Super entertaining read! I loved that Cordelia was giving me Dexter vibes. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and how bad ass she is.

Cordelia is a very successful pharmaceutical rep who has a dark side- she gets rid of bad men. She is very protective of and is super close to her best friend Daphne and her daughter. So when Daphne starts dating a man that just doesn't seem right, Cordelia begins to question her instincts and everything begins to unravel.

Tropes:
Serial Killer
Dark Humor
Found Family

If you love Dexter, The Mindf*ck Series and Finlay Donovan Is Killing It you will probably really enjoy this book!

Rounded up from 3 1/2 stars

This was an awesome debut novel. From the start, this book kept a quick pace and held my attention. About 1/2 way through, it seemed like all h*!! broke loose. I enjoyed the humor, found family, and the characters in this story. Would be cool to see this spin into a TV series where we could see the characters, their backstories, and where we could see more builds into the plot.

I’ve really been all about thrillers and serial killers. If that matches your vibe, snag this book. Perhaps you liked Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen, then this one will be for you! This also gave me Finlay Donovan feels.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I loved this it gave off female Dexter vibes in the best way possible. I found the main character funny and relatable. Definitely pick this up if you root for the vigilante!

During the day, Cordelia Black is a successful pharmaceutical rep with a good reputation. She is upset that the Feds have taken off Bosephan, the medication that’s been her biggest seller, off the market. During the night she goes after men who prey on women. These are men who always manage to not get punished by the legal system. Cordelia is always in control. She plans everything with great detail. It is this ability that makes her so successful in her murders. She has chosen her own family which includes her best friend Diane and her daughter Samantha. Samantha is Cordelia’s goddaughter. Cordelia doesn’t like Diane’s new boyfriend, Simon. When she realizes that the Feds may be curious about the samples of Bosephan that have gone missing from her possession because she’s been using them to dope her most recent victims, she comes up with a plan. But when she thinks Christopher, the local cop Diane has set her up with, may be getting a little too close for comfort, she must come up with another plan. Then, when something suddenly does go wrong, leading to a scrapes, misfortunes, and crises, Cordelia must plot anew if she’s going to survive. What is her new plan?

The author has written clinically detailed accounts of murder, dismemberment, and body disposal. It made me think of a tv show called “Dexter.” I do like the novel. Wells has made a novel that made me think Cordelia was an expert in being a serial killer. As Wells tells Cordelia’s past, I understood her better. The story has dark humor. The story is not about bloodlust. It is something more that the reader will discover. The book is a fast paced thriller.

Overview: Cordelia is a medical sales rep who secretly moonlights as a serial killer of very bad men.

Thoughts: Overall I thought this was such a fun book to read! In some ways it reminded me of Yellowface in that it gets inside the head of a female main character as her carefully curated lies begin to slowly unravel. Cordelia as a character was fantastically deranged and it was SUCH a ride following along as her bad situation got worse (and worse!). My main complaint is that I didn’t feel like I got enough of her backstory and in some ways it didn’t feel like the story fully resolved. For example, I thought there would be more with the McSmiley storyline.

Take home message: This is a humorous thriller with a female Dexter-like character whose life starts to go off the rails.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of Dexter, this book is for you!

Cordelia is a self-made woman with a secret hobby: stalking & killing men who are predators. She manages to maintain a close relationship with her best friend & goddaughter, & also has a lucrative career in pharmaceutical sales (easy access to drugs actually proving helpful in her recreational pastimes). Things start to get a little stressful though when there’s a medication recall at the same time the media begins reporting on a possible serial killer & her bestie starts dating a guy that gives her the creeps…

I loved the spoiler-free content warning in the beginning of the book, & the general tone of voice this debut author used when telling Cordelia’s story maintained a healthy dose of humor in the midst of some serious subject matter. Her artistic rituals & the neighbor’s dog were creative inclusions, & though it seemed like a few aspects of the story could’ve been a bit more polished I thoroughly enjoyed this novel & its themes of friendship, transformation, & adaptability.

Thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*4.25 stars

I honestly LOVED this freaking book...

Until the ending....

IT WAS SOOOO GOOODDD... I laughed... I got emotional.... I fed my feminine rage...

And then. the author chose to end it this way? It felt so rushed!

Alsooo, Diane is kind of a terrible best friend.... How has Cordelia not killed her for her stupidity yet is my question to the author.

Overall, I loved the book, until the end. Hopefully the author will redeem Cordelia’s ending in the future.

100% obsessed with Cordelia Black! If you liked Dexter and need a story where a woman takes the reigns and finishes off bad men, Cordelia is your girl! Unbelievable this is a debut novel; the characters were fleshed out and likeable and the story did not lack a thing! Fingers crossed for more Cordelia in our future!

A female serial killer, well that's the plot of The Girl's a Killer.

The story started out lively, but then dragged a bit with the main characters need for her lifestyle overtaking her side hustle. Essentially, the killer becomes the bad guy just like the men she's killing. While the novel reads a bit slow, it could've be shortened from its 400+ pages for a more enjoyable read.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. cordelia (hello buffy) black should hook up with joe goldberg and right the world together. the author is very funny and the writing is sharp. i liked the plot and how i didn't feel slowed down at all because there was always something more to want to know. i also liked her day job and it not becoming some kind of joke.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of This Girl's a Killer.

Yes!! Give me a female Dexter all day long! I love it!!! A bad-ass FMC heads up the story about a woman killing bad men in South Louisiana. With a killer wardrobe, she slays.... LITERALLY! This novel had me laughing out loud, cheering for our morally grey FMC, and turning the page as fast as I could to find out what happened next.

Cordelia Black is a successful pharmaceutical rep. Her biggest seller a sleeping pill that also helps her incapacitate the men who are a danger to other women in society. When the sleeping pill has to be recalled and the news is throwing around the term "serial killer," Cordelia has to lay low. Or at least try. Dammit, she really did try, but when a man who threatens her best friend and goddaughter's well being tries to blackmail Cordelia into leaving her found family alone so he can have his way with them, what is she supposed to do? As her world continues to spiral, Cordelia can only do what she does best. Kill while looking killer!

Entertaining and fun read, Cordelia is a killer worth rooting for. Cordelia's character development was dynamic and made you want to see her win. The plot was fast-paced, interesting and you were with Cordelia the whole time wondering what she was going to do next. I loved her relationship with Diane and her daughter. However, I felt that the cop love interest and her job storyline did not do anything overall for the story and was distracting. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

from the beginning, tension and anger between the main characters was far too strong. i can’t believe they actually had any “good” feelings at that moment. however, throughout the book they quickly changed and became the softest, kindest couple.

even though reading the book in a book was kind of awkward… i loved how they expressed their emotions while working together.

Really good one, definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I really liked when the story of joanie came out, that really blew my mind, though i wont tell. I also really like reading this from the pov of cordelia, i dont think i have read a book from this pov before. You really get into her mind, showing how yes she does bad things, but is she a bad person? She is likeable for sure, and she has good intentions. Its just really interesting because it shows its not all black and white. Really well written.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

2.5 stars***

You can take the title of this book literally that’s for sure! This book follows Cordelia Black who has a side quest to get rid of evil men that have either evaded justice or just haven’t been caught yet. This book was giving me a mix between the bandit queens and the mind f*ck series however without the connection to the characters. I just hated Cordelia with a passion throughout this entire book, the way her subconscious spoke was very psychopathic and even though these men she was killing were not good human beings the way she dealt with them and her thought processes/justifications just didn’t sit right with me and I think that’s what this book is supposed to make you question - your ideas of justice and i guess if people like this deserve the death penalty/harsher punishments. The writing was okay for me nothing too spectacular and Cordelia’s relationships with her best friend and her best friends daughter made me feel uncomfortable and the constant negative thoughts/feelings from her just made me to be honest feel sick and annoyed. Although I appreciated the thoughts this book provoked I didn’t agree with how these characters were portrayed and if it was necessary to be done this way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an arc in exchange for a honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book officially publishes on 10/29/24!

This book was such a fun ride! I’ve seen comments relating this as a female version of Dexter, to which I must say I agree. It did take me a bit to become invested in this one but once I was, I was hooked and literally could not look away until the last page. This novel features some great character development, putting the readers directly into the mind of the main character - so much so that I felt some pseudo anxiety for her! If you are a fan of thrillers or crime related stories, I definitely recommend giving this one a read!

A serial killer you can root for? Who would have thought I'd be hoping a serial killer is successful and can stay hidden. Cordelia Black is many things; a polished pharmaceutical representative, a best friend, a godmother, a woman who has overcome her own tragic past, and yes, a stalker and killer of bad men. Cordelia has a plan for everything, but we know what happens to the best laid plans, they go awry. Can Cordelia adjust and stay under the radar of the police, even when her best friend has made an unfortunate choice in boyfriends? Throw in an adorable devil dog named Mango and watch the antics. And, oh yes, find out what works better on a decomposing body; kitty litter or ice.

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ecopy. My opinion is my own.

I adore a strong female character and this book offers multiple to read about. This Girl's a Killer is a fun read that I think many book clubs will enjoy. My only complaint is there was a lot of repetitive parts in the story. This book is still worth the read in my opinion. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Emma C. Wells, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Emma C. Wells’ debut novel, "This Girl’s A Killer", introduces readers to Cordelia Black—a polished pharmaceutical rep by day and a killer of bad men by night. Cordelia’s life is all about control, from her designer wardrobe to her meticulous nocturnal missions. But when the media starts speculating about a serial killer in South Louisiana, Cordelia’s carefully managed double life begins to unravel, especially as her best friend Diane starts dating someone Cordelia doesn’t trust.

This book is a fast-paced, wildly entertaining thriller that’s equal parts suspenseful and darkly funny. Think of it as Dexter with a satirical twist or I Love Lucy gone murderously rogue—Cordelia’s misadventures are as tense as they are unexpectedly hilarious. Wells masterfully balances Cordelia’s growing anxiety with moments of sharp, dark humor that made me laugh even as the stakes grew higher.

As the story spirals, everything that can go wrong does, and Wells’ knack for twists keeps you hooked until the end. The writing captures Cordelia’s unraveling with precision, making her a compelling character to root for, even when her moral compass points in questionable directions.

While the book is undeniably gripping, it does suffer slightly from repetitive descriptions, which can occasionally pull you out of the action. That said, the energy and creativity of the plot more than compensate, making this a standout addition to the growing subgenre of morally complex female killers.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the advance copy. If you enjoy thrillers with a dash of dark humor and a protagonist who’s as chaotic as she is captivating, This Girl’s A Killer is well worth the read.

Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical sales person. The product that she mainly sells has come under scrutiny and recall. That is the beginning of her life definitely going off track.

A "Dextor" type story that was fun. I enjoyed the relationship between Cordelia, Diane and Samantha (Diane's daughter and Cordelia's god daughter).