Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

The premise of this book sounded incredible, but I have to say I was disappointed. I was hoping for a really gripping thriller, but found the book hard to get into and I didn’t enjoy the writing style. There was a heavy religious focus that honestly felt out of place in each chapter as the main character waited for ‘signs’ from God. I also did not enjoy the repeated comments about the characters with mental illnesses not being able to go on and live a ‘normal’ life.

Mondays are for :

🕷️ not washing your hair
🕷️ leaving the laundry on the floor
🕷️ not cooking dinner
🕷️ concluding the next bestseller before it hits the press

It’s been a lazy ole Monday and I’m late to post but that’s cool because it’s Monday. I put off all my chores and decided to just lay in my pile of dirty laundry reading instead of actually doing it.

What does craig know? I mean if I’m IN the laundry room, it counts for something, right?

The 13th Girl, was worth it!!!!

This book is down right thrilling and I have finally caught my breath after concluding. I became lost within the pages and the pungent smell of dirty laundry became ancient history. Nothing else mattered, I was completely immersed in my book.

This book has bestseller written all over it, check out this teaser :

12 girls gone. Can she save The 13th Girl?

After decades in a mental health hospital, Dee knows that people find her creepy – because they tell her so. Once the reluctant star of an infamous documentary, she is trying to blend back into the outside world. But when a string of local girls disappear, only to be found dead days later, she becomes fixated on the case and decides to film her own True Crime documentary.

There is a serial killer on the loose - The Righteous Wraith. Girls are being found one by one, their bodies gruesomely staged in the most innocent public spaces. With the killer taunting the police and public fear mounting, the armchair detectives begin pointing fingers at one suspect. But for Dee, something isn’t adding up.

She knows what it’s like to be accused of something that you didn’t do.

She resolves to prove his innocence, unmask the real killer, and save The 13th Girl.

But who will believe her?

This is my first book by N V Peacock, I enjoyed the writing style. I found the book had a lot of suspense and I liked that it kept me guessing for a while. The ending had a nice plot twist. I would recommend.

Very entertaining and dynamic book with touches of horror. I loved the character of Dee, and seeing her evolve back into the real world. The subtle touches of evidence that allowed us to doubt several characters made it an interesting read that begged to continue reading.

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you bet Bally for providing me with this E-ARC

The story follows Dee a girl who was just released from a mental hospital and is starting a documentary about a serial killer on the loose that is killing girls every 3 days Dee does in to investigate and also trying to get past the trauma of being in a documentary herself about her being possessed

The story was good kept me interested and guessing who the killer was 3/12 out of 5 stars for me would recommend

The blurb had me ready to read a heart pounding thriller. There was no pounding heart. I could not get into this; not a bit interested me in any way, and the writing style grated.

From the description of the book, I was looking forward to reading, but I was disappointed just wasn't for me,I didn't like the style of writing and nothing gripped me at all.Hope others enjoy more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC

Dinah known as Dee was the subject of a documentary when she was 12 years old exploiting her apparent possession that required an exorcism. She was then held in a mental hospital but has now been released.

Dee becomes obsessive over a current serial killer known as the righteous wraith and decides to do her own documentary and sleuthing.

This book struck me as more of a YA horror and was annoyingly repetitive. The storyline was good although extremely far fetched in places

A decent mystery story. I enjoyed reading it. It wasn't perfect, but it was really interesting to read and I think anyone who enjoys the genre would enjoy the book.

"The 13th Girl" by N.V. Peacock is a chilling and inventive thriller that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Dee, the protagonist, is a complex and intriguing character who has spent years in a mental health hospital. Her determination to prove the innocence of the prime suspect in a string of brutal murders adds an unexpected twist to the story.

Throughout the book, Peacock skillfully builds tension and creates a sense of unease, making the reader constantly second-guess the true identity of the serial killer known as The Righteous Wraith. The author's writing style is gripping and atmospheric, immersing readers in the dark and sinister world of the investigation.

What sets "The 13th Girl" apart is the unique perspective of Dee, who knows what it’s like to be wrongly accused. Her personal experiences bring depth to the narrative and create a strong emotional connection with the reader. The incorporation of Dee's own true crime documentary adds an intriguing layer to the plot, keeping readers guessing until the very end.

While the story is engaging and the pacing is generally well-maintained, there are moments when the plot feels slightly predictable. However, this does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Fans of authors such as Chris Carter, Alice Feeney, and C.J. Scuse will appreciate "The 13th Girl" for its dark and suspenseful narrative, intricate character development, and its exploration of themes of innocence, guilt, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth.

Overall, "The 13th Girl" is a gripping and solidly entertaining thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, making it a worthy addition to the genre.

This book felt like a darker version of a good girls guide to murder in the best way!

I found it impossible to like any characters except Dee, cookie and craig. All the other characters treated them so horribly and it was painful to constantly read Dee being treated as crazy when she was a victim.

I found this had a lot of suspense and I liked that it kept me guessing for a while, I couldnt have guessed the ending if I tried!

I’ll definitely read more from this author, it was a great thriller!

I was confused about the direction this book was going as there seemed quite a few storylines. They did all come together but maybe there was too much going on?? I did really like Dee as a character but she was far too naive, I suppose a decade in a mental health hospital will do that. Her dad seemed sweet and really tried to help her but her mum? I hated her, she was awful!
In terms of the serial killer, there were so many potential suspects and I guessed one of the Wraiths early on. I think the multiple Wraiths was a bit much and didn’t make a whole lot of sense?
Overall, it did suck me in and I was invested so thats how I’ve based my rating.

1.5⭐️ (rounded up)

To say I was bitterly disappointed is an understatement. Prepare yourself for my rant review cause I have a LOT to say.

THE PLOT:

Dee is released from an institution after a car accident leaves her mental problems that others described as "being possessed." Having gone through an intense exorcism, Dee struggles to live life normally outside of the institution. All while this is going on, there is a serial killer on the loose kidnapping woman and torturing them. Dee is determined to solve this case by herself and make sure the 13th victim is saved before it's too late.

MY THOUGHTS:

Okay where do I start? First off, I am not particularly a religious person. I understand writing about religion and I am perfectly okay with that. The problem I had was this book revolved around signs from God and religious references in every chapter that mostly had absolutely nothing to do with the plot. It had gotten to the point where is lessened my enjoyment for this book. I mean the entire thing revolved around religion in a way that the writing could have been better to explain why religion was so important. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, of course, but I wanted to know why she was so religious; why is was so meaningful to her; how it made her life better. Unfortunately, it just didn't deliver on any of these questions. As far as we all know, she got into an accident and turned to religion to help her....but why? How? What was the turning point? Where did her motivation come from? That's what I find most frustrating.

I am NOT saying that I dislike certain religions and their beliefs. What I AM saying is I don't like the way it was represented in this book. The way religion was represented in this book was odd and I personally did not care for it.

Now onto the characters...they were not written very well either. The characters were shallow and had zero depth to them. My entire time reading, no one stuck out as a character that had any personality. Dee doesn't like to be touched and she only does public transportation; okay fine that great. However, where is the character development in all this? The characters were stagnant and I felt zero personality coming from them. It made it really hard to get into the book and it really effected the overall enjoyment.

The ending was very predictable and it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. I was not shaking in my boots or on the edge of my seat; everything played out exactly how I thought it would. And the explanation for the reasoning of said killer and why they did what they did made no sense either??? Sigh

Overall, I did not enjoy this book. I personally wouldn't recommend it, as I thought the writing style wasn't great either and for the reasons listed above.

Thank you to Netgalley and N. V. Peacock for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Diving into the depths of a dark thriller, this novel centers around a woman grappling with mental health challenges, adding a layer of complexity to the narrative. My enjoyment of this gripping tale was heightened by the multitude of suspects, keeping me guessing as I frequently revised my theories.
The conclusion left me utterly speechles its unexpected twists and turns caught me off guard in the best way possible. While some moments might be deemed a tad far-fetched, they didn't detract from the overall brilliance of the story. This was a fabulous read that had me glued to the pages, unable to put it down until the very end.

A serial killer is killing women in Northamptonshire with panic and terror on the streets about who will be next. Dee who has been released from a mental institution for alleged demonic possession starts a documentary to try to unmask the killer, but who will listen to this ex-mental patient..... The way the book is written has you down many different paths in terms of who the killer is - the story has twists and turns, plenty to keep the reader happy.

I have enjoyed all the books I have read by N V Peacock including this one! I always enjoy the tense atmosphere and twists and turns that her books bring.

The 13th girl- N V Peacock
3⭐️
I enjoyed this book, it did take me a few days to finally finish but I got there. I liked that there was mental health reps in the book, a bit stereotypical crazy but hey there are stereotypes for a reason I guess. The story was interesting and kept me guessing who was the Wraith (I was never right) I do wish our MC Dee was described better, I have no idea what she looks like and that kinda ruins it a bit for me personally. I can’t “see” what is happening if I don’t know how someone looks? Even just a hair colour would have been nice, all we really know is she is obsessed with cakes and the number 3 for some reason? Yeah that left me confused even after I finished the book, we are never told why. I do wish there was more suspense and action, you are never really scared or worried if the MC is going to live or die.
All in all, it was a fun read but I would have liked more explanations and suspense.
Thank you NetGalley and Hera for this ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Dee has been incarcerated in a mental hospital for most of her life. She was hit by a car, and was brain damaged. Her parents said that she wasn't the 'same', they were convinced by a friend that Dee was possessed, and an exorcism was performed. The exorcism was filmed for a documentary, which went viral

She is released, and hears about young women being kidnapped, and their bodies are being found three days later, with missing parts, tongue, eyes and fingers.

She decides to make her own true crime documentary of the serial killer, who calls himself The Righteous Wraith, and to solve the case herself.


I am seriously not sure what I thought about this book. Dee seems to be an innocent, childish but intelligent woman, who is far too trusting. Her instincts are way off, and she seems to be easily led.
Her mother is, in my opinion, the one who is mentally ill.
There are red herrings as to who the serial killer actually is, and I was misled to their identity. Everyone is a suspect, I would have suspected Dee if the first killing did not occur while she was in the mental hospital.
When the serial killer was revealed, I was disappointed, because serial killers are normally solitary souls. yourself.

I give this 3/5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Dee suffered a brain injury and was sent to a mental institution as people including her parents felt she had been the victim of demonic possession. She has now returned home and is considered an outcast by the people she works with and many in her town. Her parents struggle with issues she still deals with on a daily basis, I will not mention some as it takes a little while in the book to find out what actually happened to her.
A girl that she thought was a friend then makes a documentary film on what happened to Dee and becomes a famous for it, Dee of course is not happy about this. She feels she has been exploited and who could blame her, her life is hard enough without this documentary making assumptions about her mental health. Her only real friends are back at the mental home where she used to be housed.
Meanwhile a serial killer called the righteous wrath is killing young woman and taunting the police with words regarding the kills. Dee is suspicious of people that attend a group meeting at the local pub and decides that she is going to make her own documentary on this killer, she wants to be as famous as her friend has become.

This was very different to anything I normally read but I really enjoyed it. The theme of mental health is well documented and the scenes with Dee and her therapist seem very real. I really liked Dee as a character and felt the author provided a great deal of depth when developing her. The story kept me reading until the last page and it was an afternoon well spent. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley , the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.