This one was just meh for me. Normally this author is an auto-read, but this one just did not do it for me. As other reviewers have noted, it felt more like an outline or a first draft than an actual finished product. There were many, many details that I felt should have been expanded upon that just... weren't. The ending was too trapdoor-ish for me.
I probably would not recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

I found this book to be a mixed bag. The storyline itself is solid, and the characters are interesting enough to keep the plot moving. However, the first-person thoughts from the main character felt more like commentary than actual backstory. This constant toggling between past and present, without a clear distinction, was pretty distracting—and sometimes downright irritating.

Karen, as the sole survivor, stood out and was engaging in her role, but the rest of the characters felt very basic. I couldn’t connect with any of them, which left the overall story feeling a bit underwhelming.

While the plot had potential, the execution didn’t quite meet my expectations. If you enjoy a good survivor story and don’t mind disjointed narration, it might still be worth a read. For me, it was just okay.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Karen has returned to England when a woman is kidnapped and signs at the scene indicate it could be connected to the Bagman, her old boyfriend. It can’t be the Bagman because he is in prison, but he indicates he might know something that could help. This book is filled with suspense and intrigue. There is a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. This is the first book I have read by this author and I would read her again. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Writer Karen Walker is getting ready to publish a book about her serial killer boyfriend when another woman is taken. All signs point to the Bagman but he is locked up in prison. This book is partly from the book she has written and partly what’s going on now. It wasn’t confusing but a bit wordy. But I had to keep reading to find out what really happened.

I feel like the blurb was misleading. The main character and Bagman didn’t really have much of a relationship, so it didn’t seem as crazy that she turned him in. Overall, this was just okay.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Karen Walker is the best friend of the Bagman aka Aaron who murdered six women including her best friend/ enemy Jen. When a woman is kidnapped and the Bagman’s symbol is found Karen goes back to her hometown to find out the truth. When Karen goes to visit Aaron he is still playing games with her and asks her to re-examine his old cases because the police got it wrong. The longer it takes for them to find the missing woman the more Karen decides to look and finds out that Gareth, Jen’s ex boyfriend and Rosalind Jen’s half sister plotted the kidnapping in order to get Karen to confess to killing Jen. Karen tells them how she strangled Jen and didn’t know if she was alive when she went running back home. Aaron arrives before they can kill anyone and admits to killing four women plus Jen in order to protect Karen from going to jail. This book was so interesting and I was hooked.

I'm having mixed feelings with this one. My interest was piqued upon reading the blurb - what an interesting plot, I said. However, it was a little hard for me to push thru because it was dragging or redundant at times. Sometimes I get frustrated at the multiple hints that Karen has something to do with what happened to one of the victims but it was taking so long for the reveal. I also don't know how to feel about her unrequited feelings for Aaron. I'm confused like, are you or are you not in love with him? I hated this Karen character and I liked Aaron more lool. But I decided to finish it just so I can finally see who the real suspect is. Although I've suspected that person, I can't seem to solidify my hunch based on the evidences (lol) - so props to Claire for making it confusing for me. I like the explanation though at the last few pages, so as not to keep the readers hanging. I've given this 3.75 stars but am still planning to check out her other books as I've heard good reviews. Thank you so much for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The man Karen loved is a serial killer known as the Bagman,he killed a number of women including her best friend and her testimony helped to send him to prison for life so if his in prison how can a woman be missing and his trademark that no one else knows about be left at the abduction site,he did do the murders didn't he?
Now Karen has to help find the missing woman and try and lay the past to rest, but sometimes the past has a horrible way of taking over the present.
This was a good, solid, and well thought out story. None of the characters are very likeable, but it actually made me believe in them more.
I love the authors ability to create unexpected twists, and this story gives us two twists at the end,one that surprised me and one that didn't.
For fans of crime friction.
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC.

This book was a slow read for me as I will admit I had a tough time staying engaged in the plot. I found the character of Karen annoying, and her flashbacks were missing a large portion of time as she moved on with her life. I really wanted to love this one as I have read Claire McGowan before and really enjoyed her writing style. That being said, I will wait for her next release and try again! Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 3 stars. Publication Date: Feb 18, 2025

The First Girl was an interesting twist on the serial killer genre - based around the ex girlfriend of a killer, the impact of his crimes on her and the ways in which the crimes continue to pervade her life after he’s locked up.

The book got off to a cracking start and I sped through the first half at breakneck pace… but (as seems to be quite a common experience these days) i felt it fell a bit flat at the midway point. It’s no doubt hard to keep up the momentum and suspense as the book progresses - there was enough to keep my reading, but I wasn’t as eager to pick ip my kindle to see what happened next.

Overall the first Girl was well written and a decent psychological thriller, but it wasn’t my favourite of Claire McGowan’s books.

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked on the story of was this guy really a serial killer or was he innocent? I was dying to find out the truth from Karen and was so satisfied with how things played out.

Claire McGowan is one of my favourite authors and I’ve read all of her previous books. I was therefore really looking forward to reading this new book and it didn’t disappoint. I was completely engrossed in the plot and couldn’t put it down once I started it. It’s a great read and one that I’d recommend.

The First Girl follows Karen, a woman who fled the UK after her best friend/boyfriend, Aaron, was convicted of a series of murders. She returns to the scene of the crimes after a new incident mimics the original crimes. The problem? Certain details of the killings were never made public, so how has the new perpetrator copied these particular aspects of Aaron’s crimes? And will Aaron be able to use this to appeal his convictions?

I was sucked in by the premise of this book and, overall, it was a decent read! I live in the North of England, so especially enjoyed that it was set in the local area - with murders taking place at in my hometown, at my old university and in two other towns/cities I’ve lived in 😨

One thing I struggled with was the second person writing. The book is written as though the protagonist, Karen, is talking to The Bagman. I found this jarring, like I was reading something that wasn’t meant for me – the writing would’ve been more impactful if it had stuck to the first person narrative throughout.

I want to say that I predicted what was going on, and while I did guess aspects of the ending, the truth is that I suspected everyone at one point or another! This makes the book a perfect read for people who love an unreliable narrator and stories peppered with red herrings.

Very mixed feelings about this book. Seemed to drag on and alot of pages just seemed like they were repetitive and filled with words to bulk up the story. Was a bit of a " yeah i knew that " in the end. I did somewhat enjoy the book but would recommend.

The First Girl is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the haunting repercussions of past choices. Karen Walker’s life takes a dark turn when she returns to her hometown to confront her former lover, a notorious serial killer known as The Bagman, just as a young woman goes missing under similar circumstances. McGowan expertly weaves tension and suspense as Karen grapples with her own guilt and the chilling possibility that The Bagman might be involved, despite being imprisoned. This book is a thrilling ride filled with twists that kept me guessing until the very end. It's a haunting exploration of love, regret, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. A must-read for fans of dark, twisty thrillers!

The First Girl is the new novel by Claire McGowan. If I am honest I didn’t really fully get into this novel although I still enjoyed it.

A dark, thriller that features Karen Walker, a writer whose past love turned into a nightmare. Karen’s first boyfriend went on to become “The Bagman,” a serial killer now imprisoned for life. For ten years, she’s lived with the guilt of having loved and defended him, only to eventually be the one who led the police to his capture. Now, she is about to publish a memoir on his crimes when another young woman is abducted in similar circumstances and forces Karen to believe that The Bagman is not locked away after all.

Karen returns to her home town and is forced to confront long buried fears and memories. Karen has to deal with with her need for closure and her fear that the nightmare isn’t yet over. This is a fast paced thriller with characters that I struggled to like but wanted to know more about.

A good read but not quite as good as other books I have read from this author.

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

4* Slow to start and to engage with the narrator, but it drew me in and I didn't see the reveals, or the finale, coming.

The narrator of the tale, Karen, who's turned author, isn't at all a likeable person, or one that I could engage with. She came across as self-serving, including a green-card marriage to be able to stay in the US, and via the extracts of her book that're included, it became very clear that 18yo her hadn't been truthful about events that led to 'The Bagman' and another guy being incarcerated. At the very end, what she actually did that came to light? Wow, it made me despise her. How do you get so evil at that age? Especially where it concerns your alleged best friend? I'm not going to spoiler the tale but who needs friends like Karen?

The tale also made it sound like she hated and felt too good for the northern England town she came from; her mother; her past; the cards life dealt her, and yet right at the end, there's an about face that didn't compite, it felt. I couldn't see it believe it.

But, the tale had something murky and engrossing about it, that a serial killer tale needs, and that's what caught my attention and made me push on with it. Maybe the author was deliberately trying to make Karen out as not particularly nice, because she owed certain people something? I was hoping she'd get what she deserved, and sadly, she didn't. Not even a guilty conscience that 37yo present-day Karen deserved. She was far too not lily-white and just got away with stuff that she didn't deserve to get away with. I suspect a POC might not have, but that's not a criticism of the book or the author, buy Karen herself.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer, for my reading pleasure.

Well what a great thriller this was it had me gripped from the first chapter. Couldn’t see where this was going and the twists in the story were so good. I loved the writing style and how well the characters were written. The story was unique and definitely a thrilling read. It was definitely a five star read for me and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this great thriller.

This is another gripping read from one of my favourite authors. From the very first chapter the tension was ramped right up to 11. I loved the tantalising glimpses into Karen's past and her history with the so-called Bagman. As always with Claire's work nothing is exactly as it seems and this book didn't lack for twists, turns and red herrings. Definitely one that will have you burning the midnight oil

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

This definitely drawn me in
I loved how many characters I was suspicious in
I was so confused and was surprisingly wrong when it was revealed
I liked how it was told in the first person
Loved the unique plot, a good thriller and my first by Claire McGowan so will definitely be looking at the rest of her work