Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Wicked Girls
by
Alex Marwood
One fateful summer morning in 1986, two 11-year-old girls meet for the first time and by the end of the day are charged with murder.
Twenty-five years later, journalist Kirsty Lindsay is reporting on a series of attacks on young female tourists in a seaside town when her investigation leads her to interview funfair cleaner Amber Gordon. For Kirsty and Amber, it's the first...more
Twenty-five years later, journalist Kirsty Lindsay is reporting on a series of attacks on young female tourists in a seaside town when her investigation leads her to interview funfair cleaner Amber Gordon. For Kirsty and Amber, it's the first...more
Paperback, 378 pages
Published
February 1st 2012
by Sphere
Win a Copy of This Book
The Wicked Girls
by Alex Marwood
by Alex Marwood
Release
date: Jul 30, 2013
A gritty, psychological thriller that asks the question: How well can you know anyone?
On a fateful summer morning in 1986, two eleven-year-old girls m…more
On a fateful summer morning in 1986, two eleven-year-old girls m…more
Giveaway dates:
May 01
- May 30, 2013
25 copies
available,
378 people
requesting
Countries available:
US
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,671)
I’ve put this book on my mystery/thriller shelf, but there’s so much more to it than that. In the summer of 1986, 4 year old Chloe’s body is discovered and 11 year olds Bel and Jade are found guilty of her murder, branded as pure evil by an appalled nation. After spending a decade in young offender’s institutions they are given new identities and freed, albeit under life-long police supervision.
In the present day, cleaner Amber stumbles across the third victim of the ‘Seaside Strangler,’ and jou...more
In the present day, cleaner Amber stumbles across the third victim of the ‘Seaside Strangler,’ and jou...more
I read a heck of a lot of crime. Far more, in fact, than I enjoy. This book is that rare exception: a crime novel that follows all the rules of the genre but is still surprising. A crime novel where the crime takes a backseat to the characters, and is all the better for it. Marwood, a journalist, writes with authority: clear, fearless prose that refuses to march to the tune of so much commercial crime fiction. She won't deliver us to a point of reassurance, nor will she sugar the pill of ambigui...more
I had high expectations on this novel. High. First, the mystery author is English--I'm a huge fan of Sophie Hannah, second, I read the blurbs at the back of the book and it tells about "twists" and "unforgettable" and "stays with you" and third, I just love a good psychological read. Well, I just finished this last night after two days of reading and it didn't even stay with me when I woke up this morning. Probably because I've read so many books like this and I was so keen to the "twist" that I...more
A Psychological Thriller that Explores the Lives of Child Murderers as Adults
Bel and Jade aren't friends. Jade's family is poor; the children, one step away from being taken by social services. Bel's family owns the manor house. They spend one summer afternoon together and life is never the same. They're very young, inexperienced in child care. Through a series of coincidences and bad decisions, a small child, they agreed to take care of for a few hours, dies and the girls are labeled murderesse...more
Bel and Jade aren't friends. Jade's family is poor; the children, one step away from being taken by social services. Bel's family owns the manor house. They spend one summer afternoon together and life is never the same. They're very young, inexperienced in child care. Through a series of coincidences and bad decisions, a small child, they agreed to take care of for a few hours, dies and the girls are labeled murderesse...more
Loved this book - it had me captured throughout and is one of those reads that keeps on pulling you back when you should be doing something else. I finished it in a day!
The writer is a former journalist and it shows - she writes with a keen eye for detail which makes it all the more realistic. And the story is plucked from recent headlines too, with a strong connection to the murder of Jamie Bulger and the subsequent front page stories about his killers, who are now fully grown and living under...more
The writer is a former journalist and it shows - she writes with a keen eye for detail which makes it all the more realistic. And the story is plucked from recent headlines too, with a strong connection to the murder of Jamie Bulger and the subsequent front page stories about his killers, who are now fully grown and living under...more
Just finished reading the Wicked Girls. I have to say I didn't see that ending coming but it certainly worked as it moved the book into 'unforgettable' territory.
The good.
The characters were very real. No one came off as flat or derivative. The story was fast paced, and did a good job in subverting my expectations. As someone with a degree in journalism, I found Marwood's take on the media interesting. Her musings on class were also pretty well realised with neither side coming out exactly well...more
The good.
The characters were very real. No one came off as flat or derivative. The story was fast paced, and did a good job in subverting my expectations. As someone with a degree in journalism, I found Marwood's take on the media interesting. Her musings on class were also pretty well realised with neither side coming out exactly well...more
When I started this book I was surprised about how in depth the story was and actually found it very difficult to put down. It ws very detailed and felt very relistic, more than other books like this I have read.
From the beginning it felt as though Amber was the only "bad guy" though Kirsty also participated in the murder of Chloe. I found the actual murder of Chloe boring, as the whole thing was a complete accident.
One character that annoyed me was Chloe's sister, Debbie. After recognising Ambe...more
From the beginning it felt as though Amber was the only "bad guy" though Kirsty also participated in the murder of Chloe. I found the actual murder of Chloe boring, as the whole thing was a complete accident.
One character that annoyed me was Chloe's sister, Debbie. After recognising Ambe...more
Marwood has constructed a crime thriller with obvious allusions to the lives of other well documented child murders with the perpetrators being children themselves and how they assimilate back into society on release. Choosing her protagonists to be two women puts a neat twist onto the whole criminal responsibility of children as most of the well known cases tend to centre on male perpetrators. This, I found, was the most well-executed aspect of the book as the reader’s sympathies shift and sway...more
1 like · like · see review
According to the narrative in this book, if you are working-class (my phrase - not sure what the author would use to describe the social group in their book, and I don't want to know) then you will, amongst other things:
- Be poor
- Shop in Aldi
- Wear sportswear
- Have piercings
- Age really, really fast
- Get drunk all the time
- Say 'innit'
- Have a menial job - maybe more than one
- Consume junk food
Get the drift? This book really irritated me. There is a good story in here somewhere - albeit not the...more
- Be poor
- Shop in Aldi
- Wear sportswear
- Have piercings
- Age really, really fast
- Get drunk all the time
- Say 'innit'
- Have a menial job - maybe more than one
- Consume junk food
Get the drift? This book really irritated me. There is a good story in here somewhere - albeit not the...more
This was another book that I just couldn't put down. It is a fairly easy read, enjoyable, full of suspense, but touching on a tricky subject matter - that of child murderers, a subject that instantly brings to mind the Jamie Bulger murder, though the children concerned here were all girls. I found it an interesting book, both as a commentary of the state of our society: the power of the media, the drinking culture found throughout the UK, relationships, sex, mob violence; and because of the sad...more
Not so much of a thriller here, in my opinion.. but nevertheless, a good read!
The flashbacks were quite confusing as, though the flash backs were only to the one same day, it wasn't in chronological order so I got a bit confused and had to flip back a few times to reread.. but still, its was kinda hard to put down once I started!
The end was a bit sad and disturbing.. I was pondering about it before I slept haha.. I feel as if one of the characters had been given the shortest straw of all, right...more
The flashbacks were quite confusing as, though the flash backs were only to the one same day, it wasn't in chronological order so I got a bit confused and had to flip back a few times to reread.. but still, its was kinda hard to put down once I started!
The end was a bit sad and disturbing.. I was pondering about it before I slept haha.. I feel as if one of the characters had been given the shortest straw of all, right...more
I started off thinking this would be a formulaic crime thriller that would provide me with a bit of cheap enjoyment but wouldn't be particularly well-written. Then I got excited when I realised it had more depth and detail than your average mystery, and thought it had the potential to be excellent. Sadly, it went in all the wrong directions after that - those 'good points' actually ended up dragging it down and making the plot feel clunky, if still somewhat compelling.
It's a two-pronged story,...more
It's a two-pronged story,...more
Right well This is a book that really makes you think and question what you think is right and whats wrong? I mean are two children really responsible for the accidental death of a five yr old? I mean I know they got scared and tried to hide what they did, and that makes it look like they did it on purpose but they were young and scared and knew everyone would blame it on them. I mean when I was younger I used to drop plates and try to cover it up or I would blame my sister "am I didn't do it" u...more
"The Wicked Girls" is an interesting book - when you start to read it you are kind of expecting a fairly straightforward murder mystery with perhaps the small twist being the fact that the main characters themselves committed a murder. What you actually get is a pretty darn good social comment on child murderers, their reintegration into society and the endless ways that those "outside" of the case can view the "criminals". (Trying not to give away any plot details here, its important to come at...more
Alex Marwood writes under a pseudonym as she is also a journalist. And now I can see why she has chosen to write under it (although I may not be right!) She explores a lot of current issues directly which come up in the Media - the most obvious being child murderers and how they are treated once entering the rehabilitation 'system' - aswell as subtly pokes fun at the media through how they are depicted and also how the public can view them.
She cleverly explores people's perception of how the ch...more
She cleverly explores people's perception of how the ch...more
I'd been reading the buzz about this debut novel on twitter for a while now and, with the outside world becoming increasingly chilly and deciding to spend some time wrapped up indoors with hot coffee and a chilling read, this seemed to be a suitable choice to tick all the boxes.
It'll be hard for anyone based in the UK to read this cracker of a novel from Alex Marwood (a pseudonym for a UK press journalist) without reflecting on the tragic case of Jamie Bulger from a few years back - a case which...more
It'll be hard for anyone based in the UK to read this cracker of a novel from Alex Marwood (a pseudonym for a UK press journalist) without reflecting on the tragic case of Jamie Bulger from a few years back - a case which...more
Wow.
This book is amazing, and tackles the very controversial.
In half a day three little girls all under the age of 12 meet for the first time and by the end of the day one is dead. Bel and Jade are 11 and have never met before, but they are hauled through the court system when it is discovered that they killed 4 year old Chloe. They are reformed and given new identities to keep them safe and are never to see each other or their families again.
25 years later in a little seaside town girls are b...more
This book is amazing, and tackles the very controversial.
In half a day three little girls all under the age of 12 meet for the first time and by the end of the day one is dead. Bel and Jade are 11 and have never met before, but they are hauled through the court system when it is discovered that they killed 4 year old Chloe. They are reformed and given new identities to keep them safe and are never to see each other or their families again.
25 years later in a little seaside town girls are b...more
This book was different from many other crime books I have read. As the book develops you learn about the tragic events of the day in which Chloe dies, as it is integrated into the story. You don't find out the exact details until the end, which I felt was a good twist, as you develop a connection with the main characters Amber and Kirsty in their present day lives whilst wondering what happened years ago. There is also a string of murders occurring in Whitmouth, which bring the women together a...more
One summer day three little girls meet each other for the first time. By the end of the day, one of the girls is dead and the other two are charged with her murder. When the murderesses are freed from prison, they are forbidden from ever contacting each other again, and they change their names to protect their identities.
Unfortunately for the now-adult cleaning woman and journalist, a series of murders will bring them back together. They risk being revealed even as they seem unable to get away...more
Unfortunately for the now-adult cleaning woman and journalist, a series of murders will bring them back together. They risk being revealed even as they seem unable to get away...more
Perfect review from http://oxocubeeditorial.blogspot.co.u...
Alex Marwood’s The Wicked Girls tells the story of two 11-year old girls, convicted of the murder of a four-year old child in the eighties and the resulting public outrage.
After 25 years, Kirsty and Amber meet by accident during the investigation of a series of murders at second-rate seaside town Whitmouth. This was one of those books which made me wish my journey to work was longer – Marwood demonstrates genius at capturing the grubby...more
Alex Marwood’s The Wicked Girls tells the story of two 11-year old girls, convicted of the murder of a four-year old child in the eighties and the resulting public outrage.
After 25 years, Kirsty and Amber meet by accident during the investigation of a series of murders at second-rate seaside town Whitmouth. This was one of those books which made me wish my journey to work was longer – Marwood demonstrates genius at capturing the grubby...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book really made me stop and think. We all have our opinions on murderers, child killers in particular. And living in Liverpool, Venables and Thompson are never far from my thoughts when I pass the places that their victim was taken on his final journey. There's been plenty of speculation about the whys and the wherefores of the case , and usually little sympathy is afforded to the killers.
This book made me think a little further into what happens when children kill children. The everlasti...more
This book made me think a little further into what happens when children kill children. The everlasti...more
Once I started reading this book, I couldn't just put it aside to continue readings later, so I ended up reading through the night.
It's very well written and doesn't provide all the answers to the questions it raises, which to me is a good thing.
I loved reading Boy A by Jonathan Trigell, which has a similar theme; child killers whose crimes are not as clear cut as they first appear.
Wicked Girls is one of those books that you can't put down till you've read the last page.
Were the girls just evil...more
It's very well written and doesn't provide all the answers to the questions it raises, which to me is a good thing.
I loved reading Boy A by Jonathan Trigell, which has a similar theme; child killers whose crimes are not as clear cut as they first appear.
Wicked Girls is one of those books that you can't put down till you've read the last page.
Were the girls just evil...more
This was the first book I've read in months, and it was great! Two young girls - imagine the female equivalents of Venables and Robert Thompson - who killed a girl, now grown up and released under new identities. They are thrown together when a seaside town suffers a series of murders. This is a thought-provoking, gripping read, with well-drawn characters and a believable plot. It was also a tale of how circumstances, or fate, or whatever you like to call it, can intervene and weave its own stor...more
good book. I thought about this one since reading the last page & on reflection think it's a very cleverly put together story. not so much in terms of the whodunnit re the deaths of female tourists in a British seaside resort town. I think it's fairly obvious who the murderer is. there is a pretty good build up of tension thru out. a tad slow? possibly. but the character of martin bagshawe is quite good as a narrative device. he's as annoying as all get out but pivotal to the conclusion. and...more
A riveting read. The subject of children who kill is an emotive one which generally raises a baying crowd. Marwood handles the subject with a clear sighted empathy for her characters plight which engages the reader sympathetically. Nonetheless it is a page turning thriller with all the twists, turns & surprises of Hitchcock. The final chase leading to the finale had me breathlessly on tenterhooks for the safety & escape of the main characters.
Excellent characterisation, a sense of the bi...more
Excellent characterisation, a sense of the bi...more
Great book, really enjoyed it. Not as spooky as I expected but still very gripping. The best thing about this book is the character portrayal of the protagonists. The author allows you to feel just the right amount of sympathy for them without the reader feeling like this is inappropriate. I was too young to appreciate any of the details about the James Bulger murder, but this book made me look into it again and fully appreciate the horror of what happened. I suppose on that front, it isn't real...more
An excellent read. Absolutely loved it and the first book on my new Kindle. I would recommend this book to anyone. The way the author holds a mirror up to our own prejudices and collective sense of moral outrage is masterful and the final flashback scene is so sad. The way the mixed use of original and assumed names leaves the reader slightly confused might be disconcerting at first but whether intentional or not provides a tool for illustrating the confusion surrounding the real identities of b...more
3 likes · like · see review
This book certainly gives the reader a lot to think about. I didn't read it as simply a psychological thriller, although it is most definately a good one, but also as a commentary of our times. Written at a time when the integrity of journalists was in question, it details a lot about the possible rights and wrongs of how papers portray victims and their families whilst at the same times showing the 'other' side - the true story from the characters points of view, the bits that readers of papers...more
I found this book a little slow in parts and wanted to rush forward. I did however realise that it needed to be a little slower as the characters had to be set out well and this added to the whole book. This moves between an incident some years ago and the current day in the seaside town where Amber lives. The current spate of murders seem to bring the reporters into the town and one of them seems to be someone Amber knew. I enjoyed this storyline and the 2 suspects in the murders are equally fu...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mysteries & C...: * Little Brown Book Group (Sphere) Giveaway - Wicked Girls Competition | 12 | 258 | May 13, 2013 12:00pm |
Alex Marwood is the pseudonym of a successful journalist who has worked extensively across the British press. Alex lives in South London and is working on her next novel.
More about Alex Marwood...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jan 27, 2013 10:57am
Jan 27, 2013 11:53am