this was perfect if you loved the mindfuck series!! I was hooked from the start! The humour and the drama were honestly done so well. The characters are very unique and well fleshed out and I definitely rooted for the killer.

Vigilante or serial killer? Either way, I’d invite Cordelia Black to brunch.

Cordelia is no ordinary killer. Her hit list only includes rapists, child abusers, women beaters, the occasional murderer. Your average jerk has nothing to fear. Think Dexter, but with manicured nails, a sharper tongue, and a much more glamorous wardrobe. Because a cute woman in a killer black dress couldn't possibly be hauling a body into her car!

Cordelia’s story isn’t just about finding peace. It’s about protecting innocents, including the ones she loves in a world that has failed women, non-binary people and children repeatedly. She’s the vigilante that happens when the system is so broken that she has no choice but to become her own source of justice. Can we blame her? We’ve been told to stay patient, stay polite, stay palatable. But here we are, still fighting the same battles whether it's equal rights and freedom from discrimination, access to healthcare, education, safety, or the right to control our own bodies, all while the world shrugs and tells us to try smiling more.

If you enjoy sharp, thought-provoking thrillers with a snarky narrator and addictive, bite-sized chapters, this book is a must-read. Just be prepared to feel a lot because it's a wild ride. So much goes wrong, so fast, it spikes your blood pressure, shakes your faith in humanity, and somehow leaves you cheering by the end. Buckle up for a bloody, completely unhinged, glorious trip. Shoutout to Mango, the cheese-loving poodle.

This needs to be a movie or TV show immediately.

My thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Content warnings and author's note: While Cordelia's violence happens on page, the actions of the men she kills does not. Their crimes are mentioned but not discussed in detail, and are absolutely not glorified in any way.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. This is a great book. Cordelia (not Renee) Black likes to take care of bad men. When her best friend, Diane, meets a new man and introduces him to Cor, something feels off. Cordelia has her standards. She doesn’t just kill for fun. She is ridding the Baton Rouge area of predators. When Simon doesn’t have the telltale mark that she always looks for, she thinks she might be wrong. She’s not. After disposing of her latest victim, Simon knocks on her door. In a fit of desperation, Simon is dead. What follows next is a tense, fast paced story of what you will do for your friends. The book ends with the possibility of a sequel and I hope there is one. This would be perfect for Book Club. Its a great fast read, you will thank me later!

Cordelia Black is a force of nature! Fans of the show Dexter and books like Boy Parts or A Certain Hunger will love this debut novel from Emma C. Wells 🔪🩸☠️. As a strong supporter of woman's wrongs, I really loved diving into Cordelia's narrative and seeing how fiercely she loves her chosen family. I finished this book knowing that I'll keep an eye out for whatever Wells writes next 🥰

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma C. Wells, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I normally would love a vigilante story but I hated the main character deeply. For someone who talks so much about being so meticulous and detail oriented, she made so many impulsive and frankly stupid decisions. I try to suspend my disbelief as I’m reading these books for fun and not a believable plot. However, you’re telling me someone that’s scared they’re about to get caught, is dropping everything for their very expensive hair appointment or when their bestie wants to hang? Plus, some of Cordelia’s obsession with her friend was giving Single White Female.
I would still recommend this book as it’s an entertaining read, some parts can be funny, and I enjoyed the female friendship.

Cordeilia is our very own Diva Dexter!
Now I was rather sceptical how thos was going to go, with being obsessed with Dexter and both disposing of horrible people. BUUUUUT nope, Cordeilia is her own serial killer and she owns it!

From start to finish I was hooked, this book has it all and ticked all the boxes for me:
Sassy serial killer with a plan who also has a emseof humor and a hilarious inner monologue which makes her oh so relatable and even likeable, throughout I rooted for her! Slay girl... Literally!

Some stabby stabby killings... Yes! Without being too gory and unnecessary, I love me some dead guys that deserve it, just don't need to see it all.

A dog.... That is all.

All the ticks!

The story intentionally starts slowly I believe so we have time to get to know the character, build a relationship with them, understand the love Cordeilia has for them and how important they are to her and what she'd do for them. The slower pace gives a semse of calm, easy breezy vibe which reflects Cordeilia's vibe. When things start getting a bit frantic and panicky and all over the shop, the pace quickens... Adding to the sense of whaaaat theeee fuuuuuh! Of which I did shout a few times... And is what Im basing my reviews on from now on, this book was full of them, so many twists and turns that I never saw coming.

The story wraps up nicely amd doesn't leave any loose ends, even ones Id forgotten about were covered, everything relates and makes sense which makes for a lovely read.

One of my top reads for 2024 ,fantastic.




Huge thanks to Poiaon Pen for yet again publishing a fantastic book and to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC copy and most of all to the fantastic Author who allowed me the pure joy amd excitement of reading this book, Emma. C. Wells
Thank you

This Girls A Killer is the debut novel from Emma C. Wells. I absolutely devoured this book. It was a fun read. This book follows Cordelia, a pharmaceutical rep by day serial killer by night. But she only kills bad men who seem to evade justice. I love a book with a strong, not taking anyone's crap FMC, and this book did not disappoint. She has a chosen family that consists of her bestie Diane and her goddaughter, and she will do anything to protect them, especially when Diane starts dating someone who may not be a good person. This book was giving me a woman version of Dexter vibes, which I loved. I loved Emma's writing style and can not wait to read more. This debute book has made me a fan.

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Cordelia Black is a thriving pharma sales rep known for her image of perfection down to her very rigid schedule. She’s also a vigilante serial killer by night who believes she’s protecting the women of Louisiana by riding it of bad men.

But things start to spiral for Cordelia pretty quickly; her pharma account goes south, her best friend’s new boyfriend is suspicious, and a cop investigating the disappearances of local men ends up in her life.

While likely a minor annoyance for some, I found Cordelia’s relationship with her friend to be obsessive and her constant reference to herself by name to be a bit grating. It seemed to make the story drag as it became a repetitive focus throughout. While I don’t expect pure realism from fiction I found it somewhat far fetched how an incredibly rigid, meticulous serial killer could spiral so unbelievably spectacularly in everything that she was doing.

Overall, I really enjoyed the concept of a female serial killer and thought this was a fun read for the most part, albeit pretty predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

This book has PLOT honey, it’s full steam ahead action and you knowI love that nearly as much as I love a FMC serial killer 😍
Cordelia is a hot unraveling mess throughout the novel and I love that.
I dropped a star because all the plot twist are predicable and I wanted it to go one way (I can’t say because spoilers!) but It didn’t - it took the obvious route.
Still had the best time and I would highly recommend.

Ok. I need to preface my review by saying that I am trying to read different types of book. I am always drawn to thrillers and mysteries, so I wanted to try something different for me. This book definitely made me uncomfortable because I struggle with books where the main character- who we are supposed to root for- is a killer. However- this book is so well written, especially the character of Cordelia! She is a well rounded character, with some issues. However, these issues cause her to be a vigilante hashing justice to men who hurt women and children. Cordelia is a bit of a control freak- with good reason. She loves her "found family", and will do anything to protect them. She is funny, strong, has a dark sense of humor, and also shows vulnerability. All the characters are well written.

The story is entertaining, but also dark. I will add that the author did not reveal too much about Cordelia's victims- just enough to make the reader understand why they were Cordelia's target. I appreciated this and the author's note at the end explains why she chose to write the story this way.

As the story progresses, some unexpected things happen, and Cordelia is struggling to maintain control while also examining who she is.

Sooooo... yes I was uncomfortable reading this book. However, it was a really good read! I was surprised to find this is a debut!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book is the perfect one to take a break with, if your mood is veering toward grim but not too much. Cordelia, our MC is a killer, and her “victims” are monsters (not literally, this is not a fantasy, but to be honest, her victims are the real monsters, not some poor Ogre or Goblin), and we meet her when her life is starting to go awry.
Poor Cordelia, who is a planner at heart has to suddenly deal with problems on every front: her day work is plummeting, the media are starting to talk about a serial killer on the loose, and her adopted family has invited a new member in it. She is under attack on every possible front! This is what gives momentum to the book and keeps the story moving.
I enjoyed Cordelia and Sugar, I also enjoyed Cordelia’s new boyfriend, if we can call him that, (Diane not so much, sadly) and the reading is smooth and intriguing.
We have some comedic moments when things start to get bad for Cordelia, but I think that they were overplayed. For example, the part with Mango should have been hilarious but they made me roll my eyes, and that was it. So… what should have been a comedic relief felt short for me (time and again), and I think that this is one of the main reasons I didn’t love this book.
Mind me, it is easy to read, and it has an original idea, this is an okay book. But it wasn’t special.

Get you girlfriends together for a book club, because "This Girls a Killer", by Emma C. Wells is hands down one of the best books of 2024. I was hooked after the first page, and I read it in one sitting because it was so good I couldn't put it down.

This is the story of a serial killer who only kills bad men. It's silly and veers between how does she get away with it and ditzy girl who thinks she's in control.

For a book about a serial killer - this book is a lot of fun! Cordelia Black has a mission to rid the world of predators. Her meticulous world begins to fall apart when a drug recall wreaks havoc with her work world and a new man enters her best friend's life. Darkly comic events start to snowball as Cordelia tries desperately to maintain her hard-won control over her life. I LOVE mango the dog too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy for review.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

At first, I was excited. What’s not to love about a self proclaimed badass female “Dexter”? Turns out… a lot of things. The character herself completely changes throughout the book and not for the better. It’s almost like 2 authors wrote different parts of the book.
It has high points such as an independent female and someone looking to avenge mistreatment of women and children. Beyond that, the book missed the mark.
Maybe it was just

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC copy of This Girl's a Killer by Emma C. Wells.

Honestly, I also just picked this up in stores because I loved this book so much. I cannot wait to re-read this and figure out the little parts that I missed when I read it the first time around. What a wonderful debut novel!

Emma C. Wells does a wonderful job writing a gripping, darkly comedic thriller that plunges readers into the morally complex world of Cordelia Black - a woman who juggles a high-powered careers with her secret life as an avenger of wronged women. With a sharp wit and an even sharper knife, Cordelia is as relatable as she is terrifying. //She certainly is the female version of Dexter//

As the story progresses, the stakes are raised when Cordelia begins to encounter flaws in her methodical system. Her personal life - specifically her best friend's new relationship - begins to unravel the tight control she has maintained. This external threat forces Cordelia to confront the ethical and emotional consequences of her actions, while also grappling with the idea that her perfect life might not be as infallible as she believes.

You know it's going to be a good book when you're totally rooting for the killer.
Cordelia Black is a lot of things. She is great at her job, a great friend, and you know maybe she kills some men now and then, but they totally deserve it.
Like one of my favorite shows Dexter, Cordelia is secretly a killer. She has a whole ritual that up until the events in this book has worked to keep her off the police radar and left almost no evidence behind. Throughout the story as her life begins to spiral, I was on the edge of my seat hoping that she would make it to the end without getting caught for her extracurricular activities. I love her relationship with her best friend Diane and her goddaughter Sam aka Sugar.

With the downward spiral of Cordelia's well-laid plans mistakes are being made, secrets are revealed, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it was all going to play out. I will definitely be reading whatever Emma C. Wells writes next!

**Features:**

- Found family
- Female rage and a ‘righteous’ female serial killer similar to Dexter
- Witty and humorous while covering darker subject matter

**Summary:**

Cordelia Black will do just about anything for her best friend Diane and goddaughter Samantha. That includes turning the killer instinct that made her into a successful pharmaceutical rep against dangerous men. Cordelia knows she is making the streets a little safer with every predator she takes down and her carefully laid plan will ensure she is never discovered. But when her best friend starts dating a man who is more than what he seems and her company finds itself in potential legal trouble, her perfect plan begins to unravel.

**Thoughts:**

This book was a fun read but lost me a bit in some of the details. On top of being a lady boss, Cordelia Black is a dedicated godmother and friend. Wells does a fantastic job creating a female main character who is savvy and ambitious but still shows authentic warmth and fierce loyalty to those she cares about. Cordelia comes across a little overconfident and has some other quirks that would usually make a character unlikeable to me, but I think this plays into her double life as a serial killer extremely well. There was definitely tension throughout the book as Cordelia tries to stay ahead of the law and protect her found family, but the humorous style puts it on the lighter side of the thriller genre.

Though there is a lot I like about this book, it lost me a bit in the details. The odd part is that these aren’t the type of details that suspending disbelief would help overlook. As far as I could tell, this book was meant to take place in a realistic, present day Louisiana. However, every couple of scenes, there are very small inaccuracies that are simply out of touch with reality. They don’t really even come across as purposeful or due to Cordelia’s own lack of knowledge/awareness either. I know I sound really nitpicky here and other readers might not even notice them, but it irritated me that multiple, really basic things seemed simply ignored.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This debut about a female serial killer started off in an interesting, thrilling way. Along the way, we learned about the killer's past as well as her past kills. Cordelia only has two important people in her life and she will do anything to protect them. I thought it was an enjoying read especially since books written about FEMALE serial killers are rare indeed. I just wanted more from the ending.

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!