Creepy atmospheric and twisty. There's some very gruesome stuff here and an unsettling plot with a serial killer who lures young boys. Ava, a 14 year old who is fascinated by dead things discovers the body of a missing boy and then becomes the ally the police did not know they needed. Detective Seth Delahaye values her input, especially when he realizes that she's also the one who found a second missing boy. Ava's home life is unhappy but she's got a good friend in John. Keep your eyes on the dogs. Tierney does a good job with amping up the tension and, even if you, like me, figure this out before the end, there are still surprises here. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney was such a wonderfully written debut.
This book had me hooked from the start and I could not put it down. The story is suspenseful and twisty from the beginning to the end.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

There’s a myth about geniuses. It’s been said they prefer solitude.

There’s a myth about teenagers, too. It’s been said they’re sullen and hard to talk to.

Ava Bonney is a teenage genius. The thing about being a teenage genius? It’s just lonely. The genius part of her lacks intellectual stimulation from…anyone. Only her best friend really puts up with her shenanigans. The teenage girl part of her just can’t seem to care about anything other teenage girls care about because she’s too busy dodging her mother’s blows, avoiding her mother’s boyfriend’s lingering eyes, and protecting her sister.

So if she’s awkward and a little off-putting, try not to be too offended. She’s just grown up a little too fast.

This is the third debut novel I’ve rated five stars this year, a story about children that’s not necessarily meant to be read by children. A book about childhood but not necessarily meant to be read by someone who’s currently going through it.

This book is both compelling and engaging from the start, as we’re introduced to committed, brave, sarcastic, and genius Ava as she sneaks out of her family’s flat and out to her makeshift animal body farm, where she’s been deeply engrossed in learning all about the decomposition of different animals for some time. We learn so much about this book’s protagonist in these opening scenes, and I dare a reader not to become immediately attached to her. This attachment only grows and solidifies as the book goes on, making the stakes in this book feel extremely high as your concern for Ava’s welfare tightens that suspenseful rope around you.

That feeling of dread and suspense is also held in place by the concern and care for the book’s children, teenagers, and domestic pets. (Oh, yeah, if you’re sensitive to any sort of animal-involved triggers, please seek out content warnings for this book before reading).

All of that heavy emotional lifting is mitigated by one Detective Seth Delahaye, who genuinely enjoys being a cop because he wants to do the right thing (not to be mistaken for the good thing) and takes an immediate shine to the knowledgeable and no-nonsense Ava. In Ava’a world, adults are people you don’t trust, and Delahaye knows that. His open acceptance of Ava’s expertise and the trust he puts in her efforts to help with the case is a really appealing depiction of an adult who knows sometimes you just have to trust your gut, even if your gut takes you to a fourteen-year-old girl who is smarter than you.

I loved how the 1981 setting was faithfully depicted in every aspect of the novel, from the criminology and pathology to the underlying social and economical themes. It’s a truly fantastic novel and well worth the read.

I was provided a digital copy of this title by the publisher and author via Netgalley. I’d like to thank the publisher for also sending me a finished copy of this title. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Amateur Sleuth/Crime Thriller/Historical Fiction/Historical Mystery/Kidnapping/Literary Fiction/Murder Thriller/Serial Killer/Suspense Thriller

There is no better Troupe than Creepy Children!! This book was great pace, well written and very dark and odd.

The story is about 14 year old Ava who is obsessed with dead animals and decomposition! While on her adventures she comes across the body of one of her classmates and she makes the call to the cops but then becomes involved with the case.

There definitely are trigger warnings for this book..... Animal death, Child Abuse and Death of a child. Make sure to look before proceeding.

I thought the book kept you engaged and will read more from the author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Fourteen year old Ava is a different type child. She has an obsession with watching dead animals decompose and collects roadkill to study. When her searches bring her to the body of a missing classmate, she makes an anonymous call to the police and becomes involved in the case.

If you enjoy books with unusual children, you’ll like this one. The main character is dark and odd, but likeable. She’s definitely a uniquely developed character that really makes the story. It is a slower paced read so be prepared to sit with it and its darkness for a bit. Some major trigger warnings off animal death, child abuse and death.

Deadly Animals comes out 11/12.

Deadly Animals is an intriguing YA thriller with murders, a monster, a long chase, and a satisfying conclusion. This is a debut novel with the potential to be developed into a series following the very smart Ava and Detective Delahaye. Set in the UK in 1981, the story at times feels unlikely due to the faith of the relationship between the copper and the teenager, but I believe teens especially will love this, plus the positive portrayal of a law enforcement officer is a huge bonus. I enjoyed the story despite understanding very early on all the twists because the characters are extremely likeable. This is a 4.5 I don't feel bad about bumping to 5 because of the amount of research that must have gone into some of this writing is astounding. Excellent debut novel. Additionally, I listened to the audiobook, read by Olivia Dowd, who did an excellent job with all accents and voices. It was an enjoyable read all around.
Thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies to review!

What a unique plot line! With characters you want to meet and situations that are hard to fathom, this book had me gripped from start to finish! While dark and intense, the characters bring a life of their own that give the story the personal touch needed to carry you through. It’s hard to believe that this beautifully worded book is Tierney’s first. With a slight hint at the end, I’m hoping to see more of Ava in future stories! Glad that this was a dual read/listen because I didn’t want to put it down! Thank you to Henry Holt, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for and ARC and ALC of this book.

Ava is an unusual 14 year old who spends her time monitoring the decomposition of roadkill. Late one night, when she sneaks out of the house to make her daily observations, she finds the body of a missing boy, and thus begins her involvement with a local serial killer.

Ava was a smart and spunky character, and I was always rooting for her. The adults around her, though, were incompetent at best and pretty much negligent in every way. Even the detective, who secretly knows Ava called in the dead body and doesn’t tell anyone, keeps coming back to her for assistance with the investigation, which seemed unrealistic and morally questionable.

The serial killer’s MO was more unique and interesting than most of the mystery/crime I read, but I was kind of disappointed that the author gave it away so early. It felt like for much of the book, I was waiting for Ava (and separately, the detective!) to catch up and figure it out. For this reason, the middle felt a little slow for me and didn’t keep me as engaged as I wanted to be. I was also waiting for Ava to be a suspect - even though the reader knows it’s not her, there were a lot of reasons for law enforcement to be suspicious - but it never happens, and that felt like an underutilized element to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy, in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/3 stars on this one. I loved the idea of a young girl who had a weird hobby (“road kill body farm”) and ended up finding a dead human body. However, this book just would not pull me in. Some parts were so unbelievable, I couldn’t wrap my head around them. Like a 14 year old who had encyclopedic knowledge of forensics/biology/decomposition all from books and magazines her dad gave her? A detective who allows a child access to crime scenes and gives her confidential information and police files? The use of so many unfamiliar words (that had me clicking on my kindle to decipher their meaning). I felt there were too many words in general, as though the author felt this was a literary novel, and had me skimming pages to get back to the plot. The idea was unique, and I had really hoped to enjoy it more.

Pessl is an author I have really enjoyed in the past, especially Night Film which was a real brain bender of novel. Pessl has shifted to YA in her last couple of books, which isn’t normally my bag, and this has some real YAish stuff in it, with our heroine being stuck between two handsome and mysterious boys. The conceit of this book was pretty cool though, with the protagonist Acardia being plucked out of nowhere to try to help solve a mystery involving a famous reclusive board game designer. I was into the idea of a board game designer who made impossible and complex bespoke games, becoming a legendary cult figure, I found myself relatively uninvested in the characters though, but stayed interest in the book because of the imagination Pessl put into the building of the world.

Oh I love this book. I love the different perspectives. I love our girl and her "hobby." I love the nod towards feral children and how we treat kids can affect them for life. I love the information about brain injuries too.
Just perfection!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut novel by Marie Tierney, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Olivia Dowd. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Ava is not a normal teenager. She has an obsessive interest in dead animals and how they compose. She collects roadkill in the middle of the night and pulls them into her den, recording her findings in notebooks. But one night, she comes across the body of her classmate, Mickey. Worried that she might be in trouble for her nighttime activities, she makes an anonymous phone call to the police. Detective Delahaye begins investigating, and Ava does her best to help, because more teenagers are going missing.

This is a wonderful debut and I would love to see it become a series, because the combination of Ava and the detective were wonderful! Ava's character is amazing - having a tough home life, she is strong, intelligent, interested in everything, helpful, very respective. While the subject matter is definitely dark, it's not overly graphic or gratuitous, though still sad and disturbing. This story takes place in the 1980s; there was an interview between narrator and author at the end of the audiobook which explained that the author wanted the mystery to not be easily solved with modern advances in DNA. So it's nostalgic, with a small town feel, and the alternating POV between Ava and the detective in short chapters were perfect to engage the reader with this story. Anxious to read more from this author!

Marie Tierney's first novel is titled Deadly Animals. Henry & Holt Publishing. The first hint of this book being exceptional can be seen in the reviews completed by people such as: Chris Whitaker, Peter James, and Lynda La Plante on the cover. This book also received the 2024 Val McDermid Crime Debut Award.

The early 1980s is when the book is set. The narrative is told through 13-year-old Ava. She resides close to Birmingham in a little town. Ava is not your typical adolescent girl. Her mother, two sisters, and her mother's intermittently untrustworthy lover make up her family. Ava is very perceptive and intellectual, and she is fascinated by cadavers. She wants to observe them as they deteriorate and document the outcomes.

At night, she slips out of her house to visit her most recent roadkill. She comes across Mickey Grant's disfigured body while there. Nestled in the rubble was a boy who went to her school. Before leaving the crime scene, she disguises her voice and contacts the police to report the incident.

This investigation is within the jurisdiction of Detective Seth Delahaye. Ava's extensive understanding of forensics and crime drives her to become engaged. Watching the police try to solve this murder is too painful for her.


I think this is a great book and would be a great book for your young adults that are looking for something different. This is a slow burner, but it was good. Also, this is a wonderful debut novel, and i think it would be great to have a book based off AVA when she is older, to see if her eccentric behaviors remain or if they go away with age. Ava reminded me of a young Temprence Brennan

Deadly Animals follows a peculiar 14 year-old girl as she helps a detective in a serial killer investigation. Ava loves to study dead animals and how they decompose. I went out of my comfort zone on this book, as I am a little squeamish with reading about things like decomposing flesh, but I found that only the first few chapters were the tough ones to get through. Once I knew Ava's personality, I was with her til the end of the book. I didn't love when you find out who the killer is, as I prefer as close to the last page as possible, but it made for a thrilling ending to see everything come together. Truly a unique premise and main character.

There are numerous trigger warnings for this book. While there is animal/child cruelty/death, it happens in past scenes where you are reading about the discovery.

I received an ARC and ALC from Henry Holt & Company | Henry Holt and Co. and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. Birmingham, England 1981: 13 year-old Ava Bonney is unlike other teenagers. First of all, she keeps a level head in almost any situation. But secondly, she studies the dead to learn what she can from decomposition. As she is engaging in her hobby, she finds the body of a local bully and calls it in to the police. This is only the start of a number of strange murders that take place in Ava's vicinity and she does what she can to help the police. Detective Seth Delahaye is on the case but mostly, Ava is the star investigator.
This novel was fantastic and I'm very happy to report that it's the start of a new series starring Ava. Love that it takes place in the 80s so it was more difficult to investigate the murders and other strange happenings.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for this e-arc.*

I've read so many murder mysteries lately that I have grown a little tired of them, but I can honestly say that this book was absolutely riveting. For some reason, I kept getting "All the Colors of the Dark" vibes from some of the characters. Any of you who have followed my reviews for the last few months will know that that book is one of my top reads this year, so the comparison is a good thing!

The book is set in a sleepy town in South Birmingham, Ireland, in the 1980s and primarily focuses on 14-year-old Ava Bonney. Ava is not your average teenager in that she has a morbid fascination with decomposition - primarily the decomposition of dead animals. Ava likes to sneak out of her apartment at night and walk the road looking for roadkill. She will then take the dead animal to a secret area where she places it and then take notes on the rate of decay over several days. What Ava doesn't know is that there's also someone else lurking in the woods - someone with more sinister intent. When she discovers the body of her classmate, Mickey Grant, lying near her animal graveyard, she is faced with a dilemma - to reveal her secret obsession or stay silent and risk being implicated in a murder investigation.

The other main character is Detective Seth Delahaye, who takes on the murder investigation. Ava refuses to sit back and let others solve the mystery and uses the knowledge she has gained to do her own investigation. It's not long before Delahaye and Ava team up to bring down who is killing teenagers in this small, sleepy town.

While the plot is pretty familiar to avid readers of serial killer thrillers, the characters are what really make this one shine. I absolutely loved both Ava and Detective Delahaye. Ava was whip-smart and very tough for a fourteen-year-old. She comes from a broken home and deals with an abusive mother, and I loved seeing her find a purpose. I also loved the relationship that developed between her and the detective, as he became a source of stability for her. She had a lot of adults in her life who had failed her, and she needed his trust and kindness.

The pacing of the novel is perfect, and I loved how it all unraveled. I am usually pretty good at figuring out who the killer is early on, but that wasn't the case this time around. I was actually surprised by it. I also liked how the author used a mental health diagnosis that I had never heard of before. It made the story that much creepier. I was surprised to learn that this is a debut novel. I am definitely looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this one, and I must say I absolutely loved the narrator. Olivia Dowd perfectly portrays all of the characters. She also does a great job hitting all the important beats and keeps the story moving.

I was really surprised by how much I loved this one. The story was captivating, the pacing was perfect, and I absolutely loved these characters. This is an impressive debut, and I look forward to reading more from this author. Fans of serial killer thrillers should definitely bump this one up on their TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Ava is a very smart 13 year old who likes to conduct experiments on the decay and anatomy of roadkill animals for her own edification. She's very smart, lovable, and a bid odd which is ok. When young boys start to go missing in her town, she starts investigating along with the police to figure out who the killer is.

There is a lot of good in this dark and macabre novel: there are close friendships and general kindness offsetting the darkness. I did enjoy the friendship between Ava and Detective Delahaye. Heed the trigger warnings but I did not find this overly gruesome. Recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the eARC.

This book is unlike anything I have read in a very long time, maybe even ever. Our main character's obsession with death and decomposition really makes her an interesting narrator. This book is spooky and gave me the "heebie jeebies" more than once.

This was a different type of horror story and while the content was heavy, it was also entertaining. I love the sci-fi element. Ava’s fascination with dead things/animals was strange but captivating. I was definitely uncomfortable at multiple points in the story, especially when she found the bodies but I say this in the best way possible. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a haunting mystery work a little sprinkle of science.

Ava isn't a normal teenager. Intrigued by death and the world around her, Ava latest enterprise is her roadside den, where she brings roadkill to monitor the rate of decomposition. When she stumbles upon the very real boy of a town boy who has been missing, Ava knows her hobbies could put her in an uncomfortable position and reports the body anonymously. As Detective Seth Delahaye begins his investigation, he'll get help

Set in the early 80s and told primarily through Ava and Detective Delahaye's POVs, Deadly Animals, the story is also broken up into parts, though I won't say how to avoid potential spoilers. The extra POVs were a nice way to break up the story while also adding extra context and an additional layer of mystery to the plot.

Finding Ava to be odd, I didn't immediately click with this story. For me it had a very slow reading pace, but I ended up finding Ava to be such an interesting character. She is quietly brilliant, and I enjoyed getting into her mind throughout the story. She was such an asset to the investigation and though she seems morbid at first meeting, her respect of living things and her morals are unmatched. She is such a fascinating character and original character, especially for a 14year old girl. I kind of hope we get a sequel to continue following Ava.

As the 2024 winner of the Val McDermid debut award, Deadly Animals is a dark, macabre, and extremely well written debut. It definitely won't be for everyone and certainly touches on some darker topics and themes (TW: child death, animal death). While it's being listed as a Horror novel, it's more gruesome and darker theme wise than scary. Overall, this was a fantastic literary mystery that I strongly recommend.

Deadly Animals comes out November 12, 2024. Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting:
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