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 .

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.

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.

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.

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