Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager." This gripping opening line perfectly sets the tone for Deadly Animals, a chilling and beautifully crafted mystery that delves into the unsettling world of teenage obsession and murder.

Ava Bonney, a fourteen-year-old with a compassionate yet peculiar disposition, is a character who will intrigue and captivate readers. Her fascination with the macabre, particularly her study of decomposition, sets her apart in a way that is both disturbing and fascinating. Living beside a highway that constantly yields roadkill, Ava finds solace and purpose in her nighttime rituals of examining and recording these unfortunate creatures. This dark hobby is a window into her complex psyche and adds an unusual layer of depth to her character.

The plot takes a dramatic turn when Ava stumbles upon the body of a classmate. Her immediate fear of exposure and the subsequent anonymous call to the police creates an intriguing conflict. Detective Seth Delahaye’s investigation into the classmate’s death throws Ava into a whirlwind of danger and deceit, as teenagers in her town begin to vanish under mysterious circumstances.

The tension escalates as Ava finds herself both entangled with and working against the police. Her determination to uncover the truth and her personal stakes in the case are compellingly portrayed. The narrative explores Ava’s race against time and the potential danger she faces, driving home the intensity of her quest for answers.

The writing excels in creating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that underscores the story’s suspense and emotional depth. Ava’s journey is both a personal battle against her fears and a larger fight for the safety of her peers. The blend of her dark curiosity with the high stakes of the mystery adds a unique twist to the traditional whodunit formula.

In summary, Deadly Animals is a masterful blend of psychological intrigue and dark mystery. It showcases a young protagonist with a disturbingly unique obsession and a plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Ava Bonney is a character who lingers long after the last page, making this book a memorable and thought-provoking read.

This book is so well written, and I really enjoyed the characters. By the conclusion of the novel, every plot point is addressed and woven beautifully into the story. Very well done! Amazing that this is the author’s first book. I’ll definitely be adding her to my list of authors to watch for, Older high schoolers who love horror and true crime will adore this story. However, I’m a little surprised, given the nature of the murders, that the main characters are only 14 at the start of things. I know Ava is a prodigious child, a young Sherlock, but sometimes, that is taken a step too far. No child is perfectly correct all the time, and there are times where I felt annoyed because everything comes so easily to Ava. Otherwise, it’s perfect for teens.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It was a little different than I expected based on the description but an excellent read nonetheless. Ava was a great character, and her personality and fascination with pathology was so interesting. Delahaye is the kind of man you hope all law enforcement officers are. My only gripe is that I feel it had too many POVs. I understand the necessity for the type of story this is, but narrowing it down to the main characters would have given the author more opportunities to add depth to them. Despite that, I enjoyed this story very much. I can see how this could be a series with Ava helping Delahaye solve cases. I’ll be on the lookout for this author!

There are a lot of triggers in this book. Especially animal abuse and child abuse.

I compare reading this book to rubbernecking. At 40% in the graphic, grotesque autopsy description almost had me stop reading, but I needed closure and had to make myself finish this book.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Ava annoyed me and I struggled with her intense knowledge.

Parts of the book drag.

It is well written although the authors uses the word "fortnight" too many times. I would read future books by this author.

Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager. In this chilling debut mystery, only the obsessive spirit of youth can save a sleepy town from the savagery within.

Ava Bonney is a fascinating protagonist. I really enjoyed this story and would love to read more stories starring Ava.

Overall, I had fun with this novel as it had an interesting premise and I enjoyed how the flow was constructed throughout the story. However, I will admit in the beginning, I believed that the pacing was slow, but that was rectified later on in the story as it progressed and ramped up. Also, at first, the usage of third person confused me as I didn't see the purpose, but as the story progressed, I understood why the author chose this format as it helped with fleshing out the character's line of thinking. I will say with this novel you do have to suspend disbelief as our younger main character is always ahead of the police and at times made me forget just how young she really is with the eloquence and sophistication that was brought upon by the author. Again, a very entertaining story that grabs your attention from the very beginning, just be sure to have fun on the literary journey!

Actual rating: 4.25 stars

I'm not usually one for real-world crime thrillers, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! The mystery itself is very intriguing, with lots of complexity and a well-handled reveal. Marie Tierney is really good at breadcrumbing us through the case; I was able to guess the person responsible, but not the actual twist itself! The pacing is tight, and while the really short chapters can sometimes be disorienting, I felt like it helped keep things moving.

I was a huge fan of Ava, the protagonist. I'm not sure if this was the author's intent, but as an autistic reader, I saw so much of my younger self in Ava, and it was a really rewarding experience. She's a wonderful narrative anchor, and it helped make the frequent character perspective changes a little less jarring.

I did feel like there were moments where the writing felt a little sloppy. There was missing or unnecessary punctuation, or very rushed description of location changes, and I had to go back and reread a sentence or two a few times. I also do, unfortunately, feel like this novel fell victim to the common ableist/sanist trope of "the killer is mentally/psychologically unwell, and it's made them evil" that's very common in crime thrillers. It wasn't egregious, but it was noticed.

Overall, this is a compelling, macabre, and thrilling crime novel that kept me engaged from cover to cover. This is an impressive debut!

Ava Bonney, at only 13, is uncanny, quirky, and a bit precocious. When she stumbles upon the body of a missing classmate, she realizes the police are going to need her unerring eye if they have any hope of stopping a killer. Interesting and unnerving!

Marie Tierney's 'Deadly Animals' introduces Ava Bonney, a fourteen-year-old with a morbid fascination for death and decomposition. Her secret hobby of studying roadkill takes a chilling turn when she discovers the body of a classmate. Fearing exposure, Ava anonymously alerts the police, but her involvement doesn't end there. As Detective Seth Delahaye takes charge of the investigation, Ava becomes entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances plaguing her community. Tierney weaves a suspenseful narrative where Ava's unconventional interests drive her into the heart of a chilling mystery. While the premise intrigues, the execution sometimes falters in balancing Ava's character development with the intensity of the thriller plot. Nevertheless, 'Deadly Animals' offers a unique perspective on teenage curiosity turned into a perilous pursuit of justice.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

Be forewarned - this is not Nancy Drew or Flavia de Luce. Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney is a mystery unlike anything you've ever read.
Ava Bonney, age 14, has long been fascinated by death and decomposition of the roadkill she finds in the dead of night. She records her observations in her many red notebooks. All is well until, on one of her many nights wandering the streets, she discovers the dead, mutilated body of a classmate. Fearing the police won’t believe her or take her seriously due to her age, she places an anonymous call that puts Detective Seth Delahaye on the case. Over time he comes to respect and trust Ava and her observational and critical thinking skills. The two are challenged by more murders of young boys leading to the conclusion that a child predator is on the loose. This is a classic who done it with a twist and a must read for fans of the genre.

Deadly Animals is one of the most disturbing, yet compelling books I have read in a very long time.

Ava Bonney is a 13 year old girl in 1980s Birmingham, England with a rough home life and a distrust of adults (for good reason mostly). Her closest friend is a local schoolboy named John who accepts her for who she is, a girl with "odd interests," namely, studying the decomposing remains of animals who she finds as roadkill or hunted by other animals. On one of her middle of the night trips for scientific observation, Ava stumbles across the remains of another local boy who had been reported missing. Over the course of the book she gets caught up in the hunt for a serial killer targeting young boys, and has to figure out how to share her knowledge with the police, understanding that adults rarely take kids seriously.

Although the primary characters in this book are teenagers, this book is for adults and also has the perspective of a detective who has been assigned to the case and actually takes Ava seriously without judging her. This book was disturbing in the premise of the serial killer case and how vividly the perpetrator and their acts were described, however I didn't find it disturbing in the sense that I wanted to put it down. It was disturbing in that it was so vividly written that I could really picture just how horrific this would be if it were an actual serial killer and someone really was experiencing these events. If this were a movie it would probably be terrifying. That said, anyone who is squeamish on this subject should be prepared for this going into the book in addition to being prepared for descriptions of animals who have died.

I also enjoyed the dynamic between Ava and John which to a degree reminded me of Harriet and her friend Hely from The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. I thought the other characters were well rounded as well, and I appreciated that this book touched on how police have a tendency focus on one single perpetrator and have blinders toward literally any other option. Unfortunately in real life this isn't usually resolved by a good detective being open minded.

The only drawback to this book is it's made clear who the serial killer is about halfway through which seemed a little too soon. Instead of continued suspense trying to figure out who did it, it's more waiting to see how the characters will put it all together and how will this person ultimately get caught/held accountable.

This book is a fantastic debut and definitely a must read for anyone interested in creepy murder mysteries.

Many thanks to Henry Holt & Co and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and Marie Tierney for this ARC.

I’m going to start this review with a big warning: if you are sensitive to the death of animals or children, this will not be the book for you. This book is extremely graphic and gritty, but I truly loved every sentence.

I still can’t believe this is a debut novel. The plot is fascinating, but the standout is the character development of the incredible 13-year-old child prodigy Ava, who is brilliant and fascinated with bones and science. She only uses dead specimens for her observations, which is the perfect foil for the elusive villain killing young boys in her town. I also thoroughly enjoyed her repertoire with DS Delahaye, and the dual POVs in this book gave an extremely well-balanced plot.

This was a very fast read for me. The short chapters, coupled with the escalation of murders, kept me engaged for the entire novel. I will say that I guessed the culprit at the 60% mark and guessed the twist; however, this did not ruin the novel for me in the least. I loved the reveal, the heart-pounding climax, and even how this novel wrapped up.

Marie Tierney, please, please, please, make this into a series. I need more of Ava, John, and Delahaye. This was such a fun new twist on the crime thriller genre. While morbid and graphic, I was fascinated with every twist and turn. If you are looking for a fast-paced horror novel this fall, definitely try out “Deadly Animals.”

I fear this is common sense, but stay away from this one if you’re sensitive to animal deaths. Outside of that, EVERYONE should read this book. I was disgusted yet completely captivated. All 13 year olds are off kilter, so being inside their minds is a wild ride 100% of the time. Ava was such a clever girl. I wish I had a John at her age. It took me a few tries to get into this one but once I finally did, I couldn’t put it down.

Biting, terrifying, gripping, are all words that perfectly describe deadly animals. As a fan of horror, thrillers, and all things sinister, deadly animals is the perfect mix of terror and excitement needed for a well written thriller. Tierney has an incredible writing voice, and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this book long enough to enjoy it. I loved the idea of a young girl who had a weird hobby and found a dead body. However, this book just would not pull me in. The writing of the story also felt jerky so it had me rereading sections I’d just read. I’m sorry, I really wanted to enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co., and Marie Tierney for the eARC of Deadly Animals. Creepy, curious, and a fascinating plot, unfortunately the constant shift in perspective was distracting.

Big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this book. I am leaving an honest review.

Creepy debut from Marie Tierney. The writing is chilling and sometimes grotesquely descriptive (in a good way!). The unusual lead character, with her fascination with the dead and dissection, drew me into the story, and the macabre plot kept me reading. Adding this author to my list to follow!

Marie Tierney's "Deadly Animals" intertwines the innocent curiosity of childhood with the chilling elements of a murder mystery. Despite its intriguing premise, the book fell short of its full potential.

I wasn't disturbed by MC Ava Bonney's obsessive interest in roadkill and decomposition (although I can see why some people might), it was more the pacing of the book. Some parts of the story dragged unnecessarily while others were rushed.

One of my biggest disappointments was the predictability of the mystery. I figured out who the killer was halfway through the book, which took away the suspense and made the story drag on longer than needed. There was a lack of genuine twists that made the latter half of the book feel tedious.

Additionally, some characters felt superfluous, such as Trevor, Ava's mom's boyfriend. While it's clear he meant to serve as a red herring, he lacked any development. I don't think he had any dialogue and was just an annoying background character.

In conclusion, Deadly Animals had the ingredients for a compelling thriller/mystery but ultimately failed to deliver a cohesive and engaging story.

Definitely an interesting plot but I couldn't get into it as much as I hoped.

The writing had an eerie vibe and I love dyhe inclusion of the young girl obsessed with pathology.
I didn't like how the perspectives shifted so much and it was difficult to differentiate at times. Also, the killer was very easy to predict from the beginning.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the eARC! This book was exceptional and unlike anything I’ve read before! As I was reading it I began to wonder if that was the direction we were heading but was unsure if it could be pulled off. Tierney did an incredible job of building a plot and characters that keep you attached to the page and unable to put it down. I appreciate the plot and the twists provided. I’m excited to read more from this author!