Leave it to Skuse to roll out the crazy train when it comes to characters and plots. I can almost guarantee that there will be something really twisted in any story she writes.

At first Rhiannon seems like such an underdog. The type of person everyone likes to shove around and kick while they are down. Never praised for her achievements or allowed to rise above her lowly station. Typically the type of person to end up being a victim.

Then there is the other side of Rhiannon, the part of her personality nobody knows about. Hmm well some of them know, but they choose to say nothing. thereby possibly endangering the rest of humanity. Ok that might be a slight exaggeration.

When the reader is introduced to the more vengeful side of Rhiannon they may find it hard to feel any sympathy towards her at all. She is cold, calculating, and yet at the same time you could say she is ridding the world of unsavoury characters. The thing is, who is she to be both judge and jury, and to hand out punishment. Saying that, a small part of me totally identified with Rhiannon aka Sweetpea. I’ll leave it to your imagination to figure out which part of her I identified with.

Essentially that is part of the Skuse magic, she isn’t afraid to write what everyone else is thinking or present the unimaginable. Occasionally we all have the kind of thoughts that could land us in prison. Luckily we don’t have anyone policing our actual thinking processes yet. Close, but no cigar, as yet.

Sweetpea is a brutal read, but perhaps more so because it isn’t your typical garden variety killer. You might find it an uncomfortable read at times, because there is a wee bit of Sweetpea in everyone of us. Kudos to the author for another memorable read.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of Sweetpea.*

"It's an exciting privilege to watch someone die, knowing you caused it. Almost worth getting dolled up for."

If Georgia Nicolson (Angus, Thongs and Ful-Frontal Snogging) grew up and developed some seriously disturbing urges, this would be the diary she'd write.
A slightly more accessible example is Dexter meets Bridget Jones, but with infinitely more grit.

I read Sweetpea a couple of weeks ago when I had a horrible cold and this book was a brilliant distraction; funny, disturbing and unexpected. It's the diary of a serial killer with very relatable kill lists and a twisted sense of humour. This won't be everyone's cup of tea but I loved this refreshing book.

(FYI, bad language coming up. If you don't like swearing then don't read this review and don't read the book.)

Sweetpea is so much fun, in a very dark way. Rhiannon is a great creation; there are a lot of serial killer novels out there but a female serial killer is rare, and one with depth, humour and a penchant for discussing bodily functions is even rarer.

Rhiannon is worryingly relatable. I'm sure I'm not the only one who read her kill lists and found myself agreeing.
She's also fantastic at insults, some gems include:

"becankled little pig face"

"cheese-breeding tripe hound"

and perhaps my favourite...

"The woman is a mouldering codpiece on the diseased cock of a Shakespearean leper."

Sometimes Rhiannon's real life is a tad too predictable; it's good to have 'normal' problems on top of serial killer ones but there were a few incidents that felt too obvious and a little sitcom-esque.
However, Skuse manages to keep it fresh with Rhiannon's attitude towards it all.

If you're thinking this is just a cheap thrill book with death and swearing thrown around for kicks, it actually has unexpected depth, especially in the way that Rhiannon tries to understand the world and her own urgings.

"It's hard to find Happy, isn't it? It lands only briefly before it flies off, like a butterfly."

The serial killer with a heart thing has been done a lot, and before I started reading I was wondering if Sweetpea was going to be a bit tired, but it's not at all. True, Rhiannon seems to be the perfect 'helpful' psychopathic killer.

"Defend the defenceless - children, animals, women in danger."

It's a little unbelievable that a serial killer would refrain from killing small animals, but as an animal lover myself it made better reading and I liked the added dimension of her battling against her urges and her beliefs.

Actually, it's a rather worrying read when you realise you're agreeing a lot with a serial killer. But then Skuse throws in these moments that are seriously disturbing and you realise that this is a person with a totally different mindset. It's truly fascinating.

Sweetpea is a disturbing look at a unique and twisted character, which will also make you snort with laughter and question your belief in yourself as a good person.

My Rating: 4/5

I received a digital copy of Sweetpea via NetGalley in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

Rhiannon is a complex character with an extremely dark edge to her, in some parts of the book you actually feel sorry for her. Mainly because she is repeatedly walked over especially at work. Even though you don't necessarily agree with all the things that she does it's still such a rollercoaster ride of a story. There were so many brilliant one liners that I couldn't keep up I loved her commentary on her own life. Rhiannon expertly voices the things that bug pretty much everyone on a daily basis. Although we don't fantasize about actually killing all the people who have annoyed or wronged us.

Is it entirely wrong that I was laughing at times and I mean laugh out loud funny. Then you would get to the parts which are dark and disturbing just like Rhiannon. I thought this was a great contrast to have whilst reading.

The story manages to be blunt and to the point all the way through, I loved how Rhiannon had to be this whole other person to appear normal in everyone's eyes. This really is a book like no other, it manages to have some truly shocking moments with grisly descriptions. So I will say that if you are easily offended this book may not be for you. I enjoyed the way the book is told in a diary format I thought this was a great way of telling the story. This way you definitely get an insight into the real Rhiannon's personality. Sweetpea has a little bit of everything and then when you throw in the dark humour it made things all the more interesting.

I found that the story moved pretty quickly and before I knew it I was nearing the end. It was difficult because on one hand I wanted to know how everything would turn out but I also didn't want it to end!

Brutal at times but oh so addictive, I just couldn't put it down!

Thank you to HQDigital & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

The large amount of swearing and profanity put me off continuing to read this book. It adds nothing to the story and makes me feel bad.

Rating 4*

The first thing I have to say about Sweetpea is I LOVE THIS COVER!!! I seem to be drawn to covers that have a black background and simple yet vivid colours to attract attention. When I saw this cover on Twitter and then read the blurb earlier this year, I knew I needed to read this book!

The second thing I have to say about Sweetpea is DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED. The humour is very dark, comical and rather gruesome in places. Our protagonist, Rhiannon doesn't mince her words through her diary entries, she starts every commentary with her day's kill list - in some cases I am inclined to agree with her - the people who don't use their indicators and those who "invite" you to join a Facebook group which isn't really an invite now is it!?

‘There are three ways to make your mark on the world. Do something ordinary, do something extraordinary or kill something extraordinary. You can be an average John, a John Lennon or the man who kills John Lennon.’

Rhiannon is nuts, she had some very dark and psychopathic thoughts. She is seriously disturbed but how much of that is down to her upbringing which as you read Sweetpea, you learn more and more.

To start with, I wasn't sure about this book. I really thought that my love for the simple yet striking cover had blinded my judgment but the more I delved into Rhiannon's life and nuttiness, the more compelled I was to read. There were quite a few surprises along the way right up to the end! I'll definitely be reading more from the author - I discovered I've actually got one of her previous novels, Monster, that's been sat on my Kindle for the past 2 years #hangsheadinshame

A massive thank you to HQ and Netgalley for my advanced copy of Sweetpea.

Conflicting thoughts with this one - it was very dark and disturbing, with some black humour which I liked but it felt a little bit forced at times. The whole thing was quite crude, although on the whole it worked.
It has some interesting twists and I think it'll prove to be quite popular as it is quite different - it's definitely one that you will really enjoy or you will hate.

I'd heard that this was a quirky kind of read, not your average thriller, so I couldn't wait to find out for myself if that was true...

Wow, it certainly was!

Rhiannon was quite a character, her thoughts were sometimes disturbing and her actions gruesome yet I still found her amusing and quick-witted. It's a strange feeling when you know you should dislike a character (especially a murderous one) but you just can't manage it. Rhiannon was a character who tore me in two - there were times when her actions made me feel slightly ill but there were also times when I thought 'do you know what? I don't actually blame you'!

Written in the form of a diary, Rhiannon's dark side gave me chills, I simply couldn't understand how she could seem so normal on the surface but have seriously dark thoughts about the people she came across on a day-to-day basis. It made me think about how, even when you think you know someone, you never really know what thoughts are going through their mind.

The ever-changing list was one of my favourite parts of this book and I couldn't help but chuckle when a person was added for minor reasons. Sweetpea is worth a read just for those lists!

In between the killings there was plenty of humour but it was sometimes a dark kind of humour that I don't think everybody would appreciate. For me, I found it to be shockingly amusing (if that makes sense) - I'd be raising my eyebrows in shock but smiling at the same time. The same goes for the strong language, there was quite a lot of it but I personally felt it was necessary to give the reader a clear impression of Rhiannon and also to create the right atmosphere. However, if you're likely to find these things offensive then perhaps this isn't a book for you.

This was a morbidly fascinating and strangely amusing read. It was so addictive that I couldn't possibly give it less than 5 stars!

I will open with some advice. This book will divide readers. It is marmite, you will either get it and love it or you won't. It is full of black humour, some very close to the bone, bad language and is a bit explicit. It's also worth giving a go and for that reason, I would recommend trying the sample first if you're not sure. You will definitely get enough from the first 10% or so to be able to make the decision to carry on or move on by. OK, so that's done, on to the nitty gritty.
Told in the form of a diary, we are privy to Rhiannon's darkest thoughts. Her daily kill list complete with reasons for inclusion, her shenanigans with her friends, or as she calls them her PICSOs - People I Can't Shake Off, and her relationship with long standing boyfriend Craig. Oh yeah, and her job, and colleagues. All interspersed with her take on life, her little observations, coupled with the darkest of humour that had me crying with laughter at various points along the way. Oh and she also describes her kills, in glorious technicolour. She's the epitome of the character that you know you shouldn't like but you can't help rooting for. But then she loves her dog and plays with her dolls house... what's not to like there? If you are anything like me you will start to dislike her for some of her antics but then she will do something that just draws you back in to her world, makes you like her again, she'll say something funny, or do something you really approve of and there you are, back on her side, powerless to resist. Oh, and probably also shocked at how easy it was for her to suck you back in.
The supporting cast complemented our main character very well indeed. The PICSOs who bang on about themselves, their partners, their kids, their up-and-coming wedding and other events told with such banal delivery had me so impressed with the way Rhiannon dealt with them. The faces she had to put on to survive another night out with the girls! Her colleagues at work who undermine and demean her at every turn, little do they know! And AJ, her "partner in crime" at work and the friendship that blossoms between the two of them over their practical jokes. Is it wrong that I actually want her as my best friend? She's on my wavelength humour-wise and so judgemental that, all her put on faces aside, I found her to be very open and honest in her innermost thoughts.
Having had a wee peep at the authors biography, I see that, although well published in YA books, this is her first foray into the world of adult books. Talk about pulling no punches and hitting the ground running, she certainly has my attention, and then some. Can't wait for what she delivers next time. I also can't help but wonder what's next for Rhiannon...

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Well dark humour just got a few shades darker with this novel, which at times I was left thinking can you really get away with saying that? but it just wouldn't be Rhiannon if she didn't because this psychopathic young woman is like a wild beast with it's prey in sight and nothing will stop the frenzy of madness. It is like her drug, the fix that she gets off on including her self gratification with the dying and dead. She can justify her reason to kill  these people as they are not the cream of society. The awful thing is, so can I!
Told in the form of a diary by Rhiannon, it begins each day with a list of people that have jarred her off the day before. The seriousness of her thinking is hilarious, as I found myself laughing at the most inappropriate reasons, why someone could be living on borrowed time. She isn't a woman you really want to upset, in fact she isn't someone you really want to know at all.  
Rhiannon, being a true psychopath, liked her own company but knew that she had to fit into society and so she had a boyfriend but as a reader I was in Rhiannon's head, I knew the wicked thoughts  that were behind the kind smile she gave him. It was the same at work, where she has to really try to remember to play nice and appear part of the crew at the Newspaper Office.  She is quite the chameleon, not really standing out but blending into the environment where ever she is.
This is a very brutal and violent story that won't sit easy with some readers but the further you read the more the past unfolds and the more you understand. Cee Jay Skuse has her own unique writing style which I felt was so very refreshing. I loved the bluntness of the writing which captured the internal workings of Rhiannon with perfection.  Totally wicked entertainment that I loved.

Given it a good go but not my thing. DNF'd at 65%
In my opinion too long and could have done with editing and cropping about 30%.
I will give a more detailed review nearer publication date.

Lots of bad language (not something that offends me) so not for those that find words like 'c**t' 'f**k' etc,etc,etc.....offensive.

Quite humorous especially the 'kill lists' at commencement of chapters, but even these became a drag to read for me, likewise the never ending griping about everyone and everything.

Highly implausible plot with a female serial killer who doesn't seem to be anywhere near being caught at 65%.

I'm just a bit bored and uninterested to find out what happens next..actually I felt this at 30% but kept going.

A mash up of Dexter, American Psycho, and fifty shades, but with female serial killer. Not for the faint hearted or those offended by foul language.

Although not for me have given it 3* as I think it definitely has commercial reader appeal and think it will do well at our bookstore. I'm looking forward to recommending it to customers looking for their next read..

This is pure genius, and most definitely worth a read, it is crazy, disturbing and funny - something a little different. Rhiannon is in a relationship with Craig and works in journalism, she loves writing and keeps a diary of her thoughts - a 'kill list' for each day and reasons why. She hasn't had the best of lives and experiences have left her scarred. Her friends, Craig and the people she works with, do not know her at all, she puts on a face for everyone acting according to her audience. Each page had me gripped, this has swearing and gore but is also funny and sad, it will divide opinion but I thoroughly enjoyed it. This story kept me interested right up to the end and it gave me many surprises in the storyline. C J Skuse has now been added to my list of 'authors to read' for sure. Thank you netgalley and Harlequin UK for this to read and review.

This book was utterly brilliant! So good in fact that I read it in a day! There were several moments where I actually laughed out loud! The main character is crude, rude and straight to the point and I loved every second of her! I know this book will not be everyone's cup of tea but if you like your crime / thrillers with a mix of humour then this book is for you! 5 stars all the way!

This is the first book that I have read by C.J. Skuse
And certainly won't be my last. Psychopath with an hilarious sense of humour...absolutely priceless. I have read some books in my time but nothing quite like this it is hilarious I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Rihanna is a psychopath and tells a twisted, shameless outrageous story written in diary entries. With an opening of her kill list. Rihanna is a normal average woman which people can relate to. I certainly could I freaking loved her crude, witty, sarcastic sense of humour she’s totally on my wavelength.

The Murder scenes are very brutal and twisted and not for the faint hearted but are told in a way that made me laugh.Yes laughing at a murder…. OMFG what is going on...seriously you won't believe it until you read it yourself.

And the ending...I was like OMG has my kindle broke... I cannot wait for the follow on. Sweetpea has gave me book hangover thats for sure.

This is one unique refreshing read that had me laughing from start to end. I must say it isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. But I bloody loved it. All the stars from me.

OMG!!! this book can I just say crying with laughter it was just genius
SweetPea by C.J Skuse is something all in its own category, witty, black and hilarious while also being a horrifying look into a sociopathic mind.
The thing is the way sweetpea is written you can actually imagine the thoughts pinging around in her abnormal brain and they are the wisps of things that we all think off but grit our teeth and bear.
it's all so normal and every day and done with not one ounce of remorse and them KILL LISTS!!! priceless.
bet we have all wanted to murder the person having a ten-minute convo with the cashier in Lidl when we are running late for work.
The only difference with Rhee is she quite happily would and have a nice cuppa and biccy afterwards.
The PICSO'S loved this laughed my head off People I Can't Shake Off
bet we all have a few of them.
Watching Rhee's life spiral out of control was immensely fascinating, the fact that no one even noticed or suspected this angelic-faced little killer shows what little attention we pay to each other.
I was riveted to this story from the opening lines and till that final closing curtain.
An amazing piece of fiction which I loved bravo.
I received a free e-copy of sweetpea from NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.

This book is POLARISING! Understandably so. I can't remember the last time I read a book so outrageous - if ever! From the first couple of pages I found myself suppressing a snigger, feeling bad at laughing at such dark humour. By the time I was halfway though the book I had embraced my inner psychopath and was laughing out loud till my ribs hurt. An editorial assistant by day, a serial killer by night, Rhiannon may be a crazed murderer, but I think we can all relate to her, we all have some Rhiannon in us.

Written in the form of a diary every chapter opens with Rhiannon's "Kill List" a self-explanatory list of people she fantasises about killing. From the lazy work colleague who does diddly-squat, and then claims Rhiannon's work for their own, to the checkout boy in Lidl who squashed her wholemeal bread a little too hard when scanning it, to hipsters with annoying beards, we've all been there. That fury in your stomach and that throbbing vein in your temple, but most of us smile sweetly. Rhiannon finally becomes sick of smiling sweetly and decides to get revenge.

I know it seems impossible to think that you could find a serial killer that you liked, and empathised with, but Rhiannon is it. She survived a childhood massacre where a homicidal ex-boyfriend murdered a childminder, and all the tots she was looking after that day, bar one. Rhiannon survived a blow to the skull with a hammer, but suffered slight brain damage after it. This could possibly explain her emotional detachment from both a physiological point of view and a psychological. But she's not a completely cold-hearted bitch, she does care for some, for example animals and young children, and she just dotes on her little chihuahua "Tink". God help anyone who ever mistreated Tink.

Although some of her acts are quite brutal and violent, her diary entries and dry narration gives a different slant on things and not only makes them funny, but causes the thought "Well, you did have that coming" to flash through your mind. This book is not for the easily offended, not only is it grisly but it's crude and full of expletives.

There are other characters in the book alongside Rhiannon, her dim-witted long-term boyfriend Craig that is struggling to stay faithful (I think if he was my boyfriend I would be feeling pretty incensed too). Her new work colleague AJ, a 19 year-old surfer freshly over from Australia that Rhiannon manages to forage a bond with, her group of friends she refers to as "The PICSOs" (People I Can't Shake Off) and her sister, who lives across the pond in America. This unique yet realistic collection of characters (most of whom Rhiannon can't stand) add colour and dimension to the novel, and only seemed to strengthen the bond I felt with Rhiannon.

The ending is a killer (see what I did there 😉) and there just has to be a sequel, this can't be the end!! Named after the Welsh witch is my favourite Fleetwood Mac song: She is like a cat in the dark, And then she is the darkness. This describes both the book and Rhiannon perfectly. Overall rating five fantastic stars, thanks to CJ Skuse, HQ Harpercollins, and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

Sweetpea is a very dark book but at the same time very funny as the descriptions are hilarious .It is written as a diary plus a changing list of people Rhiannon would like to kill !!! I thought the book was very well written and parts of it made me laugh out loud whilst the violence was horrendous it still made me want a happy ending for Rhiannon .

Sweetpea is set around Rhiannon, struggling to get her crappy novel published, living with her crappy cheating boyfriend, surrounded by crappy pointless friends and hating her super crappy job, her only loves in life being her Chihuahua, her Sylvanian Families and... brutally murdering people.
After a tragic childhood incident left her with the lasting life long damage of being a full blown psychopathic serial killer.
With Rhiannon's diaries we take a journey through her crazed and irrational mind.
The book took me a while to get into and honestly, I was going to give up; but i was bored on the bus and this was the only book I had. I am so glad I continued to read it, writing style took a while to get used to, although it has incredibly refreshing to read something so honest. The black comedy through out kept a grim character likable and lightened up the whole story line.
My ancient A-Level in Psychology was working overtime while reading this, and it was the psychological aspects that kept me hooked until the very end. She could be and was capable of love (mainly her dog), she felt empathy for baby Sam and was able to make meaningful connections with AJ and Daisy, not to mention her strange connection to Craig and his family.

This the only time I have read a book and not wished for a happy ending, Rhi and Craig moving to the country and raising a family would not have done this book justice.
The ending was great and even now, a week after finishing the book I still find myself thinking about it. Has the book finished because there are no more diary entries?
Am I happy about the prospect of her possibly serving life in prison?...I don't know. I did grow quite fond of her and worryingly found myself relating to her in a lot of ways.
I did have high hope for her, Craig and the Grain of Rice although it obviously would of never worked out, him being a scum bag and her a cold hearted manic.
I do understand why a lot of the reviews I have seen for Sweetpea say "you will either love it or hate it" I definitely can see why. You either 'get it' or you don't. It did take me a while but I am so glad I stuck with it.
Great Read!!!