I don't typically go for female rage stories. I find them to be very cringe and millennial core, so I stay far away. But Cordelia, the MC, really surprised me. She was so well written and complex that she felt like a real person and not a caricature. Not to say that Cordelia should be mistaken for a "good" person. The lady definitely is chaotic with a dash of evil but I revel in every opportunity to root for a serial killer. This book is very camp and a little ridiculous at times but it worked for me and I loved this book so much.

Finlay Donovan meets Dexter in this brilliant debut novel. While this wasn't as suspenseful as most thrillers that I enjoy, I didn't even notice because I loved the characters so much. I devoured this one. The ending definitely makes it seem like there will be a book 2, and I'm here for it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The beginning of the book had me a bit bored, it read almost as if the author didn't know how or where to begin. But the unraveling of the main character was chaotic and gave me a pit in my stomach with sympathy anxiety. I didn't want to put the book down. Ending had me a bit bummed, where did Christopher go??! I wish he was somewhere there in the end even if it was her using him for more information.

I have to say my least favorite character arc is "strong women who claim you will never see them cry, queueing them crying and unraveling every moment on".

This is a fabulous story. I could not put it down. Ms. Wells has triumphed in the serial killer genre. She keeps the reader engaged with the underlying story while fully developing the characters both individually and through their relationships. She also found ways of breaking the tension with some laugh out loud sections. I certainly hope this will become a series. Because, of course!

This Girl’s a Killer
By Emma C. Wells
#thisgirlsakiller #NetGalley


Absolutely loved this gripping, thrilling, & entertaining story. Wells does a phenomenal job of curating and giving these characters real depth and well roundness. The main character Cordelia is a girls girl with expensive tastes, who values her found family, and protects at all cost. Action packed & enthralling I highly recommend this mystery/thriller/adult-fiction/women’s-fiction


📚Expected Release October 29, 2024📚
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley, & the brilliant author Emma C. Wells. I’m super appreciative & gave my honest opinion❤️

Unfortunately I did have to DNF this. I was expecting a more serious thriller, but this felt more like a drama. Now re-reading the summary about found family I see that I missed that. I think if someone is looking to moralize a morally gray FMC and add a more heartwarming twist, this will hit well! But this just was not what I was expecting. I may pick this up again at another point though!

I got this book as an ARC through NetGalley, but I also had already preordered it because of course I’m supporting local authors debut novels. The main character was similar to Dexter except think female rage. I loved the best friend relationship in this book and the storyline. It was fast paced and I stayed up later than I should have because I didn’t want to stop reading. It was refreshing to read a book that gets Louisiana right, especially being that it took place in my home town of Baton Rouge. I was definitely going to notice if those details were wrong. I have DNF a book for exactly that reason before. The way this book ended, I’m hoping it may have a sequel! If not, it’s a great ending, but I would definitely read more of Cordelia!

This book was a wild ride. It’s fast, entertaining and chaotic… but in a good way.

Lets start with a disclaimer: The premise made me expect a serious thriller about a serial killer and what lays beneath that. Forget it, if that’s what you’re going for, this will be a disappointment as there are multiple plot holes and our main character is a chaotic mess that would be caught in five minutes, so, not realistic at all.

‘So what makes this book worth reading?’ You ask, doubtful of my mental sanity. Well, this might not be a ‘could be a true crime story’ kind of thriller, but it’s definitely the funniest thriller I’ve ever read. Allow me to explain: Cordelia Black is a badass with a successful pharmaceutical rep job that allows her a luxurious wardrobe and lifestyle. Her best friend and her daughter are her favorite people, whom she considers as family. And she has, quite literally, a killer hobby: killing bad men . Think Dexter (iykyk), if Dexter was a 30 something high maintenance female.

Cordelia is THE femme fatale. Until everything starts falling apart and she turns into a chaotic mess, making rash decisions after rash decisions. Her intentions are good and she does her best to protect her best friend and goddaughter. When I say chaos, imagine a 30 something year old woman, perfectly dressed in expensive clothes, with highlights still processing in her hair, running home like the world is going to end because the handy man is in her house fixing the door knobs and she has a dead body in the bathtub of the guest bathroom.

And Mango, I found the scenes with the dog adorable and loved the ending on that one.

Overall, it read more like a comedy than a thriller, but you won’t see me complaining.

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGallery for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank netgally and the publisher I really enjoyed the start to finish to this arc copy I gave it a 4.5 I would of enjoyed the ending if there was a little bit more but over all I would buy this book and I would totally recommend to anyone who was asking for something that wanted a little bit of dark humor. This is everything I ask for in a book that is not a mystery or thriller. I hardly ever read romance or fantasy books and when I don’t want to read a thriller suspense novel this is something I am looking for. I will probably re read this one and I rarely do that.!!!

Thank you @netgalley, @emmacwells, & @poisonedpenpresspublishing for early access to This Girls a Killer.

Cordelia black is in control & she has it all. A good job, a great best friend & the best hair money can buy.
She also has a knack for hunting preditors.
Cordelia has fought hard to be who she is & is proud of how far shes come in life on her own.

When her best friend finds a new love interest, Cordelia has an uneasy feeling about it. Is she just being paranoid or can she spot a preditor a mile away?

Cordelia may not be ready for the wrench that is about to be thrown into her perfectly curated plans.
When everything you love is on the line, how far will you go to protect it?

I LOVED this book. It was easy to read, grabbed my attention & kept it the whole time! My first 5 star read of the year. I cannot believe this is a debut! 🖤

I was so excited for the set up for this book. It sounded so good but in the end it just didn’t work for me. It was slow in places and wasn’t as sharp as I hoped.

Cordelia is like Dexter Morgan. She kills bad people.

I found the writing style easy to read. It’s first person and not overly wordy. The story kept my attention. I liked the ending.

This Girl is a Killer
Emma C Wells
2024-53
❤️❤️❤️3.0
To be published September 2024
📚 📚📚Cordelia has a killer hobby. No, really, a killing hobby. She stalks and hunts bad guys who underestimate her given her blond bombshell status. And they wind up dead. All of them are killers themselves, so really she’s just making Baton Rouge a better place. But local authorities are starting to notice a lot of missing men. And now her best friend’s new boyfriend is taking an interest where he shouldn’t. And Cordelia’s new boyfriend is a cop. Next thing she knows, there’s a dead body in kitty litter in her bathtub and a poodle covered in blood. Can she get rid of the body before the cops knock on the door?
📖📖📖 The concept was there and it was almost magic. But somewhere got lost. Wasn’t quite right. There was too much background story that didn’t actually get to front ground. It was a like we got glimpses of an origin story that then got muzzled. I get it’s supposed to be a series but a lot of loose ends just left there. I doubt I pick up the next one. I almost cleared but then didn’t.
❤️❤️❤️JJ’s last words.Eh. It’s not Dexter. I would skip it.
Thank you to net galley for the ARC.

At first glance, Cordelia Black is a charismatic pharmaceutical sales representative living a polished life in South Louisiana. She is meticulous in her appearance, fiercely loyal to her chosen family, and harbors a secret nighttime persona: a vigilante who targets and eliminates men she deems deserving of punishment. Wells masterfully blends thriller elements with dark humor, presenting Cordelia as both a vigilante and a character grappling with her own sense of justice.

The novel hooks readers from the start with Cordelia's unapologetic approach to dispensing what she sees as karmic justice. Wells navigates this morally ambiguous territory with finesse, painting Cordelia not as a cold-blooded killer but as a vigilante driven by a twisted sense of righteousness. The tension escalates as Cordelia's meticulously crafted world begins to unravel, especially when her best friend's romantic entanglement threatens to expose her double life.

The strength of "Cordelia Black" lies not only in its thrilling plot but also in its character development. Cordelia is a compelling protagonist—an enigma who simultaneously captivates and challenges readers' sympathies. Wells skillfully peels back the layers of Cordelia's psyche, revealing vulnerabilities beneath her steely exterior and posing profound questions about morality and justice.

The narrative is propelled by Wells' sharp prose and knack for suspenseful storytelling. Each chapter unfolds like a well-crafted puzzle, with twists and revelations that keep readers guessing until the final pages. The supporting characters, particularly Cordelia's chosen family and those she encounters in her dual lives, add depth and richness to the narrative, serving as foils to Cordelia's complex personality.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The plot was a bit messy sometimes but I still thought it was entertaining. The main character would have been more likeable to me if she was not so egocentric. But she was unhinged and I enjoyed that. I did like he little touches of humor very much. And I did appreciate the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

4 stars.

Oh wow this one was super fun! I loved the whole vibe. Morally grey FMC. Yes please.

I had A lot of fun reading this one

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The premise of this was great and I enjoyed the start, but it just got chaotic. Way too many story lines going which left plot holes and a completely unrealistic ending.

What happened to her job?
Her relationship?
Samantha was a constant character in the beginning then phased out?
Cor was so calm, cool, and collected but suddenly lost all of that?
The guy buying the bodies made tens of thousands off of them and she was fine with $500 a pop?
Were her hallucinations related to her using the drug she had been selling?
Simon was wanted for multiple murders, but Di and Cor were never interviewed about their connection with him? Because Di would never have kept her cool and Cor had his head in her freezer.

When she began dating the cop, I was excited to see how she worked him to keep herself from getting caught. She so did not. And what cop enters a house with a freshly dead body and tons of blood spatter but doesn’t smell it?
And the head in the freezer for around a month? Really…

It started out fun, but the middle and end got way too muddy. I’m left frustrated.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and allowing me to leave an honest review.

This book is a wild ride. I thought we were headed one way, and then towards the end it just totally veers in another direction. I was kept intrigued and invested in the story all throughout the chapters. There’s nothing lighthearted about it, but for fans of suspenseful thrillers, this is for you!

Dexter, but with a much better wardrobe.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Thirty-three year old Cordelia Black has it all: a successful job as a pharmaceutical rep that allows her an exquisite wardrobe and a comfortable lifestyle, a close friend and a goddaughter whom she adores, and a killer hobby: ridding the world of bad men. So basically, she ist Dexter Morgan (of the highly recommended TV show "Dexter"), except younger, female, and with much higher maintenance and better clothes.

Sure, maybe calling her a "girl" in the book's title is a bit much, but other than that, "This Girl's a Killer" is a well-written, fast-paced read full of wonderfully dry humor. The book started to fall a little flat in the second half, as Cordelia's life begins to unravel and she makes one impulsive decision after another, not all of which are in line with her character and her intelligence (and has she never heard of Amazon Prime to order a card reader?), but overall, I highly enjoyed the book and am kind of hoping there might be a sequel, as Cordelia Black is very much a character I'd like to spend more time with. Hard to believe this was a debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"This Girl's a Killer" is slated be released on October 29, 2024.

I was really looking forward to this book based on the title and the description. But I found it a little lack luster. It took a very long time to get into anything to do with the main plot of the story. it wasn't until about 50% in that the book really started t pick up. After that it kept me on my toes. This didn't really give me the "thriller" feel. I enjoyed the last half of the book, it has some heartfelt and laughable moments.