Deadly Animals: A Novel
Nov 2024 · Sold by Henry Holt and Company
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9 reviews
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288
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About this ebook
WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
WINNER OF THE MCDERMID DEBUT AWARD FOR CRIME FICTION
Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager. In this chillingly beautiful mystery, only the obsessive spirit of youth can save a desperate town from the savagery within.
Ava Bonney is a compassionate and studious fourteen-year-old girl with a dark secret: She has an obsessive interest in the macabre and is fascinated by how dead animals decompose. The highway she lives by regularly offers up gifts of roadkill, and in the dead of night Ava loves nothing more than to pull her latest discovery into her roadside den and record her findings.
One night, she stumbles across the body of her classmate. Fearing that her secret ritual could be revealed, she makes an anonymous call to the police. But even when local detectives take over the case, Ava won’t step back—not while teenagers continue to go missing.
Racing alongside the police or against them, Ava is determined to figure out who is hunting her classmates before she becomes the next prey.
WINNER OF THE MCDERMID DEBUT AWARD FOR CRIME FICTION
Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager. In this chillingly beautiful mystery, only the obsessive spirit of youth can save a desperate town from the savagery within.
Ava Bonney is a compassionate and studious fourteen-year-old girl with a dark secret: She has an obsessive interest in the macabre and is fascinated by how dead animals decompose. The highway she lives by regularly offers up gifts of roadkill, and in the dead of night Ava loves nothing more than to pull her latest discovery into her roadside den and record her findings.
One night, she stumbles across the body of her classmate. Fearing that her secret ritual could be revealed, she makes an anonymous call to the police. But even when local detectives take over the case, Ava won’t step back—not while teenagers continue to go missing.
Racing alongside the police or against them, Ava is determined to figure out who is hunting her classmates before she becomes the next prey.
WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
WINNER OF THE MCDERMID DEBUT AWARD FOR CRIME FICTION
Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager. In this chillingly beautiful mystery, only the obsessive spirit of youth can save a desperate town fro...
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Ratings and reviews
9 reviews
Angelique Bisson
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July 21, 2025
I almost dnf'd this but I'm fairly happy I didn't. the story has a unique concept. I found the details to be interesting and worth the read. the ending fell flat for me because it felt a bit childish but overall I enjoyed the book.
RLS2512
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February 5, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book. I found it interesting and truly enjoyed the Ava character. Unfortunately I figured out who the killer was early on so I did not find the book to be a big mystery.
About the author
Marie Tierney was a finalist in the Daily Mail First Novel competition. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Marie dedicated almost twenty years to working in education before becoming a full-time writer. When she isn’t researching criminal history, she writes plays and poetry. She lives in East Anglia with her husband and son.
Marie Tierney was a finalist in the Daily Mail First Novel competition. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Marie dedicated almost twenty years to working in education before becoming a full-time writer. When she isn’t researching criminal history, she writes plays and poetry. She lives in Ea...
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