This was an average thriller. There was nothing wrong with it at all, but I was not surprised by anything either.

Intense, emotional, and complex - this one will keep you up into the night as red herrings drop and you will be guessing what actually happened until the very end. Perfect for any mystery fan

The title of this book is a riff on the “final girl “ serial killer trope, focusing instead on the first girl the killer obsessed over. It’s an interesting perspective and made me wonder how many women might get fooled by a budding serial killer

Claire McGowan is a great writer. She creates such a strong atmosphere and her characters leap off the pages. This book is very cleverly done, with so many red herrings and potential scenarios that the ending is a genuine shock. Every aspect of the story comes across as completely credible, even when you know in reality how unlikely it would be. I also loved the inclusion of true crime fanatics and the modern world of podcasts and Tik Tok - really shone a light and raised questions as to why true crime is of such interest.