"The 13th Girl" by N.V. Peacock

 

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? ~taken from Goodreads

I really enjoyed the previous NV Peacock novel, so I was looking forward to reading this latest by the author. The premise sounded promising- thrilling with a twist of supernatural and horror. 

I have such mixed feelings about this entire book though. Overall it was an interestingly fun read. Nothing about it was boring and I had a good time trying to figure out who the killer was. It was a fast read and I like Peacock's writing style. 

The down side was, I feel this should have been labeled more of a young-adult book. Every character, though they were adults, seemed highly immature. The way they behaved was so hilariously unbelievable. Also, the entire aspect of Dee having once been possessed could have been left out of the story- there could have been another way to go about the mental health aspect other than a demonic possession. For some reason that bothered me. 

There were characters that were introduced in the story that I felt could have been omitted completely. They added a bit of mystery, but in the end the explanation of their involvement was annoying, confusing and nonsensical. 

I felt the ending was wrapped up too quickly and without any real planning or thoughtfulness. It seemed messy and I would have liked more explanations and closure to some of the characters. 

All in all this was a 3 star read for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Hera for allowing me an advanced e-copy. 

"The 13th Girl"  is available today in the U.S. so get your copy now!

Happy Reading!