The Wicked Girls: A Novel

by Alex Marwood

“The suspense keeps the pages flying, but what sets this one apart is the palpable sense of onrushing doom.” —Stephen King, “The Best Books I Read This Year”

The Edgar Award-winning psychological thriller that asks the question: how well can you truly know anyone?

On a fateful summer morning in 1986, two eleven-year-old girls meet for the first time. By the end of the day, they will both be charged with murder. Twenty-five years later, journalist Kirsty Lindsay is reporting on a series of sickening attacks on young female tourists in a seaside vacation town when her investigation leads her to interview carnival cleaner Amber Gordon. For Kirsty and Amber, it’s the first time they’ve seen each other since that dark day so many years ago. Now with new, vastly different lives—and unknowing families to protect—will they really be able to keep their wicked secret hidden?

Gripping and fast-paced, with an ending that will stay with you long after you’ve read it, The Wicked Girls takes you to a thrillingly dark place you’ve never been before. For fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Tana French.

“The Wicked Girls is ingenious and original. Real, chilling, true to its world and its characters. In short, a knock-out.” —Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of And When She Was Good and What the Dead Know 

• ISBN10: 0143123866
• ISBN13: 9780143123866
• Publish Date: 30 July 2013 (first published 16 February 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin USA
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780143123866

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

Fond of:

Novels about devious children have always interested me, thus the plot for The Wicked Girls drew me in.
I thought the concept of how one day or action could drastically change someones life is an interesting idea and the topsy-turvyness was well executed.
The flashbacks to 1986, the day of the crime were well paced and kept me reading further to find out the complete result of that day.
The way in which the girls were found out was very unique and subtlety done. I liked that the person who pointed the finger at Kirsty and Amber faded from the spotlight with center stage continuing to shine on the girls.

Not Fond of

Martin, from the beginning he is shown as a creepy stalker towards Kirsty. Marwood gives the impression that he knows something, perhaps he is someone from their past? It is not a spoiler alert to say nope, there was a lot of build up for nothing.
I wish we had learned a bit more about Jade and Bel's time in prison, as it may have formed a more well-rounded view of the girls.
After Amber's true identity is found out pitchforks ensue. I knew there would be backlash but I thought the extent of it was a little too extreme.

Final Thoughts:

The Wicked Girls held my attention and is a decent read-in-a-day kind of book. Even though it was a quick read I found the ending to be a little lacking, and didn't hold up to "an ending I never saw coming" that was proclaimed on the cover.