e-ARC from NetGalley.

Gawd, I loved this. Her first love turned out to be a serial killer. A decade after her testimony put him in prison, a girl is kidnapped, leaving a crime scene identical to those for which her first love is serving multiple life sentences. Desperate to help - both to assuage her guilt over not stopping the initial killings sooner and because her memoir about that time is coming out - she returns to the country for the first time in ten years.

This book gave me anxiety. It had me on the edge of my seat. I was utterly enraptured and completely stressed out at the same time. The emotions it evoked - ones of terror, doubt, and love - were so powerful. The fact that, despite it all, this story read as a love letter to the man who ruined her life was so completely immersive that I found myself loving him, too.

I have such a hard time talking about books I love. Stories in which there are real consequences instead of constant misunderstandings seem so rare - especially in mysteries and thrillers. But this story accomplished that. I felt the terror and the love. I felt the doubt and the guilt and the conviction. I could understand the justifications and the tiny acts of loyalty amidst the betrayal.

This book made me feel so much. I still do. There's an ache in my chest even though it's been over 24 hours since I finished this story. I'm just so glad I loved it.

Karen Walker has written a memoir after many years of hiding from her past, even though it is always with her. A high school friend (maybe boyfriend) Aaron Hughes, commonly referred to as the Bagman is in prison serving several life sentences for his crimes. Karen was the one who turned him in after eight women died, and now she is writing her story.

It appears that there maybe a copycat killer in her hometown or were they all wrong and Aaron was not the killer. Karen heads back to her small town to meet with police and try to assist in confirming that the symbol in the wall is the same symbol the Bagman left behind in his victims. As Karen gets more involved I the case, she starts to doubt her actions and questions everything, leading up to meeting face to face in prison with the man she once dreamed would be hers.

This book is told by revealing a little of Karen’s book at the beginning of the chapters and then continuing the story in the present. This book was not full of twists but I just love the way this author tells a story. I was hooked from the first chapter and very satisfied by the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion. I look forward to more books by this author!

This book has a way of drawing the reader in, at least for me. I was intrigued with how the chapters all started with bits of the memoir that Karen, called the girlfriend of "the Bagman" a serial killer she helped put away 10 years ago and how it maybe was not quite all true. I had to keep reading to see if Karen was a liar (like so many people believed since she said she did not know that Aaron was the killer until the body count had risen so high) since she definitely was keeping secrets and rewriting history. I did think it was odd that she went back home and the police were perfectly fine with her seeing the crime scene of the latest victim and then go with them and Emelia, the one who got away from the Bagman, interviewing families of the victims and going to see Aaron in prison. But that did not stop me from consuming this because I just had to know! I did guess a bit but that was fine and I enjoyed the ending and how it was all explained.

So, in summary, a fast paced book that was hard to put down and I enjoyed it.

Such a fantastic story with truly compelling characters! I loved this unique take on people diving into true crime—it was so engaging. I would have liked a bit more insight into Karen and Aaron’s relationship, as their deep bond wasn’t entirely clear to me, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Overall, an absolutely gripping read that had me staying up way too late!

The premise of The First Girl by Claire McGowan is convoluted and hard to summarize in just a few sentences. The story revolves around a convicted serial murderer (The Bagman) and his childhood friend, Karen. She returns to her home in England when a copycat murder occurs and becomes involved in the subsequent investigations.

This book is written in a rather unique way. Interspersed throughout are excerpts from an about-to-be published book Karen has written about the murders and her role in the conviction of her friend. This provides some of the backstory of their relationship and her increasing concerns about his possible involvement in the crimes. This format, as well as Karen’s thoughts, written as though she was talking to her former friend, makes for an interesting and sometimes confusing read. It took a bit of time for me to get used to this format.

There are a number of characters presented in this book and, not surprisingly, they are quite varied. But, with that said, I also didn’t find any of them very appealing – especially Karen. So, while I enjoyed some of the book, the characters on the whole were quite off-putting. I also found the pace of the story to be uneven and, at times, it was rather slow. Again, this made it more difficult to enjoy the book.

However, I do like Ms McGowan’s writing style and she displays a genuine flair for story-telling. But, nevertheless, I have really vacillated on this book. I liked parts of it but in the end, it just wasn’t as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. It’s 3.5 stars for me. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for The First Girl! I really enjoyed this brooding suspense novel—it felt fresh, complex, and impossible to put down once I got into the story.

As a fan of genres that lean into true crime and serial killer themes, I appreciated how McGowan brought a new perspective to these narratives. The novel thoughtfully explores victims, relationships, and the psychology of its characters, particularly the protagonist—who is deliberately flawed and not entirely likable, which made her all the more compelling.

I loved the nuanced layers of the plot, where rich character development seamlessly blends with a gripping mystery. The pacing struck a perfect balance, keeping the story moving forward while giving the characters the depth they deserved—a difficult feat to pull off!

A must-read for fans of Listen for the Lie and other fictional explorations of true crime and serial killer themes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer/Amazon Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Claire McGowan. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Karen Walker's first love went on to become known as The Bagman, a serial killer currently locked away for life. Ever since, Karen has had to deal with the weight of not knowing what he was capable of and defending him. But now, ten years later, as her book of her account of the crimes is about to be published, another young woman is abducted in similar circumstances. It can't be The Bagman, can it? She must return to her hometown to see if there's any chance of saving the girl.

As always with Claire McGowan's book, this was a tense thriller. I liked the way it was written - the reader got excerpts from her book filling in the past history, plus the dialogue was such that Karen was talking to The Bagman, again giving clues to their relationship and her thoughts. It was also a good police procedural as the hunt was on for the missing girl with even an amateur sleuth team getting in the action. Loved the ending too!

A writer's first love, who was a serial killer, might be killing again, even though he is supposed to be in jail.

I wanted to like this one more based on the premise. It sounded so good and suspenseful, but something about the structure just was not for me. I could not really tell where the book ended and the main story started in each chapter or if they were supposed to be separate? It was just a bit confusing for me, but maybe that is something the physical copy will make clearer.

3.5⭐️ I enjoyed this thriller! I found the premise unique and certain elements kept me interested the whole time. However, I found Karen’s relationship with the Aaron questionable as they barely spent time together but were also “so close.” Additionally, the story seemed to drag at times. Although this was not my favorite read, I certainly enjoyed it enough to be curious to check out more of McGowans books!

This one took me a bit to get into. The beginning was a bit disorienting, trying to make sense of being thrown into someone's life after certain events, reading it in first person. Once I fully got a handle on it, I did enjoy this, just wasn't exactly blown away. I felt it lagged a bit at times, and some things were a little redundant. The red herrings were placed well, and the overall mystery was good, but when looking at the big picture, it wasn't very believable to me and certain timelines and events should have been expanded on more. Overall, I give this one three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

What worked for me in this one was the citizen detective and true crime aspect (such as the chapters beginning with "excerpts" from Karen's book about her experiences). The detached voice (Karen speaking to Aaron) didn't work as well for me. Overall, a quick read that definitely kept my attention but might not end up being the most memorable.

Karen Walker is a writer, she has a bit of a past and, when we first meet her, she is about to publish a true crime book all about it. You see... she was the girlfriend of Aaron Hughes, The notorious Bagman, who was a serial killer, now residing in a maximum-security prison.
But, as she is at a literary event, during a Q&A, a voice in the crowd draws her attention to a new crime. A young woman has been abducted in very familiar circumstances...
Long story short and Karen flies home. She had previously fled her hometown for the obvious reasons, but also cos she was being accused of "knowing" about him, and failing to report him, which would, obviously, have saved many women. There, she teams up with Donetti, the detective on the case and views the latest crime scene where she sees something shocking that throws more questions that answers... Was he really guilty, have they put an innocent man (and he still maintains his innocence) away, or was he working with someone else, someone they never caught? Or... is this a copycat with access to evidence not disclosed...?
Told in the present day we follow Karen as she assist with the current case. Peppered throughout are snippets from the past, actually snippets from the book! Showing how Karen met Aaron and how their relationship developed. These complement the present day narrative, add colour to it, and progress it nicely.
Karen was a bit of a funny fish at times. She was hard to warm to initially but I did manage to connect with her eventually, even though I still didn't really like her! Other characters were well drawn and all acted their parts well.
Pacing was good and mostly matched the narrative well all the way through. It was a wee bit slow at times though but never slow enough to frustrate.
The story was both interesting and intriguing and kept me on my toes throughout. Spitting me out at the end pretty satisfied and kicking myself for things I should have seen coming!
All in all, another solid read to add to an already impressive back catalogue. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I really enjoyed this fast paced story, it was full of surprises. I liked the multiple points of view as it kept me engaged. I would recommend this to thriller fans.

Many thanks for my gifted copy. My review will be shared to my Instagram account shortly.

Karen Walker fled to New York from the UK ten years ago after reporting her friend to the police for murders she believed he committed as The Bagman, who is now locked away in a maximum security prison. Now a writer, she is about to publish her memoir about her life in Yorkshire growing up with Aaron Hughes and discovering his crimes, when she hears that a woman has disappeared and the circumstances are very familiar. How can it be though, when he's locked up, did she help send the wrong man to prison? She decides to return to find out and try to save this girl before it's too late, but that would also mean revealing what really happened back then.

The First Girl is the latest thriller by this author, told from the perspective of Karen, and with the help of her memoir, we learn about the events of the past and also what changes to bring her back to Yorkshire in such a hurry. As she becomes more involved in the case she's certain that someone wanted her back here and that she's the reason this girl has gone missing, she just doesn't know why yet. This is an intriguing tale with each chapter starting with a snippet from her memoir to pull us into the past before firing us back into the here and now and kept me turning the pages to find out where it was heading. There were some very complex characters within the story, none of whom I particularly liked or connected with, having said that it's definitely worth reading.

I'd like to thank Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Karen is about to publish her memoir about growing up best friend with a man who would go on to be known as the bagman, a serial killer put away after Karen finally comes forward with her hunch about him. The questions of how involved she was, or how much she really knew, follow her around.

After a woman goes missing in similar fashion to the bagmans previous crimes, she returns home to help find out if she was right all those years ago, or would could be happening.

Slightly long and drawn out. Learning the truth about Aaron’s potential crimes, how Karen’s best friend was, or was not, his first victim, and what pay truth and lies Karen has been keeping all these years. It was enjoyable without being anything special.

This book was so good, I could not put it down! I had an idea of what really happened, but there were so many twists and turns, I genuinely wasn’t sure. That’s pretty rare for me. I did end up being mostly right, but it was a wild ride getting there! Every page it was something new, but not in the bloated over-action of some thrillers. I’d be really interested to see what the author’s method is. If she’s a pantser, bravo because there was no mushy middle at all! Fantastic pacing, tone, and characterization. And honestly, there wasn’t a single character I didn’t like. Even the unlikeable ones grew on me. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author from now on!

Huge thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

I really liked this book and wasn't sure if Karen was an unreliable narrator or not. That is to say -- this book kept me guessing about what really happened in the past and also how the book would end. I was surprised in a good way. It was thrilling but not over the top. This reminded me a bit of the Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series so if you like that series, definitely this a try!

The First Girl comes out next week on Febuary 18, 2025, and you can purchase HERE!

The first time I ever laid eyes on Aaron Hughes, I had a sense that he would change the course of my life. A shiver along the spine, a hint of the horror to come, as rain ran down the windows of the prefab classroom on a wet Tuesday in September. I knew at once things would never be the same again. I just didn't know how.

These are the first lines of the book I wrote about you, your crimes, and how I helped to send you to prison for them. It's a good enough opening, if a little cheesy, but it isn't true. Of course I didn't think anything like that. Does it ever happen in real life, that sort of premonition, such a foreshadowing of doom? It didn't for me. The first time I saw you, you walked into double maths in my school in a small town near Doncaster, in the north of England, and I thought very little of it.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of The First Girl.

Karen helped put Aaron the man that she loved behind bars for multiple murders. She decides to write a book about her time with him and the crimes. When another woman goes missing with the same MO as Aaron she starts to question if he is actually guilty. She returns home to help the police and she eventually goes to see Aaron in prison and he alludes to the fact he may know where the missing woman is. He also alludes to the fact that Karen has not been totally truthful with what happened in the past.

I am really conflicted about this book. It had me intrigued but then it got really redundant and drug on. Then the ending was kind of anti climactic. I also did not like the female main character at all. Overall it was just okay for me.

Claire McGowan delivers a chilling, fast-paced thriller in The First Girl, blending psychological suspense with true crime elements in a way that feels both gripping and disturbingly real.

The story follows forensic psychologist Karen, who is drawn into a harrowing case involving a string of murders and a convicted killer whose guilt is suddenly in question. As the bodies pile up, Karen is forced to determine whether the real murderer is already behind bars—or still lurking in the shadows. The inclusion of a true crime podcast adds a modern and highly relevant layer to the narrative, reflecting society’s obsession with real-life mysteries and unsolved crimes.

McGowan masterfully keeps readers on edge with her intricate plotting and relentless twists. Every revelation peels back another disturbing layer, making it impossible to put the book down. The tension builds steadily, creating an atmosphere of paranoia and urgency that mirrors Karen’s own descent into the case.

What makes The First Girl so compelling is not just its well-crafted mystery, but also its exploration of justice, truth, and the power of perception. McGowan’s writing is sharp, immersive, and emotionally charged, ensuring that readers are invested in every dark turn.

For fans of psychological thrillers and true crime fiction, The First Girl is an absolute must-read—twisted, timely, and utterly unputdownable.

Karen’s best friend Aaron is currently in prison, locked away after killing multiple women. After getting her life back on track, Karen is forced to face the past again ten years later, when a copycat killer strikes. Is Aaron involved from the inside? Returning to her hometown, Karen is determined to get to the bottom of it.

This was a fantastic book! The author kept me wanting to read “just one more chapter” and I soon found myself fully devouring the book, much to my buddy reader‘s dismay, I’m sure 🤣 If you pick this one up, you’ll see what I mean though! I wasn’t able to fully guess the end and found myself shocked at the big reveal. Thriller fans will love this one - make sure you have it on your to read list!