I didn’t love or hate this. I just felt fine about it. Unfortunately I did find myself slightly bored, but I do think it’s a good debut! A psychological thriller that begins slow, but does have some unexpected twists that will have readers interested! Would recommend if the synopsis sounds interesting to readers.

DNF - no rating

I tried to go back to this one a few times but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. As someone else mentioned, it's very character driven and I struggled to connect with Carol and her voice. I didn't feel any interest in finding out what happened.

Even though this was well written, I had one major flaw with it (later in review). It's a slow burn that picks up. It's written in Carol's POV but split between the past (1969/1970) and than 2016, where we find her living as a recluse.

Carol is quite happy living this way, until she gets news that her land is to be sold. She decided to write a confession so we can understand what happened 40 years ago. It lets us know that she's not the only one living a lie.

This is a character driven book, but I didn't care for Carol. In fact, I didn't care for any of the characters. I kept reading to find one thing out, and never did. Hence, the major flaw I mentioned above. I couldn't figure out why Hill wrote about this little boy that was found buried around 40 years ago, then just drop that plot. It's like Hill just forgot about him. I, for one, wanted to know about him? Who exactly is he? What happened? How? Like I said, I have no idea what happened, which made me mad.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

. Another Psychological thriller that I loved. Edge of your seat can’t put it down book. Twisted, scary and sad. Just the kind of book that I like. I finished it in two days. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Edge of your seat stay up all night to finish book. I highly recommend this to anyone like me who loves the genre. The more frightening the better for me. Be careful of oddballs with money. Great read
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an hhonest

A tense psychological thriller full of deceit and murder. I couldn't put it down until the end.
Did Carol kill the love of her life, Frankie?
Set in England it goes through different time periods of Carol's life. 16 and pregnant and Frankie, a much older, worldly Playboy has secrets of his own.
Interesting read.

I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Carol Cage has a terrible secret ... and she's about to exact retribution on everyone who'd let her suffer."

An extremely slow telling tale of murder and retribution. I think the mystery was overwhelmed by the tortoise pacing.

2 underwhelmed ☆

Killing the Girl is a creepy and uncanny debut by the wonderfully talented writer, Elizabeth Hill. Written in first-person, I was immediately sucked into the eerie world of the protagonist, Carol Cage, as the events of her past began to close in on her. But true to its genre, nothing is as it first seems in this claustrophobic psychological thriller, where the author’s choice of surname for her main character acts as a subtle motif, hinting at the overall sense of caginess and entrapment.

The author’s depiction of Carol growing up as a teenager in the 1970s was absolutely spot on; it was like being transported back in time through a time-machine! The young Carol was vibrant and feisty, rejecting social expectations that 1970s Britain placed on women; but the young Carol is also naïve and trusting and has been sheltered from the horrors of the real world – including things that have gone on in her own family. As Carol negotiates life as a young woman in love, she is left to discover and experience the shocking truth for herself. But just when Carol thinks things cannot get any worse, she is proved wrong as her recollection of what happened on that fateful day is put to the test when even more horrific details are discovered. And as more and more is revealed, we see the protagonist become more and more unstable and paranoid before the Girl inside is put to rest.

I absolutely loved this original storyline. As much as I love psychological thrillers, a lot of them can be very samey but Killing the Girl is unique in terms of both plot and narrative style. The narrative is rich in indirect thought and Hill’s voice is convincing to the point that at times, the story felt like a memoir. The combination of the strong literary element, emphasising the protagonist’s inner journey, alongside the striking and twisty plot that deals with uncomfortable issues, reminded me of Arundhati Roy’s 1997 Booker Prize winner The God of Small Things. Killing the Girl is definitely a winner for me and I can’t wait to read more from the wonderfully talented Elizabeth Hill.

This was an unusual book with an unusual story that kept me captivated. I can't believe the emotions that went on in this girl's life. I loved the story and the character's. I love how this author writes too!

There's just something about UK authors when it comes to spooky, Gothic-style suspense. Maybe it's the cold weather or their understated, you-have-to-read-between-the-lines use of the English language. I don't know what it is, but keep it coming, please!

This is one of those books that I enjoyed, but it really "snuck up on me" long after I'd put it down. You know the kind - the one you put in a pile for your fellow bookish friends so you can pass it along. But when it comes time to do so, you just can't let it go? Yep, that's right where this one's at!

Characters with mysterious pasts, love gained and lost, a sassy senior citizen named Carol, spooky woods - this one has it all! Rating it at a 4 because, for me, the story did bog down in a few places, and a few plot points I was able to predict in advance. But, overall, this is that kind of spooky suspense I love!

Killing The Girl by Elizabeth Hill is a dark and very twisty, psychological thriller. It begins in a very unassuming way, but believe me keep on reading! What you think is slow or simple is a mirage and before you know it there is no putting this book down!
We are introduced to Carol Cage and a chain of events begin that will prove to unveil a truth that Carol has been hiding from for decades. She makes the decision to write down her confession because even she is insure of the truth and the parts played. As the story unfolds we discover that Carol has made so many terrible decisions due to her own twisted outlook and had to deal with the repercussions alone, causing her to just fall deeper into her own warped mind.
A story that is shrouded in mystery and murder as well as a girl that has lived a life which has taken her to very bad places. An emotional and deep book that was written so well I was with Carole and the emotions it brought up! Well I went through them all at one point. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy a good psychological thriller that is on the dark side.
Thanks to Random Things Tours and Elizabeth Hill for the digital copy of the book and my place on the blog tour.

this was a really good murder-mystery, the characters were great and I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

This story captivated me at the beginning. It was fast paced and full of secrets. Intriguing!
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! I’m not for sure who the killer really is in this one! It’s that spine tingling and every which way....I gave it 4 stars because there were some conduct I didn’t care for and some language, not continuously all the way through though. For interest and thrilling mystery it was a 5. I also didn’t give 5 stars, because the girl, Carol, irritated me terribly at times. She let Frankie by with so much and she kept believing everything he said and still wanted him around even though she KNEW all the things he had done. Nope, that’s not for me. It was a rough book to read, but you just keep reading it, because you just gotta know what’s happening next. This one was really good! ...Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read #KillingTheGirl and review, with my honest opinion. My views are my own.

What a heart-wrenching, twisted tale!!!! I could not put this one down!

This story takes place during the 1970's and the present, told by Carol, a recluse that's telling her life story. I won't give away any of the delicious nuggets, but Elizabeth Hill captures the essence of teenage love very well and ages Carol's voice appropriately.

I was captivated to watch Carol grow up and come to the realizations that she did. I feel that as adults we sometimes need to come to our own epiphany's as Carol did.

I can't wait to see what else Elizabeth Hill comes out with!

A special thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Elizabeth Hill for providing me with a reader copy.

Loved the storyline and the twist at the end was so unexpected, this book had me so drawn in from the start.

Good characters and the plot was fantastic. The two time frames do not complicate the story like some books can do.

I literally could not put this down. So invested up in Carol's story, I was compelled to continue.

Hill suckers the reader in from the first page:
"Perry Cutler and I buried Frankie Dewberry in the orchard. He lies not far from the garden wall, under the shade of the apple trees. Over the last forty-odd years I’ve spent many hours sitting on the wooden bench we placed next to his grave. It’s a peaceful spot near the boundary wall running to the south-west of my estate. Sitting near him gives me great comfort. I tell Frankie how restricted my life has been since his death. I tell him how sorry I am that our daughter, Francine, died so young. Although I loved him, I never tell him I’m sorry he’s dead."

Of course we want to know why Frankie lies buried in an orchard for forty odd years - what drove the reclusive and slightly unhinged Carol to such drastic measures. As she mentions, she is not sorry he is dead but instead laments that her crime is about to be discovered:

"My house is to be demolished to make way for a ring road. They will find Frankie’s resting place when they cut into the soil protecting my lover, my darling man. Police will ask questions. Strangers, who know nothing about me or my pain, will look at me in disgust."

Hill takes us back to those early days, forty years ago, as we follow our teenage narrator Carol through the euphoria of an intoxicating first love to the final, toxic ending, before we are brought back into the present to ponder just what Carol's final fate will be.

As I mentioned, I was hooked from the very beginning - I sat and just read. Hill elicits a strange sort of sympathy for Carol whose obsessive naivety over her relationship with Frankie is merely the first ripple of many - ".. we all paid for the emotions Frankie stirred in us ..". But is Carol the reliable narrator that she appears to be? As the past is slowly dredged up and laid bare, Carol reflects: "I have taken the blame for other people's deceitfulness and secrets." Revenge is a dish best served cold and efficiently!

I really don't know how Hill will improve on this - it is one of those stories that is right up there with the likes of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" or AJ Finn's "The Woman in the Window" or Paula Hawkins' "The Girl on the Train" or even "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. I could almost image Hitchcock rubbing his hands with glee to be able to bring this to the big screen.

A must read for 2020!

This book grabbed me from the get go. I liked the writing, the characters were believable and the story intriguing. I really enjoyed how the story went back and forth through time. If you are looking for a good book, ReAd This!!!! Thank you to #Netgalley,the publishers and the author. I look forward to reading more by this writer.

This is Carol’s story.

She’s a talented, intelligent high school student when she meets bad boy Frankie several years older. Her university plans fall to the wayside as he becomes the love of her life.

Does he love her back? Well, he maybe likes her... as much as a narcissist cares for anyone.

He’s also buried in her backyard. We learn this in the first few pages of the book, so no spoilers here. We also learn that she and her childhood friend buried him forty years prior and he’s about to be discovered.

Whew, what an introductory prologue. So, what’s left?

The answer: Plenty!

There are many twists, discoveries, and secrets uncovered as Carol’s story unfolds while she journals the events of her life.

I was so entertained by this book. There was an unexpected soulfulness as many of us may be able to relate to an intense but doomed first love.

This was an engrossing fast read and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Elizabeth Hill, the publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy,

I received a copy of this book from the publisher to honestly review. Thank you. I will have to say that this book was an epic and challenging story. It encompasses most of the life of the protagonist. The entire book was spent with me constantly wondering why her Mother didn’t take better care of her but also how anyone could possibly be this naive? Her early days were spent “in love” with the wrong man. He was never brought to any type of reckoning either. How could his parents support him knowing how he behaved?
It was just one mess after another. The story was well written but it was really hard for me to get past the constant blame of others (absolutely anyone) for her own very poor decisions. I know that she had serious mental health issues but this was only covered by her hospital admittances with no real depth as to what her issues were.

Overall, the book was written in a good style but the story lacked some cohesion and context but is still worth reading.