I loved the originality of the premise and the mc's voice. No matter how far afield the plot seemed, the character development made it seem believable. The narrator was also excellent.

Deadly Animals was well written and captivating. Ava was an endearing main character which helped offset some of the grisliness of the crimes committed.

Deadly Animals is a decently entertaining if slightly slow mystery suspense. An enjoyable enough way to pass an afternoon reading.

Olivia Dowd did a good job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Marie Tierney, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator did an amazing job. I found this to be a very interesting read. The main character Ava definitely had an macabre hobby in going out nightly to find dead animals to watch and record their decomp rates. One night she finds the body of one of her class mates... but I will let you read it from here. I don't want to spoil the novel for you. It was a slow starter, but I enjoyed reading this one. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley, Macmillian Audio, and Marie Tierney

Rating: 3 stars!

I wanted to love this book so much. The premise of the book gives A Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes. The school-age children are solving a local murder. There are some twist and turns, then a grand reveal at the end. I just wasnt as excited as I wanted to be when reading this.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am pretty open minded when it comes to books. However, this book went absolutely nowhere for so long and it dragged on. So much of the book does nothing to contribute to the premise. The book circled around killing animals for so long and wouldn't move on. Probably needed to see an editor or two before the final product. Overall, this was a huge let down.

This had one of the most interesting premises of any mystery book I’ve written, but ultimately I felt that the plot became too convoluted at times. By the end, I had to backtrack a few times to recall certain characters. I would love to give this author’s mystery books another chance in the future!

Ava Bonney is a 14-year-old girl with an obsessive interest in the macabre. Ava secretly enjoys collecting roadkill at night and observing the rate of their decomposition in her roadside den. One night, she stumbles across the body of a classmate who was brutally murdered. Afraid that her secret hobby will be revealed, she makes an anonymous call to the police. Ava won't step back from the investigation, and as more teenagers go missing, Ava is determined to figure out who is hunting her classmates before she becomes the next prey.

"Deadly Animals" is an outstanding debut novel from Marie Tierney. I was drawn in by the creepy cover and title, and I was not disappointed. I couldn't help but love and root for Ava, our precocious main character. She reminded me of myself as a young teenager (minus the roadkill), so I immediately felt a connection. This was such a clever and utterly addictive story. I am a huge fan of police procedurals, and having the POV of a teenager in addition to the detective was unique and enjoyable. I listened to the audiobook, and I was hooked. Oliva Dowd's excellent narration made it difficult to pause the story because I wanted to know what happened next. She did a great job bringing the characters and story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for the honest review.

While this book didn't do anything groundbreaking, the narrative was amazing! I saw the reveal coming way before it happened, which was actually okay with me because I was so enamored with the main character and the way she saw the world and came to the conclusion through her own merits.

This one was a little slow for me. The narration didn’t do much to get me excited to keep listening, it was a little dry and monotone. The story was pretty good and had promise but it felt more convoluted than was necessary which made me lose focus more than a few times.

Ava is the stand out character in Deadly Animals, her character was crafted so well. She instantly drew you in. The plot was engaging and easy to read. At times the pacing felt off with the change of POVs but overall a good story. The narrator also upped the engagement and enjoyability of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.

Ava is not your regular run of the mill fourteen year old girl Ava has an obsession with the macabre and loves to go out at night and find dead animals that have become roadkill to record their decomposition. One night however she stumbles across the dead body of one her classmates. As to not out her secret hobby she makes an anonymous call to the police. The case is given to Detective Seth Delahaye, but more of Ava's classmates continue to be killed. Can Ava find the killer before she becomes the next victim? Told through the dual points of view of Ava and Seth, this was a very original debut that kept me reading up into the night. Ava was a remarkable main character who I willl be thinking of for years to come.

DNF’ed at 62%
I really enjoyed the narrator on the audiobook. The story moved slow and the dual POV between the adult and child threw me off in getting into the narrative. I didn’t find myself reaching to jump back into this story since it didn’t feel captivating nor an urgency to figure it out.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded ⬆️
I found it really hard to get into this book. I received an audiobook copy from Macmillan and Net Galley (Thank you!) in exchange for a review.

I think this book would be easier to follow if I had a physical book. I found it very hard to follow with the different POVs. I did like the main character.

I finished reading this book almost 2 months ago, but I keep putting off writing a review for it. Not because I didn't like it but because I actually liked it quite a bit but don't know how to put into words WHAT I liked about it. It was just a really, really good book, and yet... I can't pinpoint all the things that make me think that. Haha.

Since I was gifted an ARC in exchange for a review, though, I'm going to do my very best (2 months late).

1. The MC, Ava, is fantastic. She's brilliant, witty, and delightfully odd. She's like Sherlock Holmes meets Vesalius meets.... I don't know... someone else really peculiar and awesome. Honestly, she was one of the most well-written young female characters I've ever read. I just loved her.

2. The other characters were great, too. I've never read any of Marie Tierney's work before (that I know of), but I imagine she's not a first-time writer simply because her characters are so well-written. Excellent characterization.

3. The novel is very well-written overall. The plot was well-researched and well-planned, and the pacing was excellent. The author also handles the darker elements in a way that made the book just dark enough without making it feel gratuitous.

4. The book was just DIFFERENT. It's unlike anything I've read in a long, long time. I enjoyed every moment of it and look forward to reading more of Tierney's work in the future.

A serial killer on the loose and the investigative team is not exactly who you think. Ava is a teenager obsessed with animal carcasses. She loves the science of it all. The explores the results of the death of the animal in a respectful and curious way. Her exploration one night leads to the discovery of a body that turns out to be a missing classmate. Children are going missing and winding up dead and Ava can't help but get herself anonymously involved in the police's hunt for the killer.

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this book. While so much of it is from a teen's perspective, I never found Ava annoying. I loved her inquisitiveness. She is clearly super smart and yet is relatable despite the ways she is different. She made me laugh several times despite the dark nature of the book, especially in her dealings with the police. I appreciated the way in which they treated Ava as well. There is thrilling mystery to the book that grips you from the start and doesn't let up until it's final pages. The descriptions are graphic so if you are sensitive to that sort of thing, this may not be the book for you. However, if you are looking for a captivating thriller with high stakes, this is great one to grab. The narration by Olivia Dowd is super well-done. She handles Ava beautifully and is able to capture all the characters in the novel without issue. I recommend this one to anyone looking for a serial killer novel with a twist. You won't be disappointed.

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't a favorite of mine. I think it would have been more successful for me if we had spent more time with Ava, whom I adored. The POV switches were distracting, and though I think the story overall was interesting and entertaining (and unique!) I just would have had a better time focusing on Ava and her story directly. I listened to this on audio, which I also recommend, because it moves a bit faster than it would have in print!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a great horror debut! The author wrote beautifully, even though the mystery was easy to figure out, it didn’t stop me from enjoying this story. I look forward to what this author comes out with next.

This was a really interesting book. The main character was fascinating and I loved learning from and with her. Though I predicted the killer almost immediately, I didn't feel like that took away from my enjoyment.

In a village in Birmingham in 1981, young boys are disappearing, only to be found days or weeks later with gruesome lethal injuries. The most unlikely young detective, a precocious 14-year-old girl with an interest in forensics, discovers two of them. Under a pseudonym, over the phone, she helps police investigate who (or what) is responsible for the deaths.

This book is such an impressive debut. Although it's a little slow in parts, there is always a palpable underlying tension and danger that the reader or listener can sense throughout. Ava Bonney is such a unique main character -- wise beyond her years and so whipsmart and kind in the face of difficult circumstances at home and in her community. I really liked the characters on the police force as well.

I listened to the audiobook, and Olivia Dowd was an excellent narrator. Her interview at the end with author Marie Tierney was what bumped my rating up by half a star. Tierney explained her background and how it inspired this book, how the book came to be, and gave a teaser for the SECOND Ava Bonney book (yay!). I found Tierney to be a really interesting and delightful person. She also inspired me a little bit as I've recently started forming a bit of a story in my mind but have no idea how to get it down on paper.

4.5 stars for this brilliant debut. Can't wait for more.