Quite a dark read but I really enjoy crime novels, this was a fast read and the chapters are quite short.

An unusual hobby, especially for a young girl but really well written.

Great debut and I’ll definitely look out for more from this author.

Deadly Animals is the debut novel by Marie Tierney. It was published by Zaffre in Feb 2024. If you read the comments on the cover from Lynda La Plante, Peter James, and Chris Whitaker, you know that this book is considered remarkable. It also won the Val McDermid Crime Debut Award 2024. This recognition highlights its status in the crime fiction community.

Firstly, I should point out that this is not an easy read. It contains several triggers that readers may find difficult. These include animal cruelty and child murders.

The book is set in the early 80’s. It is told through Ava, a 13-year-old girl. She lives in a small town near Birmingham. Ava is not your average teenage girl. She lives with her family consisting of a dysfunctional mother and 2 sisters and her mother’s on/off dodgy boyfriend. As well as being highly intelligent and observant Ava has a fascination with dead animals. Her interests are to study them whilst they decay and record the results.

She sneaks out of her home at night to visit her latest roadkill. During her visit, she discovers the mutilated body of Mickey Grant. He was a boy from her school, lying hidden amongst the debris. Disguising her voice she calls the police to report the crime and leaves the crime scene.

Detective Seth Delahaye is in charge of this case. Ava’s in-depth knowledge of crime and forensics compels her to get involved. She can’t sit back watching the police struggle to solve this murder.

I found the book a slow burner at first. However, it was so atmospheric and chilling. This slow burn actually added to the tension of the story.

Deadly Animals is very disturbing. The child deaths are heart breaking. The violence and abuse are uncomfortable, but it’s original and clever too.

Overall, it is an uncomfortable and disturbing debut novel. It is powerful. I think Ava deserves another book. I’d love to read more about her.

First of all I’m going to start by saying that there was an emotional punch to this story that caught me unawares. The book is definitely dark at times but the author also created some lighter moments. Especially between certain characters. Ava is a wonderful character, she is lively, knowledgeable and has a strength that shines through.

Both Ava and Delahaye were a delight to get to know. In particular Ava with her intelligence and certain special interests. I really enjoyed their interactions as Ava tried her best to help in any way she could albeit with difficulty due to her age. Delahaye was considerate and kind, he was a stand out character for sure.

Deadly Animals has a strong storyline, I was gripped by all the events in this book. The way that at times it was both dark and gritty. The plot moves along at a good pace and I was eager to see how it would all turn out. I had my theories on who was behind it all but it was still a shock to see it all play out. The pacing definitely ramps up in the last part of the book.

Deadly Animals is an intriguing and intense kind of story. A brilliant debut!

Thank you Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley.
This was a totally different crime book. Interesting, enthralling and very well written. Highly recommend.
More please by this author,

I enjoyed the concept of Deadly Animals. A young teenager with a fascination for anatomy and decomposition, stumbles across the body of a missing classmate, and winds up involved in the police investigation.

I thought the writing style was excellent. I liked the multiple points of view within the story, and I thought there was a strong development and a clear story arc throughout.
I did predict he twist, and someitmes felt that things were a little long winded, meandering before getting to the point, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

When I started this book I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy it but once it got going I was hooked. I can’t believe this is a debut because it is written so well. I adored the different take on the usual crime thrillers. Having the majority of the story from a 13 year old girls POV was so good. Ava is a fantastic character and her take on everything was so interesting. As a fellow girl who was always intrigued by bones it was refreshing to see Ava portrayed as someone who just wanted to learn instead of creepy and troubled.

It’s set in Birmingham in the 80s and it is the perfect setting. There are so many great characters as well as some you can hates. Delahay is a great detective and I loved the respect he had for Ava and how he welcomed her help instead of blowing it off because she’s a child. It’s not overly difficult to work out who the killer is but this book is more about linking everything together with the motive and following Ava revealing various clues and working out what to do next as opposed to who did it. I devoured this book and I look forward to more from Tierney.

Well this is an unusual and remarkably unique debut in crime fiction. I have to applaud Tierney because this is unlike anything I’ve read previously.

This is a book that was on my radar immediately. As soon as it landed I knew I couldn’t wait to delve between the covers and get stuck in.

Ava is just thirteen. She is interesting and intriguing, whilst being more intelligent than many adults I know. Although, I am a little uncomfortable by her obsession with dead carcasses. The professional in me wants to delve deeper into her adverse childhood experiences and find the root cause of her fascination. Additionally, comments made by the mother’s boyfriend has made my skin crawl.

However, despite this, Ava has been a great main protagonist. The fact that she posed as an adult to be taken seriously made me smile. I felt horrified that such a young person encountered the murdered boys.

Tierney has written this in a way that just flows. I have devoured this in just one sitting. Ava is a character I won’t forget in a hurry.

This is an addictive read because you can’t help but want to find out where it will go. This is written in a way you could easily be watching this on a true crime channel and I have to say Tierney has really impressed me.

Deadly Animals is both intriguing and unique. I completely understand why this is a book everyone is talking about. I have to agree that it is praise worthy.

I absolutely recommend this to lovers of the genre.

Blog tour with Compulsive Readers

http://ramblingmads.uk/2024/02/21/blog-tour-deadly-animals-marie-tierney/

"Deadly Animals" by Marie Tierney is a really good debut. Ava, the main protagonist, is a teenager with a fascination for anatomy and a penchant for studying the decomposition of roadkill. She sneaks out at night to study the corpses of animals she’s seen and on one such night she stumbles upon the gruesome remains of a classmate. Ava also is talented in faking voices and she phones the police putting on a mock, posh woman’s voice.
Detective Seth Delahaye is a second protagonist and the story is told in alternate chapters from their perspectives, though Ava is the main protagonist. Delahaye leads the police investigation into the murder. When another young boy's body is discovered, it becomes apparent there’s a serial killer operating. Reports of a strange creature roaming the area add to the town’s paranoia and soon everyone is on edge.
Ava and her friend, John, run their own secret and obviously unofficial investigation in the background, occasionally giving information to the police. In fact most of the police’s breakthroughs come from them.
The novel has been likened to some of Stephen King’s work in that a teenage protagonist takes centre stage in a creepy tale, and I think that’s apt. Similarly Stranger Things. There’s a sense throughout the novel that the killer could be supernatural, or a monster, or could be a human who thinks they are.
This is a compelling read and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

Holy cow what was this!! A debut??? How so haha! This was seriously off the charts for a debut and I cannot believe it’s a first novel. The main character of Ava was so well made and I adored her. This book was everything you’d want and more from a debut and I cannot wait for more from the author. Fast paced and intriguing the storyline winds and weaves with twists and turns and was just magical. Loved it every single word of it 5 stars!!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this eARC.

A riveting debut! Tierney has crafted a deliciously twisted novel that seizes your attention from the very first chapter and holds you in its creepy arms until the very last page. Meticulously researched, this author takes the subject of murder very seriously, and, while delving into particularly dark depths with her murderer, the novel itself feels grounded in reality, and aided by the rich psychiatric background that gradually unpicks how a murderer could commit such heinous crimes.

Centred around Ava, a thirteen year old girl growing up in a working class area of Birmingham, she has a particular fascination with the human body and, particularly, our skeletal system. Indeed, Ava's declaration that "We are our bones." serves on many levels in this novel as Tierney explores how the human body can betray the crimes committed against it, and, on a more metaphorical level, how our backgrounds, familial history, and foundations establish who we are and how we would interact with the world. I was initially reluctant to read a book based from the perspective of a young girl and yet she proves charming in her own, distinct way, and, interspersed with the perspective of the DI investigating the case, she provides a local perspective, and, more crucially, a fresh perspective as she considers the case within the frame of her own interests, and her own understanding of humanity.

While I will not delve too far into the plot, Tierney uses her setting of the eighties to great effect to craft a very familiar world and yet one lacking in key modern amenities, particularly mobile phones. When a young couple see glinting eyes across a field from them, they cannot take a photograph, they can only lead the police to some very strange footprints, and so the mystery and the intrigue is thickened. Indeed, the eighties references are rich and believable and, alongside the author's strong understanding of the community and city in which this tale is based, ensures that there is a distinct personality and flavour to this book that fits the idea of a serial killer (quite literally) prowling the streets.

Perhaps one of Tierney's greatest strengths is the quality of her prose as she litters each scene with striking imagery and, within even a short chapter, can establish rich connections of familial love and, most heartbreakingly, the innocence of youth and how quickly it can be stolen. Whether a character appears repeatedly or merely in one chapter, you are made to care about them, and therefore their journey, however short, matters to you, as the reader. Indeed, while the overarching threat stems from one character, Ava's growing understanding of the threats all women face, both in her own home and without, help to remind us that deadly animals are everywhere: wolves dressed as lambs.

Tracking a serial murderer across a year (and indeed introducing the concept of a serial murderer to a detective in the eighties!), leads to many hellish discoveries. Tierney slowly unpicks the myriad threads that can weave together to form such a monster, and she does not shy away from the complexity of whether it is nature or nurture, seeming to settle on the importance of both, and how a random act, for example a head injury, can be equally damaging. I was able to work out the killer from their first appearance in the book, however, it is unclear whether Tierney ever really wanted the novel to be a who done it, or whether she is more focussed on the why as the reader slowly assembles the whole story ahead of both Ava and the detectives.

A thoroughly enjoyable, dark and deadly read that I would recommend to any crime lover out there.

Ava Bonney is a character who captures both the heart and the mind. She’s growing up in Rubery, Birmingham where her life is not exactly a bed of roses. Her mother is way more interested in hanging on to her boyfriend Trevor than she is in her daughters, whom she slaps whenever she is irritated, which is a frequent occurrence. And her boyfriend has other interests that make Ava wary of him.

They live in a tower block and Ava attends the local secondary school where she is bullied. Fortunately, her friend John, at a different school, comes to collect her at the end of the school day and walks her home.

But Ava’s a special girl with a keen intellect and a curious mind. Her special interest is in taphonomy, the study of what happens to an organism’s body after death – how bacteria, fungi and insects break down an animal’s body. To this end, she slips out at night to visit her various body farms consisting of dead animals she has found and laid out in hidden places so that she can study their decomposition. It’s not a hobby for most people, but Ava takes no pleasure from it, she’s just interested in the process by which compounds in once-living things are broken down and she keeps notebooks to sketch and note down the salient points.

After slipping out one night to visit one of her ‘body farms’ she finds the body of a child. This is a body she knows; one who has been missing for days. She didn’t like him, but she wouldn’t have wished him dead. Realising that she has to report it but not wanting to have to answer questions about why she was out in the middle of the night, she phones the police and uses a false voice, mimicking a posh older woman.

Detective Seth Delahaye has transferred to Birmingham from the Met and catches the case. Canvassing the neighbouring blocks, he meets Ava. He notes her perceptive nature and admires her ability to speak her mind.

The police have few clues to go on, but Ava and John decide to further investigate. In John’s house they create a war room with everything they know about the murder to date. When another child goes missing and there are reports of a large animal prowling around the vicinity, Ava and John are able to provide some clues that the police have not yet found, doing so anonymously.

Ava’s studies and her interest in criminal cases makes her attuned to possibilities that are perhaps out of the normal range of considerations, but which, nevertheless, fit the facts so far.

This novel works because the character of Ava is so distinctive and so beautifully rendered that I really warmed to her and her nocturnal habits. This also means that I cared a great deal about what happens to her and her friend John, and when their investigations lead them into some dangerous spots, my heart was genuinely thumping and I was shouting at the book telling her not to go there!

I loved the mutual respect that develops between Ava and Seth Delahay and how he treated her with respect whilst also protecting her from any backlash at home.

Verdict: As well as being a brilliantly written character led murder mystery, Deadly Animals is also an ingeniously plotted novel; macabre but also funny, dark and deadly but also warm and emotionally moving. This is a book that will stay in the mind for its compassion, the grittiness and the unusual plot points, but also for the outstanding character that is Ava Bonney. Deadly Animals is a must read debut novel and Marie Tierney surely has a bright future ahead.

This book is so good and Ava is such a strong lead. I would read so many more books in this series. If you like crime fiction, this is absolute one to get into. I predict this is going to be a book of the year.

An incredible debut that’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever read before! Marie Tierney has created some unforgettable characters in this very unique, compelling story.

In 1980’s Birmingham, life isn’t all that grand for 13-year-old Ava. The author sketches a vivid portrayal of the harsh realities facing those for whom life is more of a struggle than it might be for others. It’s clear that Ava’s family is one that doesn’t have much, although they do have each other. She shares a room with her two younger siblings, and their mother doesn’t seem too concerned about her whereabouts most of the time.

So the fact that she regularly wanders the streets on her own at night is unsurprising. What is surprising though, is her ‘hobby’ of studying dead animals and the rate at which they decompose in varying conditions! As she lives near a highway, she has a lot of subject matter to work with. But one night when she ventures out, she discovers the body of a missing teenager. But because Ava is not your average 13-year-old, what happens next is not what would normally happen if someone (who’s basically still a child) discovers a dead body (of someone they happen to have known)!

This entire story is unexpected! It’s told from the alternating points of view of the two main characters: Ava and DI Seth Delahaye – I loved them both! This allows us to see the unfolding plot from the perspectives of both Ava and her community, and Delahaye and his team working on the case.

Seth Delahaye is a breath of fresh air. Far too many crime novels focus on cops who are angry, drunk (half if not most, of the time), cynical, jaded and bitter. But Delahaye is not any of these things. He notices small details and is savvy enough to immediately pick up on the fact that as much as Ava is trying to play down how much she actually knows, and even though she’s just a child, she is going to be a very valuable asset to this case. I found his warmth and empathy towards her, as well as his acknowledgment of her intelligence and resourcefulness, extremely heartwarming.

The forensic details throughout are fascinating – some may find them a bit too detailed and technical in places, but it is never gratuitous. I loved that Ava was so meticulous in documenting her findings, and had such a depth of feeling for each of the creatures that she studied. Far from being morbid, her kindness shone through every time, expressed in her reciting of the Rabbit’s Prayer from Watership Down, which was the only prayer relating to death that she knew, but she thought it was suitable and I completely agree! It’s evident in all of her actions that she will go out of her way to spare anyone or anything pain or suffering, if at all possible.

This is a brilliant read, and I hope that Marie Tierney is planning on writing more about Ava and Delahaye. I’d love to hear what’s next for both of them!

Omg! Omg! Omg! What a stunning debut novel! I loved this so much.

We have two perfect protagonists – 13-year-old Ava who has an unusual hobby, and investigating police officer DI Seth Delahaye. Ava goes out in the middle of the night, to look at the roadkill she keeps in her forest ‘lab’ to work out the rate at which they decompose and why. A future star of Silent Witness maybe? One night though, she finds more than she bargained for.

Delahaye is involved in the search for missing teenager Mickey Grant. He’s going to need help from the community – he only recently arrived from the Met – and Ava has the local knowledge and her unusual skills. But no-one will believe a child when she delivers her inside information, so she puts on an adult voice to call the police. Because she knows where the body is.

Her best friend is John – a bit older than her, and goes to a different school. They have a ‘War Room’ at his granddad’s house where they draw maps and plans and look at evidence. Because Mickey is only the first to be taken and they believe they can help.

Eva knows far more than her peers – which is one of the reasons she is bullied at school – including stuff about child killers, cannibals and lycanthropes. She knows that werewolves don’t actually exist, but there have been killers in the past who really believed that they turned into wolves at the full moon. It’s called ‘clinical lycanthropy’. Delahaye respects Ava’s knowledge and is prepared to investigate this phenomena, but then he has seen the bite marks on the bodies.

As well as Ava, we ‘meet’ the rest of her family – sisters Veronica and Rita, their awful mum Colleen, mum’s dodgy boyfriend Trevor (let me know if he does anything bad, Delahaye tells Ava), the kids at school and a host of others including Delahaye’s colleagues.

This is one of my favourite books of the year so far, and I am wondering if it’s going to be the first in a series.

Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour

An unusual and slightly creepy premise drew me to this crime novel. It features a thirteen year-old girl who is interested in nature and science who finds a dead boy. Her unusual hobby helps the police with their investigation into his death.

The 'hobby' is monitoring how bodies decay under separate conditions, such as injury and weather. Fascinating in itself and surprisingly it's not too gruesome a read. It is good that she shows respect and care for the dead animals she comes across, found mainly on roads, because I am not fond of animal cruelty even in fiction. However, this is portrayed sensitively. The significant feature of the story is this girl who has a wisdom and knowledge beyond her years. Multi-talented and bright in spite of her dark interests. Pretty sure she will be a forensic scientist or pathologist when she grows up - watch this space.

The other main character is the detective sergeant, who is in charge of the investigation into the death of the boy. He is a very likeable man and his attitudes to women is very enlightened for the the 1980s, when this book is set. A sharp contrast to most of the other men, particularly the girl's step-father who is rather distasteful. There are plenty of likable characters in this book despite some possibly dysfunctional families included, and of course, the killers. The crimes are moving and involve children so there is some sadness. But the forensic aspects are very interesting.

Set in Birmingham around the time of the royal wedding of Prince Charles, this novel captures the place and essence of youth culture in this period in England, with references to the music, television, cars and slang words like 'bostin' and 'bab'. An original murder mystery story with themes around darkness, death and dogs, with kindness and friendship at its core. Recommended.

If you like your thrillers dark and a little bit different, then this is a book I can highly recommend.

Set in Birmingham in 1981, we are introduced to 13 year old Ava. Far from your average teenager, she has a fascination with bones and spends her time studying the decomposition of roadkill - but whilst doing so stumbles across the body of one of her classmates. And when it seems a serial killer is on the loose, Ava gets involved in the police investigation - but is the killer human?

Ava is a fabulous main character, unusual certainly but smart and enormously likeable with a strong sense of right and wrong. I loved her relationship with best friend John and how seriously the investigating officer, DS Seth Delahaye, took her help. As a child of the era I enjoyed the 80s nostalgia (who remembers Tiswas?) and with short chapters it was a book I kept reading till late into the night thinking “just one more”. And whilst I did figure out the killer, I enjoyed seeing Ava and Seth’s path to realisation.

This is not a book for the faint-hearted - it is pretty gruesome in parts, though it never feels gratuitous, and there is even some humour at times - but it is an impressive and clever debut and one undoubtedly worth picking up.

If Flavia De Luce lived in now and was interested in the science of human decay. Gripping, darkly humorous, cute at times.
I loved Ava, her friendship with John, and how clever she is.
A well plotted coming of age story, a gripping thriller and a cast of characters I hope will feature in future books
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5 ✨

I was lucky enough to get a taster of this story last year at the Bonnier books showcase and was subsequently sent a copy to read and review.

The things that gripped me in this story were:
- Ava, the 13 year old genius MC who seemed simultaneously so at odds with her environment and also the master of it.
- The character relationships, which I think are a real strength of this book. I can’t think of one who wasn’t multifaceted and developed.
- The antagonist story line. I thought this was dark and brilliant and reminiscent of Hound of the Baskervilles in the best way.

What stops this from being a higher rating for me is that it was apparent to me early on who the villain is. And I’m not the best at guessing twists/reveals so I imagine to a seasoned crime reader it would be glaringly obvious. I kept expecting a red herring moment and there wasn’t one.
And also Ava’s story, I think I thought it was going to be something different. Our introduction to her is through her body farms and careful studies of decomposition etc but this felt more like a catchy click bait opener than a real development for the story.

All in all, a compelling dark crime story with some beautiful and lyrical writing.

Sadly I couldn;t get into it. I persisted but the style of writing jarred somehow and I didn;t connect with the characters