It is a very gripping story with a great mixture of teenage detective and police work. I loved Ava she was a great MC even though I found her hobby of decomposing things a bit strange. The story was really cleverly written, and I'll be looking out for more by this author.

It is a very gripping story with a great mixture of teenage detective and police work. I loved Ava she was a great MC even though I found her hobby of decomposing things a bit strange. The story was really cleverly written, and I'll be looking out for more by this author.

This debut has it all covered - chilling murders, detestable suspects, a 1981 Police Investigation and a young girl growing up on a housing estate with all its intricacies at its centre.

I adored the unique character of Ava and felt that I wanted to reach in and take her from her surroundings. However, whilst she is wise beyond her years, it is a rather ridiculous premise that a 13 year would assist a murder investigation.

I enjoyed getting to know the main characters, but at times, if someone mentioned was not a main character, I had to stop reading and recall where they fit in.

Some descriptive narratives may be too graphic for some readers, but it is written in an incredibly realistic way and, at times, is heartbreaking.

I look forward to future novels from this author.

I enjoyed the relationships that Ava had with the other characters and how smart she was, this was the selling point of the book for me.
I did struggle a bit as i just wanted a little bit more

An incredible debut. 'Deadly Animals' shines with its fresh approach to crime. Set in 1981 Birmingham, a precocious 13-year-old girl becomes an unlikely expert to a police investigation into the murder of her classmates.

Marie Tierney creates as fantastic heroine in Ava, a self-assured autodidactic with an uncanny knowledge of biology, animal decomposition (thanks to her animal body farm), mimicry and illustration. She has a sharp vocabulary, but you can still see how she is still a child. I adored the friendship with her best friend Josh and all the teenage complications that comes with it. DS Seth Delahaye is a persistant but laid back and, refreshingly, is pleased by the Ava's insight and comes to rely upon it.

The writing is tight with short sharp chapters, with characters that are absorbing. The pace is perfect with a slow-burn tension. I worked out pretty early who the killer was and I could feel the slow pit of dread as Ava and Seth seperately come to the shocking realisation.

This is definitely a top crime book for 2024. I would love to see more Ava, or perhaps a grown up Ava. But I know I'm being greedy.

Thanks to Bonnier Books UK/Zaffre and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book.

A great crime novel with wonderful characters.

I adored Ava, she is one of the best protagonist i have read for a long time as she is wise beyond her years.

I liked and respected the lead detective considering the era and him being a male detective for him to take advise from a young girl is probably unheard of, i loved there scenes together.

This book is pretty descriptive of the murder scenes and animal body scenes that it is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish, but i loved this as it drew you in more.

A great murder mystery and i did get the killer right.

I look forward to reading this author again.

Would highly recommend

This could appeal to readers who like unusual protagonists. Ava is thirteen years old. At times her voice is that of a much younger, neglected and socially maladjusted child. Her senses, especially hearing and smell, are heightened and she is able to mimic a middle-class pensioner on the phone. At other times, she has the intellect and eloquence of an adult academic whose specialist subject is the decaying processes of roadkill carcasses. When she comes across the body of a teenage boy in some bushes in the dead of night, she is able to analyse the corpse by torchlight and glean as much information as the subsequent post-mortem, conducted by a trained pathologist in a fully equipped lab.
We also see the autopsy from the viewpoint of the policeman investigating the case. He too takes a deeply intellectual approach to describing the cadaver.
Given the way the story evolves, I'd say it's more literary horror than crime. An interesting approach..
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Ava is no ordinary teenage girl. Growing up in Rubery, a deprived area of Birmingham, she has a keen interest in anatomy and collects the corpses of roadkill to study their decomposition. Then she stumbles across the gruesome remains of one of her classmates, Mickey.
Her anonymous call to the police gets DSI Seth Delahaye involved. As he conducts his own investigation, Ava and her faithful sidekick John work in the shadows to help him.
But as another body of a young boy is discovered, and reports of a strange creature roaming the area come in, it becomes clear they are dealing with a monster. A monster who may or may not be human.
With its many-layered plotline, this story worked on every single level for me. The plot of a police investigation into a serial killer was well-executed, convincing, chilling and thrilling. The suggestion of a non-human monster lurking in the shadows added to the already tense atmosphere. Delahaye is a warm and sympathetic character.
But it was Ava who made the story really shine. She is a beautifully drawn character – young, clever, vulnerable, a good daughter despite her mother’s failings, a stalwart big sister, and a faithful friend. Her keen sense of justice won’t allow her to avoid danger.
In many ways the story reminds me of Stephen King’s writing. He too, has an affinity with children, making them the heroes of very adult stories, exploiting their fearlessness and strong sense of right and wrong to bring villains and monsters to justice.
I finished this book with my heart racing, and so many questions about the nature of monsters in human form. At one point Ava says, “We are our bones.” But we are also our emotions, our fears, our hopes and dreams, and Marie Tierney skilfully explores all this in a story that works on every single level.

Definitely interesting to have a 13 year old be at the forefront of the gruesome discovery, overall this added to the uniqueness of the book.

I really enjoyed this book as I loved Ava as a character. I do feel it was a bit too much in terms of the plot.

Extraordinary. Will be one of the books of the year!
I see a great future ahead for 13 year old Ava Bonney. Exceptionally intelligent, she comes across the body of a fellow pupil while out late at night secretly studying the decomposition of road kill.
Ava's ability to mimic adults and her local knowledge make her an asset to police, particularly as it becomes clear a serial killer is on the loose - although it wasn't a genre that was known at the time.
And what a serial killer. Totally unforgettable.
I took Ava to my heart. Loved how matter of fact she was about low level bullying at school (she has good friends like John) and her offhand, uncaring mother and her dubious boyfriend.
I liked Det Sgt Delahaye and how seriously he took Ava as she solved clues to find the killer.
As a marker of a good thriller, I had to keep on reading until the end and was disappointed but satisfied when I got there.
It would make an excellent film.

It turns out I REALLY enjoy books with a young female lead.
Ava is like no other I've met though.
Fearless, clever and interested in all sorts of unusual things.
Her friendship with John was heartwarming.
The story builds up nicely, and the last part had me racing to the end.
It's a bit creepy at times, which I enjoyed.
Some excellent characters, and a story that builds nicely as you read, scattering clues as it goes.
Very enjoyable .

Thirteen year old Ava Bonney is not like most children her age. She is very intelligent and has a special interest in the ways animals decompose. Soon she finds a body that is not an animal and a long side DI Seth Delahaye, she tries to discover who the killer is.

This is an interesting book with a unique premise and I found some parts of the story compelling. I definitely learnt some new things a long the way. The character of Ava is quirky and intriguing and she really drives the overall story forward. The storyline is dark and disturbing in places, but I found there were a few scatterings of more light hearted moments. Although this was an original read, I found that I didn’t fully connect with the story and the pacing dipped in and out. I found parts of the writing style a bit disjointed, although overall it wasn’t badly written. I predicted who was responsible - although not the reason why! Overall this is definitely a book to pick up if you are looking for a unique storyline with an unusual main character. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

Intriguing premise. I struggled however to get into this one. The chapters felt too short to me and I struggled to connect with the characters. This impacted my enjoyment of the story. Thanks to the publisher for my advanced copy.

Although she is barely a teenager, Ava Bonney is intelligent well beyond her years. She takes a deep - if somewhat unusual - interest in death, and in the decaying corpses of dead animals. So she secretly collects roadkill from a nearby highway at night and then examines her discoveries in her roadside shelter.

What Ava never expects in her expeditions is to find is the dead body of a child like her. But when she discovers Mickey, it is just the beginning of a series of disturbing events.

And although the authorities quickly call in law enforcement in the form of DI Seth Delahaye to carry out the necessary follow up and to investigate the matter properly, Ava is not about to take a backseat when all of this is taking place in her backyard.

This is a gripping and suspenseful story with a very unusual protagonist. Ava is a fascinating character, and really engaging as well. For anyone who's been a bit misunderstood or something of a misfit, she is the perfect MC. I enjoyed the book, and I think most thriller readers will too. It gets 3.5 stars.