“Thirteen-year-old Ava Bonney possesses an unusual intellect far beyond her years. While her friends play, Ava’s fascination lies in the intricate process of animal decomposition, studying roadkill found in the streets around her home.

But, one night, Ava’s secret nocturnal routine takes a chilling turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of fellow schoolmate, Mickey Grant.

As Detective Seth Delahaye takes charge of the perplexing case, Ava refuses to sit idle. Determined and resourceful, she embarks on a daring quest to unveil the truth behind the string of chilling deaths plaguing her community.

Armed with her unique skills and unrivalled local knowledge, Ava becomes an unlikely force in the race to apprehend the elusive killer before more lives are claimed.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney. Deadly Animals was published by Zaffre Books on Thursday 15th February 2024 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free ARC of Deadly Animals but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Ben at Zaffre Books for sending me a proof copy.

Thirteen year old Ava Bonney is unlike most other children her age. She has an intellect way beyond her years and a morbid fascination with death and decay. Her neglectful mother is more interested in her own criminal boyfriend than her young daughters so Ava has plenty of opportunity to indulge her morbid interests. Which she does, creeping out of the house in the dead of night to scoop roadkill from the side of the road and move it to her own animal body farm. One night, checking on a particularly interesting specimen, Ava makes a startling discovery. The body of a fourteen-year-old boy from her school. But this is only the start. A sadistic killer is at work in Ava’s community targeting young boys. Ava watches as the police struggle to link the evidence and repeatedly fail to catch the culprit. Realising they need her help and knowledge, she takes it upon herself to assist. Can a thirteen-year-old girl stop a vicious killer before more local children meet a horrific, grisly end…?

Deadly Animals is a superb debut novel from a writer to watch. Crime fiction fans, get this book on your radar and do everything in your power to get hold of a copy. Ava Bonney is very different to her classmates. Many see her as weird, whereas a small number of people see how exceptionally bright and switched on she really is. One of those people being Detective Seth Delahaye. I’ve read a number of other reviews of this book and one of the things which stands out is how fond and how much readers admire the character of Ava. And I agree. She’s beyond her years and incredibly astute. As the main character in this tale, she totally steals the show. But for me, my favourite character was Detective Delahaye. There’s a kindness and an understanding there that I immediately warmed to. Whilst many of his police colleagues aren’t prepared to listen to what a thirteen year old girl thinks, Delahaye does the opposite. He listens, he takes heed. He risks his career and his reputation and because of that decision to trust his gut, they finally start to make progress in the case.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Deadly Animals is a slow-burn character driven crime fiction novel where the plot moves at an enticing pace and takes the reader down an unexpected path. The characters and their beautifully scripted relationships absolutely made this novel for me. I loved the friendship between Ava and John. The two besties forensically examine the evidence before them (what little they have as minors and civilians!), coming up with workable theories which they then pass onto the police via anonymous phone calls (cue Mrs Poshy-Snob, one of Ava’s many character creations!). I enjoyed that the book was set in the early 1980s and that the setting was Birmingham. I firmly believed in the Birmingham the author paints for her readers. It’s a dark tale with a fairly large twist in the tale. I certainly didn’t see the details of the twist coming but I was highly suspicious of one character from fairly early on. It turned out I was right to be suspicious. Despite guessing whodunit my enjoyment wasn’t spoilt at all — I appreciated that the author decided to take her story in a very different direction. It makes the book stand out in my memory even more. All in all, Deadly Animals is a gripping, engaging story with strong characters and an intriguing, different edge to it. A well-written debut, original and beautifully dark. I will be looking out for more from this author in the future. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Deadly Animals. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney was published in the UK by Zaffre Books on 15th February 2024 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Marie Tierney was a finalist in The Daily Mail First Novel competition., and her debut novel, Deadly Animals, was selected by best-selling crime author Peter James as his winner.

She cites Richard Adams, Margaret Atwood, Angela Carter and Stephen King among her literary influences. When she isn’t researching criminal history, she writes plays poetry, and creates art in different mediums.

Born and raised in South Birmingham, Marie held various jobs in four counties and dedicated almost twenty years to working in education before becoming a full-time writer.

She now lives in The Fens with her husband and son.