An incredibly intriguing thriller! The plot twist and turns and keeps you entertained! I like the duel POV plot and the way the story slowly unfolds as you make your way through!

This is a cracker well plotted that keeps you guessing till the very end, a rare treat. Unique concept set among stylish writing, strong characters and engaging themes. A proper good old thriller that kept me reading long after bed time. A must read

Wow, this book is full of great characters, some nice and some definitely not but either way the story has the feel of a great epic with changes of timelines from now to then from the point of view of The girl in cell A and her therapist. Due to the small town setting and old fashioned names I kept forgetting that this was set in more modern times yet the atmosphere was more reminiscent of mid 20th century America. I had to re-read a few chapters until I realised that the narrative was unreliable - but that made it all the more interesting. I think Vaseem Khan is an extraordinary talented writer. Can’t wait to read more.

I was given this book to review ages ago and only started to read it a couple of days ago, and wow, I wish I had read it as soon as I got it. I have not read this authors work before but will definitely look out for more . A beautiful immersive book. I loved it.

This is my first book by Khan and it definitely won’t be my last, this is the first thriller in a very long time that genuinely had me in disbelief at the twists and turns and I did not see the ending coming!

The Girl in Cell A centres around Orianna who is prison for murdering Gideon Wyclerc. Everyone believes she did it, and they also hold her responsible for the disappearance of Gideon’s daughter Grace who hasn’t been seen in decades.

Despite becoming something of a true crime celebrity Orianna continues to protest her innocence and claims she can’t remember a single thing about the events surrounding Gideon’s murder. When a psychologist is brought in to help unlock her memory - the truth risks finally coming to the surface.

This is a really brilliantly written twisty psychological thriller which will completely mess with your head and have you questioning absolutely everything.

Orianna is such a deeply flawed and interesting female character who I couldn’t help but root for despite everything. This was a really great book and the only thing stopping it from being a 5 star for me is that I think it was slightly too long and the pacing was very slow in the beginning which I think could cause other readers to DNF, but it’s so worth not giving up on.

Annie is a forensic psychotherapist tasked with making the decision to release convicted murderer Orianna. Told on then and now timelines we have “‘then” from Annie’s side and “now” from Oriannas.

Orianna was accused of the murder of Gideon Wyclerc, on the day of the murder his 17 year old daughter also disappeared. Orianna returns to her home town of Echo Falls determined to find the answers from the past as she has no memory of the night of the murder and is convinced of her innocence. Hardly anyone from the town is pleased she is back but she is set on uncovering what happened that fateful night.

This is a mystery with all the thrills, It literally had me pointing fingers everywhere, there are a lot of characters in the story but the author does a fantastic job of subtle reminders of whose who so it’s really easy to follow still. The writing was brilliant, very clever and alot of background in the story, it gave me feels of ‘The girl with the dragon tattoo’ and ‘shutter island’.

Murder, rape, racism, incest and affairs galore. Easy 5 star read for me. Definitely recommend. Outstanding book. Bravo to the author!

Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for me eARC.

Keeps you reading, on the edge of your seat

First of all, I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an arc of Vaseem Khan’s new novel: The Girl In Cell A.

The Girl In Cell A is a champion of twists and turns. It will keep you second-guessing yourself, constantly, but in a natural way.

The characters are well-rounded. Orianna, who has been in jail for 18 years, for a murder she insists she didn’t commit. Annie, the forensic psychologist, excavating her long-buried memories. The powerful Wyclef patriarch and his family.

This is a thriller that will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat. I’m looking forward to reading more by Vaseem Kahn.

A stunning novel from the excellent Vaseem Khan and a real change of direction. After his delightful India based stories, The Girl In Cell A takes us to America and the eponymous central character who sets out to find out the truth about her criminal past. Lots of twists and turns and a splendid read!

4+ 🌟
What a toxic place Eden Falls is, and not surprising when headed up by the Wyclerc family, who have so.e very suspect history in their past.
I raced through this book as I needed to know who killed Gideon, and it could have been anyone, could have been me, had I been there. He was vile.
On top of that what did happen to Grace?
Nothing that I expected, and I'm usually quite good at picking up the clues.
Surprises a plenty, great pacing, and an all round cracking read.

4.5
This book was insane! I suspected EVERYBODY! Did I kill Gideon?! The trust issues are real.
Think Shutter Island level of unreliable narrator. It worked sooo well.
The characters were all really well thought out with their own personalities and lives going on. Orianna and Annie in particular as they were out two voices.
This was just so clever and I really enjoyed every twist and turn.

This is a real departure from Khan's previous series, but a highly accomplished entry into a new genre. I had to take some time to settle on exactly what sort of rating and review I wanted to write, and that's always a sign of a novel being highly effective in how it drags you from pillar to post. Four stars is a reconciliation of how impressive I found the book's construction after I'd finished it and some of the frustrations and puzzlement I felt while I was reading it, and the novel is particularly good at maintaining and using tension in the second half.

One grumble is that there are one or two loose ends from the early phase of the book that I think really do need some explicit resolution or reference at the end. There is on particular character name (and more broadly then one particular theme) that one simply cannot use to this extent without eventually giving a wink to the reader that you know, you know!

Superb psychological thriller that'll keep you guessing - and you really won't guess correctly, lol! Orianna, a young girl of 17 known as 'The Girl in Cell A' is convicted of a murder and prime suspect in a 'disappearance' of another. She has spent 18 years in prison and is now meeting a forensic psychologist to see if she can accept her part in the event and acknowledge her guilt, in order to be considered for parole. She has no memory of the murder, but was found unconscious at the scene with the rifle close by, covered in her fingerprints.
We move forward to her return to the small American town of Eden Falls, and her desperate attempts to find out the truth. Loathed by the majority of townsfolk and the influential Wyclerc family who founded it, Orianna is convinced of her innocence. She has no idea who she can trust and no idea of what happened that day. She begins to piece things together and has an unlikely ally in Amos Wyclerc, the current patriarch of the family.
Nothing will prepare you for the ending of this book, there are still parts I need to think about and work through! Just MASSIVE kudos to Vaseem Khan for piecing this all together, the detail is stunning, the plot intricate and it's a flowing read. The psychologist bored me at times but that's therapists for me...

This was the definition of ‘couldn’t put it down’. I read at the end that it took the khan 3 tears to write and I can see why- the research and hard work that went into making this work must have been immense! The characters were plausible, in particular, the voices of Annie and Orianna and the biases of the small town inhabitants were so believable they could make you sick with anger. There were times I thought I knew what was coming next and then everything flipped. Sometime the flip would frustrate me and then without warning it flipped again! This is a genre it’s common to do OK writing, but rarely have I been so amazed and captivated by such a plot, I am new to this author but impressed! (I also enjoyed the note about ‘author clothes’).

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A well-written plot with plenty of twists and turns. I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author.

This was intense! 
It was twisty, unexpected and fun - really quite different in terms of my typical crime/suspense plot. 
I read it was the authors first attempt at this genre, and I’d definitely be interested in the future works here. 
Characters were dimensional, they had actual personalities and lives were really well built throughout the story. Orianna was intriguing, believable and Khan really worked to garner some sympathy for her situation and station in life. Annie was fair and her narration was welcome, demonstrating a different perspective. Some elements of her storyline felt a bit random, though it was understandably trying to demonstrate how much attention the case had received - the fascination of the public. 
Unfortunately the ending lost that final star for me (literally the last 5% of the story) as it felt rushed. I didn’t hate the way it ended, but it needed more detail and expansion. The build up to Orianna’s hearing was so well carried out and I was really rooting for her redemption 😅 it would have been nice for this final twist to be more detailed, delving into the communication between Annie/Judge/Amos.

Wow. Just wow. I finished reading "The Girl In Cell A," and I’m still trying to process everything that happened. Vaseem Khan has truly crafted a suspenseful masterpiece that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
The story revolves around Orianna Negi, a young woman convicted of murder at just seventeen. Known as "the girl in cell A," her case has become a sensation in the true crime world. Yet, Orianna has always maintained her innocence. As we meet her through the eyes of forensic psychologist Annie Ledet, we delve deep into the murky waters of guilt and innocence. The intriguing premise alone hooked me: if she didn’t kill Gideon Wyclerc, then who did? What happened that fateful day is shrouded in mystery, and Annie is determined to help Orianna uncover the truth.
The narrative shifts effortlessly between two timelines: Orianna's time in prison as she undergoes therapy with Annie, and the events leading up to the murder in the small town of Eden Falls. This dual perspective enriched the story and drew me further into the complexities of Orianna’s character and her past. The Wyclerc dynasty, with its dark secrets and ruthless patriarch, Amos, painted a vivid picture of a powerful family that's shrouded in scandal.
I was blown away by the character development in this novel. Vaseem Khan has an incredible knack for creating characters that feel disturbingly real. I found myself emotionally invested in Orianna's journey, analysing every twist and turn. Some characters I rooted for wholeheartedly, while others made my skin crawl. The shifting dynamics between them added complexity to the plot, making it all the more enthralling.
Khan’s writing style is exquisite—effortless and immersive. I flew through the pages as if they were a gripping documentary, making it undeniably hard to put the book down allowing me to savour the intricacies of the plot while still keeping me racing toward the shocking conclusion. Each twist left me breathless, and I never saw them coming.
What truly sets this book apart is its exploration of themes like power, race, and morality against the backdrop of a small-town murder. The underlying social commentary added depth that made me reflect long after I turned the final page. The shattering realizations Annie comes to about Orianna’s past were shocking, and I appreciated the way Khan let the tension simmer just below the surface until it boiled over.
In short, "The Girl In Cell A" is a thrilling triumph. If you enjoy psychological fiction and crime literature that surprises and challenges you, look no further—this book is a must-read.

I have heard good things about Vaseem Khan’s previous novels set in India. So, I was curious to see how his first physiological thriller pans out and I wasn’t disappointed.
At seventeen Orianna Negi was convicted of murder that she claims she didn’t commit but the problem is she can’t remember what happened that day as she suffered amnesia after getting hit on the head.
18 years later now released from jail. She goes back to the scene and the town of Eden falls the scene of crime. There is nobody there she loves anymore. Her mother supposedly took her own life after her incarceration and the town drive her too it. But the town inhabitants never forgive and told her that she should never have come back. After all this time they all think she did it.
This is my first outing of this author, and I am so glad I read this. It is a riveting read. Told in two perspectives of Orianna herself and the therapist trying to unravel the mysteries of her amnesia. Slowly revealing the layers of the truth that happened in the town and the Wyclef family that seem to run it. It is a richly descriptive twisty thriller that will take you on a ride to find out the truth. 5 stars from me.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I honestly hadn't heard of this author before, but I liked the sound of this one and it definitely wasn't a mistake choosing it.A well told thriller packed with twists and turns that keep you holding on throughout.
The characters are perfectly written. You feel as if you really know them..
I understand this is the authors first book in this genre. Well, after this one, I think his found his niche.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC.

Vaseem Khan moves away from his India based series, both of which I loved, featuring Inspector Chopra and his historical Malabar House series with his breaking the mould female police officer. This change of direction proves to be nothing to be concerned about, this is a smart and riveting psychological thriller that had me turning the pages as fast as possible. The Girl in Cell A is a notorious killer, Orianna Negi, who has claimed to be innocent through all her 18 years of being locked up for murdering a powerful and ruthless Wyclef patriarch, living in American small town, Eden Falls.

However, this a serious issue, Orianna has huge memory gaps, and forensic psychologist Annie is set to explore what lies beneath, aiming to unearth the buried memories, what shocking truths will emerge? This is a dual narrative story that is best read knowing as little as possible to get the most out of it. There are various threads that eventually come together at the end, amazing twists and turns you will not see coming. Highly recommended to all those readers who love fast paced, quality, multi-layered, intense, nail biting thrillers! Looking forward to more from Khan in this genre. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.