Oh my days........what a book and what incredible writing. The Wyclercs make the Ewings of Dallas look positively lovely. The story of Orianna is really cleverly written and had me held all the way through. Constantly asking myself did she do it, was she set up. Just amazing, highly recommended.

This was a brilliantly written psychological thriller. Written very differently to lots of the other thrillers that I've read, & I've read a lot.
I just couldn't wait to find the answers at the end & when it did all unfold it made complete sense... until the last part. Which while made for an interesting read, I didn't find it necessary. In my opinion the book should have ended 100 or so pages earlier. There were enough twists & turns to make it exciting & thrilling. I just felt that the ending was confusing & a bit disconnected. Like a double ending.
That aside, I did really enjoy it.

I found myself rooting for Orianna, brought up where she was barely tolerated and returning to try and clear her name after serving a lengthy sentence for the murder she is sure she did not commit.
Set in a town run by a single family and with a wide range of characters that lend themselves perfectly to small town prejudices and lawlessness the book is full of run-ins between Orianna, her blood relatives and the townsfolk determined to look no further than the ends of their noses, the reader is swept along with Orianna.
The ending is thoroughly unexpected and I am not sure ow I feel about it!

The story line is set in small town America. It centres around Orianna who was convicted of murder whilst a teenager but continues to deny her sentence. Annie the psychologist is tasked to write a report on suitability for parole. The book flips from the former statement to the attitudes of small town America. I found the book rather a slow burn. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

This book is a perfect blend of mystery, darkness, suspense, and tragedy. It’s a five-star novel that I found incredibly hard to put down.

The story follows a young woman who is wrongfully convicted of murdering her own father. Determined to uncover the truth, she embarks on a journey to the hunting cabin where her “half sister” mysteriously disappeared and her father was found dead. With the help of her psychiatrist, Annie, she begins to piece together the events of that fateful night years ago.

The novel keeps you guessing until the very end, revealing unexpected twists and turns that challenge your assumptions. It’s a gripping and suspenseful read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

If you enjoy a good suspenseful thriller, I highly recommend this book. It’s an easy read that you won’t want to put down.

Overall I enjoyed this book. The first half was a little slow but the second half was great. Brilliant twist at the end.
Not a fan of the bad language though.

On the whole I enjoyed this book. The author is clearly skilled in characterisation and descriptive settings. I like the small American town setting. It worked well for the feel of judgement, gossip, secrets, and lies.
The twist at the end will likely become divisive amongst readers. I wasn't keen on it. It felt too easy while having a far too convoluted discussion between some characters to explain it.

Orianna is the girl in Cell A, convicted of killing her father when she was a teenager. she has always protested her innocence but has no memory of the day of the murder.. Her father was the dissolute son of the Wyclerc family, who practically own the town. Her mother was the housekeeper.. Was she stitched up by a sheriff beholden to the Wyclearcs? Annie is a Forensic psychologist assigned to her case to try to recover her memory, and decide whether she is fit to be let out of prison after 15 years, on parole. Orianna's father was such an odious creep that several members of his family have good motives to kill him and scapegoat Orianna. Its a clever and winding plot, a gripping read.

A great psychological thriller - kept me guessing throughout the whole book and with wild twists as you would expect from this genre.

The book switches between the perspective of Annie Ledet, a forensic psychologist hired to determine whether Orianna, the main protagonist, should be eligible for parole after being found guilty of murder. This is a tough task as Orianna is suffering from dissociative amnesia, and is unable to recall the events of the incident, however she still continues to protest her innocence after 18 years behind bars.

The alternate perspective is then Orianna’s account, having returned to her hometown to uncover the true killer. This is where the main action occurs, with twists and turns everywhere and almost every character being accused!

The writing style is very easy to read, and is very clever in the way Orianna’s chapters are written. At the beginning I thought that it was oversight that it feels like chunks are missing and sometimes scenes are skipped over, but having read more I realise this was a stylistic choice that really puts you in Orianna’s head and makes you experience what she is feeling with her memory gaps due to the amnesia.

Overall this is a great psychological thriller and would definitely recommend. Thank you Hodder and NetGalley for the ARC!

Orianna, the Girl In Cell A from the title, has been in prison for the murder of her father, but she cannot recall doing so. Annie Ledet has been tasked with helping getting to the bottom of her amnesia, and solve the crime.

The book has a multi person timeline, effective in giving small amounts of information at a time. I did find the book far too long and wordy, I felt it needed a lot of editing down. I also found the twist at the end very disappointing, in my opinion the conclusion was a let down. That said, the characterisation was strong.

This evocative and beautifully crafted tale presents a richly layered mystery, brimming with betrayal, corruption, and murder. It delves deeply into the sins of the powerful, revealing the far-reaching consequences of their darkness. The town of Eden Falls almost feels like a character in its own right, its atmosphere thick with an eerie sense of foreboding.

The narrative moves between past and present, offering insights from both the psychotherapist and the accused as they attempt to determine whether Orianna is truly prepared for release or if she’s lost in delusion. Meanwhile, her moments of unsettling freedom see her on a quest for the truth. The chapters are brief yet thoughtfully paced, and the prose itself is simply breathtaking, making for an engaging and captivating read. A blend of religious imagery and powerful oligarchs creates a striking contrast, evoking a sense of isolation and reverence.

It’s a story marked by quiet intensity, where patience is key as Orianna works to retrace her steps, uncover the truth, and navigate her own trauma while investigating the influential family of her supposed victim and a growing list of suspects. A tale that twists upon twists, I almost found myself ready to put the book down and reduce my rating when I thought I had uncovered the final reveal. But even then, Khan had another surprise in store, keeping me on my toes until the very end

Vaseem Khan is an author who is at the top of my go-to author lists. He is not just an awesome human being, but his writing is second to none!
The Girl In Cell A is his first psychological thriller, and it's set in America. Two unknowns for Vaseem Khan. All I can say is, what did I just read???
Just over a day to read this tale about Orianna, a woman who murdered her father, or did she? That is the question.
Told in first person with the time frame so easily slipping from the present to the past. The reader is slowly drip fed as Orianna and her therapist start to unravel Orianna's past to attempt to unlock Orianna's memory block from the time of the murder.
Wow! The Girl In Cell A is written so sublimely. The twists keep coming, and I didn't even realise until they smacked me in the face! I was invested in Orianna and her story so much that I was so gobsmacked as I closed the book.
I would give this book more than five stars if it was possible! Congratulations, Vaseem Khan! You knocked it out of the park with this one! Cannot wait for your next psychological thriller!

I tried to love this but it was so drawn out and the ending was such an eye roll.

The premise was great, a woman set to clear her name of a murder she swears she didn't commit. It would have worked if it was a puncher read. I didn't get pulled into it the way I wanted to be.

2.5 stars rounded down.

That was an EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! Book.

From the opening page I was lost in this story. It is so very well written and absorbed me completely.

I’m gutted that it’s over but oh my god it was an amazing!!

The story took me away and I was living for “the girl in cell A” and desperate to resolve the unknown mystery.

Everyone should read this and I definitely can see this as a movie or a series!!!

Absolutely 5 top stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Would first like to say thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

“The Girl in Cell A” by Vaseem Khan is a psychological thriller. The story revolves around Orianna Negi, who was convicted of murder at seventeen and has always maintained her innocence. The narrative is split between her time in prison and the events in the small town of Eden Falls, where the crime occurred. Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet works to uncover the truth behind Orianna’s amnesia and the murder. There are a lot of unexpected twists and turns in this book which did keep me intrigued throughout. Thoroughly enjoyed the book and will read more books by Vaseem Khan.

I loved this book. It is unusual in the way it was written. Orianna was convicted of murder at the age of seventeen. She has always denied the murder but admits she can't remember what happened. The book is gripping, the tale twists. A forensic psychotherapist starts sessions with Orianna to assess her suitability for parole, she takes Orianna back to her earlier life and the event. Saying more would give things away. As a reader I wanted to be that psychotherapist. I wanted to find the answers in this multi layered gripping tale. I always wanted to find time to read this book and I finished it far too soon.
I look forward to other books by this author.

A small town conspiracy with world shattering consequences that will make you feel like one of the suspects yourself, meet the girl in cell A.

This atmospheric, beautifully written story holds a layered, complex mystery full of betrayal, corruption and murder - one that delves into the sins of powerful people and shows how far their darkness can spread. There was an almost haunted feel to Eden Falls, as though the town was a supporting character itself.

We straddle the before and after, hearing from the psychotherapist and the accused as they try to assess if Orianna is really ready for release or if she’s delusional and the moments of strange freedom afterwards as she looks for the truth. A mixture of short, well paced but quiet chapters and simply beautiful vivid writing made for an easy and captivating read. A mix of religious iconography and oligarchs made for a juxtaposed but reverential feeling, something isolating.

It’s quiet, patient, understated in its intensity as Orianna attempts to retrace her steps, find the truth, untangle her own trauma while investigating the powerful family of her supposed victim and her growing list of suspects. The definition of twist within twist, I very nearly stopped reading and dropped a few stars off when I thought I’d found the final answer but even then Khan had something else hidden, ready to surprise you.

"Here is where things break down, where we encounter the 'innocent prisoners dilemma'. If Orianna is innocent, pleading guilty - finally fessing up - might get her out early. But if she pleads guilty, after all these years of claiming her innocent, how will that affect her?"

There was clearly careful research put into creating this, looking into forensic psychotherapy and psychology, dissociative amnesia and media sensationalism. For a moment I was worried this was going to be another book that demonises the mentally ill and uses them just as a plot point, but it turns around in a spectacular way. Annie also makes some highly relevant observations about the failings of the justice system to bring rehabilitation and reintegration, as well as the way class, race and religion can shape the perception we hold of people.

A riveting and twisty tale that any thriller lover will absolutely eat up.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It was not a bad read, and kept me guessing, but I think ‘A bit …..’ sums up my feelings about it. A bit too long. A bit too many characters. A bit repetitive. It jumped between ‘now’ and ‘then’ a bit too much.
And the final explanatory chapter was more than a bit too long, confusing and convoluted.
For me, the ‘Shutter Island’ style ending didn’t work because of this; quite cleverly constructed but it lost the impact it should have had. Also I am usually rooting for the underdog so didn’t like the way it ended for Orianna.

The Girl in Cell A was the story of Orianna, a girl who cannot remember committing murder. Psychologist, Annie, is trying techniques to help coax out her lost memories.
This is my first time of reading Vaseem Khan, and she's a great writer with some wonderful turns of phrase. (Although one thing massively bugged me - the overuse of 'a beat' to indicate a pause. This must have happened at least thirty times.)
While the story moved along nicely through the two points of view, I did find the plot a little tedious towards the end (and the twist was a bit cringeworthy, somewhat of a cop-out too).
That said, it was mainly a decent read and I may well try another of Vaseem Khan's books in the future.

I didn't enjoy this book and really struggled to get into it - is am unsure hy as everything about it suggested that I was going to love it@