What do you think?
Rate this book
Killing The Girl
Killing The Girl has been recognised as a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honouree by IndieBRAG.
A perfect life, a perfect love – and a perfect murder.
Loving Frankie was easy. But Carol wasn’t the only woman Frankie charmed. When Carol’s obsession finally died, she killed and buried him. No other woman was to suffer from Frankie’s love.
Now his grave will be found and the mistakes she made will come back to haunt her.
As Carol revisits the past to justify his murder, she discovers that other friends lied. Will the truth free her, or will her revenge on those who betrayed her finally kill the innocent girl she was?
If you love dark, domestic noir, full of secrets and lies, then this psychological thriller is for you.
Read Killing The Girl and ask yourself what would you do if you had a Frankie in your life?
A perfect life, a perfect love – and a perfect murder.
Loving Frankie was easy. But Carol wasn’t the only woman Frankie charmed. When Carol’s obsession finally died, she killed and buried him. No other woman was to suffer from Frankie’s love.
Now his grave will be found and the mistakes she made will come back to haunt her.
As Carol revisits the past to justify his murder, she discovers that other friends lied. Will the truth free her, or will her revenge on those who betrayed her finally kill the innocent girl she was?
If you love dark, domestic noir, full of secrets and lies, then this psychological thriller is for you.
Read Killing The Girl and ask yourself what would you do if you had a Frankie in your life?
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2019
157 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Hill
3 books155 followersElizabeth Hill is the award winning author of Killing The Girl , her first published novel. She's currently writing her next, Finding Joy and has published a humorous short story, My Best Christmas Ever, book 66093505
Kirkus review for Killing The Girl
'In Hill’s dark thriller, a troubled teenaged girl murders her serially unfaithful boyfriend and wrestles with the psychological fallout of her crime.
In 1969 England, Carol Cage is only 15 years old, still reeling from the sudden death of the father she adored and losing herself in the books he bequeathed her. When she meets Frankie Dewberry, a 19-year-old “posh boy from London” who hails from a wealthy family that inhabits the “borders of royalty,” she is immediately taken in by his flirtatious charms. They begin a relationship, and Carol falls deeply in love with him, but Frankie is a relentless womanizer, committed to pursuing sexual conquests and equally intent upon lying about them. Ultimately, Carol becomes pregnant with his child, Francine, and as a result his wealthy aunt, Thora Kent, makes financial provisions for Carol and her forthcoming child—but cuts out Frankie due to his delinquency. For all of his charm, Frankie is morally wayward and a shiftless, irresponsible young man who seems permanently allergic to maturity. In this atmospherically haunting tale, Carol, traumatized by Frankie’s betrayals, murders him with the help of a neighbor named Perry Cutler—he has his own lurid interests in the crime. The pair buries Frankie in an apple orchard. Decades later, Carol, beleaguered by mental instability, reflects on her transgressions and what they reveal about her character; her chillingly unhinged introspection is artfully conveyed by the author in powerfully spare prose. (“I’m not a killer. I’m someone who makes bad choices.”) In the aftermath of Frankie’s death, Carol pivots toward Perry, engaging in a peculiar social arrangement that perversely pantomimes marriage—he is her “guardian and [her] jailor.”
At the heart of the plot is Carol’s psychological state—she is by turns precociously bright and emotionally volatile, and the pendulum swings of her affect are as fascinating as they are discomfiting. Hill exercises an impressive authorial restraint, only slowly revealing the volatility at the heart of Carol’s fragile psyche. What often appears to be her fortitude—she can be uncommonly brave and assertive—can just as easily be interpreted as psychological dysfunction. She is a remarkably complex heroine, at times thoroughly sympathetic and at other times morally grotesque. She is in most respects an ordinary girl, but the premature death of her father, and her mother’s emotional distance, have damaged her in a way that is both obvious and challenging to fully articulate (after all, a certain measure of emotional inconstancy is a perfectly natural feature of adolescence). The novel as a whole is grippingly unpredictable—Carol acts as an unreliable narrator in the story, and the reader will likely be unprepared for some extraordinary twists at the book’s conclusion. Hill has composed a suspenseful narrative, and a grimly insightful one as well, that is both intelligently composed and dramatically mesmerizing. This is a macabre and melancholic tale, but not a hopeless one; the reader is left with a sliver of a promise of redemption. A riveting novel exploring murder, perfidy, and love.'
Elizabeth lives in Bristol, UK
Kirkus review for Killing The Girl
'In Hill’s dark thriller, a troubled teenaged girl murders her serially unfaithful boyfriend and wrestles with the psychological fallout of her crime.
In 1969 England, Carol Cage is only 15 years old, still reeling from the sudden death of the father she adored and losing herself in the books he bequeathed her. When she meets Frankie Dewberry, a 19-year-old “posh boy from London” who hails from a wealthy family that inhabits the “borders of royalty,” she is immediately taken in by his flirtatious charms. They begin a relationship, and Carol falls deeply in love with him, but Frankie is a relentless womanizer, committed to pursuing sexual conquests and equally intent upon lying about them. Ultimately, Carol becomes pregnant with his child, Francine, and as a result his wealthy aunt, Thora Kent, makes financial provisions for Carol and her forthcoming child—but cuts out Frankie due to his delinquency. For all of his charm, Frankie is morally wayward and a shiftless, irresponsible young man who seems permanently allergic to maturity. In this atmospherically haunting tale, Carol, traumatized by Frankie’s betrayals, murders him with the help of a neighbor named Perry Cutler—he has his own lurid interests in the crime. The pair buries Frankie in an apple orchard. Decades later, Carol, beleaguered by mental instability, reflects on her transgressions and what they reveal about her character; her chillingly unhinged introspection is artfully conveyed by the author in powerfully spare prose. (“I’m not a killer. I’m someone who makes bad choices.”) In the aftermath of Frankie’s death, Carol pivots toward Perry, engaging in a peculiar social arrangement that perversely pantomimes marriage—he is her “guardian and [her] jailor.”
At the heart of the plot is Carol’s psychological state—she is by turns precociously bright and emotionally volatile, and the pendulum swings of her affect are as fascinating as they are discomfiting. Hill exercises an impressive authorial restraint, only slowly revealing the volatility at the heart of Carol’s fragile psyche. What often appears to be her fortitude—she can be uncommonly brave and assertive—can just as easily be interpreted as psychological dysfunction. She is a remarkably complex heroine, at times thoroughly sympathetic and at other times morally grotesque. She is in most respects an ordinary girl, but the premature death of her father, and her mother’s emotional distance, have damaged her in a way that is both obvious and challenging to fully articulate (after all, a certain measure of emotional inconstancy is a perfectly natural feature of adolescence). The novel as a whole is grippingly unpredictable—Carol acts as an unreliable narrator in the story, and the reader will likely be unprepared for some extraordinary twists at the book’s conclusion. Hill has composed a suspenseful narrative, and a grimly insightful one as well, that is both intelligently composed and dramatically mesmerizing. This is a macabre and melancholic tale, but not a hopeless one; the reader is left with a sliver of a promise of redemption. A riveting novel exploring murder, perfidy, and love.'
Elizabeth lives in Bristol, UK
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
December 3, 2020
This was NOT a fast paced thriller but I still found it utterly compelling reading. The story is told in two timelines from the POV of Carol Cage. In the past timeline (1969/70) Carol is 15 and 16 years old, growing up in a council estate and discovering young love and a burgeoning sexuality. She is smitten by 20 year old uni student Frankie from a wealthy London family. For Carol it is star struck love - but it doesn’t end well.
In the second timeline it is 2016 and Carol been living as a virtual recluse at Oaktree House, a manor house and land she inherited in a quirk of fate from Frankie’s mother. She is quietly content until she gets the letter that informs her that a part of her land, including the house plot, is to be resumed for the construction of a major ring road. Carol is horrified. Not only would she lose her home but the skeletons of her past would be dug up - both figuratively and literally! She has a plan to rebuild her home elsewhere on the estate but the ghosts of her past clamour to be released and the 16 year old girl that still lives on inside the mature woman demands to be let out with disastrous consequences.
It is quite a long book but I never felt it lagging. And, although I don’t normally like internal monologues, in this book they hit the right notes. This is very much a character driven drama and the main characters are wonderfully rendered. None of the characters are totally likeable, although I found myself quite sympathetic to Carol. Although she made some terrible choices she was quite feisty and I liked that about her. I did mark the book down because there was one plot thread about a young boy found buried (also from around 40 years ago) that went nowhere. We never found out who he really was (beyond the name) or how he was killed or how he came to be buried where he was. But overall it was a highly enjoyable book that I recommend. Many thanks to BookSirens and Elizabeth Hill for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
In the second timeline it is 2016 and Carol been living as a virtual recluse at Oaktree House, a manor house and land she inherited in a quirk of fate from Frankie’s mother. She is quietly content until she gets the letter that informs her that a part of her land, including the house plot, is to be resumed for the construction of a major ring road. Carol is horrified. Not only would she lose her home but the skeletons of her past would be dug up - both figuratively and literally! She has a plan to rebuild her home elsewhere on the estate but the ghosts of her past clamour to be released and the 16 year old girl that still lives on inside the mature woman demands to be let out with disastrous consequences.
It is quite a long book but I never felt it lagging. And, although I don’t normally like internal monologues, in this book they hit the right notes. This is very much a character driven drama and the main characters are wonderfully rendered. None of the characters are totally likeable, although I found myself quite sympathetic to Carol. Although she made some terrible choices she was quite feisty and I liked that about her. I did mark the book down because there was one plot thread about a young boy found buried (also from around 40 years ago) that went nowhere. We never found out who he really was (beyond the name) or how he was killed or how he came to be buried where he was. But overall it was a highly enjoyable book that I recommend. Many thanks to BookSirens and Elizabeth Hill for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
December 30, 2019
"Maybe we all need an unattainable lover to keep us tortured but alive."
This is the story of Carol (the girl), a naive teenager who in 1970 falls in love for the first time with an older playboy. Obsessed with Frankie, Carol goes out of her way to impress him and show him she's worthy of his love. Even after she learns of his reprehensible behavior, Carol willingly remains in Frankie's clutches. That bodes well for Frankie, for a time, because what's most important to him is money, and with Carol by his side, he can weasel his way into her newfound inheritance.
Forty years later, Carol tells her story in the form of a diary, a confession she expects to be read when her home is torn down to make way for new roads. When Oaktree House comes down, so too will Carol's decades-long charade.
Killing the Girl is about lies and their consequences. It is about deep, dark secrets, murder and coverups, family and the relationships that feel like family. It is about defining happiness when we have no idea what is most important in life.
With a small-town backdrop and rich, fully-developed characters, Elizabeth Hill weaves a tale that is impossible to stop thinking about long after the story is done. Five well-deserved stars for Killing the Girl.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Carol (the girl), a naive teenager who in 1970 falls in love for the first time with an older playboy. Obsessed with Frankie, Carol goes out of her way to impress him and show him she's worthy of his love. Even after she learns of his reprehensible behavior, Carol willingly remains in Frankie's clutches. That bodes well for Frankie, for a time, because what's most important to him is money, and with Carol by his side, he can weasel his way into her newfound inheritance.
Forty years later, Carol tells her story in the form of a diary, a confession she expects to be read when her home is torn down to make way for new roads. When Oaktree House comes down, so too will Carol's decades-long charade.
Killing the Girl is about lies and their consequences. It is about deep, dark secrets, murder and coverups, family and the relationships that feel like family. It is about defining happiness when we have no idea what is most important in life.
With a small-town backdrop and rich, fully-developed characters, Elizabeth Hill weaves a tale that is impossible to stop thinking about long after the story is done. Five well-deserved stars for Killing the Girl.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2019
Carol Cage has been living in fear in her mansion for more than 40 years. Because it is mandatory that she leave her home, she is afraid her decades-old secret will be dug up.
She is writing her confession now because she wasn't the only one living a lie. The events that turned her fairy-tale life into a living hell were not all they seemed.
She’s determined not to pay for the mistakes of others; if she has to face justice, then they will too.
In her teens, Carol marries Frankie, a man who was charming. However, Carol was not the only one he charmed. Frankie rests 6 feet under ..... on her land. Surely the body will be found when her home is demolished to make way for a new road.
As Carol desperately tries to keep her own secrets and lies hidden, she uncovers others that drive her to the edge of madness.
This is a well written psychological thriller ... a story of love, hate, relationships, obsession, envy, friendships, and deep dark secrets. There are unexpected twists and turns ... a real page turner. The story starts in today's time then regresses to the past as Carol recounts her life. It started out a little slowly for me, but once reading, I rapidly found myself hooked. The ending came as a complete surprise. This debut novel highly recommended.
Many thanks to the author / BookSirens for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
She is writing her confession now because she wasn't the only one living a lie. The events that turned her fairy-tale life into a living hell were not all they seemed.
She’s determined not to pay for the mistakes of others; if she has to face justice, then they will too.
In her teens, Carol marries Frankie, a man who was charming. However, Carol was not the only one he charmed. Frankie rests 6 feet under ..... on her land. Surely the body will be found when her home is demolished to make way for a new road.
As Carol desperately tries to keep her own secrets and lies hidden, she uncovers others that drive her to the edge of madness.
This is a well written psychological thriller ... a story of love, hate, relationships, obsession, envy, friendships, and deep dark secrets. There are unexpected twists and turns ... a real page turner. The story starts in today's time then regresses to the past as Carol recounts her life. It started out a little slowly for me, but once reading, I rapidly found myself hooked. The ending came as a complete surprise. This debut novel highly recommended.
Many thanks to the author / BookSirens for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
May 2, 2020
This is Carol’s story.
She’s a talented, intelligent high school student when she meets bad boy Frankie several years older. Her university plans fall to the wayside as he becomes the love of her life.
Does he love her back? Well, he maybe likes her... as much as a narcissist cares for anyone.
He’s also buried in her backyard. We learn this in the first few pages of the book, so no spoilers here. We also learn that she and her childhood friend buried him forty years prior and he’s about to be discovered.
Whew, what an introductory prologue. So, what’s left?
The answer: Plenty!
There are many twists, discoveries, and secrets uncovered as Carol’s story unfolds while she journals the events of her life.
I was so entertained by this book. There was an unexpected soulfulness as many of us may be able to relate to an intense but doomed first love.
This was an engrossing fast read and I highly recommend it!
Thank you to Elizabeth Hill, the publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy,
She’s a talented, intelligent high school student when she meets bad boy Frankie several years older. Her university plans fall to the wayside as he becomes the love of her life.
Does he love her back? Well, he maybe likes her... as much as a narcissist cares for anyone.
He’s also buried in her backyard. We learn this in the first few pages of the book, so no spoilers here. We also learn that she and her childhood friend buried him forty years prior and he’s about to be discovered.
Whew, what an introductory prologue. So, what’s left?
The answer: Plenty!
There are many twists, discoveries, and secrets uncovered as Carol’s story unfolds while she journals the events of her life.
I was so entertained by this book. There was an unexpected soulfulness as many of us may be able to relate to an intense but doomed first love.
This was an engrossing fast read and I highly recommend it!
Thank you to Elizabeth Hill, the publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy,
March 23, 2021
Told in two separate timelines in the form of a diary, this book was well written and a good story but slow paced. I enjoyed the character of Carol (ha ha!). In the beginning I found her to be a strong-willed and outspoken young girl except for her weakness when it came to Frankie; in her later years she became quite reclusive and submissive so she was somewhat of a character study. She suffered through a lot and I felt sorry for her as she seemed very lonely. Although not one of my favourite books, I'd recommend it to a friend. Judging by the reviews I'm in the minority here giving it only 3 stars.
July 27, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the tone and flow of the characters and the story. One of those nice comfortable reads that keeps calling to you. I had an idea of the 'who done it' but not going to lie, there were several times when I questioned my thinking due to the twists in the story line. Even so, the story caught my interest and kept it there. It kind of reminded me of the works of Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell, particularly A Dark Adapted Eye. This will be one of those books that I will go back and re-read for I am sure it will hold up with time.
I am excited to see how this author evolves with future books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I am excited to see how this author evolves with future books.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 19, 2019
If you’re a fan of dark twisty thrillers, this is a book to consider.
Our MC, Carol, has a dark past and for decades she got away with the darkest deed a person could do. However, a chain of events start that will reveal the truth. Against herself, Carol decides to write her confession because she isn’t quite sure herself what happened all those years ago.
This book is slow to start, but once it gets started, it is thoroughly gripping. In the beginning, there are lots and lots of descriptions which may seem overdone but after the halfway point in the story, this information becomes significant. The story that’s told is very emotional and mysterious because we learn throughout the story that Carol has a very twisted version of her own reality. She made plenty of bad decisions because of this and dealt with the fall out on her, leading her deeper into the center of her own delusional mind.
As a fan of psychological works, I am always excited to find great new authors in the genre and Elizabeth Hill certainly fits the bill.
Our MC, Carol, has a dark past and for decades she got away with the darkest deed a person could do. However, a chain of events start that will reveal the truth. Against herself, Carol decides to write her confession because she isn’t quite sure herself what happened all those years ago.
This book is slow to start, but once it gets started, it is thoroughly gripping. In the beginning, there are lots and lots of descriptions which may seem overdone but after the halfway point in the story, this information becomes significant. The story that’s told is very emotional and mysterious because we learn throughout the story that Carol has a very twisted version of her own reality. She made plenty of bad decisions because of this and dealt with the fall out on her, leading her deeper into the center of her own delusional mind.
As a fan of psychological works, I am always excited to find great new authors in the genre and Elizabeth Hill certainly fits the bill.
October 4, 2019
This novel is both heartbreaking and unsettling and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Narrated by Carol in the form of a diary, it takes place in two main parts: when Carol was coming of age in her teens at the end of the 1960s and her later life in 2016.
I thought the world-building was very well done, with the area and elements of rural life being vivid. The pacing was a bit meandering, but it is a diary, so that's to be expected. I found liked the contrast between the bucolic setting, gentle pace, and the underlying horror embedded in the story.
The character building is complex. I can't say that I either particularly like or trust Carol. But she is a compelling figure. I also found the other characters in the novel were rich, despite being relayed through Carol's eyes. Readers will have to decide for themselves how far her assessments of others can be trusted.
For me, the haunting element remains Carol's mental state. The novel seems to infer that she spends much of her adult life medicated, and I wonder how much of her paralysis is her psyche versus her meds. I also found Carol's story to be tragic in the way her choices panned out with consequences ricocheting throughout her life. In addition, the little ways she cedes agency in her own life was horrifying to me.
In spite of a narrator that I didn't like (although I feel pity for her in some ways), her story was riveting and I can't wait to read more from this author.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
I thought the world-building was very well done, with the area and elements of rural life being vivid. The pacing was a bit meandering, but it is a diary, so that's to be expected. I found liked the contrast between the bucolic setting, gentle pace, and the underlying horror embedded in the story.
The character building is complex. I can't say that I either particularly like or trust Carol. But she is a compelling figure. I also found the other characters in the novel were rich, despite being relayed through Carol's eyes. Readers will have to decide for themselves how far her assessments of others can be trusted.
For me, the haunting element remains Carol's mental state. The novel seems to infer that she spends much of her adult life medicated, and I wonder how much of her paralysis is her psyche versus her meds. I also found Carol's story to be tragic in the way her choices panned out with consequences ricocheting throughout her life. In addition, the little ways she cedes agency in her own life was horrifying to me.
In spite of a narrator that I didn't like (although I feel pity for her in some ways), her story was riveting and I can't wait to read more from this author.
I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.
June 14, 2020
As a teenager, Carol dreamed of going to university. All that changes when she meets Frankie, a smooth talker who changes her life. Soon Carol is pregnant and Frankie abandons her. If only he had stayed away, she might have taken back control of her life, but alas, this is not a happily ever after story.
Carol uses her diary to show us what happened and the many lies and deceptions that have defined her come to light. Her world is about to explode, as her house is slated for demolition. When that happens, it is likely her secret will be revealed and she needs to be prepared.
I had such a hard time empathizing with Carol. Yes, first love can be brutal, but the decisions she made and the things she did had me shaking my head more than once. I never warmed up to this character, but somehow, I found myself getting pulled into the story. Suddenly, I wanted to know exactly what had happened and to me, this is a sign of an enjoyable read. Kudos to the author for writing characters I loathed and still creating a compelling tale.
Carol uses her diary to show us what happened and the many lies and deceptions that have defined her come to light. Her world is about to explode, as her house is slated for demolition. When that happens, it is likely her secret will be revealed and she needs to be prepared.
I had such a hard time empathizing with Carol. Yes, first love can be brutal, but the decisions she made and the things she did had me shaking my head more than once. I never warmed up to this character, but somehow, I found myself getting pulled into the story. Suddenly, I wanted to know exactly what had happened and to me, this is a sign of an enjoyable read. Kudos to the author for writing characters I loathed and still creating a compelling tale.
July 27, 2019
Brought this book on Amazon and thoroughly enjoyed the read.
It is full of twists and turns that never failed to make me want to turn the page.
In my opinion, it is a must read and would definitely recoment to others.
The ending was extremely surprising, so much that i wanted there to be another chapter!
Worth the purchase and worth the read.
It is full of twists and turns that never failed to make me want to turn the page.
In my opinion, it is a must read and would definitely recoment to others.
The ending was extremely surprising, so much that i wanted there to be another chapter!
Worth the purchase and worth the read.
May 31, 2023
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Killing The Girl' by Elizabeth Hill.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Elizabeth Hill and Zooloos Book Tours .
Publication date 14th April 2019.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
This novel consists of a prologue, 73 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in England on many occasions including this year and next year again so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.
This book is written in first person perspective and the protagonists are Carol Cage. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.
'Killing The Girl' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Elizabeth discusses death of a child, domestic abuse, suicide and paedophilia.
This book is very well written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all making your heart pound and you constantly second guessing.
This is an intriguing, gripping and twisty read which kept dropping bomb shell after bomb shell on the reader!!! I lost count of the amount of times I had thought I had worked everything out just for Elizabeth to throw another twist in the mix!!! This is one of the things I really enjoyed about this book and a huge well done to Elizabeth as it is getting harder and harder to shock me after the amount of crime books I have read but you absolutely blew my mind several times especially when it came to the ending!!! This is a dark and unique book that is, in general, a slow burn but one that has quite alot going on which kept me hooked to the pages from beginning to the end and I devoured it in one sitting!! This book begins with Carol worrying about the fact that her home is being demolished to make way for a ring road and she is worried about the fact that they will find her boyfriend when they do this. She then takes us into her childhood from 1969 to her adulthood in 2016. She tells us how her life went from bad to worse after making one wrong decision after another. It is ram packed with friendships romance, lies, greed, twists, sex, betrayal, murder, jealousy, adultery, injustice, secrets and everything you could ask for in a gritty thriller. It is also a rollercoaster ride of emotions as we stand by Carol going through hell and back. It is extremely multilayered with characters that are unlikeable and untrustworthy leaving you constantly guessing who can be trusted, if anyone. It tells us of realistic feelings of first love, feelings of abandonment, lust and more that many youngsters to through as their feelings change and they go from being children to young adults. Elizabeth does a fantastic job of portraying the characters emotions and making the reader feel many of the same. Elizabeth's evocative writing skills and some of the fantastic passages scattered throughout the book shows how much of a talented author Elizabeth is and really does keep you hooked throughout. I am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!!!
This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most certainly won't be the last and I cannot wait to get stuck into more of her previous and future books!!!
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture
There is a good mix of realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. However, I really, really did not like Carol and found her to be pitiful and desperate on several occasions to the point where I found myself shouting at my kindle at times, sometimes telling her to grow up and just get away!!! My heart did go out to her for some of the things that she was going through but at the same time I did find her to be a depressing narrator who played the victim too much. I could not abide Frankie, Erik, Matthew or Perry!! The only character I actually didn't dislike was Thora but even she was devious. I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Elizabeth's fantastic descriptions and writing skills really did make them jump out of the page and come to life! I won't go into any more information about any of these characters or other ones as I really don't want to give anything away to future readers. Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!
Overall a heartbreaking, gripping and gritty domestic thriller that is ram packed with twists and an explosive ending!!!
Genres covered in this novel include Horror Thriller, Women's Psychological Fiction, Women's Adventure Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Horror, Suspense Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Womens Psychological, Crime Fiction, Murder, Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Women's Crime Fiction and Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Woman in the Window', 'The Girl on the Train' ,Lisa Jewell, ,Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn , Freida McFadden, K.L Slater, Daniel Hurst. Shari Lapeni, 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Housemaid' aand anyone who loves a book filled with suspense and surprises!!
312 pages.
This book is just FREE to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#KillingTheGirl #ElizabethHill #wickedwriteruk #ZooLoosBT #ZooloosBookTours #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited
@KillingTheGirl @ElizabethHill @wickedwriteruk @ZooLoosBT @ZooloosBookTours @Bookworm1986 @NetGalley @bookworm86 @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/a...
Review for 'Killing The Girl' by Elizabeth Hill.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Elizabeth Hill and Zooloos Book Tours .
Publication date 14th April 2019.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
This novel consists of a prologue, 73 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in England on many occasions including this year and next year again so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.
This book is written in first person perspective and the protagonists are Carol Cage. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.
'Killing The Girl' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Elizabeth discusses death of a child, domestic abuse, suicide and paedophilia.
This book is very well written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all making your heart pound and you constantly second guessing.
This is an intriguing, gripping and twisty read which kept dropping bomb shell after bomb shell on the reader!!! I lost count of the amount of times I had thought I had worked everything out just for Elizabeth to throw another twist in the mix!!! This is one of the things I really enjoyed about this book and a huge well done to Elizabeth as it is getting harder and harder to shock me after the amount of crime books I have read but you absolutely blew my mind several times especially when it came to the ending!!! This is a dark and unique book that is, in general, a slow burn but one that has quite alot going on which kept me hooked to the pages from beginning to the end and I devoured it in one sitting!! This book begins with Carol worrying about the fact that her home is being demolished to make way for a ring road and she is worried about the fact that they will find her boyfriend when they do this. She then takes us into her childhood from 1969 to her adulthood in 2016. She tells us how her life went from bad to worse after making one wrong decision after another. It is ram packed with friendships romance, lies, greed, twists, sex, betrayal, murder, jealousy, adultery, injustice, secrets and everything you could ask for in a gritty thriller. It is also a rollercoaster ride of emotions as we stand by Carol going through hell and back. It is extremely multilayered with characters that are unlikeable and untrustworthy leaving you constantly guessing who can be trusted, if anyone. It tells us of realistic feelings of first love, feelings of abandonment, lust and more that many youngsters to through as their feelings change and they go from being children to young adults. Elizabeth does a fantastic job of portraying the characters emotions and making the reader feel many of the same. Elizabeth's evocative writing skills and some of the fantastic passages scattered throughout the book shows how much of a talented author Elizabeth is and really does keep you hooked throughout. I am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!!!
This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most certainly won't be the last and I cannot wait to get stuck into more of her previous and future books!!!
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture
There is a good mix of realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. However, I really, really did not like Carol and found her to be pitiful and desperate on several occasions to the point where I found myself shouting at my kindle at times, sometimes telling her to grow up and just get away!!! My heart did go out to her for some of the things that she was going through but at the same time I did find her to be a depressing narrator who played the victim too much. I could not abide Frankie, Erik, Matthew or Perry!! The only character I actually didn't dislike was Thora but even she was devious. I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Elizabeth's fantastic descriptions and writing skills really did make them jump out of the page and come to life! I won't go into any more information about any of these characters or other ones as I really don't want to give anything away to future readers. Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!
Overall a heartbreaking, gripping and gritty domestic thriller that is ram packed with twists and an explosive ending!!!
Genres covered in this novel include Horror Thriller, Women's Psychological Fiction, Women's Adventure Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Horror, Suspense Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Womens Psychological, Crime Fiction, Murder, Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Women's Crime Fiction and Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Woman in the Window', 'The Girl on the Train' ,Lisa Jewell, ,Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn , Freida McFadden, K.L Slater, Daniel Hurst. Shari Lapeni, 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Housemaid' aand anyone who loves a book filled with suspense and surprises!!
312 pages.
This book is just FREE to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#KillingTheGirl #ElizabethHill #wickedwriteruk #ZooLoosBT #ZooloosBookTours #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited
@KillingTheGirl @ElizabethHill @wickedwriteruk @ZooLoosBT @ZooloosBookTours @Bookworm1986 @NetGalley @bookworm86 @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/a...
February 24, 2021
Before I really get into my thoughts on this book I want to say that Killing The Girl by Elizabeth Hill is one hell of a debut novel and I am eager to see what Hill brings us next!
Killing The Girl is not a quick or easy read but it is 100% worth every minute. It has many of the key elements you have come to expect from a domestic thriller such as abuse, lies, affairs, secrets, questionable friendships and yes murder. However, in Killing The Girl Hill managed to provide a story that kept me invested from start to finish.
Hill writes a truly wonderful book. She developed the atmosphere and characters phenomenally. I was completely emotionally invested in its characters especially Carol.
The story is told from two POVs, young Carol Cage and old Carol Cage. There is an underlying theme of consequences for the mistakes and secrets we keep in life. This is defintely a book that will have you thinking long after you flip the last page.
I received this book from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you again Random Things Blog Tours for including my review.
Killing The Girl is not a quick or easy read but it is 100% worth every minute. It has many of the key elements you have come to expect from a domestic thriller such as abuse, lies, affairs, secrets, questionable friendships and yes murder. However, in Killing The Girl Hill managed to provide a story that kept me invested from start to finish.
Hill writes a truly wonderful book. She developed the atmosphere and characters phenomenally. I was completely emotionally invested in its characters especially Carol.
The story is told from two POVs, young Carol Cage and old Carol Cage. There is an underlying theme of consequences for the mistakes and secrets we keep in life. This is defintely a book that will have you thinking long after you flip the last page.
I received this book from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you again Random Things Blog Tours for including my review.
March 22, 2025
In Killing the Girl, we follow Carol, a young teen whose life seems to spiral out of control after the loss of her father. She chases her happily ever after longing to fill the void his death has left her. Trying to find love, acceptance, and belonging in the arms of 20 year old Frankie, she finds her fairytale dreams shattered. Again, she finds herself in the depths of grief and denial after the deaths of her lover and her childhood best friend. A twisted web of obsession, delusion, and desperation are woven throughout the story of her life as she struggles to find answers and truth within the lies. This book had me contemplating: Who is capable of murder? And as Perry, Sarah's neighbor put it, "Given the right circumstances we all are." Disturbing and shocking, the ending left me reeling. This is a brilliant psychological thriller.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 3, 2020
I enjoyed this book, which centers around Carol and is told in 2 parts, first when she is in her teens and is obsessed with an older boy, and later when she is in her 60s and being forced to leave her home due to redistricting. There is a lot more to this story, though, as it relates to Carol's relationships with those around her (her best friend Sarah and her brother, her neighbor Perry, her benefactor Thora, a teacher at school, and her own parents), and the author does a great job at helping the reader to understand Carol's place in all of these relationships and what she thinks about them.
The pace is somewhat slow and I was frustrated with Carol's naivete during the first half of the book, but there is a constant feel that something big is getting ready to happen, which keeps the reader engaged. The end is dark, and somewhat unexpected, which made me equally sad and fascinated. I liked the first half of the book better than the second, which felt somewhat rushed to me.
Overall, I'd recommend the book- it's unique and clever and definitely worth a read.
Thanks to BookSirens, as I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The pace is somewhat slow and I was frustrated with Carol's naivete during the first half of the book, but there is a constant feel that something big is getting ready to happen, which keeps the reader engaged. The end is dark, and somewhat unexpected, which made me equally sad and fascinated. I liked the first half of the book better than the second, which felt somewhat rushed to me.
Overall, I'd recommend the book- it's unique and clever and definitely worth a read.
Thanks to BookSirens, as I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 9, 2019
Carol, in her teens, comes under the spell of the charismatic Frankie and after he charms her and gives her jewellery she marries him. She’s not the only one he’s charmed, she discovers. The murky past comes to light when the home Carol inherited is demolished to make way for building and she has to relocate nearby. This is a terrific tale of obsession, envy, friendships made and broken, secrets hidden, and I was glued to it all the way. ‘The Girl’ that Carol was in 1970 is still inside her as she battles her demons in 2016. This is a really good read.
February 19, 2020
Killing the Girl begins with great suspense -- a chilling January day, a woman thinks back on the daughter who died and the lover/boyfriend whom she murdered (and whom she claims to miss), musing about the near future when her husband's bones will be discovered. She's not a very reliable narrator -- depressed, prejudiced in her perspective, and quite possibly teetering on the edge of madness. 40 years after the killing, Carol prepares to move to a new home, bunking temporarily with her friend/neighbor/childhood tempter Perry, with whom she has a rather toxic relationship of shared secrets and "mutual respect". When she leaves her house with an unloaded gun at one point, she claims: "There's no intention to kill anyone else. I'm not a killer. I'm a person who makes bad choices."
The next half of the manuscript is a walk down memory lane, chronicling those bad choices (e.g. her lust for and behaviors towards men who are simultaneously "repulsive and attractive" to her throughout her life -- and her apparent inability to make close friends). Carol is a difficult character to analyze, much less empathize with at times, but her childhood pluck and hotheaded courage are commendable. I get how she falls head-over-heels for manipulative, seductive, patronizing Frankie (her bouts of insecurity and a missing father figure make this behavior believable); the blind eye she chooses to cast upon his perpetual infidelities, though, is much more surprising. Then the story sheds its skin as a dysfunctional romance/coming-of-age story and takes on a fascinatingly darker face of mystery / horror ... and a spiraling descent into Carol's growing madness. Forty years later, we meet her again as she remarries, sets her sights on another dysfunctional childhood crush, and unearths more secrets of the past -- dark secrets that belong to others, and darker secrets of her own.
The pace of the story is brisk, for even though it's as if we're reading through Carol's self-written diary/memoir, she uses enough anecdotes and dialogue to depict the past and color scenes. The narrative takes on haphazard tangents sometimes, but rarely for long, and perhaps does so purposefully to highlight Carol's own distracted/unraveling personality since it's her own narrative (e.g. "The wind was getting up, and the chill hit my bare legs below my short skirt. Mum had promised to buy me a coat that weekend; I couldn’t do mine up. My brothers gave me money if I babysat or something. It was a Friday: the day Mum went out with her workmates. She’d been going out a lot. Erik Schmidt had approached me the first week of the new term.").
There were some really lovely passages throughout, too. A couple of my favorites: "There was a king, with silky, shoulder-length hair, a shirt rippling across tight muscles, and an upper lip carrying the honey-coloured sheen of a moustache. His kingdom was seductive and made me question where my home was" and "I fetched my bag and coat and slammed the door as I ran out. The fresh air hit my face like a long overdue slap." I also loved the symbolism of the title – Killing the Girl – as (I think) it alludes to the girl within her that older Carol’s constantly conjuring (or who never grew up)… and the revelation that in reaching for life and salvation, she has to ultimately kill this girl to find inner peace.
The next half of the manuscript is a walk down memory lane, chronicling those bad choices (e.g. her lust for and behaviors towards men who are simultaneously "repulsive and attractive" to her throughout her life -- and her apparent inability to make close friends). Carol is a difficult character to analyze, much less empathize with at times, but her childhood pluck and hotheaded courage are commendable. I get how she falls head-over-heels for manipulative, seductive, patronizing Frankie (her bouts of insecurity and a missing father figure make this behavior believable); the blind eye she chooses to cast upon his perpetual infidelities, though, is much more surprising. Then the story sheds its skin as a dysfunctional romance/coming-of-age story and takes on a fascinatingly darker face of mystery / horror ... and a spiraling descent into Carol's growing madness. Forty years later, we meet her again as she remarries, sets her sights on another dysfunctional childhood crush, and unearths more secrets of the past -- dark secrets that belong to others, and darker secrets of her own.
The pace of the story is brisk, for even though it's as if we're reading through Carol's self-written diary/memoir, she uses enough anecdotes and dialogue to depict the past and color scenes. The narrative takes on haphazard tangents sometimes, but rarely for long, and perhaps does so purposefully to highlight Carol's own distracted/unraveling personality since it's her own narrative (e.g. "The wind was getting up, and the chill hit my bare legs below my short skirt. Mum had promised to buy me a coat that weekend; I couldn’t do mine up. My brothers gave me money if I babysat or something. It was a Friday: the day Mum went out with her workmates. She’d been going out a lot. Erik Schmidt had approached me the first week of the new term.").
There were some really lovely passages throughout, too. A couple of my favorites: "There was a king, with silky, shoulder-length hair, a shirt rippling across tight muscles, and an upper lip carrying the honey-coloured sheen of a moustache. His kingdom was seductive and made me question where my home was" and "I fetched my bag and coat and slammed the door as I ran out. The fresh air hit my face like a long overdue slap." I also loved the symbolism of the title – Killing the Girl – as (I think) it alludes to the girl within her that older Carol’s constantly conjuring (or who never grew up)… and the revelation that in reaching for life and salvation, she has to ultimately kill this girl to find inner peace.
June 6, 2021
There's just something about UK authors when it comes to spooky, Gothic-style suspense. Maybe it's the cold weather or their understated, you-have-to-read-between-the-lines use of the English language. I don't know what it is, but keep it coming, please!
This is one of those books that I enjoyed, but it really "snuck up on me" long after I'd put it down. You know the kind - the one you put in a pile for your fellow bookish friends so you can pass it along. But when it comes time to do so, you just can't let it go? Yep, that's right where this one's at!
Characters with mysterious pasts, love gained and lost, a sassy senior citizen named Carol, spooky woods - this one has it all! Rating it at a 4 because, for me, the story did bog down in a few places, and a few plot points I was able to predict in advance. But, overall, this is that kind of spooky suspense I love!
A hearty thank you to Elizabeth Hill for gifting me this book as part of the 1,000-member celebration in the NetGalley Users Group.
This is one of those books that I enjoyed, but it really "snuck up on me" long after I'd put it down. You know the kind - the one you put in a pile for your fellow bookish friends so you can pass it along. But when it comes time to do so, you just can't let it go? Yep, that's right where this one's at!
Characters with mysterious pasts, love gained and lost, a sassy senior citizen named Carol, spooky woods - this one has it all! Rating it at a 4 because, for me, the story did bog down in a few places, and a few plot points I was able to predict in advance. But, overall, this is that kind of spooky suspense I love!
A hearty thank you to Elizabeth Hill for gifting me this book as part of the 1,000-member celebration in the NetGalley Users Group.
May 3, 2021
This book is amazing. I was hooked from page 1. The story keeps me turning the pages well past my bed time and delivers one surprise after another. Every twist was unexpected but, when it came, I thought, "Of course! That makes perfect sense." The characters were complex and compelling. I loved some, I hated some, I loved and hated some. The writing itself is smooth and non-intrusive. As an author myself, I always dissect the books I read. I found myself going back and rereading some portions of this book because they were done so well. Kudos to the author! I plan to read everything she's ever written!
June 1, 2023
This story is told with two timelines, one in the 1970s and one in 2016. We learn though the “then” chapters what has happened to Carol to get her where she is in 2016. While there is murder and mystery, I do wish it was a little bit faster paced and left out some of the unnecessary background. There were a few twists in the book that I never saw coming, and after all, that is exactly what I want in a thriller. While a lot of the characters were unlikeable, I did feel bad for Carol, especially in the beginning. She was young, naïve, and easy to manipulate. I felt bad that her friendship with Sarah ended the way that it did. Overall, a decent read if you can handle slow burn.
March 24, 2020
This is a truly amazing book that I don't know if I can describe it enough to give it the justice it deserves.
The writing is hauntingly beautiful and I felt like I was there in the mansion alone feeling all the emotions that Carol was feeling. It was all so dark and emotional but it was written so beautifully that I could feel the pain, the lonliness, isolation, the let down and disappointment of everyone in her life. I honestly wanted to cry.
This was a chilling read that I give 5 stars!
Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC in exhange for my honest review.
Well done Elizabeth Hill!
The writing is hauntingly beautiful and I felt like I was there in the mansion alone feeling all the emotions that Carol was feeling. It was all so dark and emotional but it was written so beautifully that I could feel the pain, the lonliness, isolation, the let down and disappointment of everyone in her life. I honestly wanted to cry.
This was a chilling read that I give 5 stars!
Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC in exhange for my honest review.
Well done Elizabeth Hill!
March 10, 2020
Carol Cage is a recluse. Surrounded by money, her house, her things. There is no one in her life. Her brothers have lives of their own. He mother has remained. The man she loved lies dead under the pear tree. So many years she has stayed away from everything and everyone.
This is a psychological thriller. It has everything you would want in a great book. It has drama, strong characters, fantastic storyline and a phenomenal twist at the end.
Excellent!
This is a psychological thriller. It has everything you would want in a great book. It has drama, strong characters, fantastic storyline and a phenomenal twist at the end.
Excellent!
June 3, 2023
After I finished reading this book I was left wondering if I had really understood it. Carol is a very complex character. I can’t pretend that I liked her that much. I have to remember how young she was in 1970, when she became obsessed with Frankie. I say obsessed because I don’t believe it was true love.
Frankie was handsome, charming, charismatic – all the things the other boys were not. And four years older than her. His parents lived in London, his father an eminent gynecologist and his mother a social snob. Carol’s family and friends were working class. Frankie’s family would never accept her as marriage material.
Most of the time I wanted to shake her. Don’t be fooled by his charm, I would say to her. Don’t throw your life away for him. He’s a playboy and a narcissist and he’s just after your inheritance so he can live it up in France with his horrible university chums.
In 2016, Carol’s home, Oaktree House, is about to be demolished, so she has written her confession. When they dig up the garden – which they will inevitably do – they will find Frankie’s body buried under the bushes. She knows this because she killed him when she made the first of many horrifying discoveries. But those discoveries will pale into nothing compared to the secrets she uncovers later on.
Carol sees herself as a ‘victim’, her life having been ruined by the three men who have tried to control her. But she’s actually driven by obsession, sex and jealousy. Sometimes I found her ‘thoughts’ unbearable to read. At times I wondered if she’s schizophrenic and there is this other girl living inside her head. But maybe that’s because she’s forever taking diazepam or antidepressants or being treated for her mental instability in a psychiatric hospital. It takes her decades to realise that she is not unstable, but that she has been made to believe it by others.
However, I may have got it completely wrong. Perhaps if she was nicer and stopped saying everyone was only interested in their own problems when she is only interested in her own, I would have been more sympathetic.
It’s wonderfully written, full of beautiful descriptive language that really draws you in, and while at times it messed with my head, I really loved it.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
Frankie was handsome, charming, charismatic – all the things the other boys were not. And four years older than her. His parents lived in London, his father an eminent gynecologist and his mother a social snob. Carol’s family and friends were working class. Frankie’s family would never accept her as marriage material.
Most of the time I wanted to shake her. Don’t be fooled by his charm, I would say to her. Don’t throw your life away for him. He’s a playboy and a narcissist and he’s just after your inheritance so he can live it up in France with his horrible university chums.
In 2016, Carol’s home, Oaktree House, is about to be demolished, so she has written her confession. When they dig up the garden – which they will inevitably do – they will find Frankie’s body buried under the bushes. She knows this because she killed him when she made the first of many horrifying discoveries. But those discoveries will pale into nothing compared to the secrets she uncovers later on.
Carol sees herself as a ‘victim’, her life having been ruined by the three men who have tried to control her. But she’s actually driven by obsession, sex and jealousy. Sometimes I found her ‘thoughts’ unbearable to read. At times I wondered if she’s schizophrenic and there is this other girl living inside her head. But maybe that’s because she’s forever taking diazepam or antidepressants or being treated for her mental instability in a psychiatric hospital. It takes her decades to realise that she is not unstable, but that she has been made to believe it by others.
However, I may have got it completely wrong. Perhaps if she was nicer and stopped saying everyone was only interested in their own problems when she is only interested in her own, I would have been more sympathetic.
It’s wonderfully written, full of beautiful descriptive language that really draws you in, and while at times it messed with my head, I really loved it.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
December 13, 2019
Killing the Girl is a creepy and uncanny debut by the wonderfully talented writer, Elizabeth Hill. Written in first-person, I was immediately sucked into the eerie world of the protagonist, Carol Cage, as the events of her past began to close in on her. But true to its genre, nothing is as it first seems in this claustrophobic psychological thriller, where the author’s choice of surname for her main character acts as a subtle motif, hinting at the overall sense of caginess and entrapment.
The author’s depiction of Carol growing up as a teenager in the 1970s was absolutely spot on; it was like being transported back in time through a time-machine! The young Carol was vibrant and feisty, rejecting social expectations that 1970s Britain placed on women; but the young Carol is also naïve and trusting and has been sheltered from the horrors of the real world – including things that have gone on in her own family. As Carol negotiates life as a young woman in love, she is left to discover and experience the shocking truth for herself. But just when Carol thinks things cannot get any worse, she is proved wrong as her recollection of what happened on that fateful day is put to the test when even more horrific details are discovered. And as more and more is revealed, we see the protagonist become more and more unstable and paranoid before the Girl inside is put to rest.
I absolutely loved this original storyline. As much as I love psychological thrillers, a lot of them can be very samey but Killing the Girl is unique in terms of both plot and narrative style. The narrative is rich in indirect thought and Hill’s voice is convincing to the point that at times, the story felt like a memoir. The combination of the strong literary element, emphasising the protagonist’s inner journey, alongside the striking and twisty plot that deals with uncomfortable issues, reminded me of Arundhati Roy’s 1997 Booker Prize winner The God of Small Things. Killing the Girl is definitely a winner for me and I can’t wait to read more from the wonderfully talented Elizabeth Hill.
The author’s depiction of Carol growing up as a teenager in the 1970s was absolutely spot on; it was like being transported back in time through a time-machine! The young Carol was vibrant and feisty, rejecting social expectations that 1970s Britain placed on women; but the young Carol is also naïve and trusting and has been sheltered from the horrors of the real world – including things that have gone on in her own family. As Carol negotiates life as a young woman in love, she is left to discover and experience the shocking truth for herself. But just when Carol thinks things cannot get any worse, she is proved wrong as her recollection of what happened on that fateful day is put to the test when even more horrific details are discovered. And as more and more is revealed, we see the protagonist become more and more unstable and paranoid before the Girl inside is put to rest.
I absolutely loved this original storyline. As much as I love psychological thrillers, a lot of them can be very samey but Killing the Girl is unique in terms of both plot and narrative style. The narrative is rich in indirect thought and Hill’s voice is convincing to the point that at times, the story felt like a memoir. The combination of the strong literary element, emphasising the protagonist’s inner journey, alongside the striking and twisty plot that deals with uncomfortable issues, reminded me of Arundhati Roy’s 1997 Booker Prize winner The God of Small Things. Killing the Girl is definitely a winner for me and I can’t wait to read more from the wonderfully talented Elizabeth Hill.
June 3, 2023
The past can haunt you,but should you let it?
Killing the Girl is a standalone psychological thriller by Elizabeth Hill.Set in two half’s betweeen flashbacks and present day,it tells the story of Carol Cage,her boyfriend Frankie and best friend Sarah.
I didn’t really warm to any of the characters apart from Sarah,she was misunderstood and all she wanted was to be loved.
I found this found this book to be the most brilliant yet most disturbing book I have read in a very long time.Everything was so descriptive and real that you felt you were in the story and every time you thought you worked out what what was going on and why,another twist came flying round the corner.My favourite twist was the one at the very end as I did see it coming at all.
This book had me gripped from beginning to end,a total must read if you are a fan of psychological thrillers.
Bookworm Rating 🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛/5
Killing the Girl is a standalone psychological thriller by Elizabeth Hill.Set in two half’s betweeen flashbacks and present day,it tells the story of Carol Cage,her boyfriend Frankie and best friend Sarah.
I didn’t really warm to any of the characters apart from Sarah,she was misunderstood and all she wanted was to be loved.
I found this found this book to be the most brilliant yet most disturbing book I have read in a very long time.Everything was so descriptive and real that you felt you were in the story and every time you thought you worked out what what was going on and why,another twist came flying round the corner.My favourite twist was the one at the very end as I did see it coming at all.
This book had me gripped from beginning to end,a total must read if you are a fan of psychological thrillers.
Bookworm Rating 🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛/5
June 2, 2023
Killing The Girl by Elizabeth Hill.
Loving Frankie was easy but teenage Carol wasn’t the only woman Frankie charmed. Tired of Frankie’s cheating ways, Carol kills him and buries him in her orchard.Forty years later Frankie's grave will be found and Carol’s guilt revealed. As she writes her confession before they arrest her, she discovers other friends lied. The truth should free her, but their betrayal demands revenge. Will she atone for her sins and kill the innocent girl she was, or will that girl exact retribution?
A really good read. Well written. Different. Unsure how I felt about the characters. But in the end I did feel for Carol and Sarah. 4*.
Loving Frankie was easy but teenage Carol wasn’t the only woman Frankie charmed. Tired of Frankie’s cheating ways, Carol kills him and buries him in her orchard.Forty years later Frankie's grave will be found and Carol’s guilt revealed. As she writes her confession before they arrest her, she discovers other friends lied. The truth should free her, but their betrayal demands revenge. Will she atone for her sins and kill the innocent girl she was, or will that girl exact retribution?
A really good read. Well written. Different. Unsure how I felt about the characters. But in the end I did feel for Carol and Sarah. 4*.
June 6, 2023
I devoured Killing The Girls in one sitting. The story is very well written and had me hooked from the very first line. It is written in two parts, and we follow the story of Carol as a young girl and then as an adult.
Teenager Carol falls in love with Frankie, and their romance develops very quickly but gets tired of his unfaithfulness. She punishes him but keeps him closer. Forty years later, all her secrets are about to come out.
I really didn't like Carol's writer, and Hill has done a brilliant job of creating such great characters. This is definitely a complex and intense read, but I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend this book.
Teenager Carol falls in love with Frankie, and their romance develops very quickly but gets tired of his unfaithfulness. She punishes him but keeps him closer. Forty years later, all her secrets are about to come out.
I really didn't like Carol's writer, and Hill has done a brilliant job of creating such great characters. This is definitely a complex and intense read, but I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend this book.
June 5, 2023
OMG!!!! This was EPIC! Within the first chapter, I was hooked. I could not stop reading & when I wasn’t I was constantly thinking about the story. Asking myself questions, some serious thoughts like what would I do?
But oh wow, the characters were well there is certain names for those horrid ones.
I absolutely loved this book.
But oh wow, the characters were well there is certain names for those horrid ones.
I absolutely loved this book.
February 25, 2020
Enjoyed this slow-burning thriller. The first paragraph hooked me and it held my interest. Some books grab you with the first sentence and then drag, not here! I wanted to know more sooner, but Ms. Hill timed everything perfectly, doling out information at an ideal pace.
May 31, 2023
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Killing The Girl' by Elizabeth Hill.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Elizabeth Hill and Zooloos Book Tours .
Publication date 14th April 2019.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
This novel consists of a prologue, 73 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in England on many occasions including this year and next year again so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.
This book is written in first person perspective and the protagonists are Carol Cage. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.
'Killing The Girl' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Elizabeth discusses death of a child, domestic abuse, suicide and paedophilia.
This book is very well written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all making your heart pound and you constantly second guessing.
This is an intriguing, gripping and twisty read which kept dropping bomb shell after bomb shell on the reader!!! I lost count of the amount of times I had thought I had worked everything out just for Elizabeth to throw another twist in the mix!!! This is one of the things I really enjoyed about this book and a huge well done to Elizabeth as it is getting harder and harder to shock me after the amount of crime books I have read but you absolutely blew my mind several times especially when it came to the ending!!! This is a dark and unique book that is, in general, a slow burn but one that has quite alot going on which kept me hooked to the pages from beginning to the end and I devoured it in one sitting!! This book begins with Carol worrying about the fact that her home is being demolished to make way for a ring road and she is worried about the fact that they will find her boyfriend when they do this. She then takes us into her childhood from 1969 to her adulthood in 2016. She tells us how her life went from bad to worse after making one wrong decision after another. It is ram packed with friendships romance, lies, greed, twists, sex, betrayal, murder, jealousy, adultery, injustice, secrets and everything you could ask for in a gritty thriller. It is also a rollercoaster ride of emotions as we stand by Carol going through hell and back. It is extremely multilayered with characters that are unlikeable and untrustworthy leaving you constantly guessing who can be trusted, if anyone. It tells us of realistic feelings of first love, feelings of abandonment, lust and more that many youngsters to through as their feelings change and they go from being children to young adults. Elizabeth does a fantastic job of portraying the characters emotions and making the reader feel many of the same. Elizabeth's evocative writing skills and some of the fantastic passages scattered throughout the book shows how much of a talented author Elizabeth is and really does keep you hooked throughout. I am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!!!
This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most certainly won't be the last and I cannot wait to get stuck into more of her previous and future books!!!
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture
There is a good mix of realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. However, I really, really did not like Carol and found her to be pitiful and desperate on several occasions to the point where I found myself shouting at my kindle at times, sometimes telling her to grow up and just get away!!! My heart did go out to her for some of the things that she was going through but at the same time I did find her to be a depressing narrator who played the victim too much. I could not abide Frankie, Erik, Matthew or Perry!! The only character I actually didn't dislike was Thora but even she was devious. I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Elizabeth's fantastic descriptions and writing skills really did make them jump out of the page and come to life! I won't go into any more information about any of these characters or other ones as I really don't want to give anything away to future readers. Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!
Overall a heartbreaking, gripping and gritty domestic thriller that is ram packed with twists and an explosive ending!!!
Genres covered in this novel include Horror Thriller, Women's Psychological Fiction, Women's Adventure Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Horror, Suspense Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Womens Psychological, Crime Fiction, Murder, Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Women's Crime Fiction and Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Woman in the Window', 'The Girl on the Train' ,Lisa Jewell, ,Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn , Freida McFadden, K.L Slater, Daniel Hurst. Shari Lapeni, 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Housemaid' aand anyone who loves a book filled with suspense and surprises!!
312 pages.
This book is just FREE to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#KillingTheGirl #ElizabethHill #wickedwriteruk #ZooLoosBT #ZooloosBookTours #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited
@KillingTheGirl @ElizabethHill @wickedwriteruk @ZooLoosBT @ZooloosBookTours @Bookworm1986 @NetGalley @bookworm86 @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/a...
Review for 'Killing The Girl' by Elizabeth Hill.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Elizabeth Hill and Zooloos Book Tours .
Publication date 14th April 2019.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
This novel consists of a prologue, 73 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and holidayed in England on many occasions including this year and next year again so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.
This book is written in first person perspective and the protagonists are Carol Cage. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.
'Killing The Girl' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Elizabeth discusses death of a child, domestic abuse, suicide and paedophilia.
This book is very well written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all making your heart pound and you constantly second guessing.
This is an intriguing, gripping and twisty read which kept dropping bomb shell after bomb shell on the reader!!! I lost count of the amount of times I had thought I had worked everything out just for Elizabeth to throw another twist in the mix!!! This is one of the things I really enjoyed about this book and a huge well done to Elizabeth as it is getting harder and harder to shock me after the amount of crime books I have read but you absolutely blew my mind several times especially when it came to the ending!!! This is a dark and unique book that is, in general, a slow burn but one that has quite alot going on which kept me hooked to the pages from beginning to the end and I devoured it in one sitting!! This book begins with Carol worrying about the fact that her home is being demolished to make way for a ring road and she is worried about the fact that they will find her boyfriend when they do this. She then takes us into her childhood from 1969 to her adulthood in 2016. She tells us how her life went from bad to worse after making one wrong decision after another. It is ram packed with friendships romance, lies, greed, twists, sex, betrayal, murder, jealousy, adultery, injustice, secrets and everything you could ask for in a gritty thriller. It is also a rollercoaster ride of emotions as we stand by Carol going through hell and back. It is extremely multilayered with characters that are unlikeable and untrustworthy leaving you constantly guessing who can be trusted, if anyone. It tells us of realistic feelings of first love, feelings of abandonment, lust and more that many youngsters to through as their feelings change and they go from being children to young adults. Elizabeth does a fantastic job of portraying the characters emotions and making the reader feel many of the same. Elizabeth's evocative writing skills and some of the fantastic passages scattered throughout the book shows how much of a talented author Elizabeth is and really does keep you hooked throughout. I am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!!!
This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most certainly won't be the last and I cannot wait to get stuck into more of her previous and future books!!!
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture
There is a good mix of realistic, well rounded and strong characters which makes it a realistic read. All the characters were strong and realistic as well as hiding their own secrets. I was completely invested in each and every one of them. However, I really, really did not like Carol and found her to be pitiful and desperate on several occasions to the point where I found myself shouting at my kindle at times, sometimes telling her to grow up and just get away!!! My heart did go out to her for some of the things that she was going through but at the same time I did find her to be a depressing narrator who played the victim too much. I could not abide Frankie, Erik, Matthew or Perry!! The only character I actually didn't dislike was Thora but even she was devious. I don't want to risk saying more about how I felt about the characters as I don't want to give anything away to future readers but I will say that I was annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed at the different ones for many different reasons!! Elizabeth's fantastic descriptions and writing skills really did make them jump out of the page and come to life! I won't go into any more information about any of these characters or other ones as I really don't want to give anything away to future readers. Regardless of whether you love them or hate them they each played their parts perfectly!!!
Overall a heartbreaking, gripping and gritty domestic thriller that is ram packed with twists and an explosive ending!!!
Genres covered in this novel include Horror Thriller, Women's Psychological Fiction, Women's Adventure Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Horror, Suspense Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Womens Psychological, Crime Fiction, Murder, Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Women's Crime Fiction and Thriller amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Woman in the Window', 'The Girl on the Train' ,Lisa Jewell, ,Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins, Gillian Flynn , Freida McFadden, K.L Slater, Daniel Hurst. Shari Lapeni, 'The Wife Between Us', 'The Housemaid' aand anyone who loves a book filled with suspense and surprises!!
312 pages.
This book is just FREE to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#KillingTheGirl #ElizabethHill #wickedwriteruk #ZooLoosBT #ZooloosBookTours #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited
@KillingTheGirl @ElizabethHill @wickedwriteruk @ZooLoosBT @ZooloosBookTours @Bookworm1986 @NetGalley @bookworm86 @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/a...
June 6, 2023
This book absolutely caught me off guard but in the best possible way. Killing the girl was a dark psychological thriller full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming.
The story goes back and forth between 1970 and the present. Our main protagonist is Carol, and she has kept a secret for many decades. Living in isolation at her reclusive manor named Oaktree House. When she receives official paper that her home will be demolished, she knows dark secrets will come to life. As a young girl, Carol had a lot going for her. She was intelligent, knew what she wanted, and had the love of her charming boyfriend Frankie. Unfortunately, Frankie is not who he portrays to be. A chain of events will change Carol's life forever, and the ending left me spinning. This is my new favorite story and I can't wait to read more from the author.
The story goes back and forth between 1970 and the present. Our main protagonist is Carol, and she has kept a secret for many decades. Living in isolation at her reclusive manor named Oaktree House. When she receives official paper that her home will be demolished, she knows dark secrets will come to life. As a young girl, Carol had a lot going for her. She was intelligent, knew what she wanted, and had the love of her charming boyfriend Frankie. Unfortunately, Frankie is not who he portrays to be. A chain of events will change Carol's life forever, and the ending left me spinning. This is my new favorite story and I can't wait to read more from the author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews