This is a slow, quiet, dark book. Don't go in expecting anything in your face. It actually took me a bit to become emotionally into, but this turned out to be worth the wait. I just had to get in the right headspace. That said, it does feel like something is lacking for me, that ineffable thing, that would make this a five star read. I'm not sure what it is, I just know that it's not there.

We have two main characters here, although the author disagrees with me (there is an interview between her and the audio narrator at the end of the audiobook). One is Ava, a precocious and morbid thirteen year old girl living in 1981 Birmingham who is interested in all things biology and science, and who has her own body farm where she collects roadkill and documents the rates of decay and other sciencey stuff (like they do on real body farms). It's on one of these excursions in the middle of the night that she finds the body of a local boy who has been missing for over two weeks. She calls the body in anonymously, but because of her curiosity, becomes involved in the investigation anyway, developing a really cute bond with the detective working the case, who I think is the second main character. He treats her with respect and sort of allows her leeway to be curious in a way other adults don't. It's adorable, in the midst of something really dark.

The mystery itself is fascinating, and I actually managed to call the murderer, totally by accident. I have no idea how I did that, or even what triggered it. The author is extremely good at stuffing the book full of red herrings, so you really have to think about what's going on, and it's very engaging. The audio narrator is also excellent, and they made sure to get one who grew up in Birmingham so gets the accents exactly right.

The author is working on a sequel right now where Ava is 17-18 years old, and I will definitley be checking it out.

"Ava didn't HAVE to call the police but she DID have to: it was only right."
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Ava is a 14 year old girl who’s a young forensic pathologist in the making, due to her fascination with bones and decomposing bodies. She snags roadkill and keeps them in her own little ‘body farm’ to study the rate of decay and the effect of the elements on the body. When she discovers the body of a school mate, her predilection for studying dead bodies allows her to make some instant conclusions and she decides she must help investigate his death.

I liked Ava TREMENDOUSLY! I could relate to her insatiable appetite for knowledge, keen worldly observations, and awareness that as a “child” most adults won’t take her seriously or listen to her. The Detective in charge of the investigation, Seth, dealt with Ava in a way that made him instantly endearing. When another child goes missing, Seth doesn’t hesitate to use ALL resources available, even Ava.

I knew almost right away who the culprit was, but I think that was the point. The reader is in the know while the characters aren’t, creating a taut atmosphere. The subject matter is dark, involving crimes against children and there is animal harm/death, but nothing overly graphic and mostly mentioned in a forensic manner.

Oliva Dowd’s narration was fabulous. Her inflections and modulation were spot on, and so were the voices! After all, Ava is skilled at impressions. I loved the British accents of folks from different locations and the interview with Marie Tierney afterwards!

By the end, Ava’s interests have shifted and I could see her becoming a criminal profiler. I’d LOVE to see more novels with Ava (and Seth) at the center of an investigation. DEADLY ANIMALS is at heart a tense police procedural, that oozes a sense of dread and foreboding. As the ending approached, the intensity increased, culminating in an exciting and action packed conclusion!
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Thank you Henry Holt Books & Macmillan Audio for the gifted book & audiobook. All opinions are mine.
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Potential spoiler content warnings below.





























⚠️Content warnings: mild language, bullying, gore, violence, child death, Mention of: dementia, child abuse, pedophilia, domestic abuse, animal harm/death, strangulation

Solid 3.5 starts... was a good book but did take me a minute to get wrapped into, it was a bit more of a procedural. But after I got involved it was great!

A young teenager who knows she a bit different than everyone else. She enjoys studying roadkill and the time it takes to decompose. While documenting her latest roadside victim, she stumbles upon the body of a missing child- who’s now no longer missing, but dead. As more children go missing in her town, she finds herself at the middle of an investigation that is far from reality, but enjoyable just the same. The story comes full circle and is well told. The premise and building suspense kept me wanting more. While not necessarily believable, the story doesn’t stray far from potential truth- 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.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this audiobook.
Lots of trigger warnings and very graphic at times, but this book is so very good!
And the narrator was excellent!

Macmillan Audio ALC
This is a slow burn British legal mystery that was overall intriguing. I really liked the character of Ava. She was such an interesting 14 year old to spend time with. I love a unique protagonist, and it really anchored this story. I did struggle with the amount of characters at times and keeping them all straight. Sometimes I felt a bit lost until I figured out who was who every time the POV changed. But I liked the horror elements added here. It created depth in the mystery and left me guessing on what exactly was going on.

Engaging, entertaining, and well-narrated. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

What an AMAZING debut!! Holy cow this was phenomenal and I DEVOURED the physical copy yesterday, and if you know me, that is truly saying something. This was creative, a little out there but it worked for me, and I could not get enough of Ava. She is obsessed with the rate at which dead animals decompose, and before we go much further, the animals in here are already dead, so there is not animal cruelty in this story (other than a past tense reference but it is a spoiler so that is all I will say). There is however cruelty against children, so if that is a TW then this might not be for you, but it did not bother me.

Now, back to the story. Ava finds roadkill in the dead of night, analyzes her findings, and records them. And then one evening she stumbles upon the body of her classmate Mickey Grant, and makes an anonymous call to the police so as to deter them away from her late night escapades. However, when Detective Delahaye takes the case, Ava ends up working it on her own and eventually they cross paths as more teens go missing. This was everything I love in a thriller - unique premise, fast paced, and the ending was INTENSE but also heartfelt. I was with these characters and this small town the entire time and did not want this to end. All the stars for this one and I cannot wait to see what Tierney writes next.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies to review.

I tried to get into this one but it just wasn't for me. I didn't like the characters very much and couldn't see where the author was headed with the story.

Ava is such a wonderful character that I’m hoping we will meet up with her again! This story is brilliantly written, but do be aware it is graphic in the depictions of child and animal deaths. The narration by Olivia Dowd is outstanding and with the great number of characters she had to narrate, she made it easy for me to differentiate them.

For fans of Kate Alice Marshall and Ashley Winstead. Deadly Animals is a thriller that leans horror. Some trigger warnings about animal death.

Ava has an interest in animals - dead animals - and the way they decompose. One night she is sneaking out to check on the decompensation of a fox that she's been watching and finds the body of her missing classmate. She anonymously calls it in. The rest of the novel is a multi POV investigation of the small town and what happened to her classmate Mickey Grant.

It really reminded me of What Lies in the Woods and Midnight is the Darkest Hour,. The dark atmosphere, the small town, the characters - this was just more on the horror side, it left my stomach turned at times. If you enjoyed those, you will definitely enjoy this one. The audiobook was very enjoyable. Ava is a mature 14 year old, I kept thinking she was more like 18.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to listen to in exchange for a review. These opinions are entirely my own.

Beautifully disturbing and extraordinarily haunting. Deadly Animals is a masterpiece of a book. Twists and turns with remarkably written characters and vivid imagery. I was hooked from the beginning and I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. This is a unique addition to the thriller/mystery genres. It doesn’t follow many of the ordinary tropes. Instead, the characters are competent, likable, and distinguishable. It has an almost horror genre aspect to it that creates a sense of eeriness and mystery. This is definitely on my list of top-reads this year. I can’t wait to make all of my friends read this one!

P.S. The audiobook had a wonderful interview between the narrator and author at the end. I loved the narration of the book, and the interview at the end was a wonderful touch and way of getting to know the author and her inspiration for the characters and themes in this book.

Huge thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Another massive thank you to Marie Tierney for the hours of sleep I missed staying up late to find out what happens next in this brilliant novel!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

13 year old Ava is different than her peers. She loves to study the decomposition of roadkill and has an interest in forensics. She keeps meticulous notes of her findings as well. One night, when she is checking on one of her roadkill subjects, she finds the body of a missing local boy. Ava shares her findings with the local police force anonymously and enlists a friend to help her figure out who is murdering local children over the next year. Ava uses well a well thought out process to try to solve the mystery. This story held my attention, and was well thought out. The narration of the audio book was very well done, and it was easy to follow. I gave this book 5 stars, and look forward to the next book about Ava.

DNF :(

I just could not get into this book. Super interesting premise but got lost around 10% and couldn't get back on track. Hard to follow varying perspectives and just wasn't hooked.

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney
Genre: thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: audiobook and physical copy

🟪 strong female main character
🟪 dark and unexpected
🟪 set in England in the 1980s
🟪 short chapters that keep you wanting to read more

Oh Ava! I loved this gal. She may be young but SO smart and unique. She reminded me of Pip from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. During the author interview at the end of the book, Marie Tierney shared that she was a lot like Ava when she was younger. I appreciated that Detective Delahaye took her seriously and saw her intelligence and talent - they became an unexpected team in this book.

This book kept me on my toes and felt very unique, which is hard to do in the thriller genre! I don’t want to give too much away, but I’d give this one a shot if you’re looking for something a little different!

Deadly Animals is out 11/12! Thank you to Holt and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copies!

Thank you Henry Holt for my #gifted copy and thank you Macmillan Audio for my #gifted listening copy of Deadly Animals! #MacAudio2024 #henryholt #DeadlyAnimals #MarieTierney

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

What a debut! The main character, Ava, was such an interesting and well-written character. The character development in this book was top-notch! She was just so fascinating and it’s not often that I read horror books where the main character is a teenager. The pacing was perfect and I felt like everything moved on at a quick pace that kept me so engaged. I loved how it was set in the 80s and I felt like the author full captured that vibe so well. I would definitely recommend this book. It had such a unique premise and I felt like the author did such a great job with this book. It was eerie feel, this one would be perfect for spooky season and beyond! It’s not something I would normally pick up, but I am so glad I did!

🎧I listened to the audiobook, which was excellently narrated by Olivia Dowd. I felt like Dowd was such a perfect pick for this audiobook. I was hooked from the minute I started listening! I would definitely recommend this one on audio.

Posted on Goodreads on November 10, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around November 11, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on November 12, 2024
**-will post on designated date

2.5☆
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Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney is about fourteen-year-old Ava, who isn't your normal average teen. She has an obsessive interest in the rate at which dead animals decompose. The motorway she lives by regularly offers up roadkill. But when she discovers the body of her classmate Mickey Grant and fears that her secret ritual could be revealed, she makes an anonymous call to the police. When Detective Seth Delahaye is assigned the case, Ava won't step back—not when teenagers in her sleepy South Birmingham town are going missing.
The premise is what intrigued me, but honestly, I felt like the storyline was going nowhere. It just dragged on and on. I did like the different POVs.
The audiobook was good; the narrator did a good job, but it still couldn't hold my interest as I wanted.
I'm not the target audience for this book.
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Thank you, Netgellay and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook edition of “Deadly Animals” by Marie Tierney, narrated by Olivia Dowd for an honest review. This is the first book I listened to with Olivia Dowd as a narrator. She will be one I look out for, as she did a great job with the different perspectives of this story.

Ava Bonney is a teenager captivated by dead things, not in a disturbing way, but in a deferential way. She has a bone garden where she studies the decomposition of the dead animals she finds, mostly on the side of the road. After studying them, she buries them and says a prayer. When Ava finds a boy's body next to a fox cadaver she has been studying, she has to call the police to let them know, but she must keep it anonymous, as she does not want the police to know she is the one researching the animals.

The character of Ava is well-developed, and I very much like her. I hope that the author does other books with Ava in them, as Ava will be an excellent detective as she gets older. Ava reminded me of Temperance Brennan from the Kathy Reich's Bones series.

Detective Seth Delahaye is the police officer who arrives to investigate the body found. The injuries on the body are not typical of a murderer and only create more questions. When another boy goes missing, the police are stumped. Ava feels compelled to do her own research and get to the bottom of who is murdering the young boys in her hometown.

This is a good murder mystery, with scientific information sprinkled throughout (I like to learn while reading, so thank you for this to the author). It was the right length for the story told, the characters were well developed and there was no unnecessary storyline or discussion of feelings in this book. However, it was easy to figure out who the murderer was and why the murderer was murdering, fairly early in the book.

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.