“The town of Wolf Ridge calls him The Smiley Face Killer. Bettina Holland calls him her father.”

Dead Girls Talking follows Bettina, the daughter of a terrible tragedy. When she was six, her father murdered her mother when she was in the other room. She testified against her father and has had to live with vultures coming after her for podcast, murder tours, and docuseries interviews. She’s always believed her father was guilty … until a string of copycat murders force her to question her belief. Bett teams up with the mortician’s daughter, Eugenia, to uncover the truth about who really killed Bett’s mother and who is killing women again in their town.

If you’re looking for a new YA mystery with a creepy serial killer and angry girls, look no further! This was such a good mystery with the biggest twist at the end—I did not, at all, see it coming. Still shocked and reeling! Such a good twist!!

The vibes in this book are so good. I love seeing teen girls investigating, especially with such a tense atmosphere, and danger around every corner. And it was such a frustrating town that really operates on old money, status, and gender. It’s a super gripping, gritty story that will keep you guessing.

I really enjoyed Bett’s character. She’s gone through so much in her life and her current state—a bit messy, and definitely angry—felt very realistic to her past trauma. I loved that even though she lost friends, she found a true friend in Eugenia. They were so good together! I loved the progression of their friendship and thought they had such good chemistry. Bett’s family was SO frustrating, but I can definitely see where her grandparents are coming from and why they’re super protective.

Overall, a really great mystery with an explosive ending and an amazing female friendship/investigating duo!

It’s been a little bit since I got into a good thriller and Dead Girls Talking did not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down and I was constantly trying to figure out who the serial killer could be, usually I can figure it out before the book gets there but I could not figure it out and it kept me on the edge of my seat.

✨I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.✨

Bettina’s father Trapper is known as the “Smiley Face Killer” for killing her mother Prudence, and another woman, when Bettina was only six years old. Since that time, Bettina has spent her whole life hating her father and having to reluctantly visit him every 6 months in prison. When all of a sudden, on the ten year anniversary of the arrest, more women start to show up up dead the exact same way that her mother died, only then does she start to question her father’s innocence or if this is just a copycat killer. She teams up with the local “weird girl”, who is the morticians daughter, to help solve the murders.

A string of gruesome murders shakes the small town of Wolf Ridge in Dead Girls Talking, a propulsive, page-turning thriller perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. With a Wednesday-esque friend duo and the television show’s iconic dark humor, tight prose, and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end, this story is a must-read. Excited to read more from Megan in the future!

Thank you to Holiday House and NetGalley for providing me with this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review! Opinions are my own :)

➼ ★★★ stars

*a YA story that emulates the aesthetics / vibes of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Wednesday.

a string of brutal murders, a potentially wrongfully convicted man, a small town, and in the thick of it all - a teenage girl who is in desperate need of answers…

Bettina, along with the rest of the town of Wolf Ridge, are convinced they’ve put the *right* guy behind bars for the brutal murder of Prudence Holland. The town of Wolf Ridge calls him ‘The Smiley Face Killer’. Bettina Holland calls him father. However, now that a new victim has been found on the tenth anniversary of Prudence’s death, which is eerily reminiscent of her father’s handiwork, the age-old question arises…could he have been innocent all along?

“you ain’t your daddy’s sins, understand me?”

Our main character, Bett, has been labelled as The Smiley Face Killer’s flesh and blood, the daughter of a murderer, and so much more. This story definitely highlights this as one of the main issues for our MC. So, as you can imagine, it wasn’t too hard to sympathise with Bett. She is a teenage girl going through high school in a small town with a reputation that has stuck for a decade. Bett isn’t a complex character either, and she definitely pissed me off throughout the story, but then again, my sympathy towards her character made me feel for her too - I mean, her mother was murdered by her father, so…

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen Eugenia Cline smile. And I’m not sure I like it.”

EUGENIA CLINE. This is my girl!!!! From the moment she was introduced into the story, I knew she would be my favourite character. It’s safe to say that Eugenia is definitely why this book isn’t rated 2 stars because she saved this story for me. Her vibe and energy reminded me a little bit of Wednesday Addams, and that was enough for me, lol. She isn’t even our MC, but she really steals the spotlight (in a good way) from Bett. Eugenia is the daughter of the town’s morticians, so it’s not surprising that she is immediately dubbed the ‘emo, goth girl’ who is a complete loner with no friends (well, maybe except her best friend: death). But, when you peel back the layers, Eugenia is down-to-earth, funny, blunt, ambitious, determined, and one LOYAL ASS GIRL. She sticks by Bett’s side even when she drags her name in the mud, embarrasses her in front of the whole class, and so much more. I could go on and on about Eugenia, but if anything, she was my utmost favourite character, and I love love loved her!!

“but eventually, Cherry’s death just…faded away, became another story, and everyone carried on like normal again.”

The discussion surrounding the exploitation of true-crime stories was an aspect I was glad to have been included in this story. These victims go through cruel, cold-blooded, and vicious acts of crime that should never be diminished to just an opportunity to gain popularity, fame, or money. These are real people who went through very real things.

“The wheels of justice move slow, bug, and they often don’t move at all for people like me”.

This quote from Trapper irked me because what do you mean? Even though he comes from a lower-class family, he is a white male at the end of the day. So, to say that the wheels of justice move slowly for him felt kind of comedic because we live in a system that was built by people like him and for people like him. Also, I don’t know why, but the way the author writes about how things would be hard for people like Bett or Trapper - it made me think she was a POC for the majority the story, like what??? 😭

Ok, let me get one thing straight. THE MEN IN THIS STORY ARE DISGOSTING. They are actually the most annoying, arrogant, selfish pricks ever (except for bestie Leo!). Bett’s granddad, Wells, is just your typical old-money white man boomer. Pissed me off most of the damn time. Bigsby is the town’s sheriff, and he is a loser too. Also, the fact that a good handful of these men were abusive towards their wives?? They ain’t shiiiii!!!

“Hey, Eugenia? Bett? You’re my best friend. You know that, right? She grins. And you’re mine.”

naw, the duo of the story!! their friendship, although rocky, was sweet. The love that they both developed for each other was youthful, sweet, and endearing. Even after all of the crazy crap they went through, they both made it out in the end - together.

!! SPOILER QUOTE BELOW !!

*“He used women to hurt women and got away with it. Just like that. Just like they always do”.*

The moral of the story is men ain’t shxt, and women who fall into the grasp of the wrong men will never come out the same again.

final notes:

the story was good, but that’s it - nothing too wild, magnificent, or special. The story read more juvenile than what I would consider to be fit for a YA novel (and I read a lot of YA novels lol). I wish the girls had delved deeper into each storyline/theory, but it’s still okay! However, it did have me writing up notes trying to figure out the mystery alongside Bett and Eugenia, which was fun! I also read this really quickly, so it’s a great read if you want something quick and easy but with a bit of substance :)

I enjoyed this book. The foreshadowing and red herrings were done well. The characters felt real.

This book also really made me think about the rising interest I'm true crime and the impact this could have on the victims & their families. I found exploring that interesting.

Title: Dead Girls Talking by Megan Cooley Peterson
Publication Date- 06/18/24
Publisher- Holiday
Overall Rating- 4 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very solid YA mystery. At started to write out the synopsis but go read the one from the publisher and come back to this review. Okay… now first off, this book achieves exactly what it said it was going to. The synopsis is well written and truly sets readers up for accurate expectations. Overall the writing is fast paced and engaging, I would say you could expect it to feel similar to a popcorn thriller.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere, a funeral home owner's daughter, ghost tours in the time, a lot of commentary on true crime obsession and podcasts. The author kept me interested until the end. I wanted to know what the resolution was and was very satisfied. I will say, the answer to the mystery floated around in my head a time or two but I wouldn’t say I guessed everything correctly.

The characters are fully developed and don’t feel flat. This is a YA novel and the characters acted within age appropriate means. I comment on this because I can’t stand YA mysteries where the characters just act absurd. This was not the case, everything felt cohesive and made sense. Of course because we have teenage amateur sleuth’s we do have suspend some disbelief but I didn’t find that it took me out of the story or was a chore to do.

All around a fast faced, enjoyable, YA mystery. I enjoyed the female friendships, small town atmosphere and pacing of the story. It wasn't too long nor too short and hit just right.

Grab a flashlight— you’ll be staying up late to solve the twisty mystery of the Smiley Face Killer. DEAD GIRLS TALKING will be your next true crime obsession!

It was chilling and angsty and such perfect summer thriller read! I really enjoyed the dark underlying theme too, also cute developing friendship of Eugenia and Bett!

There's a lot to say about this book. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I should probably read this genre more often.
First of all, the writing style is very easy to read. It didn't take me a long time to read the chapters (or the overall book). The book is definetely meant for a YA audience, the focus of some of the descriptions is right out of the mind of a 16 year old. If this is something you don't enjoy, then I would advise you to not read this book as you read in the first person narrative of a teenage girl.

On to the characters; our FMC Bettina, Bett for short, is a bit all over the place. We learn very little about what makes Bett tick. At some point, we learn Bett wants to become an actress, but I couldn't tell you why; there's no further explanation for her "passion" besides the fact that she just doesn't want to be a lawyer like her granddad wants her to be.
The relationships she builds with the other characters in the book are all quite shallow in my opinion. The only relationship that seems to grow during our plot is the one with Eugenia.
I wouldn't say I particularly like Bett, some of her choices and actions were not something I can get behind. Bett's actions sometimes border on bullying, which is something that was tough to read as I found myself lacking sympathy for her at a later point in the book.

The idea and the plot were very interesting. I like how the killer stays secret for a big part of the book and how I couldn't immediately tell who would be the killer. The actual reveal was quite a surprise to me, as I had my money on another character for the killer.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the plot. I would have given the book 5 stars if there would have been more personality in the characters and some decent character growth.
I would recommend this book if you're into YA thriller mysteries and want an easy, entertaining read.

I truly enjoyed this book! I've been in a reading slump forever, and devoured this in two sittings. Bett is an amazing "unlikeable" character, with so much depth that I couldn't help but feel her pain and understand why she is the way she is. Peterson reached into the heart of Bett, and dragged her very soul to the fore in order to bring us into the mind of a girl marred by the specter of her father's evil deeds, and her mother's vicious murder (before her eyes, I might add. That would screw anyone up). Bett is a young woman, screaming inside and lashing out in ways that make her such a real, grounded character. Does she need therapy? Absolutely, LOL. I hope Bett decides to get some in the future. The plot itself was riveting, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. If I were to sum up Dead Girls Talking with one word, it would be "Inspired." Congratulations on a triumph, Megan Cooley Peterson!

I read this book in one (1) day. It truly gave my the heeby jeebies, and I struggled to sleep. Not many books do this. HOWEVER, the plot and everything about this book was great and made the lack of sleep worth it. The plot twists were great.

I definitely think this could be liked as a YA book but it wasn’t atmospheric enough for my liking and a bit cliché. Love the North Carolina representation though! Would recommend to teens.

Unfortunately, I can’t get myself to enjoy this book. The main character is not very likeable and the story is honestly just a bit boring. The plot is great, but the execution is just taking too long to get to the point. The writing is quite choppy which normally doesn’t bother me, but it just seemed messy while reading it.

Bettina’s father is known as the Smiley Faced Killer. She testified to help convict him of killing her mother when she was younger. Ten years later, she finds a body in the woods with the same carvings as in her mother’s case. Now she wonders, was she wrong about her father and he’s innocent like he’s always claimed, or is this a copycat murder?

This is a young adult murder mystery. I like the investigative plot of the book. I really like the character Eugenia. The chapters aren’t too long, which is always a plus for me. It’s an easy read and kept my attention. I liked the ending.

"Dead Girls Talking" by Megan Cooley Peterson is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the haunting legacy of family secrets and the chilling truth behind a string of copycat murders. Set in the town of Wolf Ridge, where everyone knows Bettina's father as The Smiley Face Killer, the novel follows Bettina as she grapples with the unsettling possibility that her father might not be the murderer everyone believes him to be.

Peterson masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue as Bettina teams up with the enigmatic Eugenia, the mortician's daughter, to uncover the truth behind the murders plaguing their town. The dynamic between the two protagonists is both compelling and complex, adding depth to the narrative as they navigate the murky waters of family loyalty and betrayal.

With its atmospheric setting and well-drawn characters, "Dead Girls Talking" keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Peterson's skillful storytelling and expert pacing make this novel a must-read for fans of psychological suspense and true crime fiction. Overall, "Dead Girls Talking" is a captivating and thought-provoking read that will linger in the minds of readers long after the final page.

This is a gripping YA thriller that delves into dark themes. Yet, amidst the darkness, it also explores friendship, resilience, and justice. Peterson's writing style, coupled with the fast pacing and concise chapters, kept my attention. The story is set in the quiet town of Wolf Ridge, the story unveils layers of deceit and darkness lurking beneath its surface. The characters, particularly Bett and Eugenia, are well crafted, each of them dealing with their own demons.

Overall, this is a good YA thriller and a fun read.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me early access to this book.

I really liked the premise of this book. Ultimately I think it missed the mark. The FMC was a bit (maybe a lot) annoying. At the end of the day, she was an upper class white female. It was kind of hard to see sympathy in her plights outside obviously the murder of her mother. Obviously I could have missed it the point entirely. The “approach to justice and female anger” was painted in the relationships the FMC has with men but that’s also where it stopped until we got to our killer.

The plot was…oddly worked. Once we get to the end it’s a reveal of the truth and the why but no explanation to the how? All in all, the premise was great but I think this one just fell a little flat.

This is a good, solid mystery which asks some important questions. . I like the variety of characters and the fact that despite some poor choices, they still do important and heroic things. Will definitely add this book to my classroom library. Would work well for students who are into cold cases, second chances, women looking out for each other. Also has some great topics for discussion in book club or lit circles. We could talk about the commercialization of murder, the professional ethics of law enforcement, lawyers, and the media. Students will definitely connect their experiences with ‘popular kids’ , friendship, relationships, and understanding their own identities in relation to those around them. This book is going to be a hit.

After I read The Liar’s Daughter, I was very much interested in other books written by Megan Cooley Petersen. Dead Girls Talking is a mid level young adult and reminds me of something I would have read in high school. Or even late middle school. The story opens with Bett, a young girl left behind rehashing the events of her childhood, when her father murdered her mother and left her alive. As he is currently prison, she’s haunted by the start of new killings, leaving her wondering, did he actually do it?

The book was just okay to me, pacing and development felt very even. I just wished Bett had been written a less like a bully and a mean girl. I don’t know if I fully believe in the story; we unfortunately live in a society of mass murder so it was harder to believe the story of a man who killed two people would get so much attention that the attention affected the MC so much, with crime podcasts and even house tours. What I liked was the growing friendship and dynamic between Bett and Eugenia, with Eugenia definitely being the stronger character. The story played out as I thought it would but the writing style and flow still made it an enjoyable and easy read. A good young adult option if you like true crime podcasts.

If you’re looking to get into this author’s work, I would suggest starting with The Liar’s Daughter first.

Really good book. I was instantly hooked and couldn’t put it down. Such an easy, fun, exciting, thrilling read. Highly recommend reading this one!