"Meet Cordelia Black. Cordelia loves exactly three things: her chosen family composed of her best friend Diane and her goddaughter; her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip); and killing bad men." --"This Girl's a Killer by Emma C. Wells

As a thriller fanatic, I found myself irresistibly drawn to "This Girl's a Killer" during the spine-chilling month of October. The captivating cover and intriguing blurb promised a thrilling journey, and I'm delighted to report the book delivered! Cordelia Black is an unforgettable character who steals the spotlight!

I paired the ebook with the audiobook narrated by the fabulous Stefanie Kay, and what a perfect match! Her voice brought Cordelia's dark humor to life, perfectly capturing the essence of this captivating character. Cordelia is the ultimate best friend—a fierce protector who ensures no vile man dares cross your path. Sure, she takes it to the extreme, but honestly, who needs the Justice System when you have someone like her on your side? I was itching to dive back in whenever I had to put this book down.

It was cruising towards a glorious five-star rating, but the ending left me unfulfilled. I have my fingers crossed for a sequel because I've become utterly attached to Cordelia!

Thanks to the author and Dreamscape Media/Poisoned Pen Press for providing this ARC via NetGalley. As always, all opinions are entirely my own!

#ThisGirlsaKiller #EmmaCWells #NetGalley #StefanieKay #Audiobook #DreamscapeMedia #PoisonedPenPress #GiftedARC

A new trope I didn’t know I needed? Woman serial killer. Especially when she’s after “bad” men. I seriously flew through this book, and did not want to stop listening. I was purposely finding chores I could do so I could listen to this and not totally leave my husband hanging 😂.

We’ve got a very morally gray FMC, and while when it comes to killing in general, she may actually like doing it, but she does have a code. Which also includes not hurting animals- annoying as her neighbor’s dog might be. So I was actually a big fan of Cordelia. She honestly just wants to protect her loved ones (her best friend & her goddaughter) and keep bad guys off the street.

This does have a little bit of gore (not much by my standards but others may find it unappealing). But it’s more of a thriller than anything else. If you like cheering for the villain, or see bad guys get their comeuppance, I think you’ll find this book very entertaining!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This was so quirky and fun but also kept me on the edge of my seat. The last 100 pages or so I could not put it down and I was so stressed out the whole time.

This was really fun!

This gave me Dexter-lite vibes with some hijinks...think Finlay Donovan but written so much better!

I really enjoyed this and I think this was a stellar debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
I picked up this book because it was recommended for fans of Finlay Donovan and Finlay Donovan is one of my favorite book characters.

I could see how this book could be compared to the Finlay Donovan series, but it wasn't completely like it, and it was actually more dark. This book was actually slightly more dark than I was expecting it to be based on the synopsis. (I was honestly expecting this book to be 99% humor and maybe 1% thriller, but it was really more 90% humor and 7% thriller and like 3% horror in my opinion).
I did enjoy the narrator, Stefanie Kay, and her voice sounded familiar to me although I don't know if I have listened to her narrate any other books. I also thought that despite this book being slightly darker than what I had imagined it would be, it wasn't a bad book, and the dark parts were only slightly off putting to me. Plus in all honesty this book was kind of addictive and I really wanted to see how this book was going to end.

Overall, I would rate this book 4 stars and I would look for more books by Emma C. Wells in the future!

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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This was cute, fun and predictable. I do love a female bad ass and I thought for a debut it was written well. I think this one will be really popular with people that like a blended genre.

Thanks @netgalley for my copy!

This Girl's a Killer by Emma C. Wells is a gripping and darkly humorous exploration of revenge and identity. The protagonist's journey is both compelling and complex, as she navigates the blurred lines between right and wrong while seeking justice in her own unique way. Wells’s sharp writing and engaging dialogue keep the pace brisk, ensuring readers are hooked from start to finish. With its blend of suspense and wit, this novel offers a fresh take on the thriller genre that will resonate with fans of bold storytelling.

This book was Dexter mixed with a little Finlay Donovan. I had high hopes for this - love a good FMC vigilante. It was a more of a drama when I wanted it to be a solid thriller. Some parts were filled with suspense and some parts got repetitive with our MC wallowing in her mistakes. Overall a quick and entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This Girl’s a Killer
4⭐️

This psychological thriller gets inside Cordelia Black’s every thought. She only kills monsters. She has a system, routine, and rules. But what happens when she goes off script? No one will understand that she does what she does to save other people. We first see Cordelia as a perfect, polished, confident woman, but then watch as she spirals with panic, loss of control, and fear of losing everything she has built for herself since leaving her traumatic childhood.

I tend to be a fan of female serial killer storylines. This was unhinged and complex as I found myself rooting for Cordelia. I found myself on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding as I turned the page and wondered how everything would turn out in the end. The only thing I didn’t like was how repetitive certain phrases and descriptions were. While part of me realized since this was all Cordelia’s POV and repetitive thoughts are part of the spiral, I found some repetitiveness distracting. Overall, this was an attention grabbing read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good vigilante serial killer psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This review will be shared on NetGalley, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Pub Date Oct 29 2024

Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, Dreamscape Media and Emma C. Wells for the ARC/ALC!

Finlay Donovan meets Dexter, plus the friendly neighborhood dog - this book was everything I didn’t know I needed! Cordelia Black loves three things - her chosen family of her best friend and goddaughter, her hairdresser and killing bad men. Much like Dexter, Cordelia only kills men who deserve it - bad men whom she can sense are evil. But much like Finlay Donovan, she lately finds herself in a situation she didn’t bargain for - her best friend’s new boyfriend turns out to be a bit evil. Before she knows her, she is facing losing her entire world.

This book hooked me from the very beginning! Even though her extracurricular activity was questionable, dare I say I found myself sympathizing for Cordelia - all she wanted was to rid the world of bad people. And most of all, she wanted to protect the people that mattered most to her. I found myself rooting for her to get out of the trouble she found herself in and to keep on “fighting the good fight”, if you will. If you enjoy witty, vigilante justice type thrillers - with a badass female lead character - look no further than this. I was grateful for the audio so I could keep listening to the story when I had to step away from my kindle! I will eagerly be waiting for Emma C. Wells’ next book.

“This Girl’s A Killer” releases October 29, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

A female serial killer who only goes after bad men? This was one I had to check out. This book was so well thought out and I found it really interesting being in Cordelia's mind. She was meticulous and had her actions so planned out that she was confident that she would never get caught. Plus she was working for the greater-good! Until one small mistake starts a landslide of other things that have her scrambling to get herself out of trouble. I really enjoyed the second half, as I thought the beginning was a bit slow. Great fun thriller!

I... I loved this. And if I didn't love it by the last chapter... The not so subtle shade at real life scenarios was iconic.

The dark and tense atmosphere of secret killer Cordelia Black created such a stressful reading experience that was everything I needed to help propel me through this book at the speed of light. I was well and truly stressed through this WHOLE book, completely unsure if Cordelia would get caught for her murders.

The narrative has a such depth when you think of what Cordelia was trying to accomplish - despite having some very questionable approaches to problem solving. But her attempts at ridding the world of "monsters" (as she calls them, and is so true) is unfortunately never ending because there will always be more monsters out there - as evidenced in the real life comparison in the last chapter.

This book also had a fiery pace, with the story never really settling down because Cordelia just couldn't catch a break. The side plot of her job falling apart was probably the least exciting thing in the book, and even that had me wondering what could come of it.

The bond between best friends (found family) is so strong and seeing all that Cordelia does to protect Diane and Sugar is so heartwarming, despite its violent side effects. It's a tale of friendship and questioning "how far is too far" as much as it is a tale of vigilante justice.

Did I vibe with all of Cordelia's decisions? No. But did I love to follow her path as she navigated everything? Heck yes.

Gerald isn’t the first man Cordelia Black has killed and he definitely won’t be the last. Pharma drug rep by day, monster killer by night, designer shoe lover Cordelia has her life nicely in order until everything begins to unravel all at once. The author makes it easy to root for the killer while laughing at the crazy predicaments she finds herself in as a possible monster makes things personal, and no one gets away with threatening Cordelia’s found family. Things I loved: Cordelia’s strength warring with her anxiety, the way we slowly learn about her past and how it made her who she is, Cordelia’s love for Diane and Sugar Bug, the twisting plot, the humor, and justice being done, Things I disliked-nothing.
I’ll be recommending this debut novel to everyone, and thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy, it was chilling. funny, dark yet full of love, and suspenseful, I loved it! Oh, and I can’t forget loving the devil dog….

Cordelia Black...if I had to know a repetitive killer, it would be her. I say "repetitive killer", because she's not your typical serial killer. I won't say much about her motivations, in order to keep my review spoiler free, but Cordelia has a big heart, she is deeply loyal to her best friend and goddaughter, and she's a dog lover (although it takes her a while to realize it). Is she a killer? Yes. Did I root for her? Also yes. I love this fun, witty thriller, all the way to the final words..."the end".

While I did like Cordelia and usually love a female Dexter-esque clearing out the trash plot, unfortunately this felt slow at times for me. I found the story largely feel like a bit of a drag, wondering when we were going to get to the thriller aspect of the book. Whilst I enjoyed the family focus of the book and Cornelia immediately sensing something was off, it just didn't feel that interesting for me to think this was a page turner. While I enjoyed some parts, it was quite slow and took me a while to get through.

Thank you for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!! I LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS!!

I have been chasing a book that makes me feel the way Dexter did for years. And this? This did not disappoint. I will always support women's rights AND women's wrongs. ESPECIALLY when those wrongs are taking out the trash that no one else will.

I love Cordelia. Sure, I usually do love a morally gray character. But she's the best kind--she feels real, like someone you could know. And her whole schtick of wearing designer clothes because of the perceived safety they provider you, like they're a particular sort of armor? I felt that IN MY BONES and felt so incredibly seen. And she has a motivation a lot of us can relate to--a best friend who has terrible taste in significant others who you're constant trying to get out of bad relationships/discover their own self-worth. Her method was just a little more severe than most people take.

This was so well written. You feel Cordelia's confidence and conviction, and you feel her spiral through to the end. You feel her anxiety while everything unravels. I couldn't put this down--I read the whole thing in one sitting, and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it. If you're looking for a book that reminds you of Dexter, but from a women's perspective (and without that weird relationship he had with Deb), you ABSOLUTELY need to pick this up! I can't believe this was a debut--I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Cordelia Black is a murderess who only targets bad, bad men. Pharma sales by day and vigilante by night, all while spending time with her best friend Diane and her goddaughter.

I loved Dexter and Promising Young Woman but this book did not resonate in the same way. I empathized with Dexter. I didn’t agree with it but I understood it. In this one, I really struggled to connect with the main character on a deeper level, but if you enjoy a murdery mystery this one may be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel by Emma C. Wells about a serial killer who has a code. Cordelia only kills men who violate women and children in some way. She has a legitimate profession as a pharmaceutical rep by day and a method to rid the world of bad men by night. Quietly and carefully, Cordelia knows she's saving women and children from abuse.

She's closely watching a new guy who comes into her best friend's life. He seems to her friend like a great guy. But, Cordelia and her goddaughter Sugar aren't so sure.

The pace of this one is pretty fast and I generally felt as though this novel was relevant and well developed. The writing is really solid. I almost immediately felt as though Cordelia was a female Dexter, ridding the world of terrible people. But the novel stands on its own apart from that show, and I enjoyed it very much. I can say that the ending blew me away as it was surprising and very well done.

This novel has strong content warnings for sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, and some pretty gruesome scenes sprinkled throughout. For myself as a victim of child sexual abuse, I was not affected or triggered. However, that will not be the case for everyone, so Reader, take good care. And let me just say I think Emma Wells created a piece of work that surprised me very much. That was mighty clever and shows the world just how brave this author truly is.

A can't think of a better title for this book. I really enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down. This is going to be a big hit.
Thank you for my gifted copy.