A gripping and atmospheric mystery that blends political intrigue, corruption, and suspense. Vaseem Khan delivers a smartly plotted thriller with a strong sense of place and a compelling lead. Twisty and thought-provoking, a solid addition to any crime fiction shelf!

#TheGirlInCellA #VaseemKhan #CrimeThriller #PoliticalMystery #IndianCrimeFiction #FourStarRead #BookReview #ThrillerTuesday #BookstagramUK #GrippingReads #MysteryLovers

I was unaware that the author of ‘Girl in Cell A’ has already written two entire crime series set in India, as well as contributing to the James Bond franchise writing collective. No time like the present, then, to discover his work, and a free ARC gifted to me by NetGalley and the publishers made it possible, so they have my thanks.
The cell-bound girl in this novel is Orianna Negi, convicted of murder at the young age of 17. She maintains her innocence, even though her recollections of what happened on that fateful day are hazy. Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet has been tasked with interviewing Orianna and establishing the truth of what happened in the small mining community where Orianna grew up, and where a rural childhood took such a traumatic turn. Various alleged witnesses or potential suspects are introduced into the narrative, but the ending, when all becomes clear, is unexpected. A well-written thriller that manages to conjure up the atmosphere of a claustrophobic small-town setting rules by the all-too-powerful influence of local families. Warmly recommended to readers of the domestic crime genre.

With thanks to Netgalley for the book arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ori has been imprisoned for 18 years after being found next to the dead body of Gideon Wyclerc. Dual PoVs detail Ori’s case and psychological profile through interviews with a Forensic Therapist, while the current timeline outlines Ori’s quest to find the truth upon release from prison.

Mysterious, suspenseful and intriguing. There are a few inaccuracies in the description of the Forensic Therapists role -sometimes this is confused for a Psychiatrist.
At times the descriptions felt a little long winded and repetitive. While I understand the aim was to build suspense, the reveal is slow at times and Ori’s investigation really kicks into swing at 50%. The reveal takes some time with lots of red herrings that at times are a little confusing. At the same time, the merging of characters timelines and connections was clever and unpredictable. The ending in particular was original and interesting. Enjoyable but could have been shorter to keep up momentum.

Orianna is the girl in Cell A - convicted at 17 of the murder of Gideon Wycherley, a member of a prominent family in the small American town of Eden Falls
She has always pleaded her innocence, claiming to have no memory of the night of the murder
Psychotherapist, Annie is trying to unlock her memory and decide if she is suitable for parole
An American murder mystery at it’s finest
It was quite complex trying to keep track of all the characters and timelines, and the town of Eden Falls was so eerie.
The Wyclere family certainly have a hold on the whole town - Dallas meets Succession
Loved how the alternating chapters become shorter and shorter towards the the end of the book, really adding to the tension
Thanks @vaseemkhanwriter @hodderbooks & @netgalley for the complex murder mystery - trust no one they all have there secrets!!!

Book felt a little long and sometimes struggled to keep going but the story was interesting enough that I finished it. The premise was gripping enough and kept me wondering

Appreciated the tension and mystery woven through the story.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

What a gem this is!! Maybe a tad longer than necessary, however it didn't appear too 'packed out' to read, and the use of short chapters helped to break it all up into bite sized segments and paced it well. Gripping, with a subtle hook that keeps you engrossed until the end! By the way....that end!!!! Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me access to the ARC.....highly recommended!

The Girl in Cell A by Vaseem Khan is a psychological thriller that had me hooked.

At the heart of the story is Orianna Negi, a seventeen-year-old convicted of the brutal murder of Gideon Wyclerc, heir to the powerful Wyclerc dynasty of Eden Falls. Branded a notorious killer and a true-crime sensation, Orianna has always claimed innocence, but the problem is she can’t remember what happened the night Gideon died. Now, years later, forensic psychologist Annie Ledet is brought in to dig through Orianna’s trauma-shrouded past and uncover the truth.

As Annie begins to unravel Orianna’s memories, what emerges is a deeply unsettling portrait of Eden Falls, a community dominated by privilege, prejudice, and the toxic legacy of its patriarch, Amos Wyclerc. Scandal, sex, power, and race collide as buried secrets rise to the surface, threatening to rewrite everything Annie thought she knew. Vaseem Khan cleverly builds the tension as the crime starts to unravel.

Orianna is a very interesting character who is fragile and defiant as she tries to clear her name by unravelling the truth.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

I enjoyed this book as a story but thought it should get to the point a little faster. Its repetitive and a little too long for no reason

Would recommend to friends and family. A full review has been left on Goodreads

I found this book to be a slow burner and I nearly gave up but pleased I stuck with it as the ending blew me away!

The ‘Girl in Cell A’ is Orianna Negi who was convicted murdering of Gideon Wyclerc when she was 17. Gideon’s daughter Grace disappeared on the same day but her body has never been found.

However, Orianna can’t remember what happened the day of the murder and claims she is innocent. Annie Lede is a Forensic psychologist who is interviewing her to unlock her suppressed memories and deter if she's eligible for release.

It also means that if Orianna didn't do it then the murderer is still at loose!

I found this book engaging overall, though I had some mixed feelings about the writing style and the ending. The story itself was compelling, and I genuinely wanted to know what would happen next. However, I struggled at times due to the language which felt overly elaborate—almost pretentious—as if the author was more focused on sounding clever than telling the story clearly. At points, simpler language would have been just as effective, if not more so.

The book also felt longer than it needed to be, though that could be down to the challenging prose more than the actual length. While I stayed engaged, the pacing did drag in parts.

I wasn’t a fan of the ending, which felt like a bit of a cop-out. I was hoping for a more consistent conclusion that stayed true to the direction the story had been heading. Instead, the final twist felt like a cop-out, as if the author wasn’t quite sure how to finish the book. Despite that, the plot held my interest, and I was invested in the characters’ journey.
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All in all, a thought-provoking read, but not without its frustrations.

I found this a rather ponderous and slow psychological thriller centring around Orianna who is in prison for murdering Gideon Wyclerc, a member of the founding clan of the town where she lives. Annie, her therapist in prison is trying to get her to relive the events, and particularly the murder that she has blanked from her mind. Orianna believes she is innocent of Gideon's murder and the disappearance of Grace Wyclerc.

The book bounces about between the present, when Orianna has been released and returns to the town where it all happened and the powerful Wyclerc family, and the past in prison talking to Annie. I read on, wanting to know if she was guilty or if someone else had murdered Gideon, but I almost lost interest several times. The book is well written, its just too long and involved to really grip the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Khan’s first book set outside India is a real step change and will appeal to all lovers of psychological thrillers.

To me, a Brit with no first-hand knowledge of either psychology or the American South, the setting, characters and premise feels credible and immersive.

Most of the novel is presented through the dual perspectives of Orianna, a young woman convicted of patricide and Anna, her psychiatrist. The slow introduction of the characters and the elements of doubt and confusion add to the fun on guessing at the truth.

The ending was both unexpected and enjoyable, a great read.

With thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this novel.

A fantastic book, sadly took me a while to read due to.life and work. When reading I got lost in the book and story not once did I think the outcome was different, kept me drawn in and when I was reading I didn't want to put it down.

The Girl in Cell A is a pretty chunky book but I have to say, it had me utterly captivated from the first page to the last. Orianna's story is completely compelling - and the split narrative between her encounters with her forensic psychologist in prison and the events following her release are both so fascinating and had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Orianna herself is such an intriguing main character, her experience of living in small town America in a place ruled by the Wyclerc dynasty is horribly compelling.
Her entire life there is overshadowed by complex issues such as race, class, power inequality and an insidious undercurrent of corruption. I don't want to give anything away about the way this dark story unfolds but let's just say that whatever you think you know about the way things appear will be completely turned on its head by a couple of genuinely jaw dropping twists which are so expertly orchestrated that I was left in awe. The Girl in Cell A is a masterful, intelligent and incredibly thought provoking thriller which I guarantee you will be unable to stop thinking about for months after finishing. An easy five stars from me.

The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5

Well, that was a bit different!!

The story is told from the points of view of Jane and her psychiatrist Henry Byrd. Jane reports to have been suffering from hallucinations, premonitions and extended bouts of amnesia, she also has phenomenal memory recall. Jane's side of the story is told in letter form, written to her baby son, whereas Henry Byrd's narrative is more in the present in the form of a case study..

The story drew me in and motivated me to read late into the night, I was desperate for answers to the many questions building in my head about Jane's situation. I was anticipating a sensational twist that would make sense of Jane's story and propel this book into one of my top reads this year... and although there was a conclusion it wasn't the big wowing twist I was hoping for. As i got to the end Id wished I'd buddy-read this one to dissect it

But lack of twist aside I thoroughly enjoyed this unique, slightly psychedelic read!!

I've not come across this authors previous works, which seem to be more cozy mysteries set in India. If there's one thing this isn't, it's cozy. If there's one thing it is, it's brilliant. I was absolutely hooked right from the opening pages and went through the novel at a rate of knots. This is an incredibly well written psychological thriller that plays with its themes, taking you down unseen rabbit holes and unexpected diversions so you never quite know what to expect next.

Orianna was convicted of murder at seventeen years old. Raised in a small, insular American town, she was tried and found guilty of the murder of Gideon Wyclerc, the son of the town's patriacrch. Now eighteen years later she's on the verge of release and the novel splits timelines between the psychological interviews pre-release and Orianna's mission to discover what actually happened that day as she makes the trek back to Eden Falls.

With no memory of the events in question, Orianna has a steep uphill battle, particularly as the towns folk are determined of her guilt. But Eden Falls is a place of secrets and guilt, and it's not just her own mystery she may bring to life, but also the long forgotten hidden guilts of those in the small town. This is one of those novels that twists and turns with such frequency that the footing is constantly uncertain. The only thing that is certain is that Orianna is determined she was innocent. Whether she can prove it or not is a whole different kettle of fish.

Everything about this worked for me; the setting was wonderfully portrayed with the small town politics and idiosyncrasies, the characters come to life and the teasing out of decades old secrets and hidden skeletons was masterfully done. It's a clever and riveting thriller that kept me on my toes. I'll be interested to read more from the author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

The girl in cell A by Vaseem Khon, a girl goes to prison for a murder she doesn’t remember and at the same time the murdered man’s daughter goes missing. When Adrian gets out of prison she heads back home where gossip runs rampant and it’s mostly about her. Her parentage is muddy her mom worked for the richest family in town and she may or may not be related to her mother‘s employers. Oh really didn’t like this book I found it to be long winded and once she started with her grandpa I just was so over it by the time I got to who killed Gideon although I was shocked again I just wanted to close the book and move on with my life. I appreciate the free arc as I always do but I must be honest have I not gotten this book for free I probably would not have finished it. #NetGalley, #HotterInStoughton, #TheBlindReviewer,#MyHonestReview, #VaseemKhon, #TheGirlInCellA,

The Girl in Cell A was gripping from the start. The premise is a strong one—infamous “killer” Orianna Negi, convicted at seventeen and now a true crime celebrity, has always claimed she didn’t murder Gideon Wyclerc. But the catch? She can’t remember what happened.

I enjoyed the elements of memory loss, fractured small-town secrets, and the layers of power and corruption that surrounded Eden Falls and the Wyclerc dynasty. The dynamic between Orianna and Annie was especially compelling.. this combined with the dual timelines, kept me turning pages.

The twist at the end genuinely surprised me, which is always a win. My only complaint is that it took a bit too long to get there—some parts felt repetitive and could’ve been tightened without losing the impact. I also found the biblical parallels a little overplayed, though that could be personal bias coming from someone raised in the Bible Belt of the American South.

Still, this is a smart psychological thriller exploring scandal, sex, power, race, and the murky space between guilt and innocence. A very solid read.

This ticks a lot of the boxes for me - small town America teeming with secrets, a forensic psychologist trying to uncover the truth from a witness with amnesia, a possible miscarriage of justice, murder among the town's elite... There's a lot going on in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book centres on Orianna Negi, the Girl in Cell A of the title. She's something of a celebrity in the world of true crime, convicted at 17 of murder and yet unable to recall the events of the fateful day that landed her in jail. Years have passed and Orianna is under the care of Annie Ledet, psychologist, with the aim of finding out the truth - but that will involve revisiting the events of the past and the small town where it all happened.

It's a complex story, quite long and with a lot of characters, but I really did feel compelled to keep reading and finally solve the mystery. There were several twists I didn't see coming and I totally fell for every misdirection going - so bravo to Vaseem Khan for a satisfying mystery!