4 stars. I think the religious aspects and focus on God made it take a bit longer for me to get into this book. However, I found it to be a genuinely enjoyable read with a unique premise once I got hooked.

Synopsis: The Righteous Wraith is on the loose and the police are no closer to catching the killer on his tenth kill than they were at his first. Dee the protagonist has recently been released from St. Agatha’s where she was treated for a Traumatic Brain Injury that short circuits her amygdala and causes her to “see RED.” Dee as a child, was subjected to a less than ethical exorcism that was then turned into a blockbuster documentary. Dee decides that she will make her own documentary on The Righteous Wraith now that she has been deemed “normal.”

🔪What I liked:🔪
-A protagonist that is honest in her observations, but naive enough to not always know how to interpret those observations.
-A villain who literally had everything I have been asking for.
-A serial killer who sends petty notes taunting the media and police force. “Teamwork does not make the dream work in this constabulary”
-A whole lot of victims kept the story moving pretty quickly once the protagonist gets interested in The Righteous Wraith.
-A dog named Lucifer.


🛑What I didn’t like:🛑
-A lot of talk about religion and God, that was occasionally hard to push through— especially at the beginning. I wish the author would have made a quick statement or paragraph as to WHY religion was so important to Dee. Religion is not something I attach any importance to in my own life, so it would have been nice to have known why Dee did so I could have understood her better. And yes, of course I can make assumptions as to why… but you know what they say about assumptions… Her own parents walked away from religion so I couldn’t help but wonder why Dee didn’t?

Overall, this was a unique read for a thriller that I think many thriller fans will find enjoyment in. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very unusual book, with an interesting lead character. I really liked the writing style, and the way the story developed. Not run of the mill, but enjoyed it all the more, as a result. Highly recommended.

This book just wasn't for me. It wasn't what I expected and I found the layout/chapter length difficult to read. I was expecting something more fast paced. The opening and closing were great but the middle was too slow for me.

The 13th Girl is a mystery thriller about a Dee, a women with a traumatic past, a sweet tooth, and aspirations to make critically acclaimed documentaries.

Like many novels, the 13th Girl seems to have started with a good premise and potential for an interesting plot and deep characters. Unfortunately, the text itself is too flat to create any plot or characters of substance. The plot and narration quickly became too messy, and certain elements were rushed, while others were completely unnecessary to the story, creating an underdeveloped and, at times, frustrating plot.

One thing, in particular, that didn't make any sense was the title of the novel. It's called the 13th Girl, but throughout the novel multiple other girls are abducted and killed, while the main character tried in vain to save them, and the reader knows that this will happen, because there is going to be a 13th girl, who isn't taken until nearly the end of the novel. So, the whole investigation of the case to try and rescue the other girls, failing, and then leaving our main character feeling guilty every time, is very repetitive and unnecessary, since the reader is just waiting for the story to get to the 13th girl, because the title has given away most of the story up until that point.

Another aspect of the plot that was unnecessary and didn't play a role in the overall plot, was the religious aspect. It was just filler that didn't need to be there.

The settings of the novels did work well. They felt real and lived in, and managed to convey the state of the main character in a creative and interesting way.

Overall, I would have liked to see the mystery of the novel and the main character's past fleshed out more in a more engaging way. I believe that devoting less time to the religious aspect and other details/characters that didn't fit within the overall narrative and Dee's story, would have created a less messy plot and made it easier to engage with the story. Furthermore, either a change of title or the fate of the women before the 13th girl being written as exposition would be necessary.

There's a serial killer on the loose and a woman is determined to find him before he strikes again.
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That's what the blurb of this book would want you to believe it's about. What this actually about is Dee, a woman who has spent decades in a mental facility after a traumatic brain injury, obsessing over a documentary that she wants to make. Is there a real purpose....does she have any talent...or is she just obsessing over revenge on the woman who made a documentary on HER?

It's all very convoluted. Dee is an annoying character. She has the mind of a child, yet is a full-grown adult. She is treated terribly by her co-workers and her parents. The thing is.....is that she has nothing going on. There's no personality, nothing particularly likable OR unlikeable about Dee. She's just...there. She's not a compelling lead character. I grew bored of her very quickly.

As with all books of this type, there is a twist and while I could see it coming from a mile away, it still unfolded well. So, there's that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

You’ve got a girl who questions her faith. Once being possessed. Then she’s on the hunt for a killer. Mental health issues to boot.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews bringing up the religious aspect. That doesn’t bother me. What did bother me were the characters. Not really a fun read.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Publication date February 1, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

WOW!!!!! This book had me in a choke hold from page one!! Such a great spooky creepy read.

First Off - I love Dee and I would probably hang out with her creepy weird self. This whole book is weird and wonderful and I love it.
It was also twisty and creepy. But the real beauty is our protagonist.
I just loved this so much!

This was such a good read that gripped me right from the get go. It was very dark in places but that just hooked me in even more. I loved it

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I really enjoyed this one. The twists & turns it had kept me on my toes! Definitely don't want to miss this when it gets released on 2/1/2024!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Hera Publications and N.P Peacock for the opportunity to read an advance copy of THE 13TH GIRL to be published 1 February 2024. 4/5 Stars for this suspenseful tale of woe for a woman who is the victim of a hit and run accident and suffers serious mental problems due to the trauma to her head. Dee is a likeable protagonist who is further traumatized by being in an inpatient psychiatric facility and the idea that she had developed demonic possession as a result of her accident. There are multiple references to the diabolical, however, Dee thwarts these with ongoing prayer to God with the encouragement of a Catholic priest who befriends her. Good read. #NetGalley #Hera #N.P.Peacock #The13thGirl

At one level this was very good just for showing how people with mental issues can be treated once they have been 'cured'. Dee has spent much of her life in a mental institution following a car accident which damaged her skull and brain, itself followed by her parents insisting on an exorcism to rid her of daemons. She's been released and back living at home, now in her 20s I think. She has psychiatric support to a degree but remains heavily influenced by her ghastly mother and weak father. She has a job but finds it difficult to make friends and remains somewhat paranoid about life in general, hardly surprising. Then there is the Righteous Wraith, a character who kidnaps, abuses then murders young women. Dee is fixated on discovering who the Wraith is and starts to produce a podcast/blog about him. We delve down numerous rabbit holes of her making - both bizarre and uncomfortable. There is, however, a lot of repetition and too much praying, to no great effect, for me. I just kept wanting her to get the help she needed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

So many suspects. I even thought Dee could have done it at one point. This one kept me guessing from start to finish. Also, Dee’s mother is horrible. Yuck. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Wow this book is twisted in so many ways, it is quite tough going with as the scene is set but I am glad I stuck with it as it took me down rabbit hole after rabbit hole second guessing people until it all came clear....

A malevolent force known as The Righteous Wraith is terrorizing the city, leaving a trail of chilling letters detailing his gruesome deeds. Dee, who has weathered years in a mental health facility and understands the agony of false accusations, is determined to prevent history from repeating itself. When a man is accused of being the elusive killer without concrete evidence, Dee takes it upon herself to unveil the truth and prove his innocence.

However, as Dee delves into the investigation and meets with the accused, she finds herself grappling with uncertainty. The lines between innocence and guilt blur, and the quest she thought would exonerate the man becomes a complex journey where the distinction between right and wrong is shrouded in shadows. The chilling pursuit of truth unravels a web of suspense, leaving Dee torn between the pursuit of justice and the unsettling possibility that she might uncover more than she bargained for.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

There is a serial killer on the loose-The Righteous Wraith-and he is taunting the public and police with letters about his kills. Dee has spent many years of her life in a mental health hospital and knows what it’s like to be accused of something you didn’t do, so when she finds out a man is being accused of being the killer without evidence of guilt, she resolves to prove his innocence. But after meeting with and investigating the case, Dee isn’t sure if she is going to be proving his innocence or his guilt.

This book was interesting from start to finish, but seemed a bit predictable. It almost seemed a bit “much” as far as how the ending played out. I’m not sure how to expand on what I mean by that without giving away too much. That being said, I did finish the book and would still recommend this to a friend.

Thank you thoroughly enjoyable .

Below review left on Goodreads ! Happy new year ☺️
I enjoyed this book!

Following the story of Dee an interesting soul who is incredibly frosty !

We learn quickly that Dee comes with her own baggage and has just been released from a Mental Asylum , and was the subject to her very own crime documentary ( possession and exorcism ) let’s just say she had not had it easy !

With the dissapearance of 12 girls Dee decides to take matters into her own hands when an Acquaintance is accused of being a serial killer themselves …

The serial killer is aptly known as the Righteous wrath .

I love thrillers and wasn’t really sure what to expect with this book but I thoroughly enjoyed it , thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC .

With 12 girls gone, can the 13th be saved? Serial killer, the Wraith is notorious and needs to be stopped. Dee, had a traumatic childhood, being victim to a crime which led to time in a mental hospital. She is now trying to adjust to a normal life, when she decides to do her own sleuthing to determine who the Wraith actually is.
An interesting and refreshingly different plot keeps you entertained, filled with plenty of twists.

This was excellent. It felt claustrophobic and intense because of the narration style and how close you are to the mind of the narrator - exactly what you want from this flavour of thriller. I’ve never read anything quite like it - I thoroughly enjoyed it

I really enjoyed this authors first book, and was looking forward to another pager turning thriller. While this one was a little bit more far fetched, it was still a highly entertaining read. It had me at serial killer and amateur sleuthing and certainly deliver on both accounts.

Our main character Dee was interesting, very naive and trusting. After years in a mental hospital, she is now trying to have a normal life. But that isn’t easy when she was the subject of a popular true crime documentary. But now somebody she knows is being accused online of being the local serial killer, she decides to film her own true crime documentary to prove his innocence….but is he?

This book will keep you guessing until the very end. There were plenty of times that I doubted what was happening and who I believed to be the killer,

Thanks to Hera for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on February 1st.