a lie. Behind her poised exterior beats the cold dark heart of a vigilante killer, a murderer hell-bent on wreaking vengeance upon bad men. Camilla expects to get away with murder. She’s careful. And anyway, it’s worth the risk. She’s making the world a better place with each predator she kills. But when one of her victims’ bodies is unexpectedly found, his gruesome death is splashed all over the papers. To make matters worse, she’s now being pursued by Detective Wheelan, a new addition to the Met with laser-sharp focus and a worrying habit of solving impossible crimes… She knows she should stop, but she can’t. Some men just deserve to die. Will Camilla’s insatiable appetite for justice be her downfall, or can she outsmart the police?
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advance copy.
A female killer like no other. A Hunter looking for rapists, peodaphiles to capture and kill. This lady takes her work very seriously and has some novel and very creative ways of dispatching her prey. Revenge is at the top of her list and boy does she need revenge. Camilla is the hunter and I did not like her at first but I was soon rooting for her. Blood soaked , brutal and I loved it!!!!!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.
A really enjoyable read about a one woman vigilante choosing her victims from the evil things they have done - well written the main character Camilla is a high end fashion magazine editor by day and a serial killer by night - definitely kept gripped although I felt the ending was a little rushed as I wanted more !!
Wow what a book. This had me totally gripped from the first page. It is definitely not one for the feint hearted and is quite graphic at times. Camilla is the editor of Couture magazine, lives in luxury and can buy anything she wants. She also wants to rid the world of rapists and the like. I thought that this was very cleverly written and it’s outcome wasn’t obvious. I liked how the different characters were described and how their connections to each other were easy to understand. This was easy to read and follow and was an absolute cracking read. Thank you to the publisher Thomas Mercer, Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
And THIS, my friends, is why shady, awful men should be quaking in their boots. 😉
A SHORT PREVIEW:
Camilla Black has been honing her identity for a long time now. She's become a successful magazine editor up there with the likes of Miranda Priestly (ikyk), casual lovers, and a great apartment. Under that perfect veneer, though, Camilla has a secret. She murders bad men. It's not like they don't deserve it right? Who's even going to look for them? But when her latest kill ends up in the papers, and Detective Wheelan, a renowned investigator, comes on the case.. who will win this battle of the minds? The secret vigilante or the black-and-white thinking detective?
MUSINGS:
-Is there really anything more quietly vicious than an enraged woman? The sheer number of women I know who listen to straight-up murder podcasts while doing their 4-step skincare routine every night? Mind-blowing.
- I loved the story premise, and that's why I requested to review Pretty Evil. There aren't many stories about female vigilantes because women don't usually make their kills so ostentatiously. (Funny how we're called emotional, but we're not the ones murdering people with axes usually, right?)
- I don't know what I expected - perhaps something lighter..? That is not this book, lol. Not for the squeamish; much of this is gory and graphic in terms of violence and s3xuality.
- Random thought... What do you think of vigilantes? Personally, I could never become one. I don't like to spend energy on things that could land me in prison. I'm not meant for prison life, ya know? However, I have to say, after having my own #metoo experiences, I'm not opposed to her style of un-aliving bad men lol... I think if this was really happening, I'd probably not be too upset about it. 🙊
FAVORITE QUOTE (S):
'I tried to date, like a normal twenty-something, but it didn’t work out. There’s something off about you when you’ve been abused, when you’re damaged, broken. You’re different. Men can sniff out the pain in you, like dogs picking up on a scent.'....'My pretty face isn’t valuable enough currency to make up for the scars. The men I dated picked up on the trauma, the voids, the hurt, and they didn’t want it in their lives. They didn’t want it in their homes. They didn’t want its legacy in their children.'
-- This stood out to me because it is absolute truth. It's the reason I married someone older. Someone who could understand imperfections and darkness. Once you have scars of any kind.. people of your generation don't seem to cut the emotional/maturity mustard, and I've met many women in my position who say the same thing.
NOTES:
- This book is one giant trigger with some catharsis blended in for good measure.
- Definitely written from a place of rage. The writer notes that she wrote this after #metoo experiences, so it was cathartic in a way for her to write and can be cathartic for us to read IF you've dealt with your trauma or have none.
- Written from the killer's POV - so one would assume they're automatically an unreliable unstable narrator, but that's not the case. I actually found her to be quite level-headed throughout the whole thing. (Which might say more about me really? lol)
- LGBTQ+ representation
- Read at your own risk!!
**I received this book as an advanced reader copy, but all reviews are my own. - SLR
An incredible read that had me absolutely gripped and also wanting to sleep with a ligyht on a little bit. Engaging writing style, gripping storyline infused with a tense and suspenseful atmosphere and well developed characters that only added more to the plot and atmosphere as it went along. I loved it.
I originally read this book when it was under a different name of Predator and I just loved it. When I got the invite for its new release, I knew I needed to be part of the tour.
Being a woman can be hard and scary enough and I think we all need to have a bit more Camilla in us.
I love her fight and passion in life, she just wants protect those who are vulnerable.
I really enjoy Zoes writing style and can't wait to read more of her books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️