The Birthday Girl

by Mesha Mesh

September 14th.
Tahlia Banks’ birthday.
No one ever remembered it… until the year she made sure they never forgot.
She clawed her way out of the ghetto, built an empire from nothing, and rose to billionaire status, but the view at the top turned out lonelier than the bottom. Her family only called when they needed money. Her so-called friends only showed up when there was something in it for them. And her boyfriend, the man who owed her loyalty, was loving on everything with two legs.
Her therapist told her to work on forgiveness, so she gave them one last chance.
One last chance to prove she wasn’t just a pocket to pick.
One last chance to show they deserved the love she kept giving.
But nothing could prepare her for what came next. The blow didn’t just hurt. It hollowed her out, left her unrecognizable, and filled her with a fury that rewrote her DNA, making her something new.
Something terrible.
She thought she knew betrayal. She thought she knew rage. She thought she knew what it meant to suffer at the hands of family, friends, and love.
She was wrong.
Then the man she trusted most vanished without a trace, leaving her the number one suspect in his disappearance.
Now, as the police close in and whispers grow louder, Tahlia isn’t fighting to prove her innocence. She’s fighting to make sure everyone who betrayed her pays.

Genres: Fiction

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2025

About the author

Mesha Mesh, a Dallas native, made her writing debut in 2015 with "His Truth Your Nightmare" and has since penned several bestsellers, including "Banging My Billionaire Boss" and "The Don's Virgin Possession." UBAWA recognized her as one of the Top 100 Authors, and she was honored with a literary award from AAMBC and The Gem.

In 2017, Mesha became CEO of Allure Me Publications (now Mesha Mesh Presents), where she not only publishes her own works but also champions talented authors from around the world. Her love for books has taken her on many adventures, and there is more to come. Follow her on social media for more.

Reviews

[Demetrius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have NO words! 🥴🫠

[Samyra Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wow!!

This book was good from start to finish. It left me anticipating what would happen next. The Birthday Girl is a story that’ll stay with me for a long time because of the twists and turns, and instability of the characters. I thought I knew where the story was headed but the twists surprised me. This is a must read for thriller lovers.

[Melise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was INSANITY in the best way lmao if you don’t like gore skip it but Mesha this was too good. I didn’t really get the Dr. part cus how could he continue to practice? Also what happened to Ezra cus that man was terrible at his job

[Selena Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my word! The Birthday Girl is full of wicked people, steady scheming and looking to come up while disregarding those they used. Each plot revealed was worst than the one before— and Tahlia had enough! Whew I couldn’t have imagined the things that went on in these pages but I could not put it down.




🚨Spoiler
I am so here for the Joker and Harley Quinn vibes at the end. Hopefully there’s an update on those two crazy cats lol. I need it bad!

[Gabby Penn Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mouth open the whole time.
This book had me at the trigger warnings!
“Nearly every trigger warning applies… this is a descent into the darkest parts of the human mind… if you came here for something raw, unsettling, and unforgettable, then welcome”.
Thank you to who recommended this book!

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 5 out of 5]

😆😆😆

Just when I thought I had Mesha Mesh figured out, she hit me with the ultimate plot twist and released a thriller - and it was so good!!! I’m here for stepping out of the norm and trying something new. The Birthday Girl gave me all I could handle - a solid plot, gore, revenge, twists, a morally grey character, and an unexpected accomplice. I truly felt bad for Tahlia, she was awkward, successful, and constantly made fun of by her family but that didn’t stop them from having their hands out. In the end, who’s laughing now? I give it 4.5⭐️, I had a few questions about the ending but I thoroughly enjoyed this one! And the cover is 🔥

[Lilithya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book centres on Thalia, a woman that on the surface seems to have everything. But under the glitter lies a very psycophatic individual who'll do anything to achieve her vengeance.

I liked the book more than I initially thought I would. Seeing the main character spiral more and more as the book progressed created a worthy study of a psycophatic and narcissistic person.

I would have liked for more cohesion between all of the points of views and characters, it felt a little rushed.

[Shauntelle (shauntellereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHOA!! This book was wild from start to finish! For this to be the author’s first thriller, I am majorly impressed. I am someone who reads a lot of thrillers, and this story was very different from all of the thrillers I have previously read. I love that the main character was a black woman, and I also love that she was a billionaire. This book was full of action, drama, twist and turns. I found myself rooting for the female main character, even though I probably shouldn’t have been lol. I would love to see a sequel to find out what happens next. I am anxiously awaiting the next thriller from this author. Kudos for a job well done!

[BookTalesTink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tahlia Banks

THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE! You said your first thriller? Girl I ate this book up. I was at work kicking my feet cause Tahlia is how I be feeling sometimes. Suh was just tired of being used and snapped! Danielle though, she should have had the same encore like Mercedes. SPOILER ALERT…… I never ever ever expected the therapist that mf crazy too. Yessss Mesh this was so so good from beginning to end. I love you in your unhinged bag, but add thriller to it too. I would love to see you write more thrillers.

[Lizzy Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW

WTF DID I JUST READ 😳😳😳👀👀👀🤔🤔🤔. I’M NOT GONNA LIE THIS BOOK HAD FAR TOO MANY FILLER WORDS THAT TOOK AWAY FROM AN AMAZING CRAZY ASF STORYLINE🤷🏽‍♀️. HAD THIS NOT BEEN THE BOOK CHOSEN FOR BOOK CLUB I WOULDN’T HAVE EVER GAVE IT A SECOND GLANCE🤷🏽‍♀️.

I MUST SAY THE ONE THING I DON’T AGREE WITH IS THE AUTHOR SAYING THERE WAS NO ROMANCE OR HEA AT THE END, CAUSE TALIHA AND DR FERRELL MOST DEFINITELY GOT THEIR HEA AT THE END😁. THIS BOOK WAS EFFING CRAZY AS ALL GET OUT. LIKE I RELATED TO TALIHA AND I UNDERSTOOD HER NEED FOR REVENGE BUT I DRAW THE LINE AT CHILDREN. THEM BABIES WERE INNOCENT AND I WOULD’VE AT LEAST LAID THEM IN THE BACK OF THEIR AIN’T ISH MOMMA VEHICLE THEN FINISHED THE JOB 🤷🏽‍♀️.

HER MOMS AND SISTER WERE JEALOUS MANIPULATIVE SPINELESS EVIL BIT**ES WHO WANTED EVERYTHING BUT DIDN’T WANNA WORK FOR ANY OF IT. HER SORRY EXCUSE FOR A DADDY WAS JUST A BIH. I WILL NEVER GET HOW A "MAN" COULD ALLOW SOMEONE TO MISTREAT HIS CHILD ON ANY DAY IDGAF🤬🤬🤬.

I TOLD MY BOO THANG THAT DR FERRELL WAS SOMEHOW INVOLVED I MOST DEFINITELY SAW THAT BUT THAT PLOT TWIST AT THE END😳😳😳. YEAH THAT’S SOME CRAZY LOVE FOR YOU AND LIKE I SAID AN HEA WAS HAD🤷🏽‍♀️🤣🤣🤣. EVERYBODY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED AND I’M GLAD THEY SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST😁

[Akeyra Adair · Rating 5 out of 5]

15/10!! I love a good psycho thriller!

[AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, twisted, sadistic, and more.

I severely underestimated what this book had to offer. For this to be this author's first thriller, she wrote it like a vet. The plot twists and the gruesome acts were crazier than anything I've read thus far. Tahlia is crowned the most unhinged character ever, whether male or female. This book shows just how easy it is to snap after years of mistreatment and people playing in your face. My mouth is still on the floor. Tahlia said she wasn't sparing a soul, and she meant just that. One part in particular was way too dark for me, and you'll know it when you make it to it.

[FantaziaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
For this to be this authors first thriller she did an AMAZINGJOB, thrill from beginning to end LITERALLY!!!


****SPOILERS BELOW!!!! ****


This book was absolute chaos, the people in Tahlia’s life never loved or cared about her, they used her, belittled her and never felt an ounce of remorse since her childhood. After planning a huge party for herself and no one showed up, not even her cheating boyfriend she snapped and got revenge on everyone who did her wrong!
The twist at the end with her therapist’s involvement & her boyfriend still be alive was a very shocking twist.

[waithaileyreadwhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to read a suspenseful thriller about a Black woman getting her lick back after being betrayed by everyone around her, this is for you. This book gave Criminal Minds meets Tyler Perry in the best way possible. While I anticipated half of the twist at the end, I didn’t see the other half coming. Very good, quick first thriller from the urban romance author Mesha Mesh.

[Carmen Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birthday Read

This was the author's first thriller, and I was impressed. The plot twist at the end had my jaw on the floor. I hope she plans to write more thrillers in the future because I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Kim’s Kindle Reads. · Rating 4 out of 5]

THAT WAS A LOT. A lot of wild sh*t 😂 I was TUNED IN from the very first page. A revenge story at its best. Literally anybody can get it…. And did ‼️ this was a good time from start to finish. Insanity at its finest.

[Alvishia EVANS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Debut!

This was a nice change and I truly enjoyed it! Thalia was crazy!! Lol Getting eady for part 2! Bravo!!!

[Danielle Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

….scratches head… I don’t know what I just read lol my flabber is gasted!! First read by Mesha and baby!! She did that!! Yall just have to read for yourself.

[mmmkay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me what ?!

5/5

[Shalana Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love it!!! The ending was a shocker I didn’t see that coming at all! I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

[Shanelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, WOW, WOW

I was not expecting this book to have me in shock. It definitely had my attention from beginning to end. Tahlia was more than a woman scorned by her man. She was a woman determined to make those who wronged her pay. The author did a great job with making things appear one way, but then the plot twists pull you in another direction, and by the end of the story, you're left with your mouth wide open like no way. I highly recommend reading this book.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆ A Savage, Unrelenting Descent into Vengeance

Mesha Mesh delivers a psychological thriller that doesn't just push boundaries, it obliterates them. Literally came out swinging out the gate! The Birthday Girl is a brutal exploration of what happens when a woman who's given everything finally decides to take back what's owed, with interest that compounds in blood.

Tahlia Banks is no passive victim. She's a self-made billionaire who clawed out of poverty only to discover that success doesn't insulate you from betrayal, it just makes the knives sharper. Mesh crafts a protagonist who embodies "the dignity of a queen in exile," watching her world crumble with calculated precision before methodically dismantling everyone who wronged her.

The prose cuts like glass. Lines such as "Calm is just trouble holding its breath" and "If men had nothing else, they had audacity" deliver sharp social commentary wrapped in dark humor. Mesh doesn't waste words with every sentence serves to mount the tension.

What makes this story truly unsettling is how Tahlia's transformation feels earned. She's not suddenly unhinged; she's systematically stripped of every illusion about love, loyalty, and family until vengeance becomes the only language left. The contrast between her polished exterior and the violence brewing beneath creates unbearable tension.

The supporting cast, particularly the chaotic friendship with Sadie and the enigmatic Dr. Farrell, adds layers to Tahlia's unraveling. The imagery is visceral and unapologetic, particularly in scenes that blur the line between art and atrocity.

Minor issues with pacing in the middle prevent this from being a perfect five stars, but the raw audacity of the narrative more than compensates. This isn't a story about justice or redemption, it's about watching someone choose destruction with full awareness and zero regrets. Whew what a ride and I love that twist at the end!

Content warning: Graphic violence, infidelity, toxic family dynamics, and morally complex protagonist. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely for those who love antiheroes who actually commit to the darkness.

[Jazmyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not look away.

The Birthday Girl hooked me from the first page and did not let go. Mesha Mesh has this incredible gift for writing tension that feels personal and emotional, like you are right there in the room holding your breath. The friendships, the secrets, the shifting loyalty, the way every chapter turns up the heat just a little bit more. I was obsessed.

What I loved most was how real the characters felt. Every flaw, every fear, every bad decision made sense. The story builds in this steady, tightening way that kept my shoulders up around my ears because I could feel something coming and I still wasn’t ready when it hit.

This is the kind of thriller that gives you messy relationships, layered motives, and a payoff that feels both shocking and earned. I tore through it, trying to get answers while also wanting to savor every moment.

If you love domestic suspense with a strong emotional pull and characters who stay in your head long after you finish, this one is absolutely worth the read. I loved every second of it.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

****1/2


I was hooked from the first chapter. This is one of the best paced and plotted books I’ve read in a long time.

Tahlia was absolutely unhinged in the best way. Spiraling that hard because people forgot her birthday? Wild. But the book does such a good job showing how much that neglect shaped her, and how it’s been sitting under the surface this whole time. She’s a mess, but she makes sense, and I loved that. The surprise gore. My horror heart loved that. How she really didn’t care at all just one tracked mind to do what she came to do: Revenge.

I looked up the author’s other books and it seems like she mostly writes romance, which isn’t usually my go-to. But after this? I might have to check them out, because I really like her writing style.

This is definitely one of those reads where you have to suspend disbelief, and because the pacing was so strong and I was flying through pages, I didn’t mind it at all. Easy recommend.

[Ashley B-S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Birthday Thriller

This was my introduction to this author, and I really enjoyed this book. It was a thriller about a woman who felt left out on her birthday and we all know what it feels like to throw a birthday party and you want everyone to show up and to be there, and it was a complete opposite for her and she spiraled from there. This book took me through all the emotions. I was sad. I was mad I was laughing. I was everything from beginning to end speaking of end the ending I did not expect at all. I was completely thrown for a loop what I thought was true, was not true and it had a twist to it. This was a very interesting read, and I will be diving further into this authors catalog.

[Toni H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tahlia Banks, the protagonist, has clawed her way out of poverty to become a billionaire, building an empire from scratch. Despite her success, she finds herself isolated, her family only contacts her for money, her friends are opportunistic, and her boyfriend is unfaithful. Her birthday, September 14th, has always gone unnoticed, but this year, she decides to have a party but no one shows up to the party. Devastated and unable to let it go, she holds on to her anger and promise to stop helping family and friends. Encouraged by her therapist to practice forgiveness, Tahlia gives everyone in her life one final chance to prove they value her beyond her wealth. However, the betrayal she faces is deeper than she imagined. The emotional blow leaves her hollow and unrecognizable, setting the stage for a dramatic and suspenseful unraveling of relationships and identity.

[Eros Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Cornbread (from the movie Sinners) said:
“It be ya own peoples.”

“The whole world will remember my name.”

This was a very wild ride from start to finish.
The first 1/4 of the book felt like a full story, I could not imagine what the rest of the book had in store.
& I’m glad that I couldn’t predict it.
While some moments were predictable, a lot of it wasn’t. I was fully entertained by the twists & the unhinged dedication of the characters.

This was messy, disturbing, & chaotic.
The pacing was on the slower side but steady.
I couldn’t stop wondering what would happen next.
Just when you think the story couldn’t get any crazier, you’re in for a ride.

This is my first read from the author.
But, it won’t be my last.

[Just D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisty, Unhinged, and Absolutely Addictive
I absolutely LOVED this book! Tahlia is a powerhouse, and watching her be at billionaire status while navigating betrayal, rage, and shocking twists was completely thrilling. The story is unhinged in all the right ways—every moment kept me hooked, and the suspense had me flipping pages faster than I expected. The plot twists are brilliant, the pacing is perfect, and the blend of revenge, suspense, and emotional depth makes this impossible to put down. A new-to-me author I’m definitely adding to my favorites list.This is a thrilling, twisty read with strong, complex heroines. If this is you, it’s a must-read!

[Brisace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Birthday Girl is a wild, emotional rollercoaster that had me holding my breath and side-eyeing everybody. Tahlia Banks is that woman who is ambitious, brilliant, and tired of being everyone’s safety net. Watching her go from overlooked to unstoppable was both heartbreaking and thrilling.

Mesha Mesh delivered a story that’s sharp, gritty, and dripping in revenge and power. The betrayal cuts deep, and every page pulls you further into Tahlia’s unraveling. You feel her pain, her fury, and that moment when she decides she’s done being the victim.

By the end, I didn’t know whether to root for her or fear her, but I couldn’t look away. The Birthday Girl is about what happens when a woman finally snaps and baby, and she made sure no one would ever forget her again. And that ending? Had me shocked as hell.

[Sheridan McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book. At first, I thought it was going to be a thriller, but this was straight up horror lol. Tahlia was messing those people up lmao. I completely understand where she was coming from because what they did to her and how they treated her was beyond foul, so I don’t blame her for wanting to seek her revenge on everybody. I don’t know what that says about me, but I did enjoy the book and the plot twist at the end because I was wondering who the other person could be, but there was never a hint of who it could’ve been. The last person I would’ve thought to be the accomplice was the therapist.